Nuke - Introduction

Owned by Next Limit
17 Jan, 2017

Introduction

If you are in the business of creating high-quality digital images, Nuke, a node-based compositor, is the production proven visual effects tool that brings speed, functionality and flexibility to your VFX pipeline.

Nuke is perfect for post production facilities and visual effects artists all over the world for commercial, music video, television and film directors.

 
This set of plug-ins was created to improve the connection between Maxwell Render and Nuke, allowing Nuke to import MXI high dynamic layered renders, and adjust the light intensity and color in a similar way to the MultiLight feature in Maxwell Render. It includes the following modules:

  • MXI reader. Allows Nuke to read MXI files (with all the information contained in it, including independent emitters and render channels) as any other file format (EXR, PNG, etc). Furthermore, the MXI file node panel allows the user to change ISO/Shutter, Sharpness and Simulens parameters of the MXI (without modifying the MXI itself).
  • MXI mixer node. Mixes all the independent emitters’ information into a single image allowing independent adjustment of each emitter intensity (to produce precise color correction during the compositing process). It uses the Multilight feature of Maxwell Render.
  • MaxwellSimulens node. Adds the SimuLens feature to all HDR images in Nuke (MXIs, EXRs, etc.).
  • MXI render node. Allows the user to resume the render from Nuke.
  • MXI mask node. Creates masks based on the object/material ID buffers
  • Color Adjustments script. Allows intensity and color adjustment of each independent emitter present in the sequence, created to mimic the intensity and Color adjustment in MultiLight.

It is important to note that in order to get independent access to adjust each individual emitter, the render must be launched with the MultiLight feature on (although Color MultiLight is no longer needed). Be careful about using the color MultiLight feature, it generates a huge MXI and is not usable in Nuke. You only need the classic MultiLight.

Constant refinement

An interesting feature in Maxwell Render is the constant refinement approach of the render, which allows the post-production process to start while the render process is still going on, working in parallel and saving an extraordinary amount of time. You can load your MXI render or sequence at a low level of quality (i.e at SL 4) and start the post-production process at this moment, while the render process continues. Each time Nuke detects that the footage file has changed, it automatically refreshes it, showing you the latest and cleanest version available.