NUKE, the powerful node-based VFX, editorial and finishing go-to software solution for feature film compositing, recently got a free non-commercial version. In other words, every artist and filmmaker who wants to delve deep into the world of VFX and is eager to learn, can experiment and create some crazy stuff with the software now can download its free version from the Foundry website and start working immediately.
For those of you who might not have heard of NUKE before, it’s the world’s leading compositing software that is used on many high-end Hollywood blockbusters such as Gravity, District 9, Furious 7, Startrek, The Amazing Spiderman, Resident Evil, Jurassic Park and many more. In fact, since 2008, every film nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects has used The Foundry’s solutions, and Nuke in particular, so the free version deserves at least a try.
Explore, learn, create & play with NUKE from The Foundry on Vimeo.
First announced at the NUKE 9 launch back in 2014, NUKE Non-commercial is a free, non-watermarked version of the entire NUKE product family, with some light, functional restrictions, available to anyone who wants to learn, explore and have fun with NUKE. Plus, there are plenty of videos that will take you through the key features of the software. If you are interested, you might want to take a look at the video tutorials and other training resources available here.
As may be expected, there are a few differences between commercial and non-commercial versions of the NUKE family. Here are the fundamental limitations of using the non-commercial versions:
- Output resolution limited to HD (1920 x 1080).
- Some nodes are disabled including the WriteGeo node, Ultimate node, Primatte node, BlinkScript node, and GenerateLUT node.
- 2D format support is disabled for MPEG4 and h264.
- There is no third party plugin support
- Exporting NUKE STUDIO Sequences as EDL/XML is disabled
- Frame Server slave rendering is disabled
- There is also an encrypted data storage and limited python scripting
- Your entitlement to NUKE Non-commercial will allow you to activate and run on up to two devices at any one time
Of course, if you want to achieve some truly believable and convincing professional results you should invest some time in learning and exploring NUKE’s versatile functionality, yet the opportunities are there, and the barriers to entry are lower than ever.
There are already some great affordable cameras that shoot Raw, like the Blackmagic Cinema camera, the Pocket Cinema, and the URSA Mini from Blackmagic Design for example that will give you a plenty of colour bits and resolution to start off. And, now you’ve got a free version of NUKE to go even further and explore the limitless possibilities of the VFX world. As with any other aspect of the craft, you’ll need to be responsible and work hard, be passionate and persistent. Sooner rather than later, if this is your true calling, you’ll succeed. I put my money on this.
[source: The Foundry]
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