Foundry has released Nuke 16.0, which contains features the company says will transform compositing and review workflows by speeding up review and cutting time spent on repetitive tasks, thereby reducing pipeline inefficiencies. One of the biggest workflow evolutions resulting from the new Nuke version is variable-enabled multi-shot workflows.

At the end of 2024, Foundry released its Nuke 16.0 compositing tool into open beta. Now, the software is available without restriction, having been released into the wild blue yonder for digital content creators to use.

Foundry touts the new version of Nuke as being transformative in terms of workflow, thanks to new features that help speed up review and reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, thereby eliminating a lot of pipeline inefficiencies. It contends that the new features in Nuke will have a big impact on day-to-day compositing and review workflows.

One of the biggest improvements that Nuke 16.0 brings to user workflows is the ability to make changes to multiple shots simultaneously from a single script. Originally, Nuke had been developed around a single-shot compositing workflow, meaning users had to re-create the same effect across multiple shots one by one. However, in the many years since then, deadlines have gotten tighter and shot volume and complexity has increased. And now, the new native variable-enabled workflows in Nuke 16.0 make multi-shot compositing seamless and efficient.

Nuke 16.0 contains the following multi-shot workflow features:

• Graph Scope Variables: Create a context that applies to multiple shots or part of the script. Apply single scripts to multiple shots or entire sequences based on variables.
• Variables Panel: Full visibility when working across multiple shots, for artists to easily interact with the available Variables in a script. 
• VariableSwitch node: Similar to the Switch node but enables users to create “split and join” workflows based on the variables set for their multi-shot workflow.
• VariableGroup node: Convenient Node Graph grouping for working with variables.
• GSV in LiveGroups: Work in one group across multiple scripts, with other artists working in different sections or shots of the same script. 
• GSV command-line render: Specify variables in the command line and send different shots to the render farms. 

Improvements in Nuke 16.0 should have been made to save users time when working across the Node Graph, BlinkScript, and the timeline. This includes several new BlinkScript and Timeline tools, along with numerous artist tools and updates including roto performance improvements, core node improvements, and more.

With major improvements to the feedback loop, VFX supervisors and VFX editors working from the Nuke Studio or Hiero timeline can approve and deliver shots faster than they could previously, according to Foundry. New Multichannel Soft Effects further help supervisors audition shots and clearly communicate creative intent. The Contact Sheet allows for quick and easy shot comparison, and Quick Export makes exporting from the timeline up to 12 times faster.

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