Nuke Stage overview for PIXERA users

Nuke Stage is a virtual production tool which combines virtual production and visual effects to enable creation, capture, and finaling of photographic quality content shot on LED stages.

Similarly to PIXERA, Nuke Stage enables you to edit virtual production scenes live on set. There are similarities to how these programs work and the UI layouts, although there are key differences that will also be outlined in this guide.

Terminology Glossary

Nuke Stage and PIXERA have equivalent or similar features that have different terminologies. Below is a table outlining the feature names in PIXERA and their corresponding names in Nuke Stage.

PIXERA	Nuke Stage	Description of Feature
PIXERA	Nuke Stage Editor	The main application to create and edit your scene.
Presence	Relay	The Relay in Nuke Stage handles the network communication between the RenderNodes and Nuke Stage Editor, as well as tracking data.
Render node / Client	RenderNode	The machine that runs the Render process. RenderNodes in Nuke stage have a similar function to the Client machines in a Director - Client setup in PIXERA.
Screens	Displays	Displays are used in Nuke Stage to build up your physical stage setup.
Screens tab	Project Graph	A the location for setting up and configuring your project. In Nuke Stage this is all within different areas of the Project Graph. For full information go to Project Graph Controls.
Mapping tab
Control Tab
Compositing tab	Comp workspace	The main compositing / editing workspace in the application.
Inspector	Properties	The specific parameters and properties for the selected object or feature.
Timeline	Node Graph/ Sequencer	The Node Graph panel in Nuke Stage to build up scenes and manipulate images with effects. It is also used for realtime compositing. The Sequencer is a panel that enables you to add sequences and animate your project.
Director	Control Machine	In Nuke Stage, the control machine is the machine you run Nuke Stage Editor from and connect to the RenderNodes via the Relay. This is a similar context to the Director machine in PIXERA.

Installing Nuke Stage for PIXERA users

Install Nuke Stage at the downloads link sent to your email.

When you Install Nuke Stage, three applications are created.

• NukeStage Launcher: This application is where you run all of the Nuke Stage Processes you need. This includes Nuke Stage Editor, the Relay processes and your RenderNodes. This is similar to PIXERA Hub, as it is the app in which you define your RenderNode processes and their IP addresses, and check their diagnostics. It is also where you launch the networking processes, similar to starting Presence on PIXERA Hub.

• Nuke Stage Listener: Listens out for relay processes. This is similar to Presence.

• NukeStage: This is the Nuke Stage Editor, equivalent to PIXERA. This app is the main UI of Nuke Stage where you can create and edit your scenes.

You need to install Nuke Stage on every machine (RenderNodes, Relay and control machine) in your setup. This cannot be done remotely.

UI tour

Nuke Stage Launcher

The Nuke Stage Launcher is a separate application when you install Nuke Stage. When you open up the Launcher, add the processes you want to run.

• Nuke Stage Editor: this is the equivalent of PIXERA, where you can create and edit your scenes. Typically launched on the control machine.

• Relay: The relay handles the networking process. This is similar to Presence in PIXERA.

• RenderNodes: You will need to put the IP addresses and ports of any RenderNodes if they are on different machines than your control machine.

Nuke Stage Listener

Nuke Stage listener automatically runs when you launch the Nuke Stage processes.

Note:  Check that the NukeStageListener.exe process is running in Window Services to ensure there are no network issues. See more at Launching Nuke Stage.

Nuke Stage Editor

Workspaces

Scene

The Scene workspace is where you can view and edit a USD Scene in the Scene Graph.

In the Scene Graph panel, the Prim name, Type, and Kind of the USD files will be displayed in a hierarchical list view. It is also where you can add meshes for texture overrides. You can also use the Scene Graph to toggle visibility of specific prims in your scene.

Comp

The Comp workspace is used to create and edit node graphs in the Node Graph panel. The Node Graph uses nodes as building blocks to add effects to cameras, displays, images and USD primitives. You can build up a scene and do realtime compositing. This is similar to the Compositing tab in PIXERA as it deals with effects you can place on your content, but the comp workspace in Nuke Stage does not have a timeline workflow. See the Sequence workspace below for more details on how to keyframe and animate your scene.

A full list of Nodes in Nuke Stage can be found at Nodes

Sequence

Use the Sequencer panel to add new sequences to your project and animate your scene using keyframes, cues and clips. These workflows are similar to PIXERA’s keyframing and clip workflows.

Setup

Use this workspace to set up your hardware, and debug RenderNodes. This functionality is similar to features of PIXERA Hub.

Other Features

Project Graph

The Project Graph panel enables you to directly access the settings of your project. From here you can import and export stage configuration from the file, load an active project from relay, save or open a project. You can navigate down the different sections of the Project Graph to set up your project from networking and hardware to loading in your USD scene.

The Project Graph is the equivalent to the Mapping, Screen and Control Tabs in PIXERA.

Properties Panel

When you click on an object in Nuke Stage, details about that object will appear in the Properties panel. This panel gives you information regarding your selected object, including properties you can edit (for example file paths or transforms). This is the equivalent to the Inspector panel in PIXERA.

The Vault

The Vault is Nuke Stage's data recording system. It has Take Record and Snapshot functions.

3D Viewport

The 3D viewport displays the currently-loaded 3D scene. This is similar to the Workspace in PIXERA.

Image Viewer

View images and effects made to the Override nodes in your Node Graph.

Feed Mapping

A canvas view to map images onto your displays. Equivalent to the Mapping feed panel in PIXERA.

This comparison document is provided by Foundry for information purposes only. Pixera is a trademark of AV Stumpfl GmbH.