Foundry AI
Turn algorithms into art
We recognize that attitudes to AI are changing, with growing adoption and experimentation in media and entertainment. Guided by core principles to ensure we remain a trusted partner in media and entertainment production, our AI tools aim to drive the efficiency you need, empower artists and accelerate repetitive tasks, as well as creating new workflows not previously possible.
Our AI development principles
Artist-centric
Ensuring artists maintain full creative control is at the heart of everything we do. We develop AI tools to augment and accelerate each artist's work, not to replace their creative judgment.
Transparent
To ensure the safe and ethical use of AI models, we never train our models using your data. Wherever possible, we’ll also publish the provenance of the data used to train our models.
Pipeline-friendly
Our AI tools integrate seamlessly into existing production pipelines. We build tools that fit your workflows, while ensuring our AI options are flexible and customizable.
Tools for artists
CopyCat in Nuke
This Nuke plug-in enables artists to train neural networks to automate custom effect workflows. CopyCat duplicates sequence-specific effects, such as garbage matting, beauty repairs, or deblurring from select frames and then trains a network to replicate the same effect for a full sequence.
The Cattery
CopyCat in Nuke gives you the tools to train your models with your own data, while The Cattery is a hub for Foundry-converted models offering transparency surrounding model license and data provenance. All Cattery models have been converted to .cat files, ready for use in Nuke.
Emerging technology
AI-assisted Roto — coming soon
For AI automation with human precision, AI-assisted roto intelligently moves and deforms spline-based rotoshapes across sequences. It allows artists to easily intervene, refine and art-direct the results, ensuring output meets high visual effect standards, while preserving artist control.
BigCat — Coming in Nuke 17
BigCat in Nuke builds on the same model network as CopyCat, but introduces features designed for generalizing across larger datasets. This enhancement is geared toward broad generalization across hundreds or even thousands of images.
Machine learning in Nuke
Advanced, industry-standard compositing
NukeX adds advanced tools to put more control into the hands of compositors and elevate the creative process. Harness the power of AI inside of Nuke and create bespoke effects with high-quality results in relatively little time.
Integrated Compositing & Editorial
Nuke Studio is your post-production powerhouse — with the added bonus of AI capabilities. Get editorial and compositing in a single application, and experiment with AI and automation workflows to get to that final pixel.
See AI through the Fremen’s eyes in Dune: Part Two
AI models can streamline artist workflows, while ensuring they keep control of their creative vision. Find out how Nuke’s CopyCat saved the Dune: Part Two VFX team thousands of hours of work, giving the actors’ eyes the famous Fremen blue tint.
Pre-trained machine learning models
Browse our library of free open-source machine learning models in the Cattery.
Detailed depth maps
DepthPro creates fast, high-resolution depth maps from 2D images, capturing fine details like hair strands and edges, without the need for camera metadata.
Optical flow retimes
RIFE (Real-time Intermediate Flow Estimation) creates smooth slow-motion videos and improves frame interpolation by reducing artifacts on motion boundaries.
Detailed alpha extraction
ViTMatte extracts high-quality alphas from camera images with additional garbage mattes. Tackle time-consuming details such as hair, fur, and motion blur.
Resolution upscaling
TecoGan increases the resolution of footage by a factor of x4 while recreating fine details and maintaining temporal consistency.
Further reading
Get started with CopyCat
Learn to train the neural network using CopyCat to replicate a range of sequence-specific effects for a full sequence.
Victor Perez uses CopyCat in the wild
VFX Supervisor Victor Perez walks through how CopyCat was used in the production of the film Naples to New York.
Add effects, defocus & relight with AI
In this video course, you’ll get a walkthrough of how to generate depth maps using machine learning (MiDas) in Nuke.
Using AI to help prep VFX shot prep
Discover how to use Nuke’s CopyCat node to perform preliminary work on a VFX shot and let AI do the heavy lifting for you.