Foundry's Nuke 17.0 adds native Gaussian Splat support and new USD-based 3D system

Foundry's latest Nuke 17.0 release brings Gaussian Splat workflows, a USD-based 3D system out of beta, and large-scale machine learning tools to compositing artists.

Foundry has just released Nuke 17.0, describing it as one of the compositing tool's most significant updates to date. The release brings native Gaussian Splat support, sees a new USD-based 3D system move out of beta, adds expanded machine learning capabilities, and includes a range of core improvements.

Gaussian Splat and 3D

The headline addition in Nuke 17.0 is native Gaussian Splat support, allowing artists to import, view, manipulate, render, and export Gaussian Splats directly within Nuke. This opens up new possibilities for set extensions, matte painting, and element integration for VFX houses.

The new 3D system, developed in collaboration with the Nuke community, brings USD into the compositing pipeline. It offers non-destructive workflows for projections, lighting, and rendering, with path-based masking that keeps upstream elements accessible throughout the node graph. The result is a more structured and modular approach: elements that are merged are no longer locked out from individual manipulation further down the chain.

On the machine learning side, the new BigCat node builds on the existing CopyCat toolset and is designed for large-scale dataset training across tens or hundreds of shots. This helps take ML-assisted compositing closer to full-project scale deployment.

Performance and other updates

According to Digital Production, Foundry states that GPU upscaling can be up to 98 times faster and CPU upscaling up to 26 times faster than previous behaviour. Deep composite rendering is reported to be up to 1.88 times faster to viewer and disk. 

Other updates include an overhauled annotation system with redesigned brushes and a dedicated comment panel, faster upscaling and Deep composite rendering, support for ACES 2.0 and NotchLC formats, and USD version 25.08 compatibility. A new Graph Scope Variable system improves pipeline integration with Python Callbacks and API support.

Field Nodes are also introduced — a system for non-destructively masking and manipulating 3D data, including Gaussian Splats, with broader applications in volumetric workflows.

Pricing and availability 

Nuke 17.0 is available now for subscribers. Foundry is also releasing Nuke 16.1 simultaneously for studios still on VFX Reference Platform 2024. Prices start at £2909 for a yearly licence. More info here.