A LOT OF compositing and VFX links

Flame Tips and Tricks
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I was doing some research on image-based keyer and its algorithm when I came across Ben McEwan’s website more specifically his newsletter archive. It is Nuke based but there are a lot of videos, documents, articles and tools we can make use of. I would suggest going through it, but if you don’t have the time here are my selections:

Bezier curves - under the hood - video
HUDs GUIs - visual reference
Improve Neat Video results
Improve Neat Video results - video
Andrew Glassner’s Deep Learning crash course - video
Disney’s Magic of Animation
Johannes Masanz’s Nuke tools - maybe someone can implement them for Flame
CineTracer cinematography simulator with Unreal Engine
CineTracer Steam download link
Chromatic aberration-free lens research
Compositing memes Instagram account
Convolution matrix explained
PBR theory
Raytracing - in Excel!
Interactive Introduction to Fourier Transforms
Another AI art generator - Artbreeder
CG Cinematography - book
Autodesk M&E Vimeo feed
Datamoshing - Glitch art
Mads Hagbarth Damsbo’s Nuke tools - maybe someone can implement them for Flame
The Art of Command Line - book
Using ST-Maps to create wavy flame effect - video
Inversion - thinking skill
VFXY News
DoF explained - video
F-stop explained - video
Apparently ACM Library has been opened for everyone during the pandemic. Access all the research papers for free
BBC’s ILM Documentary
Chris Fryer’s Nuke tools - maybe someone can implement them for Flame
Ultimate cinema lens library, comparisons, test data, etc…
Brown is a weird color - video

33 Likes
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this is awesome @Sinan !!!

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I love this. A great solution for a problem I have run into many, many times. Can’t wait to use it.

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This is awesome. Thanks for sharing!

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I am totally going to geek out today @Sinan thanks

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Thanks very much for taking the time to do this @Sinan !

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Wow. This is amazing. Thank you @Sinan for your kind efforts.

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I thought this looked very cool too! How does one go about making a blank st map in flame though? I just tried it with two gradient nodes, both set to linear with one horizontal (amplitude set to width of plate) and one vertical (amplitude set to height of plate), and then into a combine node. It’s not wildly off, but still has a tiny bit of distortion applied (note: gradient node can’t be 32fp, neither can combine node seemingly, so maybe that is compounding whatevever issue). Gotta be an easier and more accurate way to generate a blank one though, right? I dig that expression he used in Nuke, but I’m expression illiterate in flame a lot of the time. This is what I tried and then this is the difference matte for the checkerboard I applied it to.

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image1330×946 69.7 KB

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image1888×1142 84.3 KB

1 Like
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Set the Batch Pref > Rendering > Action Output Precision to “32-bit graphics”.

Then plug a 32bit colored frame (any color) into the back and layer 1 of an action. Set the output to “UV” and you should be good to go.

…but yes, it would be very nice if flame could generate a proper 32bit colored frame out of the colored frame node.

and sub-note: the colored frame node will generate 32bit gradients, BUT the combine node is capped at 16 bit, so you run out of luck there.

1 Like
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Thanks Andy! I didn’t even think to just let action do all the work!!!

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Here are some more links for resources I came across recently:
How light works and types of shadows, an article
Light for visual artist, a book
This is normal - What normal maps are and how they work, free pdf
41 Creative Tools to Generate AI Art

10 Likes
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awesome @Sinan ! thx!!!