The Foundry Introduces NUKE 9

The offering brings powerful node-based VFX, Editorial and Finishing into a new single studio application, as well as provid core upgrades to the advanced compositing workflows of NUKE and NUKEX. The Foundry showcased NUKE 9 at a live broadcast from London’s historic Leicester Square.

NUKE STUDIO empowers creative individuals working independently, as well as collaborative teams working on quick-turnaround projects, in a way that’s previously never been possible. Users can run a whole project from a single desktop, even while sitting with a client, and use NUKE STUDIO’s powerful collaborative controls to share work with a wider team and manage this from a central integrated location.

• Complete online-editing toolkit - Intuitive and familiar editorial tools get the job done fast, whether it’s on set editing, online conform, or simply knocking out quick edits.
• In-timeline real-time effects - Powerful GPU accelerated effects can be added right in the timeline, letting artists quickly experiment, polish and achieve the high-end look they need.
• Fluid end-to-end workflow - Combined timeline and node-graph workflow lets artists work the way they want with all the power to create a project in one application from start to finish.
• Powerful collaborative control - A hub for total project control lets artists share scripts, work collaboratively with annotations and version up and down with ease.
• Real-time 4K playback - Plays in-application and through SDI-Out Hardware giving confidence to client attended sessions. For the first time, The Foundry has certified an HP® and NVIDIA® configuration with Blackmagic.
• Intelligent built-in rendering - Built-in render farm functionality automatically uses all available resources to enhance speed and performance, either on a single machine or when connected to multiple.

“The addition of NUKE STUDIO brings the ability to tackle a project from start to finish in a very cost effective way. It also provides the ability to run a client attend session that is so essential to us in commercial production,” comments nineteentwenty head Ludo Fealy. “I’ve been along for the ride during the course of NUKE STUDIO’s development and am now glad I made the decision to base my workflow around The Foundry’s products when we opened our doors last year.”

“We've been very anxious for The Foundry's release of NUKE STUDIO -- we started using it on commercial projects the second we got our hands on the beta,” comments Grant Miller, Creative Director at Ingenuity Engine. “NUKE STUDIO completes The Foundry's toolset by adding a timeline-based, client-facing application that makes commercial finishing both a breeze and cost-effective. It integrates seamlessly with the other NUKE products used throughout the studio, allowing for fluid collaboration in a common and familiar environment.”

From release, NUKE STUDIO will join MARI and MODO in the PRODUCTION COLLECTIVE, providing an affordable way to access a really comprehensive toolset -- perfect for multi-faceted artists.

In addition to NUKE STUDIO, NUKE 9 brings fantastic performance and feature updates to the compositing system present across the entire NUKE range. These include a Native Flipbook tool for NUKE and NUKEX; huge performance improvements that cover not only overall NUKE performance but specifically the EXR reader, Deep EXR reader, Particle system and Scanline renderer; Enhanced 2D format support; and cutting edge retiming updates.

NUKEX and NUKE STUDIO also include an overhaul to the Planar Tracker, to include a new region tracking algorithm; and huge updates to the Vector Generator, Motion Blur and KRONOS tools, with the addition of a new motion estimation algorithm based on OCULA technology.

“This release, our most ambitious to date, addresses input from artists working in ever-evolving, increasingly demanding environments,” comments NUKE Product Manager Jon Wadelton. “Artists working with NUKE and NUKEX will see the major improvements to performance as well as a wide range of feature updates and innovative new technology. And now, with NUKE STUDIO, artists can conform, edit, color-correct, add effects and playback at 4K - essentially run a whole project from a single desktop and even sit with a client while doing it.”

Flexible Pricing for Greater Access

With the expansion of the NUKE range, The Foundry has also introduced two ways for people to get on board with NUKE, creating financially viable options for both professional and non-commercial users:

• First Seat 12-Month Payment Plan: First-time users to NUKE can split the cost of either a NUKE, NUKEX, NUKE STUDIO or PRODUCTION COLLECTIVE license over 12 monthly payments. Users do not incur any additional fees or charges and will own the software at the end. This payment plan is only available for new customers without any existing NUKE, NUKEX, NUKE STUDIO or PRODUCTION COLLECTIVE licenses. This plan is designed to make it easier for new users, in particular start-ups and freelance artists, to get started with NUKE.
• Free for non-commercial use license of NUKE, NUKEX and NUKE STUDIO: Designed to make it possible for more people to start learning NUKE, The Foundry will release a free for non-commercial use version of NUKE STUDIO early next year. This is a free non-watermarked but functionally restricted version of NUKE, NUKEX and NUKE STUDIO available to download a 30-day rolling license for anyone not working commercially.

“NUKE 9 is an amazing release for everyone. We’ve not only listened to what the market wants on a technical level, but the softer requirements as well. Therefore, in addition to bringing a powerful, flexible and modern new range of products to market, we’ve identified ways to make NUKE more accessible than ever before. With our First Seat 12-Month Payment Plan, we help new users get started with NUKE in a more cost-effective way for them. We’re also really excited to introduce a free for non-commercial use version of NUKE STUDIO. This complements our existing education offering and provides a way for anyone, not working commercially, to learn and experience NUKE,” comments NUKE Product Marketing Manager Philippa Carroll. “So whatever your line of VFX work and regardless of team size, we’re confident we now have a NUKE or combination of NUKE products to suit your needs.”

NUKE 9 will be available by the end of November 2014. It’s also the first release of NUKE to support the new Mac Pro and is an Apple authorized ProRes third-party product.

The full pricing range can be found at www.thefoundry.co.uk/nuke/pricingandlicensing.