Nuke: Zero to Hero

Finding Your Way Round Nuke

• Understanding the UI
• Node Graph
• Propertise Panel (Undo, Redo, Revert, etc)
• Viewer
• Toolbar
• Changing, saving and loading Layouts

General Compositing

• General Compositing using Read, Merge, ColorCorrect, Blur, Transform and Write nodes
• Bring audio into Nuke using AudioRead

General Utilities

• Using Dot and Backdrop nodes
• Precomp

2D Techniques – Merging Images

• Layering Images Together with the Merge Node
• Merge Operations
• Generating Contact Sheets
• Copying a Rectangle from one Image to Another

2D Techniques – Transforms

• Image Manipulation using Transform, Crop, Mirror, Reformat and F_Align

2D Techniques – Animation

• The Animation Menu: Set and Delete Key, No Animation, Set to Default
• Curve Editor and Dope Sheet
• Copying data between nodes: Copy (Values, Animation, Links), Paste and Link to (Tracker)
• Basic Expressions

2D Techniques – Concatenation, BBox and BlackOutside

• Understanding concatenation and which nodes do and don’t concatenate
• User standing the BBox and Blackoutside
• Merge (set bbox to)
• CopyBBox, AdjustBBox
• BlackOutside
• Transform (black outside)
• Crop (black outside)
• Using the CurveTool (AutoCrop) with the Crop node

2D Techniques – Image Distortion

• Image Distortion using CornerPin, SphericalTransform, IDistort and STMap
• Morphing and Warping using GridWrap and SplineWarp

2D Techniques – Premultiplied Images

• Understanding Premultiplied images
• Using Premult and Unpremult nodes

2D Techniques – Colour Management

• Understanding how monitors work and sRGB
• sRGB vs. Linear
• How Nuke ‘intelligently’ gamma corrects incoming images
• How Nuke chooses the gamma correct settings (…Settings / LUT)
• Nuke’s Viewer LUT
• Writing files out with the correct LUT
• Creating a custom Viewer LUT (…Edit / Nodes / Use as Input Process)
• Working with custom 1D and 3D LUTS I/O and TrueLight
• Remembering Premult on reading with CG images (RGB and Alpha)

2D Techniques – Colour Corrections

• Atomic colour correction using Add, Multiply, Gamma and Saturation
• Working with Premultiplied images containing Alpha.
• Integration colour techniques using Grade, ColorTransfer and F_MatchGrade
• Artistic colour techniques ColorCorrection
• Other colour techniques using: ColorLookup, CCosstalk, EXPTool, HueCorrect, HueShift,
• HSVTool, Toe, Invert, Colorspace, Clamp, F_DeFlicker and Expression (Math)

2D Techniques – ChannelSets and Channels

• Channels Sets and Channels
• Shuffle
• Shuffle Copy vs. Copy
• ChannelCopy
• Node’s ‘Output’ option

2D Techniques – Roto

• Understanding the added Viewer toolbar (side and top)
• Creating shapes using Bezier, B-Spline, Ellipse and Rectangle
• Editing selecting and animating shapes
• Per object and per point feathering
• Understanding the Root layering system
• Transform, Shape, Clone and Lifetime
• Understanding ‘autokey’ and ‘ripple edit’ on top toolbar

2D Techniques – Keying

• Types of Keyers in Nuke
• Chroma
• Color
• Luma
• Main / Max
• Difference
• Image Based
• Proprietary (Ultimate, Keylight and Primatte)
• The use of ‘garbage mattes’
• Combining multiple keyers using ChannelMergeDifferent keying methodologies
• Hard and soft matte
• Spatial mattes
• Combination mattes
• Building a custom Luma keyer
• Using AddMix and KeyMix
• Lightwrap and Edge Blur Integration Tools

2D Techniques – Paint

• Understanding the added Viewer toolbar (side and top)
• Creating paint strokes, clones, reveal, blur, sharpen, smear dodge and burn
• Understanding the Root layering system
• Transform , Stroke, Clone and Lifetime
• Create a clone with a time off-set
• Understanding ‘autokey’, ‘ripple edit’ and ‘allow paint selection’ on top toolbar

2D Techniques – Tracking

• Understanding the basics of tracking
• Creating a Tracker Off-Set (cmd/ctrl)
• T, R and S and how they contribute to the Transformation
• Using Settings to affect how the Tracker tracks
• Using the tracked data
• None, Matchmove, Stabilize, Add Jitter, Remove Jitter and CornerPin
• Good Tracker workflow to avoid breaking concatenation
• Using Planar Tracking
• Using F_Steadiness

2D Techniques – Temporal Operations

• Understanding how the Read node works with footage and time
• Distorting time using Retime, FrameBlend, OFlow, TimeWarp and F_Kronos
• Editing Clips using TimeOffset, FrameRange and AppendClip

2D Techniques – Wire Removal and 2D Rig Removal

• Removing wires using F_WireRemoval
• Removing rigs using F_RigRemoval

2D Techniques – Lens Aberrations and Effects

• Lens Aberrations and Effects using Blur, DirBlur, Defocus, EdgeBlur, Convolve, Soften, Sharpen, Glow, Flare, Sparkles, Glint, GodRays and VolumeRays
• Creating a custom Chromic Aberration effect