Natron: Open-source compositing software for Mac, Windows and Linux • Hacker News Board

Re: Natron: Open-source compositing software for Mac, Windows and Linux

#51

Post by enzanki_ars » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 8:03 PM UTC

mpnordland wrote: post #25

dr_zoidberg wrote: post #3

I have an older, portable version lying around in my machine and I really liked it (though knowing very little about compositing when I downloaded it). It helped me do some nice animations to explain a few things through video. Now I'm a bit surprised that they require you to register to download any version... I know it's free, but it still feels unnecesary... I just want the file, why do I have to register?

Here is an unencumbered download link for Linux: http://downloads.natron.fr/Linux/releases/64bit/files/Natron... Replacing Linux with Windows does not work for me, but it may for you if you are using that OS.

EDIT: Oops. Should have tested some of these before posting... Seems like it only works for some links but not others. Leaving for future reference.

-----

Windows 64bit: https://downloads.natron.fr/Windows/releases/64bit/files/Nat...

Windows 64bit Online Installer: https://downloads.natron.fr/Windows/releases/64bit/files/Nat...

Windows 64bit zip: https://downloads.natron.fr/Windows/releases/64bit/files/Nat...

Mac: https://downloads.natron.fr/Mac/releases/Natron-2.0.5.dmg

Linux TGZ: https://downloads.natron.fr/Linux/releases/64bit/files/Natro...

Linux Online Install: https://downloads.natron.fr/Linux/releases/64bit/files/Natro...

Linux Portable: https://downloads.natron.fr/Linux/releases/64bit/files/Natro...

Linux RPM: https://downloads.natron.fr/Linux/releases/64bit/files/Natro...

Linux Debian: https://downloads.natron.fr/Linux/releases/64bit/files/natro...

  Note: Future versions - URL is in form 
  http://natron.fr/login?os=Linux&file=https:
  //downloads.natron.fr/Linux/releases/64bit
  /files/Natron-2.0.5-Linux-x86_64bit-portable.tar.xz
  - Remove the http://natron.fr/login?os=Linux&file= 
  part and you are good to go.

Re: Natron: Open-source compositing software for Mac, Windows and Linux

#52

Post by touchofevil » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 8:35 PM UTC

erichocean wrote: post #50

touchofevil wrote: post #28

I'm a compositor & motion graphics artist. I've never used Natron, but I've done a lot of compositing in After Effects and a little bit of compositing in Nuke (which is the industry standard for photorealistic vfx compositing). Another free compositing option is BlackMagic Fusion [0]. Fusion is a node based compositor, like Natron and Nuke. Fusion has a free version that has a few restrictions and a paid version that…

> So it's strange that these vfx studios haven't embraced open source software to cut costs. Open source is pervasive at visual effects studios. I'm not sure where you're getting your information. Also, studios don't pay anywhere close to list price for Nuke licenses. That's for the little guys.

Linux is definitely used often at studios. But I don't know of any studios in Los Angeles using Blender as their primary 3D animation application. Alembic gets used, but that's basically "glue" as another poster pointed out. Do you mean Linux when you say that OSS is pervasive at studios?

Re: Natron: Open-source compositing software for Mac, Windows and Linux

#53

Post by touchofevil » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 8:55 PM UTC

berkut wrote: post #32

touchofevil wrote: post #28

I'm a compositor & motion graphics artist. I've never used Natron, but I've done a lot of compositing in After Effects and a little bit of compositing in Nuke (which is the industry standard for photorealistic vfx compositing). Another free compositing option is BlackMagic Fusion [0]. Fusion is a node based compositor, like Natron and Nuke. Fusion has a free version that has a few restrictions and a paid version that…

As someone who works in the industry developing software, it's because for the high-end VFX studios, software like Blender and Natron just don't cut it in terms of efficiency, power and flexibility. Artist time costs more money than software licenses do, and as the open source software isn't generally good enough for their needs, using better off-the-shelf software that have fairly decent and flexible plugin APIs is…

I guess I've just always been a little surprised that studios didn't open source more of their internal software. For example, Nuke was originally internal software at Digital Domain before they sold it to The Foundry, I believe. Rhythm & Hues also has a lot of its own internal compositing and 3D applications. And Pixar's Renderman software is also not open source (I know some aspects of Renderman are open source, but the actual Pixar Renderman software is not open source). It just surprises me that more of these internal applications didn't get open sourced. Blender is a good example of one that did. While I'm sure these studios were getting an edge by having their own software in the early days of cg, now I would think the studios would actually benefit more by open sourcing their apps so that other developers can contribute to the project. And the studios that make this software might be able to cut back on their dev teams. Just something I've always wondered about.

Re: Natron: Open-source compositing software for Mac, Windows and Linux

#54

Post by berkut » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 9:31 PM UTC

touchofevil wrote: post #53

berkut wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who works in the industry developing software, it's because for the high-end VFX studios, software like Blender and Natron just don't cut it in terms of efficiency, power and flexibility. Artist time costs more money than software licenses do, and as the open source software isn't generally good enough for their needs, using better off-the-shelf software that have fairly decent and flexible plugin APIs is…

I guess I've just always been a little surprised that studios didn't open source more of their internal software. For example, Nuke was originally internal software at Digital Domain before they sold it to The Foundry, I believe. Rhythm & Hues also has a lot of its own internal compositing and 3D applications. And Pixar's Renderman software is also not open source (I know some aspects of Renderman are open source, bu…

But having their own software still gives them an edge - that's why some companies are actually going the other way entirely - like Weta writing Manuka renderer and Animal Logic writing their Glimpse renderer. It allows them to iterate extremely quickly on-depand for shows that have issues and design things properly, instead of shoe-horning existing (and often badly designed and implemented) open source software that can do simple stuff, but wasn't designed with full flexibility in mind.

Different pipelines work in completely different ways, and what works for one studio doesn't necessarily work well for another.

However, I do agree in principle that given a clean start (Which is never going to happen given the hundreds of thousands of lines of code VFX studios have in plugins for proprietary systems) it would make sense for all VFX studios to share a loose framework application that very flexible and advanced plugins can be written for. Image Engine's Gaffer is probably the best fit currently. In some respects it looks like Fabric Engine might at some point fit this bill, however it's not open.

Re: Natron: Open-source compositing software for Mac, Windows and Linux

#55

Post by dr_zoidberg » Mon, Jun 27, 2016, 1:34 PM UTC

enzanki_ars wrote: post #51

mpnordland wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is an unencumbered download link for Linux: http://downloads.natron.fr/Linux/releases/64bit/files/Natron... Replacing Linux with Windows does not work for me, but it may for you if you are using that OS.

EDIT: Oops. Should have tested some of these before posting... Seems like it only works for some links but not others. Leaving for future reference. ----- Windows 64bit: https://downloads.natron.fr/Windows/releases/64bit/files/Nat... Windows 64bit Online Installer: https://downloads.natron.fr/Windows/releases/64bit/files/Nat... Windows 64bit zip: https://downloads.natron.fr/Windows/releases/64bit/files/Nat... Mac: ht…

The Linux Portable download goes through happily, but every other link redirects to login page. Thanks for the effort though.