Mads:
Thanks again for the overwhelming support on the StickIt project. I expect a alpha release ready within the next few weeks.
Can't wait.
Particle Smash →
Mads:
In the example shown above the left dragon, and right dragon render is 100% identical however the the dragon on the left takes x15 times longer to render due to each particle containing 15 instances.
Mads has been killing it as of late. If you're working with particles and geo, have a look. Thanks for sharing Mads.
Fix it in Post →
Graham Edwards:
Say “visual effects” to the average person in the street, and what will they think about? Enormous monsters? Even more enormous spaceships? Superheroes performing enormously impossible stunts?
I think my mom is just starting to grasp what I do.
The Serkis Is Back In Town →
Vfx Soldier:
One piece of advice that I learned in my VFX experience was that perfecting your craft is one thing, but learning intimately about the craft you are delivering assets to is just as valuable. If you’re a Character TD you should know how animators work to deliver high quality assets to them. The same goes for Animators to CFX and FX departments, CFX/FX to lighting, lighting to compositing, etc.
When that happens, you have more people knowing the pitfalls and not having an ill-conceived notion of how VFX works like Mr. Serkis. Also, it’s worth noting as I mentioned in my previous piece that we bare some responsibility for this by not respecting our craft the way others do in the industry.
So who will learn first the visual effects industry or Mr. Serkis. I'm going to bet on the visual effects industy. If you are not asking questions and learning and teaching your craft your not doing something right. If your the smartest artist in the room your in the wrong room. Teach and be taught. Nothing bugs me more than a artist that isn't willing to teach or learn. If you know everything all ready your in the wrong field.
ParticleToImage →
Mads writing for hagbarth.net:
Nuke 8 secretly introduced a undocumented node called ParticleToImage. This node can be used to turn a particle system into raw image data, containing XYZ positions, Scale, and Color data.
I assume the node was introduced to bridge the gab between 3D scenes and the new BlinkScript node.
The Blinkscript Node is going to be huge. The ParticleLights Gizmo isn't bad either. Have a look.
OpenSpline
Remember when you would use the wire removal tool to make mattes of ropes and cabling. Then remember when the Foundry changed it. They came to Pactitle to disscuss new features and all I wanted was my old WireRemoval tool back.
So far very cool. Have a look here for the download.
Open is always better →
Mark Titchener:
Hi all, We're pleased to announce a public beta of Nuke 8.0v5 is now available. This includes the long-awaited RotoPaint Open Splines feature (details below).
You won't use it everyday, but when you need it it's there.
Blink →
Looking forward to what is made.
Cache →
Major Kong:
One topic that I've seen confusing a few people is how Nuke handles caching. At its most basic, Nuke is caching results so that it doesn't have to keep recalculating frames, or specific parts of your tree, in an attempt to keep working in your comp nice and snappy. The details can get rather more complicated, however!
Nothing is more frustrating than thinking you have a cache but you don't.
Not in Sync →
Frank:
I often find that the easiest deflicker setup works best and fastest for global flicker: use a frame hold to and divide a blurred version of it by the moving footage that is blurred by the same amount. Than multiply the result back onto the original footage:
It's shocking how much this is screwed up on the production side. It's both the Bestboy and the Gaffer. Shame on you.