Leading visual effects software developer, The Foundry, has announced the latest release of its powerful compositing application Nuke.

Nuke 5.2, now shipping, features new pre-comp tools that facilitate structured and collaborative workflow through referencing of external scripts; Python improvements for the creation of custom user interface panels and script driven actions; metadata support direct in the node graph; and the ability to register multiple ‘Viewer Process’ Gizmos for user-defined viewer processing, including new GPU support for 3D LUTs and GLSL shaders.

In addition Nuke 5.2 enables video monitor preview through Blackmagic Decklink, AJA Kona and Xena cards and introduces a RED R3D Redcode format reader that brings the full range of picture information into a full 32bit float-processing environment.

Viewer playback performance has been significantly improved, with flexible disk caching introduced at script nodes, and numerous bugs fixed.

Richard Shackleton, Nuke product manager at The Foundry commented: “We are continually working with, and listening to, our customers to ensure we understand their needs, wants and priorities. Nuke 5.2 and our future development programme will deliver productivity and workflow gains, as well as expand the production and creative tasks that can be tackled within the platform.

“I am very excited about delivering a wide range of new features in this release to support our customers ever-increasing breadth of challenges and complex deliverables. Nuke 5.2 and our future development roadmap will continue to deliver productivity and workflow gains as well as expanding the production and creative tasks that the Nuke platform can achieve.”

This philosophy of continual innovation focused on solving VFX and production requirements continues at The Foundry with Nuke 6.0 and NukeX 6.0 due for release in Q4 this year. For a pre-release peek, visit us on stand 7.F28 at IBC, where you can also see in depth customer demonstrations and talk directly with our team.

For more information on Nuke see www.thefoundry.co.uk.

About The Foundry
The Foundry is a world-leading innovator of visual effects and image processing technologies that boost productivity in motion picture and video post production. On February 10th 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded a Sci-Tech Award® to The Foundry’s development team for the Furnace image processing suite. The company now holds two products with AMPAS Sci-Tech Award® winning technology including high-end compositing system Nuke.

The Foundry’s products support a wide range of host platforms including After Effects, Autodesk® Media and Entertainment Systems, Avid DS, Baselight, Film Master, Nuke, Shake and Final Cut Pro.

Customers include : ILM, Framestore, The Mill, Soho, Duboi, Digital Domain, The Moving Picture Company, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Warner Bros and Weta Digital Ltd.

The Foundry recently completed a management buyout led by Advent Venture Partners. The company is headquartered in London, and has offices in Los Angeles.

For more information please visit The Foundry’s website at www.thefoundry.co.uk, or call +44 20 7434 0449.