html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Originally posted on 12 December 2024 for the beta, and updated for the final release.Foundry has released Nuke 16.0, the latest update to its family of compositing apps.The update lays the foundations of a new native multishot compositing workflow, updates Nukes 3D compositing system, and improves interactive performance when rotoscoping.NukeX, the advanced edition, also gets workflow improvements to the BlinkScript editor.Nuke Studio, which includes editorial capabilities, gets a new contact sheet view, support for multi-channel soft effects, and a new quick export system.A parallel release, Nuke 15.2, provides some of the same features, but remains on the VFX Reference Platform CY2023 spec, rather than updating to CY2024.Nuke 16.0, NukeX 16.0, Nuke Studio 16.0: New native multishot workflowNuke 16.0 is Foundrys first serious step towards implementing support for a native multishot compositing workflow inside the software. Whereas Nuke was designed for use on individual shots, with a one-to-one relationship between a shot and a Nuke .nk script, Foundry now aims to let artists reuse scripts across shots.The backbone of the system is Graph Scope Variables (GSVs), which make it possible to define the data required for multiple contexts and scopes in a single Nuke script, while Group nodes define the nature of those scopes, and make it possible to inherit and override variables.The release introduces many of the day-to-day features needed for working with GSVs and Group nodes, including a new VariableGroup node, for defining variables or scopes, and a VariableSwitch node, for switching between different shots or scopes using those variables.A new Variables Panel lets artists interact with the available variables within a script, and a Group View lets them edit the contents of multiple Group nodes without having to switch tabs.GSVs are also now supported in LiveGroups, and when rendering from the command line, making it possible to render scripts in the correct shot context.Some of the functionality was actually introduced in Nuke 15.1, but the UI for the new features was hidden by default.Nuke 16.0, NukeX 16.0, Nuke Studio 16.0: Link NodesWorkflow improvements to Nukes node graph include Link Nodes, a new node type that makes it possible to create a linked copy of a node.Change made to one node are then automatically propagated to the other, with users still able to manually override any of the knobs.Nuke 16.0, NukeX 16.0, Nuke Studio 16.0: Updates to the 3D system and ScanlineRenderThe USD-based 3D compositing system introduced two years ago in Nuke 14.0 gets an update, although it remains in beta.While there are a couple of new nodes, a key objective is simply to update the most commonly used nodes including GeoCard, GeoTransform, GeoMerge and GeoScene based on user feedback. Foundry has also started the building blocks for ray tracing, with ScanlineRender2, the new version of the ScanlineRender render node, being a ray traced architecture by default, although shader support for lights and materials is still not fully implemented.The functionality is aimed at compositors particularly for generating accurate render passes late in production and shouldnt be thought of as a replacement to large-scale scene renders.Nuke 16.0, NukeX 16.0, Nuke Studio 16.0: Better roto performanceUnder the hood, the release also features a number of changes intended to improve performance when rotoscoping, particularly when using large numbers of roto shapes, or when working with motion blur.The changes are intended to reduce UI lag, and to raise the frame rates achieved when playing back complex shots to levels sufficient to resolve edge issues like boiling.NukeX 16.0, Nuke Studio 16.0: Quality-of-life improvements to BlinkScriptTDs get quality-of-life improvements to the BlinkScript editor, Nukes native scripting system, which has been updated to support common IDE functionality.That includes text and type behaviours like auto-indenting and bracket autoclosure; find and replace; and a Tab menu with autofill suggestions and context-specific documentation.Library Files enable users to share common functions and code snippets across multiple kernels and projects. A new Safety Rails system makes it easier to catch problems when prototyping new BlinkScripts and makes the consequences less dramatic when mistakes occur.Nuke Studio 16.0: New Contact Sheet, Multichannel Soft Effects and quick export systemNew features in Nuke Studio include the Contact Sheet view.It is makes it easier to compare multiple shots, and supports user-defined rules for the order in which the contact sheet is populated with shots, and tag filtering of shots.The Soft Effects system gets support for multichannel effects, with users now able to view and modify multilayer EXR files within the timeline.Potential uses include masking color effects with non-RGBA layers like mattes or depth passes.Support for layer transforms in the timeline is intended to reduce the need for slap comps, and to enable supervisors to provide more accurate feedback when creating sample frames.In addition, a new render engine based on Nuke Studios real-time playback engine speeds up exports of sequences as ProRes, DNxHD, DNxHR and H.264 videos.It provides an average 12-fold increase in performance over the existing export system.VFX Reference Platform support and changes to pipeline integrationNuke 16.0 also moves the software to support the VFX Reference Platform CY2024 spec.A parallel release, Nuke 15.2, is intended for studios who dont want to update their pipelines from the CY2023 spec, and has some of the same features, including multi-shot compositing,Both releases switch Nuke from Apples system OpenGL library to Foundrys own alternative, FoundryGL, when running on macOS, Apple having deprecated OpenGL in macOS 10.14. Price and system requirementsNuke 16.0 is compatible with Windows 10+, Rocky Linux 9.0 and macOS 14.0+. The software is rental-only.Annual subscriptions cost $3,649/year for Nuke, up $180/year since the release of Nuke 15.0; $4,969/year for NukeX, up $240/year; and $6,069/year for Nuke Studio, up $290/year. Nuke Render licenses cost $440/year, up $21/year.Subscriptions to Nuke Indie, the feature- and resolution-limited commercial edition for artists earning under $100,000/year, cost $499/year.Read an overview of the features in Nuke 16.0 on Foundrys websiteRead a full list of new features in Nuke 16.0 in the online release notesHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.