Archive notice: This article was originally published on 15 November 2019. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The last major Flame 2020 release brought many changes to Autodesk’s compositing & finishing tool, which we examined more closely in DP issue 19:04. (Read our review here). With point update 2020.2, Autodesk continues the AI trend and offers new keyers for automatically creating mattes. Further changes include a new Compare Tool, a better import & replace workflow for FBX and Alembic, new Substance PBR presets and more.
Machine Learning: Automatic Mattes
The update adds two new Semantic Keyers for the Selective node, as well as new widgets for 3D AOV Primitive mode. The “Human Body Keyer” is, as the name describes, intended for automatic detection and creation of animated masks for people. The second, “Human Head Keyer“, isolates only the heads. Although the results can already be convincing, truly clean mattes still require manual assistance. Recommended use cases include quick look-dev for VFX and grading, hiding identities and sky replacements.
New Compare Tool
Flame’s Compare Tool also receives an update: alongside a new interface, the tool can now store an unlimited number of reference images against which the current shot can be compared. The interface also offers four new modes, including Angle Split, Blend, Difference and Grid. You can find out more here.
Further information: Release notes or the Autodesk Flame website
