html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Foundry has unveiled Nuke Stage, a new application for virtual production and in-camera visual effects (ICVFX).The software, currently available in invite-only early access, is designed for real-time playback of photorealistic environments onto LED walls, with support for live layout and compositing. Workflow is USD-based, and does not require Nuke, Foundry’s compositing software, but Foundry describes it as “familiar and friendly” to Nuke artists. Below, we’ve put together our FAQs about the new product. What is Nuke Stage, and why is Foundry developing it? Foundry is the latest developer of offline VFX tools to enter the virtual production market, Chaos having launched Chaos Arena, its real-time rendering solution for LED walls, last month.Both new products are attempting to carve out a space in a sector in which Epic Games has done a lot of the early running through Unreal Engine, its game engine and real-time renderer, which now has a dedicated ICVFX toolset. As with Chaos Arena, part of Foundry’s pitch to studios and film-makers is greater continuity with existing offline visual effects workflows. The firm describes Nuke Stage as “reducing the risk of costly rework” of content, such as when offline assets have to be converted for use in a game engine, or vice versa. Nuke Stage’s node graph lets users manipulate USD scenes in real time. What is workflow in Nuke Stage like? Nuke Stage is designed for creating detailed background environments that can be projected onto LED walls behind actors during principal photography, as 2D, 2.5D or 3D imagery.The core workflow is OpenUSD-based, with users able to load USD scenes created in other DCC applications that support USD into the Nuke Stage Editor. It is then possible to edit the scene in real time, adding 3D meshes, or using the Nuke Stage Editor’s node graph to add images or effects to cameras, displays and USD primitives. The scene can then be played out to the LED wall as B44-compressed EXR files: a format that Foundry describes as “real-time-suitable” and “VFX-friendly”. To ensure continuity of color management between principal photography and post-production, the software supports the OpenColorIO standard. https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/250411_NukeStage_testimonials.mp4 Nuke Stage can be used independently of Nuke, but the familiarity of its workflow to Nuke artists is cited in this video of testimonials from ICVFX and virtual production supervisors. Does Nuke Stage have to be used with Nuke? Despite the name, Nuke Stage is a “purpose-built” application based on a “new technology stack”, and does not require Nuke, Foundry’s family of compositing and editorial tools.However, Foundry clearly hopes to attract existing Nuke users: the UI and workflow of Nuke Stage are described as “familiar and friendly” to Nuke artists. And while it can use USD scenes created in any application, the online documentation describes “advantages in using Nuke with Nuke Stage to prepare assets”. Both applications have a Hydra 3D viewport, “ensur[ing] that the scene you’re seeing in Nuke is exactly what you will see in Nuke Stage”. Nuke Stage runs on set on standard workstations and render hardware. What hardware does Nuke Stage need? Nuke Stage is hardware-agnostic, in the sense that it runs on “commodity hardware”, and does not require a specialist media server, but it is designed for NVIDIA GPUs.It uses a render node architecture, with a control machine running the Nuke Stage Editor, and a series of render nodes rendering its output to different sections of the LED wall. Each render node needs a NVIDIA Quadro Sync II card to synchronize their output, and a compatible GPU: all current- and recent-gen NVIDIA professional cards – the documentation namechecks the RTX A6000. The architecture of a Nuke Stage production set-up. A license is required for each render node. How much does Nuke Stage cost? Nuke Stage is priced on enquiry, and scales “based on rendering requirements and project demands”: it requires a license for each render node used.All of Foundry’s other products are now available subscription-only. Release date and system requirements Nuke Stage is currently in invite-only early access. Foundry hasn’t announced a wider release date. You can register your interest by filling in this online form.The current version, Nuke Stage 0.9, is available for Windows 10+ only. You can see the hardware requirements in the online documentation. Read an overview of Nuke Stage on Foundry’s website Read more about how Nuke Stage works in the online documentation Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). 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