Set the number of seconds after which to automatically save your project. Disable this by setting it to zero.

Define how long (in seconds) Nuke waits before performing an automatic backup after you have left the system idle (that is, haven’t used the mouse or the keyboard). If you set the value to 0, automatic backups are disabled.

Define how long (in seconds) Nuke waits before performing an automatic backup regardless of whether the system is idle. If you set the value to 0, forced automatic backups are disabled.

Sets the file name of the autosaved project. If this is not set, it defaults to [firstof[value root.name] [getenv NUKE_TEMP_DIR]/].autosave

Allows you to remap file paths in order to easily share projects across different operating systems. When the application encounters a file path, any text in the OSX/Linux column is replaced with the text in the Windows column, or vice versa.

For example, if you enter /Volumes/networkmount in the OSX/Linux column and Z: in the Windows column:

• On Mac OS X and Linux, any file paths that start with Z: are converted to start with /Volumes/networkmount.

• On Windows, any file paths that start with /Volumes/networkmount are converted to start with Z:.

To be able to enter text in either column, you need to click on the + button below to add a row to the table.

Adds a row under path substitutions.

Sets the OpenColorIO configuration to use if you don’t intend to use the default settings.

Enter the filepath of the configuration file or click Choose to use the browser.

NOTE:  Nuke also includes an environment variable method for setting a config file. See Environment Variables for more information.

Sets the default LUT applied to Timeline Viewers.

Sets the default LUT applied to thumbnails when ever they are generated.

Sets the default LUT applied to the specified ingested file type.

Use this to select the image output resolution in the Timeline environment. For a sequence, the video tracks are cropped to this format. By default, clips in the sequence are reformatted to fit this format. You can adjust the reformatting, by selecting clips in the timeline and adjusting the settings in the Sequence tab.

Changing the output format for a clip is not currently supported.

Select the frame rate for the current project in the Timeline environment.

Use this to define the start timecode for the current project. For track items, this overrides the timecode defined in the media.

You can use this to select the display format for times. You can select either Timecode or Frames.

Enter the location of the files you need automatically localized, unless otherwise specified in the Read node’s cache locally control. Commonly this would be your remote working folder. If you leave this field blank, automatic local file caching doesn’t take place.

Enter the file path where all the localized files are automatically stored. Localizing files allows for faster reloading for files that are stored in a location that is slow to access (such as a network drive).

You should construct the file path as follows

• Replace any leading forward or back slashes with underscores. For example, replace \\windowspath\to\my\network\file.dpx

with

__windowspath\to\my\network\file.dpx.

• Replace any Windows drive signifiers (colons) with underscores. For example, replace t:\my\network\path\file.dpx

with

t_\my\network\path\file.dpx.

This defaults to [getenv NUKE_TEMP_DIR]/localize.

This allows you to set the maximum amount of space (in GB) to use for localized files. Set to zero for unlimited size. Values lower than zero, leave that amount of space free.

This saves all recent images displayed in the Viewer for fast playback. Using this control, you can specify where you want Nuke to save these images. Select a local disk (for example, C:/temp), preferably with the fastest access time available. It’s also important to leave enough space for the maximum disk cache size (defined below).

Specifies the size of Nuke's disk cache, independent of the playback cache. It is the maximum amount of disk that Nuke can allocate for caching. When the limit is reached, Nuke attempts to free disk space before using any more.

The environment variable NUKE_DISK_CACHE_GB overrides this setting.

Specifies the size of Nuke's RotoPaint tile cache. It stores tiles for the output image of each RotoPaint node, enabling you to paint on top of existing RotoPaint without having to re-render the strokes underneath.

If you run out of RotoPaint disk cache, response times may suffer when painting onto tiles containing lots of strokes.

Memory Caching

Specifies the percentage of system RAM used for the timeline Viewer playback cache. The entire amount is allocated, even if you've only got a few frames in the Viewer.

Recently used frames are retained in the memory to avoid relying on the disk buffering system. The cache is freed when you switch to the compositing Viewer and reallocated when you switch back to the timeline Viewer.

TIP:  On low-end machines, minimizing this may improve application responsiveness at the expense of smooth playback.

Specifies the percentage of system memory available for comp caching. It is independent of the playback cache and is the maximum amount of memory that Nuke can use for caching. When the limit is reached, Nuke attempts to free memory before using any more.

Specifies the percentage of the comp cache available for comp playback. This cache holds data displayed in Nuke's compositing Viewer, the result from the node tree you're viewing. Results from further up the tree are sometimes cached inside the comp cache as well, such as the output from a node which is needed by more than one downstream node.

Specifies the percentage of the comp cache available for comp paint. The comp playback cache and comp paint cache are limits for the total memory that is used, so it's possible to have a combined size greater than 100%.

How the memory is shared between the two depends on what you're doing, and you won't necessarily be filling both up at the same rate. For example, if you're doing a lot of paint work, you might want to allow the paint cache to fill up more than 50% of the available memory if the playback cache isn't using its full share.

Sets the amount of memory available for storing timeline audio waveforms.

When enabled, pause timeline Viewer caching when the application is in the background.

When enabled, the timeline Viewer cache is cleared when the application goes into the background.

NOTE:  This preference is only available when pause timeline Viewer when the application goes to the background is enabled.

When enabled, pause comp Viewer caching when the application is in the background.

When enabled, the comp Viewer cache is cleared when the application goes into the background.

NOTE:  This preference is only available when pause comp Viewer when the application goes to the background is enabled.

Allows you to set the amount of RAM to use for the undo history. If this limit is exceeded, older items are discarded.

The audio device control allows you to select an existing audio device for playout from a list of automatically detected devices. You can disable playout on a device by selecting Disabled.

You can select the use red rocket checkbox to speed up decoding RED media. If you’re using R3D Rocket graphics card, note that using it is likely to only be considerably faster when you’re reading in at full resolution. If you’re reading in at half resolution, for instance, using without the R3D Rocket card enabled may be faster. This is because the R3D Rocket graphics card is designed to be fast when reading in multiple frames at the same time. This is not how it works internally, and therefore reads with the R3D Rocket card disabled may sometimes be faster when working in lower resolutions (< 4K widths). Also, note that the R3D Rocket card always produces better results than when downsampling. Also, the R3D Rocket card can only be used by one application at a time, so if you are viewing multiple scripts at once, you may only be able to use the R3D Rocket card in one.

You can use this to expand images cached for playback from 3 to 4 color channels per pixel. Some graphics hardware performs better at loading images to video memory with 4 channels per pixel, than it does with 3. Enabling this option improves playback performance on such hardware, at the expense of reducing the number of frames that it's possible to cache.

If you are seeing poor playback performance, enabling this option may help. However, if you are seeing acceptable playback performance with this option disabled, then leaving it disabled increases the number of frames that may be cached for smooth playback.

NOTE:  You must restart Nuke for this option to take effect.

Enabling Pixel Buffer Objects (PBOs) can improve playback performance for certain combinations of hardware, software, and file formats.

NOTE:  You must restart Nuke for this option to take effect.

Use this to set the maximum amount of GPU memory to use for caching textures.

You can use this to set the default blink device to use the CPU, or choose which GPU to use for GPU accelerated plug-ins, such as, ZDefocus, Convolve, Denoise, BlinkScript, Kronos, MotionBlur, and so on. Any changes to this setting only take effect after you have restarted the application.

Sets the number of threads to use per reader. If your source files are located on high performance local drives, increasing the number threads can significantly improve read times.

CPU intensive operations, such as .jpg decoding, can also be improved by increasing the number of threads per reader.

Allows you to override the default number of decode threads used, dependent on file format.

Use the plus button to add an entry to the table and then select the file format using the dropdown menu. Double click the Number of threads column to set the required number of decode threads for that format.

Sets the number of helper threads to use for OpenEXR only. The default, zero, automatically sets the number of helper threads used.

Sets the number of helper threads to use for ARRI only. The default, zero, automatically sets the number of helper threads used.

NOTE:  The OpenEXR and ARRI helper thread preferences are independent of the threads per reader and override table per format settings.

Set the number of slave Nuke processes to run for the frame server. You must restart Nuke for this setting to take effect.

Sets the number of background processes available to handle QuickTime file I/O. You must restart the application for this preference change to take effect.

NOTE:  Using too many decoders can affect performance, depending on the available hardware.

You can select from several render options:

• limit renderer (more responsive ui) – Select this option to make the user interface more responsive during transcodes. It tells Nuke to use 2 threads to transcode and to use 25% of RAM to cache. Using this option is likely to result in slower transcodes.

• no renderer limits – Select this option to ensure that transcodes happen as quickly as possible. This option may result in a less responsive user interface during transcodes.

• customize render limits – Select this option to manually configure Nuke's cache memory setting and the number of threads used to do transcodes.

Sets the number of threads that Nuke uses when transcoding. Lower numbers allow the Timeline environment's interface to be more responsive. Higher numbers allow faster transcodes. This setting is passed to Nuke using the -m option.

Use this to set the number of gigabytes of RAM that Nuke uses for its Cache settings. Lower numbers may improve the Timeline environment's interface responsiveness, while higher numbers may improve the speed of the transcodes. This setting is passed to Nuke with the -c option.

Sets when background renders occur:

• don't auto-start background renders – Comps on the timeline are not rendered in the background automatically.

• start background renders on Comp save – Comps on the timeline are rendered in the background automatically when they are saved.

• start background renders on Comp create, Comp save and Comp version change – Comps on the timeline are rendered in the background automatically when first created, when saved, and when a new version is selected.

Sets the source of the Properties ? button help:

• local – use Nuke's built-in HTML help server. Nuke's local help server searches the NUKE_PATH for HTML files with the same name as the requested node, such as Blur.html. It also searches .nuke and .nuke/Documentation.

• foundry – This uses The Foundry's Online Help, the most up-to-date version of the documentation.

• custom – Select this to point to your own help server.

When enabled, assign a free port automatically.

Specify a local documentation server port manually. This is usually >= 1024. You can also set this to 0 to automatically assign the port.

When enabled, identify and import the file range of media that is dropped into the bin. When disabled, no range is detected and only a single frame is ingested. (This does not affect container formats, such .mov and .r3d.)

When enabled, incrementing a clip or track item’s version past the end of the previously discovered versions list, forces a rescan to update the versions list. See Using Versions for more information.

Sets the sequence display mode to be used in the file browser.

When enabled, assume frames have a fixed width number. With this selected, frame numbers need to be padded with zeros to a fixed length, otherwise frame numbers without preceding zeros are assumed to belong to sequences with no padding. This is important as the sequence identifier specifies a unique file name for each and every frame. For example:

Sets the default red clip decode mode for new projects. You can choose from FullPremium, HalfPremium, HalfGood, QuarterGood, EighthGood, or SixteenthGood.

NOTE:  Changing this preference does not change the default decode setting for existing projects.

Alembic

When enabled, inserting a new Merge node automatically connects the A input.

When enabled, keyframes are added automatically to Roto shapes when they are adjusted.

Sets which workspace to display on startup. You can choose from Compositing, Conforming, Editing, Finishing, Reviewing, and Timeline. You can also choose to save a customized workspace, which would also be available from this list.

When enabled, display the splash screen on startup.

When enabled, display the dialog on startup.

Sets the source timecode for RED files. You can choose from Default From File, Absolute Timecode, or Edge Timecode.

Sets the timecode source for file-per-frame media (such as .dpx). You can choose from File Header or Frame Number. If File Header is selected and a timecode exists, then the timecode is used. Otherwise it defaults back to using the frame number from the file name.

Sets the maximum image header timebase above which the value is clamped.

Image files are often created with application specific timebase values in the header description. This can lead to reading in spuriously high frame rates and the clamp aims to prevent this from happening.

If your clips do have extremely high frame rates, increase this value as necessary to avoid clamping.

Change the type, weight, angle, and size of the font used on Nuke’s user interface.

UI Colors - right-click on any color button and select Set color to default to revert changes.

Change the background color of most user interface elements (menus, toolbars, panes, properties panels, Viewers, and pop-up dialogs).

Change the color of input fields, the input pane of the Script Editor, and the left side of the Curve Editor.

Change the color of the highlighting that appears when you hover the cursor over a control, select a file or folder in the File Browser, or scrub to a new frame on the timeline.

Change the color of any highlighted text (for example, text you select in node properties).

Change the color of labels and text on the application interface. Note that this does not set the color of the labels on nodes in the Node Graph.

Change the color of buttons and dropdown menus.

Change the color that indicates a control has been animated.

Change the color that indicates a keyframe has been set.

Change the color of the cached frames on the Viewer timeline.

Change the color of the frame marker on the Viewer timeline.

Change the color of the in and out frame markers on the Viewer timeline.

Curve Editor / Dope Sheet - right-click on any color button and select Set color to default to revert changes.

Sets the maximum number of curves visible in the Curve Editor.

Change the background color of the Dope Sheet tab.

Change the color used for an unselected key on the Dope Sheet.

Change the color used for a part-selected key on the Dope Sheet.

Change the color used for a selected key on the Dope Sheet.

Change the color used for the timeline on the Dope Sheet.

Change the color used for the control text on the Dope Sheet. These indicate the frame number of a key when you select one.

Change the color used for the shadow of the control text on the Dope Sheet.

Change the color used for the time labels on the Dope Sheet. These indicate frame numbers.

Change the color used for the current frame on the Dope Sheet. This is a vertical line that indicates the current frame on the timeline.

Use this to set the maximum number of panels that can be open in the Properties pane.

When this is enabled, double-clicking a node that has been open before, places the panel in the same place as a new panel. If this is disabled, the panel appears in its previous position.

If this is enabled, the node selection in the Node Graph determines which control panels are expanded (all unselected nodes automatically have their panels collapsed). This does not apply to floating control panels.

Use this to define node input button action, which is located in the top-left of the node properties panel. For example, you can set this to center a selected input of a node in the Node Graph.

Use this to set the maximum number of channels or layers that are displayed in a single sub-menu of the main channel control.

Deselect this checkbox to ignore individual node color settings and, instead always use the All Others color.

Select this checkbox to apply a slight gradient shading to nodes.

The nodes listed here have been given a default color. You can change this by clicking the assigned color to open the color menu, and selecting a new one.

Use this to select the color to use as default for all nodes not otherwise specified above, or all nodes if autocolor is disabled.

Use this to select the color used for node label text.

Use this to choose the highlight color applied to any selected nodes.

Use this to choose the color used for node inputs' label text when selected.

When disabled, nodes only show the filename or node name - most of the code in autolabel.py is disregarded.

For example, the Blur node does not display the affected channels when this control is disabled.

When enabled, highlight any nodes whose output is currently being calculated.

When displaying a thumbnail render of the node’s output on its surface (either using the PostageStamp node or the postage stamp control on the Node tab of each node), you can select one of two modes:

• Current frame - The postage stamp is always updated to match the current frame.

• Static frame - The postage stamp displays a fixed frame. To specify the frame to use, open the node’s controls, go to the Node tab, and adjust static frame.

NOTE:  If the frame number you use is outside the frame range for the node, it is clamped to the first or last frame in the range accordingly.

When a node is selected and the node’s name is too long to fit inside the node, a background is drawn behind the name to improve legibility. Use this control to set the intensity of the background, from 0 (no background) to 1 (fully opaque background).

Sets the font for labels. You can use the B and I, to the right of the font dropdown, to bold or italisize the selected label font.

Sets the size of nodes in the Node Graph using the width and height.

When enabled, nodes snap into positions (while dragging them) that line up horizontally and vertically with their inputs and outputs.

Sets the grid size using width and height.

When enabled, nodes snap into positions (while dragging them) that line them up with the grid.

When enabled, display the grid using the overlay color.

When snap to grid is enabled, use this to set the maximum number of pixels to jump by, when snapping nodes to the grid or other nodes.

Sets the color of the Node Graph background.

Sets the color of the selection marquee when you lasso nodes.

Sets the color of the dots created when you 'elbow' a connection pipe by holding Ctrl/Cmd.

Sets the color of expression arrows, if enabled. Select the enable checkbox to display expression arrows.

Sets the color of clone arrows, if enabled. Select the enable checkbox to display clone arrows.

Sets arrow and arrow head, lengths and widths. You can also use the numeric field next to each component to enter a specific value.

Select this checkbox to be able to pick up and move connected arrow heads.

When enabled, press Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) on the Node Graph to display yellow “elbows” on the Node Graph arrows and then click on these to insert Dot nodes.

If you Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+click on an elbow, the new Dot node is branched off to a new arrow rather than inserted in the existing arrow.

When disabled, adding Dot nodes in this manner is not possible.

Select this checkbox to restrict the arrow hotspot, for inserting nodes, to the middle of the arrow.

Use the slider or the entry box to select the black point value.

Use the slider or the entry box to select the white point value.

Use this to select the video standard to use when converting from RGB to luma and chroma for scope display.

Select this checkbox to include applied Viewer color transforms (gain, gamma, and LUT) in scope data. If this checkbox is disabled, all Viewer transforms are ignored.

NOTE:  If disabled, rendering may become slow as image calculation may be needed.

Use this to select the font to use in the Script Editor.

NOTE:  This control also changes the font in the BlinkScript Kernel Source field.

You can use this control to set the indent value to use when scripting.

Disable this checkbox if you prefer that the contents of the Script Editor is not saved and restored between sessions of Nuke.

When enabled, an extra line is drawn on the timeline to the right of the playhead, indicating the end of the current frame.

When enabled, new Viewers are placed in their own window instead of docking in existing windows.

When enabled, new Viewers are not auto-zoomed to the current Viewer's zoom level.

When this is checked, look-up tables (LUTs) are only applied to the red, green, and blue channels.

When this is NOT checked, LUTs are applied to all channels.

Use this to select the OpenGL buffer depth, and enable use of the GPU for the Viewer process and input process.

• byte – Converts to 8-bit with error diffusion.

• half-float – Converts to 16-bit (half) float. In this mode, the GPU can be used to apply Viewer effects like gamma and the LUT in a Viewer process.

• float – Uses a full 32-bit floating point texture. This may be slow on selected cards. In this mode, the GPU can be used to apply Viewer effects like gamma and the LUT in a Viewer process.

You can choose a default value for this setting in the Preferences, or by using knobDefault() in a startup script.

When this is checked, the Viewer applies its effects (such as gain, gamma, and the Viewer Process node) in the GPU when possible. However, in some cases, like when monitor output is enabled or gl buffer depth is set to byte in the Viewer settings, effects must still be computed in the CPU.

Normally, the Viewer only attempts to run its own effects (such as gain, gamma, and the Viewer Process node) on the GPU. However, when this is checked, any nodes connected to the Viewer are also computed on the GPU when possible. Note that this cannot be done for all nodes because not all nodes have a GPU implementation.

If nodes are computed on the GPU, the color values displayed in the Viewer are inaccurate. This is because they show the color from the last node computed in the CPU prior to transferring the image into the graphics card.

Check this to disable dithering in the Viewer when you’re using half-float depth. Uncheck to allow dithering at all times.

When this is checked, the Viewer only displays one view of a stereo project until both views have been rendered. This is to prevent disorienting effects when watching the results.

When this is not checked, the Viewer displays both stereo views, even if the render of either is incomplete.

Select this checkbox to flip the left and right stereo views when the Viewer is set to Stereo Mode > Interlaced in the right-click/context menu.

Use this to define OpenGL texture size in the 3D Viewer. The larger the texture size, the sharper it is, but larger texture sizes need more time and memory. You can choose from 256x256, 512x512, 1024x1024, and 2048x2048.

Use this to set the Viewer playback mode:

• Play All Frames - the default setting, plays all frames in real-time (dependent on hardware).

• Skip Frames - plays frames in real-time skipping where necessary to maintain the frame rate.

• Play All Frames, Buffering - plays all frames by buffering and playing frames back as they become available.

You can use this to choose to show overlays in the image area. You can choose from:

• Title Safe – Indicates where text should be entered to be visible.

• Action Safe – Indicates the area in which to place actions so that they are visible.

• Format – Displays the size of the format over the Viewer.

Use this to select which display to use for fullscreen mode. This setting takes effect the next time fullscreen mode is entered.

Select this checkbox to see through missing media in the timeline, displaying the first displayable media in the underlying tracks.

Use this to select the Viewer background. You can select black, or gray (using the slider to determine the grayscale), or checkerboard (using the slider to determine the size of the squares).

Use this to set the default number of frames skipped by the Viewer skip controls, and the timeline Nudge More commands.

Use this to determine the filtering used during rendering in the Timeline environment. You can select Auto, Nearest neighbour, or Linear.

Auto uses ths same automatic selection as in the Compositing environment. This does not affect exports or rendering in the Compositing environment.

Use this to adjust the default timing offset (in milliseconds) between audio and video to apply to new Viewers. Positive values make audio play earlier relative to video; negative values make audio play later. To convert from video frames to ms, divide 1000ms by the video frame rate. For example:

• at 25fps, a video frame is 1000/25 = 40ms, or

• a 1.5 video frame delay = 1.5 * 40ms = 60ms.

• bg – Change the background color of the 2D Viewer.

• fg – Change the color of borders and text in the 2D Viewer.

• bg – Change the background color of the 3D Viewer.

• fg – Change the color of borders and text in the 3D Viewer.

• sel –Change the color of the selected vertices or faces of an object in the 3D viewer.

• Expression color – Change the default color of the control points when an expression is set.

• Focus color – Change the default color of the control points when focused.

• Points - Change the default color of the points on RotoPaint shapes and strokes.

• Curves - Change the default color of the rotoshape and stroke curves in RotoPaint and Roto.

• Transform - Change the default color of the RotoPaint transform jack.

• Locked - Change the default color of RotoPaint points and curves when locked or otherwise unmodifiable.

• A Sourcecolor - Change the default color of SplineWarp’s A source curves.

• B Sourcecolor - Change the default color of SplineWarp’s B source curves.

• draw source stippled - Check to change source curves from solid to stippled.

• A Destinationcolor - Change the default color of SplineWarp’s A destination curves.

• B Destinationcolor - Change the default color of SplineWarp’s B destination curves.

• draw destination stippled - Check to change destination curves from solid to stippled.

• Correspondencecolor - Change the default color of the SplineWarp correspondence lines.

• Boundarycolor - Change the default color of the SplineWarp boundary curves.

• Hardboundarycolor - Change the default color of the SplineWarp hard boundary curves.

NOTE:  To set a color back to its default, right-click on the button and select Set Color to Default.

Check this to use the middle-mouse button to pan in the Viewer, Node Graph, the Curve Editor, and the Dope Sheet.

Check this to use the left and the middle-mouse button together to zoom in the Viewer, Node Graph, the Curve Editor, and the Dope Sheet.

Check this to disable the OpenGL preview when manipulating the handles of 2D nodes, such as Transform and CornerPin.

Select the navigation control scheme you want to use in the 3D Viewer: Nuke, Maya, Houdini, Lightwave, or Modo.

Adjust the size of the square control handles that appear on the Viewer for some operations, such as transformations, warps, and Bezier and B-spline shapes.

By default, this value is set to 5. You can also set the pickable area size of the square control handles in the numeric field or slider to the right of the 2D handle size control.

Adjust the size of the square control handles that appear when you’re, for instance, selecting vertices on a 3D object in the 3D view. By default, this value is set to 5. You can also set the pickable area size of the square control handles in the numeric field or slider to the right of the 3D handle size control.

Adjust the size of the 2D transformation overlay, 3D camera, 3D object normals, and 3D axis on the Viewer. By default, this value is set to 50.

Adjust how much the scale of display affects the size of the 2D transformation overlay, 3D camera, and 3D axis. When this is set to 0, these controls are always drawn the same size, regardless of the zoom level. When the value is set to 1, the controls scale with the displayed image or 3D scene when you zoom in or out.

Intermediate values mix this so that the controls do scale, but not as much as the image does. This gives an optical illusion that you are zooming in or out without making the controls unusably small or large.

Set how fast mouse movements rotate and translate 3D axis and cameras. The lower the value, the finer the movements. The default value is 1.