Nuke
note
OpenPype supports Nuke version 11.0
and above.
OpenPype global tools
Nuke specific tools
Set Frame Ranges
Use this feature in case you are not sure the frame range is correct.
Result
- setting Frame Range in script settings
- setting Frame Range in viewers (timeline)
Set Resolution
This menu item will set correct resolution format for you defined by your production.
Result
- creates new item in formats with project name
- sets the new format as used
Set Colorspace
This menu item will set correct Colorspace definitions for you. All has to be configured by your production (Project coordinator).
Result
- set Colorspace in your script settings
- set preview LUT to your viewers
- set correct colorspace to all discovered Read nodes (following expression set in settings)
Apply All Settings
It is usually enough if you once per while use this option just to make yourself sure the workfile is having set correct properties.
Result
- set Frame Ranges
- set Colorspace
- set Resolution
Build Workfile
This tool will append all available subsets into an actual node graph. It will look into database and get all last versions of available subsets.
Result
- adds all last versions of subsets (rendered image sequences) as read nodes
adds publishable write node asrenderMain
subset
Nuke QuickStart
This QuickStart is short introduction to what OpenPype can do for you. It attempts to make an overview for compositing artists, and simplifies processes that are better described in specific parts of the documentation.
Launch Nuke - Shot and Task Context
OpenPype has to know what shot and task you are working on. You need to run Nuke in context of the task, using Ftrack Action or OpenPype Launcher to select the task and run Nuke.
Admin Tip - Nuke version
You can configure which DCC version(s) will be available for current project in Studio Settings → Project → Anatomy → Attributes → Applications
Nuke Initial setup
Nuke OpenPype menu shows the current context
Launching Nuke with context stops your timer, and starts the clock on the shot and task you picked.
Openpype makes initial setup for your Nuke script. It is the same as running Apply All Settings from the OpenPype menu.
Reads frame range and resolution from Avalon database, sets it in Nuke Project Settings, Creates Viewer node, sets it’s range and indicates handles by In and Out points.
Reads Color settings from the project configuration, and sets it in Nuke Project Settings and Viewer.
Sets project directory in the Nuke Project Settings to the Nuke Script Directory
Tip - Project Settings
After Nuke starts it will automatically Apply All Settings for you. If you are sure the settings are wrong just contact your supervisor and he will set them correctly for you in project database.
Save Nuke script – the Work File
Use OpenPype - Work files menu to create a new Nuke script. Openpype offers you the preconfigured naming.
The Next Available Version checks the work folder for already used versions and offers the lowest unused version number automatically.
Subversion can be used to distinguish or name versions. For example used to add shortened artist name.
More about workfiles.
Admin Tips
Workfile Naming
- The workfile naming is configured in anatomy, see Studio Settings → Project → Anatomy → Templates → Work
Open Workfile
- You can configure Nuke to automatically open the last version, or create a file on startup. See Studio Settings → Project → Global → Tools → Workfiles
Nuke Color Settings
- Color setting for Nuke can be found in Studio Settings → Project → Anatomy → Color Management and Output Formats → Nuke
Load plate
Use Load from OpenPype menu to load any plates or renders available.
Pick the plate asset, right click and choose Load Image Sequence to create a Read node in Nuke.
Note that the Read node created by OpenPype is green. Green color indicates the highest version of asset is loaded. Asset versions could be easily changed by Manage. Lower versions will be highlighted by orange color on the read node.
More about Asset loader.
Create Write Node
To create OpenPype managed Write node, select the Read node you just created, from OpenPype menu, pick Create. In the Instance Creator, pick Create Write Render, and Create.
This will create a Group with a Write node inside.
Admin Tip - Configuring write node
You can configure write node parameters in Studio Settings → Project → Anatomy → Color Management and Output Formats → Nuke → Nodes
Create Prerender Node
Creating Prerender is very similar to creating OpenPype managed Write node.
What Nuke Publish Does
From Artist perspective, Nuke publish gathers all the stuff found in the Nuke script with Publish checkbox set to on, exports stuff and raises the Nuke script (workfile) version.
The Pyblish dialog shows the progress of the process.
The left column of the dialog shows what will be published. Typically it is one or more renders or prerenders, plus work file.
The right column shows the publish steps
Publish steps
- Gathers all the stuff found in the Nuke script with Publish checkbox set to on
- Collects all the info (from the script, database…)
- Validates components to be published (checks render range and resolution...)
- Extracts data from the script
- generates thumbnail
- creates review(s) like h264
- adds burnins to review(s)
- Copies and renames components like render(s), review(s), Nuke script... to publish folder
- Integrates components (writes to database, sends preview of the render to Ftrack ...
- Increments Nuke script version, cleans up the render directory
Gathering all the info and validating usually takes just a few seconds. Creating reviews for long, high resolution shots can however take significant amount of time when publishing locally.
Pyblish Note and Intent
Artist can add Note and Intent before firing the publish button. The Note and Intent is meant for easy communication between artist and supervisor. After publish, Note and Intent can be seen in Ftrack notes.
Pyblish Checkbox
Pyblish Dialog tries to pack a lot of info in a small area. One of the more tricky parts is that it uses non-standard checkboxes. Some squares can be turned on and off by the artist, some are mandatory.
If you run the publish and decide to not publish the Nuke script, you can turn it off right in the Pyblish dialog by clicking on the checkbox. If you decide to render and publish the shot in lower resolution to speed up the turnaround, you have to turn off the Write Resolution validator. If you want to use an older version of the asset (older version of the plate...), you have to turn off the Validate containers, and so on.
More info about Using Pyblish
Admin Tip - Configuring validators
You can configure Nuke validators like Output Resolution in Studio Settings → Project → Nuke → Publish plugins
Review
When you turn the review checkbox on in your OpenPype write node, here is what happens:
- OpenPype uses the current Nuke script to
- Load the render
- Optionally apply LUT
- Render Prores 4444 with the same resolution as your render
- Use Ffmpeg to convert the Prores to whatever review(s) you defined
- Use Ffmpeg to add (optional) burnin to the review(s) from previous step
Creating reviews is a part of the publishing process. If you choose to do a local publish or to use existing frames, review will be processed also on the artist's machine. If you choose to publish on the farm, you will render and do reviews on the farm.
So far there is no option for using existing frames (from your local / check render) and just do the review on the farm.
More info about configuring reviews.
Admin Tip - Configuring Reviews
You can configure reviewsin Studio Settings → Project → Global → Publish plugins → ExtractReview / ExtractBurnin Reviews can be configured separately for each host, task, or family. For example Maya can produce different review to Nuke, animation task can have different burnin then modelling, and plate can have different review then model.
Render and Publish
Let’s say you want to render and publish the shot right now, with only a Read and Write node. You need to decide if you want to render, check the render and then publish it, or you want to execute the render and publish in one go.
If you wish to check your render before publishing, you can use your local machine or your farm to render the write node as you would do without OpenPype, load and check your render (OpenPype Write has a convenience button for that), and if happy, use publish with Use existing frames option selected in the write node to generate the review on your local machine.
If you want to render and publish on the farm in one go, run publish with On farm option selected in the write node to render and make the review on farm.
Version-less Render
OpenPype is configured so your render file names have no version number until the render is fully finished and published. The main advantage is that you can keep the render from the previous version and re-render only part of the shot. With care, this is handy.
Main disadvantage of this approach is that you can render only one version of your shot at one time. Otherwise you risk to partially overwrite your shot render before publishing copies and renames the rendered files to the properly versioned publish folder.
When making quick farm publishes, like making two versions with different color correction, care must be taken to let the first job (first version) completely finish before the second version starts rendering.
Managing Versions
OpenPype checks all the assets loaded to Nuke on script open. All out of date assets are colored orange, up to date assets are colored green.
Use Manage to switch versions for loaded assets.
Loading Effects
This video show how to publish effect from Hiero / Nuke Studio, and use the effect in Nuke.
Nuke Color Management
Troubleshooting
Fixing Validate Containers
If your Pyblish dialog fails on Validate Containers, you might have an old asset loaded. Use OpenPype - Manage... to switch the asset(s) to the latest version.
Fixing Validate Version
If your Pyblish dialog fails on Validate Version, you might be trying to publish already published version. Rise your version in the OpenPype WorkFiles SaveAs.
Or maybe you accidentally copied write node from different shot to your current one. Check the write publishes on the left side of the Pyblish dialog. Typically you publish only one write. Locate and delete the stray write from other shot.