How to Render 3D Projection in Nuke 11: Step-by-step guide to mastering 3D projection in Nuke 11

Rendering a 3D projection in Nuke 11 is a powerful technique often used in visual effects to map 2D images onto 3D geometry, allowing for seamless camera movements and realistic parallax effects. As both a designer and a content writer, I understand your need for a clear, approachable workflow—so here’s a step-by-step guide that brings design thinking into the process:

1. Prepare Your Assets: Gather your base image (such as a photo or matte painting) and create or import the 3D geometry that approximates your scene (cards, simple shapes, or custom OBJ files).
2. Set Up the Project: Open Nuke 11 and create a new project. Import your footage or image using a Read node, and your geometry using the GeoRead or Card/Sphere nodes, depending on your needs.
3. Project the Image: Place a Project3D node, and connect it to your camera and image. This node will project your 2D image onto the 3D geometry through the selected camera view.
4. Set Up the Camera: You need the original camera used for the shot (or recreate it in Nuke via CameraTracker or manual matching). Connect this camera to the Project3D node.
5. Merge the Scene: Use the Scene node to combine your geometry, camera, and any additional 3D objects or lights.
6. Render the 3D Scene: Add a ScanlineRender node to convert the 3D scene to a 2D image from a new camera angle if desired.
7. Final Adjustments: Grade, composite, and tweak as needed to match the look of your production shot.

As a designer, the key consideration is accuracy in mapping, so the geometry simplifies the real environment but preserves major forms to avoid distortion. If you want to experiment with more complex setups—like real-time feedback on layouts or photo-realistic renderings—using a 3D Render Home tool can be immensely helpful for interior visualization before importing your assets into Nuke. This approach ensures your projections are not just technically sound, but also design-accurate and visually persuasive.

Tips 1:

Break down your scene into simple geometric components (cards, cubes, etc.)—this reduces render time and makes texture painting and projection much easier, especially if you're working on architectural visualization or complex interiors.

FAQ

Q: Can I project video footage, not just still images, in Nuke 11?

A: Yes, you can project video footage instead of still images by connecting a video clip to the Read node before passing it to Project3D. This is useful for effects involving moving backgrounds.

Q: What’s the difference between using a Card and a Mesh for projections?

A: Cards are flat planes and best for simple surfaces, while meshes or custom OBJ files follow the 3D contours of your scene for more complex geometry and accurate projections.

Q: How do I avoid texture stretching when projecting onto geometry?

A: Make sure your geometry closely matches the shape of the scene in your image, and use multiple projections if needed for different surfaces.

Q: Is it possible to animate the camera after projection?

A: Absolutely. Animating the camera after projection creates parallax and depth, making the scene feel more three-dimensional.

Q: Can I use Nuke 11’s 3D projection for full 3D renders, not just comp work?

A: Nuke’s ScanlineRender provides 2D output with 3D effects, but for full 3D renders and fly-throughs, consider prepping your assets in dedicated 3D visualization tools before compositing in Nuke.