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# Blender # Nuke # Fusion # Tips&Tricks

This section provides some tips for using Blender and Nuke software by jordal

Filtering by Tag: DaVinci

/ Welcome Rocky Linux

Jorge Vidal

After several years using Centos, it is time to upgrade to Rocky Linux. I will share my experience here, regarding VFX use

/ Installing Rocky Linux (v9) easy and fast


Just download ISO, boot and install. Same instructions as Centos, but a more likeable interface.

Regarding partitions we have same trouble as Centos. Automatic partition just will keep 70 GB as root, so I recommend to increase it at least to 100 GB to avoid the annoying issue regarding lack of space when you need to install strong software as DaVinci, etc.
In case, 70GB looks enough if you manage your apps and temporal files.

I recommend to have an external disk for apps, this way you don´t need to reinstall any time you have a crash or an update. Some apps can be executed using alias, so I manage them outside root disk and I can run same on different linux as they share code. Each three months aprox you will need to upgrade, so this way I can just use the uncompressed folder and upgrade my alias without needing to delete older versions or fight against elements. On my post regarding .nuke desktop I explain how to do that.

As first look Rocky looks like a Mac Os, very beatiful and fast. Lots of ready to use apps preinstalled.

You can have a little headhache installing your Nvidia drivers. By default nouveau driver works fine, but definetely you will need to upgrade your drivers to manage CUDA or other needs as DaVinci asks, etc.

Here is a fast guide and some websites for reference.

  1. It is need to have nvidia working (I’m using GTX SUPER 1660).

    Best way should go to Nvidia web, but you can manage to get it faster from alternative sites as sometimes you would need additional packs. This web down worked to me:

    https://tutorialforlinux.com/2019/12/13/nvidia-gtx-1660-super-centos-8-driver-how-to-download-install/2/

  2. Enable Rpm Fusion Repository

    Here you can find another guide to get this repo:

    https://www.linuxcapable.com/how-to-install-rpm-fusion-on-rocky-linux/ 

    sudo dnf install --nogpgcheck   

    https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/el/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %rhel).noarch.rpm -y

    sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia

    nvidia-xconfig

  3. For running DaVinci you also will need libGLU

    https://rockylinux.pkgs.org/9/rockylinux-appstream-x86_64/mesa-libGLU-9.0.1-6.el9.x86_64.rpm.html 

    dnf install mesa-libGLU

It can happens that upgrading Rocky you would need to reinstall nvidia drivers. This happens because cuda would need a kernel update also.

After upgrading Rocky you can get down your x screen configuration. My nvidia-xconfig didn´t worked and it didn´t detect my card despite everything was working previously.

To avoid headhaches, best way is to have downloaded the latest nvidia driver to an accesible folder and reinstall or upgrade from terminal. I create a dir named NVIDIA at home and there I keep my latest drivers, then I can run by terminal faster, just straight:

 ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-535.86.05.run

Depending on your boot configuration it cannot be done automatically.

After upgrading your Nvidia you can run the DaVinci installer and everything will go ok.

Blender 3.5, Nuke, Natron, etc. keeps working same as Centos 7 without issues. In case of Blender 3.5 as it has some lib requests looks running better on Rocky.

So this is my fast guide. As usual I will update my experience along the next months flagging any issue.

Thanks Rocky people!

Comment
categories linux
tags rocky linux, nvidia, DaVinci, drivers, GTX SUPER 1660, blender, nuke

/ Nuke to Fusion (fast guide)

Jorge Vidal

(Updated April 2023)

As Nuke is becoming pretty expensive, I’ve licensed a Fusion/Resolve which reminds me my old Flame/Smoke workflow

/ Pros and Cons

I did two Portugal Tv movies around 2010 just using Autodesk Smoke.
It was great to do color grading and doing all the vfx and title design inside a single app.


The advantajes on this system is that you have your timeline and you can store any vfx at any clip cut at once, including motion graphics or any magic touch required. This is fast and useful when you have a lot of shots to do and you are the only artist, as it was to be in the old times, mostly in advertisement.

This all in one philosophy was implemented in Nuke Studio but I don’t know who is using it. Probably as Nuke Studio is a slow player and just used for conforming and export. Instead Flame/Smoke always have been the best for real time as they use to be driven by a single artist and before 2010 aprox mostly of the old material use to be ingested by tapes. From 2012 aprox. Flame become a all in one, including Smoke full editorial interface and Lustre for color grading etc. This “all in one” phylosopy, blending editorial and finishing, has become kind of standard on all the “Studio” packages (Nuke Studio, Flame Premium, Resolve, Adobe Studio, etc.).

There is a contradiction in the thing that for complex productions, the Studio packages are just used for conforming or playing the clips. As I’ve say, Nuke Hiero was designed to replace Flame, but nobody use it as standalone Vfx station.And sadly in most of the companys Flame become just a “player” as general vfx work was done in Nuke by individual artists, now the standard. Now we also have several image sequence players as Rv or Shotgun for show playlist to clients, so this “on suite” to do vfx and “show it” belongs to dinosaurs nowdays. What’s the point then regarding have a Studio software? The point is: for supervision and for use as small studios or independent artists.

Davinci Resolve Studio can be used instead of Autodesk Flame. Is cheaper and worth. And can be used instead of Nuke, as it has also python, camera tracker, particles, etc. But this use is a recomendation for small studios or single driven artist.

I will test it and watch pros and contras. This is a work in progress list, so will be updated.



Contras:

  • The big lack regarding Fusion compared to Nuke is the color managment. Sounds crazy as DaVinci is a color industry standard, but the thing is that color managment for comp requires a more easy workflow when you share different medias which is one of the strongest skill in Nuke.

  • The other big lack is regarding Deep compositing, but this is used only in big film studios as Weta, etc.

  • Less powerful channels and layers workflow. This is mandatory for strong pipeline workflow in big studios.

Pros:

  • Very good for broadcast Graphics and Titles.

  • Very fast for checking material and color dev.

  • Good for basic channels and layers as you can use timeline combined with Fusion.

  • It is possible to create a complex pipeline workflow using Cloud.

 

/ Preferences

Here you can find as first step a way to mimetize Fusion closer to Nuke. These are Alan Bovine preferences, thanks to him you can start working fast.

It is a good idea to set up the preferences close to Nuke to being more familiar driving the software. Here are the steps.

  1. You need to go to preferences.On top menu, go to “Fusion” and there to “Fusion Settings”, will open a big window where are system preferences and user preferences.

  2. You can choose user preferences and click on NEW button.

  3. “UserPath” will be written instead of “from”.
    This way you are sending your preferences to this folder, instead of your home folder.
    Of course you can use any folder you want, for this example I’m gonna use “nuke2fusion-master” which will contain all my setups.

  4. Instead of “to” paste your downloaded folder (“nuke2fusion-master”). This can be a little confused as you need to put the path and delete the “to” and “from” from the text box, I mean: replace by your paths.

  5. Don’t forget to SAVE and check that path is stored.

  6. After that what you will have on restarting the software “nuke2fusion-master” folder is becoming your main data for preferences, where you can have also all your LUTS, layouts or macros.

  7. Finally copy the specific files from nuke2fusion folder to their correspondence preference folder, example: fusion.fu goes to :Config. This are the ready to use preferences, do a copy and reserve the originals for the future.

    If you store this in a portable disk you can have with you anyplace and will survive any software update. I’m linux user, so from time to time I need to update my OS. As Resolve is a little “special” reggarging backups and preferences, I feel better having this folder under my eyes, avoiding hidden folders or user data stored close to root.

    NOTE: there are two different folders:

    “:Config” wich is for regular version and
    “s:Config” in case you are using Studio Version.

    This is important as your preferences will be different, so maybe you would need to use the “s:” version if you have license.
    In my own I use Studio version, but also have Fusion Standalone, which is useful just for comp and more stable. Both version have independent installers so keep it in mind. I duplicate my files for both set of preferences, as you can see in last screenshot.

  8. As a special bonus, I recommend also to store your temporal data in another disk. I use always a cache disk. Same for Nuke. As Centos root disk can be easy filled and play against you. I’ve redirect the Temp path to my own cache disk. Remember: once thing are preferences, but other are cache or video data.

As extra step, you can use “octogonal pipes” in your flowchart, less annoying than the default ones. Also you can use similar “dots” for nodes connection as in Nuke, using “.” .

If you are linux user and wanna scale up your UI, here is a very interesting tip using the .desktop file.

Thanks to John Been and Shane Milton

 

/ Saving Fusion Comp from Davinci as external

On using DaVinci Resolve it is common to create a “Fusion Comp”.

This is an equivalent to script comp in Nuke Studio or a DVE/Action in Flame and Smoke. It creates an empty clip ready for comp, useful if you wan to start from scratch.

You can drag this empty clip to your timeline and jump into using the “fusion”icon.

Once in Fusion desk you can select any node and go to “settings”, from there you can “save as” your fusion comp as an independet file, this way you can open it on Fusion standalone version, or just to have a backup sepparated from your Resolve project file.

Process is similar to copy-paste on Nuke, as all nodes are scripting text.

 

/ Matte and ALPHAs kaos


Looks understanding the matte workflow in Fusion is pretty hard.
So here a fast note about it:

  • Use grey, blue or white entrys for mattes

  • and the node “matte control”

Looks like Fusion uses Yellow as Bg and Green as Fg. For mattes use the other entrys and you can tune up your matte using the matte control.

 

/ Show thumnails

As you can see, using right button you can show thumnails and you will get similar picture in the nodes as Nuke.

 

/ Python for Fusion


A few info online compared to Nuke and less use of scripting in Fusion, but here you can find some useful links:

Python Script Snippets for Fusion TDs

wiki

 

/ TIPS for saving time in DaVinci Resolve


Very nice tips on this video that will speed up your workflow

/ USD support

From v18.5 we can import USD files which looks very nice and fast.
I will upload some tips further about how to improve your workflow between blender and Fusion.

 
Comment
categories vfx, software
tags vfx, Fusion Studio, USD, BLEND, DaVinci, nuke