Foundry Updates Nuke Stage To Streamline Virtual Production, ICVFX Workflows

Creative software developer Foundry has rolled out new updates to Nuke Stage, its application for virtual production and in-camera visual effects that supports real-time playback of photoreal environments on LED walls and a pipeline-centric approach bridging preproduction, on-set iteration and postproduction.

The latest version adds support for NotchLC playback and 3D Gaussian Splat rendering, along with enhanced metadata tracking to log scene data, camera tracking, lens metadata, timecode, scene settings and color decisions for use in post.

Aligned with Nuke 17.0, Nuke Stage taps into updated 3D workflows and native USD support across both tools. Artists can create assets in Nuke, import USD scenes into Nuke Stage and edit or override them in real time to accelerate decision-making.

“Our goal with Nuke Stage has always been to break down the barriers between on-set production and post-production to make it easier to refine assets across stages of production, rather than start over,” said Christy Anzelmo, Foundry chief product officer, citing strong studio engagement since launch that has guided development across the Nuke family.

“Nuke Stage is really exciting because it’s a product designed from the ground up for virtual production,” said Christopher Simcock, founding director of Sensel Studio, which focuses on live events, immersive experiences and virtual production. “Using Nuke Stage, we can set up scenes in half the time.”

Foundry said Nuke Stage is hardware-agnostic and runs on standard systems, removing the need for proprietary infrastructure or specialized expertise. A single machine can drive multiple genlocked LED wall sections, reducing node count and costs. An enhanced sequencer and one-click keyframing are designed to help operators build and adjust scenes quickly. A new media gallery and feed mapping expand on-set control, and Python extensibility allows external devices to hook into the system.

Core capabilities include a shared color management system; support for open standards and formats such as OpenUSD, OpenEXR and OpenColorIO; and a node-graph compositing environment that mirrors the Nuke interface.

The company said the updates were informed by early production use over the past year, including work on the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios feature film The Thomas Crown Affair.

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