The Foundry Announces Hiero VFX Project Management Software

The Foundry announced a new software that will soon be in Beta call Hiero.

HIERO is a desktop application for collaborative VFX workflow - a scriptable timeline tool that conforms edit decision lists and parcels out VFX shots to artists, allows progress to be viewed in context, and liberates your finishing systems and artists for more creative tasks.

HIERO has been built to work ‘out of the box’ with NUKE, and can also be custom-scripted to work with other applications in your facility.

Because HIERO is open and scriptable via the Python programming language, it is an editorial tool that fits naturally into any VFX pipeline.

If you would like to sign up for the BETA Click Here.

Nuke & NukeX Summer Deal Extended

Good news! The Foundry has extended their Nuke Summer Deals until the end of September, so you still have time to get an amazing deal on a NUKEX upgrade. There are two summer deals, The Works and The Projection Package.

The Works from The Foundry

• Nuke to NukeX upgrade


• Mari


• Furnace


• Two (2) Renders


• 1 year maintenance

The Foundry Projection Package

• Nuke to NukeX upgrade


• Mari


• 1 year maintenance

For more info on the Nuke/Nukex Summer deals, click here.

VFX Eye Candy: Portal: No Escape

Not just another Fan Flick on YouTube! Check out the short below, in HD preferably!

New Mari 1.3 Ptex Tutorial Videos Posted

The Foundry's team has just released a couple new videos showing you how to use the Ptex in mari 1.3. If you use Mari, these are a must see, if you don't have Mari, this could be the reason to get it.  Click on read more to see more videos.

Part 1

Nuke and NukeX 6.3v2 Released

Hot on the heels of the highly anticipated NUKE and NUKEX 6.3 release, NUKE and NUKEX 6.3v2 is now available!

Post-launch we became aware of a couple of bugs that could cause users a headache, so we've worked round the clock to fix them quickly...

So, what's been fixed?

We've fixed a memory problem in NUKE, which was causing a notable slowdown in rendering speed when using the 3D Particles System.

There was also an issue loading NUKE on OSX and Linux when the language was configured to something other than English. That's also now fixed.

Check out the full list of additions and improvements made to NUKE and NUKEX 6.3

The Foundry NUKE and NUKEX 6.3 now available.

The most anticipated release of the year is now available! The vast array of improvements and additions to NUKE and NUKEX 6.3 will blow you away.

This is our BIGGEST EVER release of NUKE, expanding the parameters of traditional compositing.

Production proven on Commercials and Episodic Television as well as Film, NUKE and NUKEX put more control into the hands of artists, ensuring they can stay in the software for longer and avoid round-trips to other departments.

Find out more and secure your copy today.

So, what's new?

3D Particles (X)
NUKEX's true 3D particle system integrates seamlessly with NUKE's 3D workspace.
Artists can create a range of particle effects quickly and effectively within the composite including breaking windows, dust, fire and rain. No need to go back and forth to an external 3D rendering package.
Planar Tracker (X)
Dramatically speed up common compositing tasks such as sign replacement, element inserts and clean plate generation, with NUKEX's Planar Tracker.
Any new element to be matched to a planar surface can easily be tracked, placed and animated.
Denoise (X)
Our Sci-Tech® Award winning research team have built on their 2007 FURNACE work to produce a completely new Wavelet-based Denoise algorithm, resulting in cleaner and more visually pleasing results with less artefacts.
Grid and Spline Warping
We've completely rewritten the Spline and Grid Warping tools in NUKE to make them more intuitive and accurate to use. The point and spline UI is shared with RotoPaint allowing the exchange of curves, attachment of spline and grid points to trackers, editing of animation in the curve editor / dope sheet and Python scripting support.
Audio Scratch Track
The Audio Scratch Track works with NUKE’s curve editor, allowing artists to match their VFX to audio cues and generate animation curves from audio waveforms.
Displacement Shader
This surface shader applies dynamic tessellation and displacement of 3D geometry at render time, resulting in quicker and higher quality 2D-3D stereoscopic conversion. This also has a similar effect on other 3D VFX compositing tasks such as virtual environment creation.
Deep Compositing
Deep Compositing allows artists to work with 'deep images' containing multiple opacity or colour samples per pixel. This allows rendering of CGI elements without predetermined holdout mattes, avoiding the need for re-renders when content changes.
And there's more..!

The Foundry MARI 1.3v2 introduces NUKEMARI Bridge!

The Foundry builds a bridge between NUKE Compositing and MARI Paint

MARI 1.3v2 delivers a focused workflow to provide NUKE artists with MARI's dedicated 3D paint tools, making digital environment and projection work more efficient and final composited scenes more believable.

What is it?

NUKE <> MARI bridge allows compositing artists to directly address common and time-consuming challenges faced when using 3D projection techniques to build digital environments:

• Manage reference photography and paint seamless 3D projections.


• Easily fix warping and stretching artifacts.


• In-paint holes and occluded areas, often exposed from adjusted camera views.


• Remove unwanted markers and scene objects.


• Build invisible set-extensions.

Simple to setup, quick and easy to use - models, projections and images are sent from NUKE to MARI and back in a single step, or over a network when artists need to collaborate, share skills or save time.

Seamless results, intuitive painting.

Follow the link for detailed information

http://vimeo.com/22989271

The Foundry NUKE 6.3v1b20 Beta is now available

The Foundry have released another Nuke Beta Version 6.3v1b20.

NUKE 6.3v1 Release Notes

Important Notes:

It is available to customers with an existing Nuke license key and valid maintenance.

Be aware that this is a beta build, some features are not yet fully implemented, and its performance cannot be relied upon in a production environment.

Follow the link for complete details, introduction videos and download information for this Beta Release.

Don't have a seat of Nuke?

You can purchase Nuke at the Motion Media online shop.

Nuke(X) evaluations are available for 30 Days.

Contact an Account Associate at Motion Media for more details.

Ph: 310. 450-4000

The Foundry MARI 1.3 now available

MARI 1.3 is a creative texture-painting tool that can handle extreme projects. MARI was developed at Weta Digital to handle the massively complex, highly detailed look development work demanded of the texture department by projects such as DISTRICT 9, THE LOVELY BONES, and AVATAR.

WHAT'S NEW IN MARI 1.3?

• Ptex - Per-Face Texture Mapping


• Displacement Preview *


• Snapshots


• Environment Mapping


• Tiled textures

Complete details and video at the Foundry!

The Foundry Nuke 6.3 Beta is now available

The Foundry have released Nuke 6.3 Beta.

Important Notes:

It is available to customers with an existing Nuke license key and valid maintenance.

Be aware that this is a beta build, some features are not yet fully implemented, and its performance cannot be relied upon in a production environment.

Follow the link for complete details, introduction videos and download information.

Don't have a seat of Nuke?

You can purchase Nuke at the Motion Media online shop.

Nuke(X) evaluations are available for 30 Days.

Contact an Account Associate at Motion Media for more details.

Ph: 310. 450-4000

The Foundry Channel - Marshall Krasser from ILM and their use of Nuke on Iron Man II

 



 

 

Marshall Krasser from ILM talks FX Guide through their use of Nuke on a one of the final sequences from Iron Man II.
This demo was filmed at IBC 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMgDcTO9XiE

fxguide was founded in 1999 by three working professionals who share a passion for visual effects as well as learning and sharing information. The site started around users sharing tips, tricks and information and has grown to become the leading source for visual effects information worldwide.

fxphd is a professional online training center for postproduction, visual effects, and motion graphics.

STORM UPDATE COMING SOON:

The Foundry gives us a tease of things to come this week with STORM.

STORM's release has been really well received, but at The Foundry we are not standing still. A STORM update will be made available this week. There will be information coming your way soon.

Learn more about STORM - We have  started an on-going video series to highlight STORM Features.

For  complete details of the STORM blast above Click Here.

Get The Foundry’s Storm Now from Motion Media’s online shop.

Try the FREE 15 day trial!  You can try any of The Foundry products FREE for 15 days, click to learn more.

NUKEPEDIA - ALL Things NUKE!

 

 

NUKEPEDIA is the place to go for all things NUKE.  Plug-ins, gizmos, tutorials, scripts and much more including exclusive access to the brains behind the software. There are transition videos from Fusion to Nuke and much more. Join more than 4000 Nuke using members.

NUKE 6.2v3 is released!

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

The Foundry releases NUKE 6.2v3.  This is a maintenance release containing many bug fixes.  Please see the RELEASE NOTES for further details.

All new versions are FREE to customers on valid maintenance.  If you want to renew your maintenance or add a seat of Nuke to your VFX tool set, please contact your Motion Media account Representative.

The Foundry STORM Launch at RED STUDIOS, Hollywood - 10th March 2011

 



 

 

 

STORM 1.0 - AVAILABLE NOW!

The STORM has now officially hit and to celebrate, you are invited to an exclusive event.

Join The Foundry at RED Studios in Los Angeles for an exclusive event to celebrate the release of STORM.

DATE: THURSDAY 10TH MARCH
TIME: 6PM - 9.30PM
WHERE:  RED Studios - Stage 4,
846 North Cahuenga
Boulevard, Los Angeles
CA 90038 - 3704

Places are limited, so REGISTER NOW
to ensure you don't miss out.

DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS RARE CHANCE TO VISIT RED STUDIOS AND
HEAR FIRST HAND ABOUT RED AND STORM DEVELOPMENTS

More information on The Foundry's Storm Event at Red Studios or Buy The Foundry's Storm Now from Motion Media's online shop.

The Foundry Ships Storm 1.0!

 



 

 

 

STORM 1.0 - AVAILABLE NOW!

The Foundry's eagerly anticipated RED Digital Cinema workflow product, STORM, is now available.

STORM brings a focused and easy to adopt tool to digital camera workflows, offering a consistent and reliable way to review, organize, prepare, edit, conform and deliver RAW RED media, on a laptop or workstation on and near-set.

STORM brings continuity to your workflow enabling you to quickly and easily take RED media from camera, through editorial and onto post-production and delivery.   Whether you’re a DIT, Data Wrangler, Cinematographer, Editor, Colourist, Director or all of the above, STORM provides a workflow solution that will work for you.

More information on The Foundry's Storm here or Buy The Foundry's Storm Now from Motion Media's online shop.

The Foundry Ships Ocula 2.2!

OCULA 2.2 has been released by The Foundry.

OCULA is a unique collection of plug-in tools that solve common problems with stereoscopic imagery, boost productivity in post production, and ultimately help to deliver a more rewarding stereoscopic viewing experience.

OCULA 2.2 addresses stability issues and sees many workflow improvements particularly to O_Solver and O_Vertical Aligner.  Overall, it is markedly more user friendly.

OCULA 2.2 is a free upgrade to all existing Ocula customers!

Eligible Customers will require a new OCULA 2.2 license key.

Contact your Motion Media Account Representative to get your New License Key.


To get more information on OCULA 2.2 and release notes click here.

Don't miss out on the Nuke and Ocula production case studies!

NUKE & OCULA ON TRON

NUKE & OCULA ON AVATAR

Looking to try out Ocula for Nuke? Download the 15 day Trial!

You may update your Stereoscopic pipeline with a Purchase of Ocula here.

The Foundry KATANA White Paper

The Foundry has released an Online KATANA White Paper to get to the detailed information click the image or White Paper link above .

KATANA is a 3D application specifically designed for the needs of look development and lighting in an asset based pipeline. It has been in development since 2004 at Sony Pictures Imageworks and has been their core tool for look development and lighting for all their productions since 'SpiderMan 3', 'Beouwulf' and 'Surfs Up!'.

1.2 Who is this document for?

This aim of this document is to give a technical perspective of KATANA: to provide an understanding of the KATANA's core concepts and how it addresses many of the problems found in 3D animation and visual effects pipelines.

It is aimed at:

• Pipeline designers and integrators.


• Technical Directors and Lighters.


• Plugin developers.


• Developers of renderers who may want to integrate new renderers into KATANA.

The Foundry and Sony Pictures Imageworks are now working together under a technology sharing agreement to continue the development of KATANA, release it as a product for general use, and make use of KATANA technology in other The Foundry products.

Katana has not been released yet, but The Foundry has a host of other products to help you in y0ur VFX production pipeline.  Click Here to see the available tools.

Nuke maintenance releases 6.1v4 and 6.2v2

The NUKE team have been hard at work and this week have not one, but two maintenance releases for you.

All new versions are FREE to customers on valid maintenance.

If you want to renew your maintenance please contact your Motion Media software coordinator @ Phone: 310-450-4000

NUKE & NUKEX 6.1v4

This is maintenance release.  FurnaceCore in NukeX 6.1v4 has been updated to v4.3v4 and multi-view EXR writing is significantly faster. Numerous other bugs have also been fixed.

NUKE & NUKEX 6.2v2

Nuke & NukeX 6.2v2 instates user preference as to whether or not to use #### in the file browser.
Quicktime codecs are now configurable and LIN and LOG have been added to the sRGB LUTs in Framecycler.  Several other bugs have also been fixed.

Click Here for Full details.

The Foundry's Stereo MasterClasses in February 2011

Taking on stereoscopic Film or Commercials projects?

Come to our FREE full day event to see how The Foundry's products can offer a helping hand and how your peers have been successful using them in production.

LA MASTERCLASS : THURSDAY 3RD FEBRUARY REGISTER HERE
NYC  MASTERCLASS :  MONDAY 7TH FEBRUARY REGISTER HERE
LONDON MASTERCLASS : THURSDAY 10TH FEBRUARY REGISTER HERE

Due to limited space, if you are a student and want to attend one of these events please email marketing@thefoundry.co.uk and we will put you on a waiting list for registration.

Click here for more information about The Foundry's Stereo MasterClasses

We at Motion Media are also holding a 3-Day Nuke Training course with renowned NUKE Trainer Steve Wright

Register for the 3 day NUKE class and more information