Freelance Houdini Artist (Prefracture and Simulation Support) (#4232)

N-iX Game & VR Studio is a team of 100+ professionals, delivering top-quality games, game assets, and VR solutions to various game and media enterprises and startups. Among our clients are Paradox Interactive, Wargaming.NET, Tempo Storm, and other established game businesses and VR startups. We aim for AAA quality of work and offer competitive benefits to our employees.

Responsibilities:

• Prepare high-quality prefracture setups for props of various sizes and materials according to given references and requirements
• Ensure the prepared assets meet project style and technical specifications
• Test and validate the destruction and physics behavior of fractured assets in the in-house game engine
• Optimize simulations and geometry to meet performance and memory constraints
• Collaborate closely with 3D artists and technical teams to maintain a consistent and efficient production pipeline
• Submit finalized assets to the client repository via Perforce, ensuring proper naming conventions and version control
• Work with the team lead to plan and prioritize tasks in alignment with project goals

Required Skills:

• Strong practical knowledge of Houdini (fracturing, rigid body dynamics, constraints, procedural workflows)
• Understanding of material behavior and how different materials (wood, metal, stone, glass, etc.) react to impact
• Experience preparing game-ready destruction setups
• Ability to test and debug assets within a game engine environment (preferably custom or proprietary)
• Good understanding of optimization principles for real-time applications
  Basic knowledge of 3D modeling tools (3ds Max, Maya, or Blender) for asset adjustment or preparation
• Familiarity with version control systems, ideally Perforce
• Strong attention to detail, problem-solving, and communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional team
• Understanding of the game production pipeline

As a plus:

• Experience with Python or VEX scripting for tool creation and automation in Houdini
• Familiarity with Unity, Unreal Engine 5, or other real-time engines
• Experience with Substance Painter, Designer, or Photoshop for texture adjustment
• Knowledge of vertex painting, mask workflows, or procedural material blending
• Ability to communicate effectively in English
• Passion for games and interactive experiences