Nuke VFX

1. Introduction to Nuke

What is Nuke
Node-based compositing fundamentals
Nuke vs After Effects vs Fusion
Nuke editions (Nuke, NukeX, Nuke Studio)
Film and VFX pipeline overview
Course project overview

2. Installing and Setting Up Nuke

Installing Nuke
Licensing and project settings
Interface overview
Node Graph
Viewer
Properties Panel
Timeline
Workspace customization

3. Project Management

Creating a new project
Project settings
Frame rates
Resolution management
Color management overview
Saving and organizing scripts

4. Node-Based Workflow

Understanding nodes
Connecting nodes
Node properties
Node graph organization
Node shortcuts
Node presets

5. Reading and Writing Media

Read Node
Write Node
Importing image sequences
Importing videos
Working with EXR files
Rendering output

6. Channels and Layers

RGBA channels
Alpha channel
Custom channels
Layer management
Premult and Unpremult
Channel operations

7. Basic Color Correction

Grade Node
ColorCorrect Node
HueCorrect Node
Exposure adjustment
Contrast and saturation
Matching shots

8. Roto and RotoPaint

Roto Node
Bezier shapes
B-Splines
Animating masks
RotoPaint tools
Clone painting
Object cleanup

9. Keying

Green screen fundamentals
Keylight
Primatte
IBK Keyer
Despill techniques
Edge refinement
Garbage mattes

10. Tracking

Point Tracker
Planar Tracker
Camera Tracker overview
Stabilization
Match Move
Corner Pin workflows

11. Masking Techniques

Animated masks
Garbage masks
Holdout mattes
Feathering
Edge softness
Complex masking workflows

12. Transformations

Translate
Rotate
Scale
Skew
Corner Pin
Reformat Node
Transform hierarchy

13. Merge Operations

Merge Node
Blend modes
Over operation
Multiply
Screen
Difference
Matte operations

14. Image Cleanup

Wire removal
Object removal
Dust cleanup
Beauty retouching
Patch replacement
Paint fixes

15. Advanced Compositing

Multi-pass compositing
Layer compositing
CG integration
Deep compositing overview
Pass management

16. 3D Workspace

3D system overview
Cards
Geometry
Axis Node
Camera Node
Lights
Scene Node
Scanline Render

17. Camera Projection

Projecting textures
Camera projection workflows
Set extensions
Environment creation

18. Camera Tracking

3D Camera Tracker
Scene reconstruction
Ground plane setup
Object placement
Exporting tracking data

19. Lighting and Relighting

Relight Node
Using normals
Position passes
Light integration
CG lighting adjustments

20. Expressions

Expression Node
Basic expressions
Animated expressions
Linking node parameters
Math expressions

21. Time-Based Effects

Time Offset
Frame Hold
Retime
Motion Blur
Speed adjustments

22. Lens Effects

Lens distortion
Undistort and redistort
Defocus
Depth of Field
Glow
Light wraps

23. Particles (Overview)

Particle systems
Particle emitters
Particle rendering
Basic simulations

24. Deep Compositing

Deep images
DeepMerge
DeepHoldout
DeepRead
DeepWrite
Deep workflows

25. Color Management

Linear workflow
OCIO
ACES workflow
Display transforms
Color spaces
HDR concepts

26. Scripting and Automation

Python basics for Nuke
Automation scripts
Custom gizmos
Menu customization
Pipeline automation

27. Gizmos and Toolsets

Using gizmos
Creating custom gizmos
Reusable node groups
Toolset management

28. Rendering and Output

Render settings
Image sequences
EXR output
Alpha channels
Movie export
Compression formats

29. Performance Optimization

Caching
Proxy workflows
Optimizing node trees
Managing heavy compositions
Memory management

30. Pipeline Integration

Working with Maya
Working with Blender
Working with Houdini
Working with Unreal Engine
Importing render passes
Production workflow

31. Best Practices

Node graph organization
Naming conventions
Script optimization
Version control
Production standards
Collaboration in VFX teams

32. Real Production Projects

Green Screen Compositing
CG Integration Shot
Sky Replacement
Object Removal
Digital Matte Painting
Motion Tracking Shot
Beauty Retouching
Set Extension

33. Mini Projects

Movie Scene Cleanup
Product Commercial Composite
VFX Explosion Composite
Sci-Fi Screen Replacement
Digital Environment Replacement
Action Scene Enhancement

34. Final Project

Students will create a professional, production-quality VFX shot that includes:

Node-based compositing workflow
Green screen keying with edge refinement
Advanced rotoscoping and masking
Camera tracking and match moving
CG integration with 3D scene setup
Multi-pass EXR compositing
Color matching and ACES color management
Lens effects and realistic compositing
Professional cleanup and paint work
Optimized rendering pipeline
A cinema-quality visual effects shot suitable for a professional VFX showreel