Foundry has added three more machine learning models to Cattery, its open-source library that lets you run AI models directly in Nuke using .cat files.
These models help with mattes, depth maps, and slow-motion frames but ViTMatte and DepthPro only work with Nuke 16.
Here’s a quick look at what’s new:
1. ViTMatte – Cleaner Mattes with Trimap
ViTMatte creates clean alpha mattes, great for tricky areas like hair, fur, and motion blur. It uses a trimap a rough mask you create to mark foreground, background, and uncertain areas.
For example:
If you’re keying a shot with wind-blown hair, ViTMatte can keep the details better than automatic models like MODNet or SAM.
It’s based on a 2023 research paper and works only in Nuke 16 for now.
2. DepthPro – Real-World Depth from One Image
DepthPro turns a 2D image into a real-world 3D depth map, estimating actual distances in meters. It doesn’t need extra camera data it figures out the focal length from the image itself.
Example:
You could take a single image of a room and get accurate depth that matches real-world scale useful for relighting, depth blur, or 3D camera projection.
Note: DepthPro isn’t fully stable across frames in animations. It’s also Nuke 16 only.
3. RIFE – Smooth Slow-Mo with AI
RIFE helps create slow-motion or higher frame rate shots by generating the frames in between two existing ones.
Example:
Got a shot at 24 fps? RIFE can turn it into 60 fps by adding clean in-between frames great for slow-motion explosions or VFX timing adjustments.
It can also output motion vectors that work with Nuke’s VectorDistort node if you rename the layers.
All three models are free and available now on the Foundry Cattery page. If you’re using Nuke 16, you’re good to go. If not, only RIFE will work for now.
