Higx Optics ray-traces the glass instead of faking the bokeh
Higx Optics uses ray-traced virtual lenses for bokeh and optical effects across Nuke, After Effects and Resolve Studio. We compare the approach with ZEISS LensCore.
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Foundry Nuke
174 posts
Let’s talk to the Caddis developer.
Digital Production spoke with developer Mike Gaynor about the creation and implementation of Caddis.
ZEISS LensCore is here
ZEISS explains how LensCore recreates physical lens behaviour inside Nuke, supports custom lenses and fits into professional VFX pipelines.
“Comp” enters public alpha
Comp enters alpha on Windows and Apple silicon, with an optional AI worker and a firm warning against production use.
Nukepedia Rebuilt, nuBridge Reloaded
An interview with Nukepedia founder Frank Rueter, one of the long-standing Nuke community voices, about the platform rebuild, nuBridge and the next steps for 2D Compositing tools.
Beeble Canvas gets a Topaz split
Canvas now compares Topaz upscales in-node, adds 30 plus generation models, Markdown notes, magnetic snap, and describer updates.
NukeRef Adds References to Nuke
NukeRef lets compositors paste image references into Nuke’s Node Graph as interactive backdrops. Tiny script, big sanity gain.
Beeble Nuke plugin: relight with passes
Beeble’s Nuke plugin loads PBR pass sets and lets you relight with Directional, Point, and HDRI lights. Simple install, picky inputs, real control.
Foundry expands Nuke Stage for LED walls
Nuke Stage now plays NotchLC, handles Gaussian Splats, logs on-set metadata in a Vault, and pushes USD scene edits into real time LED wall playback.
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore targets Nuke lens looks
LensCore brings lens profiles, ray-traced lens behavior, and physics-driven controls to Nuke, aiming for fast, repeatable lens looks across sequences.
RISE: Fallout Destroys LA, Politely
Los Angeles gets procedurally wrecked, Area 51 gets sand-blasted, and the Caswennan gets treated like a flying film set. We play 20 Questions with RISE.
KeenTools 2026.1: Nuke 17 and Blender 5.1
New host support, calmer refinements, fewer UV surprises. 2026.1 targets the unglamorous stuff that breaks shots at 2 am.
Neat Video 6.1.2 adds Vegas 2026 and Nuke 17
Neat Video 6.1.2 shows up with M5 Pro and M5 Max support and fresh host app compatibility, so your denoise keeps pace.
ONYX Ai Matte for OFX hosts
ONYX Ai Matte targets fast alphas in OFX apps with prompts, tracking, trimap refinement, and published RTX only system limits.
On a Mission: Creating “NO ONE’S LIGHT”
No One’s Light is what happens when you start with 50 sci-fi ideas, delete 47 of them for survival reasons, and end up with a five-minute animated short that still looks like an alien planet got a proper art department. Blender handles the world building and Geometry Nodes chaos, CloudRig keeps characters bendy instead of broken, and Nuke ties it together before final grading at HFF München.
MPC’s Cold Storage
MPC Paris delivered 575 shots on Cold Storage, from invisible fixes to slime, creatures and a nuclear finale. But how?
Nuke 17.0 rewires 3D and adds Gaussian Splats
Nuke 17.0 brings native splats, USD scene graph control, BigCat ML scaling and core performance gains.
Foundry buys Griptape to “orchestrate AI”
Foundry acquires Griptape to add "AI orchestration" to Nuke and broader VFX pipelines.
Infinity Hotel: Endless Rooms, Endless Renders
HFF Munich’s VFX students built Infinity Hotel, a hybrid short film merging live action with CGI, LiDAR scans, and Dolby Atmos sound.
No More 2D Smoke and Mirrors: Volumetric Noise for Nuke
Compositing Academy releases Volumetric Noise for Nuke, a raymarched plugin generating true 3D volumetrics with lighting and occlusion.
Foundry locks in full subscription future for 2027
Foundry drops perpetual maintenance: from 2027, all Nuke, Mari, and Katana users will be on subscription only.
Sapphire gets the “Essentials” treatment
Boris FX adds a free 11-part Sapphire Builder Essentials course to its training library, covering professional multi-host workflows.
How I Spent Five Years Making a Solo 3D Film
Maxim Gehricke spent five years creating his solo 3D short film SEN. Here’s how he did it without funding, team, or sleep.
SynthEyes Essentials Training is here and Free for the Holidays
Boris FX unwraps a holiday gift: SynthEyes Essentials, a free, three-hour matchmove training course for VFX artists, free until 31 December.
KeenTools 2025.3 Brings Blender 5, Character Creator 5 & AE Exports
KeenTools 2025.3 expands host support with Blender 5, Character Creator 5 export from FaceBuilder and Alembic output from GeoTracker for After Effects.
Rendering the Inferno at RiseFX: The Lost Bus
128 shots, 15 sequences, and GPUs on the brink: RISE FX’s Oliver Schulz explains how his team built the burning world of The Lost Bus.
When Annabelle Grew Up: The Digital Domain Horror Pipeline
425 shots, one terrifying doll, and a CG mill town: Digital Domain’s Alex Millet explains how his team built the horror of The Conjuring: Last Rites and kept it real.
Foundry Opens Nuke 17 Beta: New 3D System, New Variables
Nuke 17 Beta modernises its 3D system, adds a Variable framework and revamped annotation tools: compositors can now test them all.
Analog Soul, Digital Body: ARRI Film Lab Arrives
ARRI’s new OpenFX plugin Film Lab emulates analog film’s grain, halation, and weave in real time for any camera. Free trial now via RE:Vision Effects.
Neat Video 6: Smarter Noise Reduction for Nuke and Beyond
Neat Video 6 automates what used to be manual: GPU tuning, CPU balancing, and memory management. The result: up to twice the render speed and half the RAM usage inside Nuke, Premiere, and Resolve. A quiet but meaningful upgrade for anyone tired of watching progress bars instead of pixels.
Momo: Of Time, Turtles, and Technical Wizardry
VFX Supervisor Michael Wortmann on how RiseFX built the fantasy of Momo: almost entirely on location, with 280 shots and the best turtle in the business.
ZEISS CinCraft Virtual Lens Enters BETA: Real Glass, Virtual Magic
ZEISS opens BETA registration for CinCraft Virtual Lens Technology, a GPU-powered Nuke plugin that replicates real lens behaviour in compositing, simulating optical artefacts like bokeh, distortion, and chromatic aberration.
HFF Munich Hiring: Two Half-Time Heroes Wanted
HFF Munich’s VFX department wants two new tech minds—one for the pipeline, one for IT. Expect creative chaos, cool people, and excellent surroundings!
RiseFX on Heads of State: Explosions, Statues, and Digital Diplomacy
500 shots, one exploding limo, and statues aimed at helicopters: Rise FX brings high-stakes action to Heads of State with a new Riseflow pipeline.
Python for Artists Cohort starts soon
Repetitive tasks kill time. Python kills repetitive tasks. DP author Alexander Richter teaches scripting for Maya, Houdini, Nuke, and more.
Frank Rueter’s Quest to Stop Nuke Knowledge from Disappearing
Nukepedia’s origin: How Frank Rueter launched the community’s Nuke tool repository and why the relaunch matters in 2025 - and what is coming to nuBridge?
Free Plugin Connects Blender to Nuke – Without Alembic Detours
Free plugin bridges Blender and Nuke via FBX and OBJ – no Alembic or USD needed. Geometry and camera data flow directly into your comp.
Nukepedia 2.0: From Geekfest to Gigabytes
Nukepedia is getting rebuilt after 15 years of DIY infrastructure. Relaunch planned for Siggraph—survey and donations now open to support the effort.
Let’s fix it in Pod 07 FMX with Mario Müller
In this episode of Let's fix it in Pod Christoph & Bela browse the FMX Programme and talk about their favorite picks. They are then joined by FMX project manager Mario Müller for a deep dive into what goes into planning an fmx and bringing it to life.
Nuke Stage: Foundry Introduces a Virtual Production Tool
Foundry introduces Nuke Stage, a virtual production tool designed for real-time playback, live compositing, and integration with industry-standard formats.
Red Poppies, Bears and Open Source!
Polish war drama Red Poppies (Czerwone Maki) brings the Battle of Monte Cassino to the big screen with over 400 VFX shots, 120 of which were crafted by Polish VFX studio Imaginary Pixels. And the team relied on open-source tools?
Trailmakers from Denmark!
Game trailers should make you interested in the game, obviously, and since we can't wait for Trialmakers 2, the trailer did its job - so, we are talking to the creatives behind the trailer!
Let’s fix it in Pod 06 Plugins with Brian Fox
In this episode, Bela and Christoph glint and glow a little bit brighter than usual... Thanks to plugins. They talk about the history of plugins, their place among other software extensions like Gizmos and Shaders and ask themselves if OpenFX is really the API to rule them all.
Nuke 16: Compositing Without the Copy-Paste Circus
Foundry releases Nuke 16.0, introducing multi-shot compositing, faster review workflows, and improved BlinkScript functionality for streamlined post-production.
Mufasa heads to MPC
The Prequel of a remake of a animated movie, based on a Shakespeare play... and still worth watching! We got a Chance to talk to Audrey Ferrara, MPCs VFX Supervisor for Mufasa
Bright Idea: Free Rim Light Tool for Nuke Artists
CompAcademy's free 2D Rim Light Tool for Nuke simplifies rim lighting in 2D workflows, offering flexibility and control at no cost.
TD Meetup 13: Nuke Multishot
Will Multishot bring sequence compositing into Nuke 16’s release?
Digital Domain Lets Agatha Fly
The prettiest Marvel show this year was "Agatha All Along" Time to ask Digital Domain how they did that!
Nuke Gets Splatted: Gaussian Splatting Plugin Debuts
Introducing Gaussian Splatting for Nuke: real-time 3D point cloud rendering with GPU acceleration, enhancing VFX compositing workflows.
Foundry Releases Katana 8.0, Mari 7.1, and Nuke 16.0 Open Beta
Katana 8.0 introduces USD roundtripping, Mari 7.1 unveils 2D painting, and Nuke 16.0 open beta offers multishot workflows for VFX professionals.
Through the Woodlands
Creatures made of tree branches and roots seem to have a firm place in the history ofVFX. Just…
Flow Warp Plugin for Nuke Bends Images with Precision
The free Nuke plugin, Flow Warp, lets artists bend images along custom paths with ease—ideal for particles and tricky compositing shots.
TD Meetup 10: ComfyUI in Nuke
What if we could create AI images directly in Nuke using ComfyUI?
pScatter breaks your renders!
pScatter, a new free plugin for Nuke, aims to bring natural randomness to perfect computer-generated (CG) images.
KeenTools releases “FaceTracker” for Blender
KeenTools has released “FaceTracker” for Blender. The software offers real-time face tracking and is available for free in…
TD Meetup 07: CopyCat – Machine Learning in Nuke
CopyCat is a Nuke node that “copies sequence-specific effects, such as garbage matting, beauty repairs, or deblurring, from a small number of frames in a sequence and then trains a network to replicate the effect on the entire sequence.
Nuke Utilities Volume 8 – Textures
You can have great footage under the pen - sometimes you just need a few extra details to give your comp the finishing touch. And so that we don't all keep using Nuke's own noise generator, this issue contains a small, fine collection of texture generators for Nuke.
Nuke Utilities Volume 7 – Transform
It's time to move a few things. So this issue
this issue, our little collection of tools is all about Transform Tools. So we're distorting,
scaled, rotated and even morphed a little.
C&R.me – post-production in the cloud
It's been a few years now since the term "cloud" has gone from buzzword to hype to working reality - but so far there are
very few tools that can do everything in the cloud. Sure, some tools have access or even their "own clouds", but wouldn't an "everything in the cloud" solution be better?
Nuke UtilitiesVolume 6 – Keying
Admittedly, if you look at the keyers that are included with Nuke out of the box, it's a who's who of clipping tools: Primatte, Ultimatte, Keylight & IBK, plus Luma, Difference & Co. However, as everyday working life throws all kinds of challenges at us, there are also some clever little helpers that we want to take a look at here.
We Hunt Giants
The short film "We Hunt Giants" takes the viewer into a world in which humans and dinosaurs fight for survival. Action, drama and CGI - without a Hollywood budget in the millions. Here is a brief insight into the making of the film and its visual effects.
Our Universe of… Houdini?
Who would have thought that one of our favourite documentaries seen this year would come from Bristol?
Timeline Tools von The Foundry 2
Color, Comp und Conform! Nuke and Nuke X are the de facto-standard in node-based compositing. But even seasoned Nuke artists have often had little or no contact with the closely related reviewing and finishing products.
What’s New in Nuke 14?
"The next generation of Nuke" - the British developers from Foundry are confidently announcing their new version. Let's take a look at what's new between Copycat and Scanline Renderer, what's changed, what's completely new or what remains the same?
Nuke Tools Vol. 3 – Channels, Passes and Mattes
While looking at the UI previously, we are now finally moving on to the node tree. More specifically, into Nuke's channel management. Here too, artists can make their lives much easier with a few tools and scripts. Because especially with a view
rebuild, you want to make life a little easier than constantly repeating the same steps.
New payment model introduced for the Nuke product family!
Perpetual licences will continue to be offered until the end of the year. New customers use annual subscriptions.
VERTAGT – VFX for a dystopian satire
What does the cultural programme actually look like in a dystopia? The short film Vertagt depicts the end-time scenario of a humanity that has not achieved its climate goals. What could our future look like - if human life still exists?
The Wild Wild Witcher
Grabbing two Bafta (British Academy Television and Craft) Awards in 2022,
the second season of "The Witcher” has tons and tons of eye candy. Winning in the categories Make-Up & Hair and Visual & Graphic Effects, this colossal fantasy saga is filled to the brim with magic effects – but who did put the magic on the screen?
Back to the 70s – Cloud Atlas
Review: In DP 02 : 2013, we tracked down the mega-production Cloud Atlas - with export director Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings in the director's chair. How did Rise manage the massive visual effects of the three-hour epic - and how did the VFX artists transform today's Glasgow into the San Francisco of the 1970s?
KeenTools version 2022.0 released!
Create even more lifelike 3D models with FaceBuilder - because: Integration with MetaHuman from Epic Games makes it possible!
Nuke 13.2 released!
The final release of the Nuke 13 product line: NewTek Network Device Interface (NDI), OpenTimelineIO (OTIO), Machine Learning - but is Nuke ready for Unreal Engine 5?
Element-ary Asset Management
There's something with AI and industry relevance for asset management - and it's also from Munich. Do you already know the element?
Nuke 13.1 | Release
Nuclear, Nuclear - Nuke? That's for sure! 3D manipulators, 3D hotkeys and other hot feature delights!
Compositing Academy Energy FX Library
Compositing Academy's LookDev FX Library offered 200 simulated 4K energy effects for VFX compositing and look development.
Nuke 13.1 | Release
In beta: The compositing triple around Nuke, NukeX and Nuke Studio - test it now!
Nuke Eye Effects: Colour Changes, Warping and Blink Removal
Damian Allen demonstrated Nuke techniques for changing eye colour, warping and morphing eyes, and removing blinks from a shot.
Nuke 13 | Release
Features with a nuclear punch? Machine learning, Hydra 3D viewport renderer and more.
Inside Digital Production 02:2021
Digital Production 02:2021 covers colour tools, Resolve, Magic Bullet, Marmoset, Houdini, Katana, Nuendo, Cascadeur and Unreal Niagara.
KeenTools 2021.1 Expands FaceBuilder and FaceTracker Support
KeenTools 2021.1 adds Nuke Indie support, new FaceBuilder topologies, ARKit-compatible blendshapes and tracking improvements.
Television Academy Names 2020 Engineering Emmy Recipients
The 72nd Engineering Emmy Awards recognised Apple ProRes, Codex Raw Workflow, Unreal Engine, Nuke and other production technologies.
The Nuke Indie version is here!
The time has come - together with Nuke 12.2, Foundry is releasing an affordable "indie" version of the compositing package - with (almost) everything you need.
Facebuilder for Blender | Open Beta
KeenTools Facebuilder for Blender 2.8: The original Nuke tool is currently available as a free open Blender add-on beta!
Download | 40 Free Blood Textures
For anyone entering a blood frenzy at the start of the contemplative Christmas season: here are 40 free blood textures!
AE Lockdown: Warping Surface Tracker
Want to simplify clean-up and beauty work? The new "Lockdown" plug-in promises to simplify the work.
Natron Development Continues
Until recently, the open-source compositing program's outlook was poor due to a lack of developers—now it appears to be continuing.
Nuke 12.0 – Sneak Peek
A new insight into the upcoming Nuke 12.0 version: Foundry provides new information about the Inpaint Node!
DeepC | OSS for Nuke
Deep compositing for everyone! The open source plugin "DeepC" makes it possible.
Higx | Particle Party for Nuke
"Point Render" is a new fast particle tool for Nuke. In addition to the tool, there are other interesting blink scripts from the developer on Nukepedia...
Into The Spider-Verse: New York | Imageworks
Imageworks with a new breakdown clip for the Oscar winner "Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse" - this time we look at the realization of the city.
Survival Guide in the Software Jungle
Anyone who can no longer see the forest for the trees has either got lost or, like so many people by now, simply can no longer keep track of such a huge mountain of software.
CaraVR 2.1 Overview
For anyone who has not yet informed themselves: Here is a video with the most important new features in CaraVR.
Cloudy Athera
For anyone who has not yet noticed: Foundry has unveiled Athera and will soon release it for selected users to test.
Less Noise—Altus Handles It
“This denoiser is better than the integrated ones from V-Ray, Corona or Render Man.” – A clear statement.
Allan McKay: Decay VFX Training
New free VFX training from Allan McKay: This time there's a ten-hour session on how to realise this decay effect.
December 13, 2017: Illume Webinar – Houdini COPs for Games
A webinar for Nuke users and anyone interested in effective node-based work in Houdini: SideFX Games Technical Director Mike Lyndon explains compositing nodes (COPs).