The Idea Factories
3D World speaks to those using CG software and technology to analyse, engineer and manufacture the tools of the future
How can CG software and technology benefit the world of automotive design?
Far from the actionpacked world of media and entertainment, 3D software has found a plethora of uses in the realm of engineering and manufacturing. The same tools being used to make otherworldly vistas and super-powered characters in film, TV and video games are also aiding the design and manufacture of vehicles and appliances, as well as providing everyday tasks such as building management. In an ongoing effort to showcase all corners of the CG community, 3D World spoke to some of the individuals behind these engineering innovations. They discuss their various uses of 3D software and technology, how it improves on more traditional methods, and how their respective industries could be changed by it.
SUPERCHARGING AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN
British supercar manufacturer, Briggs Automotive Company (BAC), recently teamed up with Autodesk to apply generative design methods to its design and manufacturing process. The move was made in a bid to further boost the performance of the BAC Mono, a light, high-performance, singleseater supercar. In March 2020, BAC unveiled the new-generation Mono, a product of its forays into generative design.
BAC’S co-founder and director of product development, Ian Briggs, spoke to 3D World about the thinking behind generative design and how it applies to the industry. “Powered by Autodesk Fusion 360, generative design has established strong use cases for innovating the automotive industry,” he explains. “It uses a combination of artificial intelligence and cloud-computing to create design possibilities that take into account performance criteria and manufacturability requirements, allowing designers to explore thousands of designs in less time than they could deliver a single concept using traditional processes.”
He continues: “The tool accelerates the design and manufacturing process, giving vehicle manufacturers a proven
way to improve fuel economy by replacing components with a variety of lightweight, recyclable materials. It also enables manufacturers to consolidate components into less parts.”
Together, BAC and the Autodesk Research team concentrated on applying generative design to the Mono’s wheel. “Preserving the aesthetic signature of the BAC supercars throughout the design process was essential,” adds Briggs. “The tool learned how to provide outcomes that still bore a close resemblance to our style.”
“Autodesk Research worked closely with our design team to understand these aesthetic requirements, and build this understanding into the generative design setup,” he continues, “resulting in a new wheel design which is a natural evolution of the original rather than a radical break in tradition.”
Once BAC’S manufacturing constraints and functional requirements were added to Fusion 360, the team was able to explore ways to make the Mono’s wheels lighter using less materials, while maintaining a strong aesthetic similarity to the way that the car itself is designed. “The results produced a remarkable wheel that’s 35 per cent lighter than before,” adds Briggs, “saving 1.22kg of reciprocating, unsprung mass – weighing just 2.2kg per centre and taking the overall wheel weight to 4.7kg for each front wheel and 4.9kg for the rear wheel.”
These improvements combine to reduce braking distances and weight transfer for the Mono, helping to deliver sharper turn-in, provide better rotation at the apex and better traction out of corners. This is furthered by specially homologated Pirelli Trofeo R tyres being fitted as standard on all new Mono models.
The generative design algorithm in Fusion 360 improves on more traditional methods by producing thousands of solutions every minute. “In about four hours, it could produce the most optimised solution possible. This saved an unbelievable amount of time in the process and was the fastest that BAC has ever designed a wheel,” says Briggs.
Lightweighting in the automotive industry involves manufacturing vehicles that are less heavy and will therefore have better fuel efficiency and handling. It can be achieved by switching to a lighter material, or reducing the amount of material used in the design. Briggs continues: “Generative design allows us to improve the car’s performance and fuel consumption by redesigning components to use less material, replacing components with lighter materials, or to consolidate components into less parts.”
TOOLING UP
Autodesk’s computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software is currently revamping the way tools are manufactured. RM Design and Engineering (RMDE), a Uk-based tooling manufacturer, has expanded from being the solo
operation of managing director Radj Many to a team of six working with a range of equipment. RMDE specialises in tooling for vacuum forming, working with many of the UK’S leading automotive manufacturers on projects to supply prototype components, and low-volume production and packaging solutions. The company also designs and manufactures jigs for the production lines within the automotive supply chain, more recently moving into making tooling for the GRP and composites sectors.
Many started out with just one computer numerical control router, which he used for simple jobs while operating as an agent for his customers. His relationships with staff from Jaguar Land Rover helped him drum up initial business and solidify RMDE’S reputation for high-quality and on-time delivery. As the business continued to grow Many added more machines, including a
Rye five-axis router, a Dugard Eagle 1000 milling machine, and expansion into neighbouring units. The expansion also included the addition of CAM programming with Autodesk Powermill, a 3D solution for the programming of tool paths for CNC milling machines. “Everyone I spoke to said that Powermill was the leading CAM software for toolmaking,” Many recalls. “Two comments kept being repeated – that you could do anything you wanted to with Powermill and that the support from the staff in Birmingham was outstanding. In contrast, I had
“GENERATIVE DESIGN ALLOWS US TO IMPROVE THE CAR’S PERFORMANCE AND FUEL CONSUMPTION”
Ian Briggs, co-founder, BAC
experienced regular problems with the other software I had tried, so choosing Powermill for my own company was a no-brainer.”
“Even though I am sure that we don’t use the full capabilities of the software, we can complete most projects quickly and efficiently,” he continues. “Whenever we meet any challenges, we contact the support team at Autodesk and they always come back with a solution, usually within an hour.”
The latest addition to RMDE’S toolset is a CMS Antares highspeed five-axis machining centre, which has a significantly larger bed than earlier machines. As well as allowing the company to take on bigger projects, the new machine gives a greater ability to boost productivity by making multiple parts in one operation. Powermill supports this by allowing the toolpaths for the various components to be combined into a single project.
Many of the tools made by RMDE include undercuts that would previously have required multiple setups. The increased capabilities of the CMS machine form an important part of Many’s strategy to broaden the services offered by his company and gain more work in the manufacture of tooling for the composites industry. One of the first projects for the CMS was a composite tool for a customer from a Formula One team.
“This was a real challenge as I was learning the five-axis options in Powermill while I was programming the job,” said production manager, Marius Pantea. “The simulation and verification tools were essential in locating any problems and in helping me to come up with programs to avoid them.” The simulation tools also help to plan and complete operations by providing an exact image of a roughed part, showing where material still needs to be removed, also aiding the selection of the most suitable tooling and strategies for the finishing cuts.
“My customers know that we are not the cheapest supplier, but they are willing to pay extra for the quality we provide and our ability to meet deadlines,” adds Many. “I want to work with the best suppliers, like Autodesk, that put the same emphasis on service for their users that I put on supporting my clients.”
BRIDGING A GAP
Elsewhere, 3D technology is finding everyday uses in areas like building management. Twinview, a brand-new, digital twin platform has been launched to change the way buildings are managed, helping to make them safer and more energy efficient. The platform is powered by cloud-based, 3D digital twins, digital replicas of physical buildings, which connect the virtual and the physical buildings with real-time analytical data. This allows building owners to manage, monitor and maintain critical construction and operational information. This will enable them to ensure buildings are functioning safely and efficiently.
CEO Rob Charlton saw a gap to be bridged when he first dreamt up Twinview. “We were developing detailed models for REITS in London and at the end of construction they could not access
“BUILDING OWNERS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO UP-TO-DATE, REAL-TIME PERFORMANCE DATA” Rob Charlton, CEO, Twinview
the detailed model information as there was a need for expensive software and hardware to do so,” he tells 3D World. “At the same time it was clear that not many building owners had facilities or asset management systems in place, because available platforms had been developed for other sectors such as oil and gas and therefore were expensive.”
Twinview bridges this gap, giving building owners access to all of their information on the cloud without any need for expensive hardware or implementation.
As a Saas platform which can be deployed with little training or expensive software, it requires no significant capital investment. “The project began by understanding the need,” Charlton continues. “We then progressed with the development of the technologies to allow large models to be hosted on the cloud and more importantly to be queried quickly. Once we knew we could access the data and model instantaneously in a split second we began to develop the Facilities Management workflow.”
He continues: “When the operational interface was complete we began to look at the integration of IOT devices using APIS. We trialled this technology at our head office by installing sensors on all major pieces of the plant. At this point we had a Minimum Viable Product and were read to move into Beta and then to market. From June to December 2019 Twinview was in beta and by early 2020 we were ready for launch. We are currently developing the fourth module, Capture, which is a data management and surveying application and is currently in Beta and will go live in June 2020.”
Twinview is set to change the way buildings are managed by reducing property costs and making buildings safer. “By having access to up-to-date, real-time performance data, building owners and operators can optimise building performance by adjusting heating, cooling and maintenance to ensure it is as efficient as it can be, therefore reducing cost, waste and carbon,” Charlton explains. “Following the Grenfell disaster it is clear that building owners do not have access to up-to-date information about their building. With Twinview, landlords will have this information at hand.”
Twinview is already in discussions with a number of national and international businesses about the platform
In the long run, it is envisaged that Twinview will be used by contractors and designers across sectors such as hospitality, retail, infrastructure, transport, private housing and schools
Compositing is essential to any professional VFX pipeline: used extensively even on features and television shows where effects are invisible to the naked eye.
Formerly developed by eyeon Software, Blackmagic Design’s Fusion is a node-based VFX and compositing tool that the industry has relied upon for decades. There was even a version of the software produced in partnership with Alias Wavefront in the late 90s. The latest iteration from Blackmagic Design is available as a free download as part of their NLE and colour correction software Davinci Resolve, or as a standalone package – and it’s much more than just a professional compositor. From creating god rays to working with ACES and even generating rain particle FX, over the next few pages you’ll discover the best tools and techniques that have made their way into top Fusion experts’ workflows.
01 INSTALL THE REACTOR PLUGIN 01
Reactor is a free, open-source package manager that I would recommend for both Fusion and Davinci Resolve users. It streamlines the installation, distribution and management of third-party content like scripts, fuses, macros, templates and titles. With Reactor, you can install these with a click of a button, rather than having to download, copy and edit individual files manually.
Download it at We Suck Less (www. steakunderwater.com/wesuckless/ index.php). Tom Hankins, Colorbleed Animation Studios
02 USE TONEMAPPER FOR A FILM LOOK
One of the more interesting tools available in Fusion is called the ‘Tonemapper’. It’s something that we’ve used on virtually all our projects since its introduction.
By tone mapping using ‘filmic’ curve interpolations, you can create a far more realistic final look for your film. What basically happens under the hood is a Reinhard filter is combined with an S-curve, giving an image contrast without blowing it out. The process gets rid of any unwanted oversaturated highlights, making final frames more pleasing to the human eye. I especially enjoy the way it handles skin tones, as seen below. Tom Hankins, Colorbleed Animation Studios
CREATE BETTER SLOW MOTION 03
A great workflow to slow down footage from either a camera or CGI render is the ‘optical flow’ node, in combination with a ‘time speed’ node.
When slowing down footage, you usually either get stuttering or a horrific blending of frames. With optical flow, intermediate frames are created. When plugged into a time speed node, these additionally generated frames give slow motion much smoother results.
What some people might not know, is that by using a ‘Copy Aux’ node you can convert the generated vectors from the ‘optical flow’ node to colour values for all sorts of crazy results. Tom Hankins, Colorbleed Animation Studios
04 TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ACES
One of the great features of Fusion inside Davinci Resolve is its integrated support for ACES colour
management: a VFX industry standard. ACES is incredibly powerful. Having all your assets converted and rendered into a standardised ACES workflow ensures that the colours remain consistent across all software packages in your pipeline. Allar Kaasik, Escape Studios
05 USE RESOLVE AS A REVIEW TOOL
If you use Fusion in Davinci Resolve, switch to the editing timeline for a quick way to view all the shots in a sequence together and check for inconsistencies. Kenneth Turner, Lexhag VFX
06 REMEMBER, FUSION COMPS ARE PLAIN TEXT FILES
It’s pretty easy to generate Fusion comps directly from other software like 3ds Max or Maya. If you haven’t done this, just drag a Fusion comp file into a text editor: you’ll see that all Fusion comps are plain text files.
You can also speed up your workflow with almost no knowledge of what the Fusion code means. When pulling shots from the archive, for example, you might notice some Fusion loaders have broken paths. This is inevitable with old shots, where source files have been moved for long-term storage. While we can go through all the loaders and relink them by hand in Fusion, it's much easier to do this in a text editor.
The script for a Fusion loader looks like this: filename text. So for me, I can change D:\\miaos_ep1\\ to z:\\lexhag\\miaos_ ep1\\, save the .comp file and when I reopen it in Fusion, all the loaders are good to go. Kenneth Turner, Lexhag VFX
07 CUT AND PASTE TOOLS FOR EASY SHARING
This is definitely a top tip for our times. When you copy and paste tools in Fusion, the script is transferred as plain text to the operating system clipboard. This means you can copy tools in Fusion and paste the text into any document. If you paste the text into a chat window or a forum post, then anyone can copy and paste it back into Fusion to recreate the tools. This is great for remote working and shot reviews. In video calls, we can share screens and copy tools directly from Fusion to the chat window as text. Kenneth Turner, Lexhag VFX
08 USE THE MERGE TOOL’S ADDITIVE BLEND MODE
Additive blending is great for all kinds of FX tricks. The Fusion merge tool doesn’t have Additive as an apply mode option, but it does do additive blending. To get this working simply set ‘Apply Mode’ to ‘Normal’ and ‘Alpha Gain’ to zero. By setting the alpha gain to zero,
we change a normal blend mode into an additive blend. If you want to know more, then check my personal website: www.designimage.co.uk/merge-toolmaths. Kenneth Turner, Lexhag VFX
09 SIMPLIFY YOUR FLOW FOR SPEED AND LEGIBILITY
Fusion comps are computer programs. The less calculation the program has to do, the faster Fusion will update frames. While we're being creative, our tool flow can become a bit of a sprawl. But it's always worth going back and cleaning up. A lot of my matte paintings are split across two composites. The first is to design the look and get approvals for a single frame. Once the frame is approved, I render it as an EXR and track into place in a second comp. This means I can be messy and creative in the first comp, then clean and optimised in the second where I need faster render times. Kenneth Turner, Lexhag VFX
10 CACHE FOR SPEED IN FUSION 16: REMEMBER RAM
Fusion automatically caches frames to RAM for instant playback. For simple shots, this means that working in Fusion is pretty fast so long as you don't run out of RAM. The current amount of RAM used is reported in the lower right of the status bar. You can increase the RAM used by Fusion by going to Preferences>global and default settings>memory and increasing the Caching limit. Kenneth Turner, Lexhag VFX
11 LEARN ABOUT DOMAIN OF DEFINITION (DOD)
To speed up workflows on heavy composites, it’s best to understand Domain of Definition (DOD). The DOD is a rectangle representing the area of the frame that contains data. You can see the current DOD by selecting a tool then right-clicking on the view and choosing Region>show DOD. In Fusion 16 you need to click and hold the ROI – or Region of Interest – button. The DOD changes size from tool to tool, sometimes smaller than the final frame and sometimes larger. This is actually pretty neat because Fusion only calculates what it needs to in each frame. While the frame can be large, if the DOD is small, the image updates quickly. By changing the order of nodes in the flow we can decrease the DOD size and also decrease render times. Kenneth Turner, Lexhag VFX
12 MULTIPLE UV TILE 3D MODEL TEXTURING SETUP
We often use Fusion for texturing 3D models, particularly when we’re integrating animated textures, or using projections. This is so we can composite directly on the UV maps and see the result in real time, then write back to the texture map for the final CG render out of the 3D application.
In the case of our Cosmic Tortoise character, we wanted moving nebulous textures on his skin, as well as twinkling stars on his shell. The Cosmic Tortoise 3D model consists of three main pieces of geometry, each with multiple UV tiles due to the resolution we needed for the final renders out of 3D.
Fusion has a Texture Transform tool that allows you to offset texture maps in UV space. Simply change the correlating attribute, in our case ‘U’ to match how it was specified in 3D. Per UV tile, the flow is the Loader with the map (and whatever subsequent
comping you want to do on it) > Material > Texture Transform > FBX Mesh 3D. Each is then connected to the merge 3D. Adam Clark, Trick Digital
14 USE THE 3D PARTICLE SYSTEM
Effects like blowing leaves, raindrops or snow can be quite easily set up in Fusion’s 3D Environment. It’s even possible to have particles in Fusion interact with geometry imported from your 3D department.
For example, for rain effects, you can use different rain drop textures to add some randomness to each rain drop. In this project setup, I used an image sequence made up of ten different rain drops and set the ‘Style’ to Bitmap and the ‘Animate’ to Particle Birth Time. With that base setup, I could generate simple 2D rain effects that could then be added to a 3D particle system to collide with geometry. Julius Worm, FREIRAUM FX
15 LEARN ABOUT TEXT MODIFIERS
Fusion’s Text Tool has many options to explore, including modifiers for interesting title animation. The Follower modifier, for example, can be used to create a time offset for each character, delaying animated parameters like scale or opacity. Julius Worm, FREIRAUM FX
16 USE WORLD POSITION TO RECREATE A 3D SCENE
In addition to the three nodes listed in the Fusion User Guide, there are occasional other Fusion tools that
can take advantage of a World Position Pass (WPP). One of these is Displace3d. Set the Channel to Pos and Mode to Absolute. Feed the node a Shape3d in Plane mode with subdivisions equal to your render resolution minus 1. The plane will assume the shape of the rendered geometry. Bryan Ray, Muse VFX
17 CONFIGURE YOUR CAMERA WITH EXR METADATA
When importing an FBX or Alembic, Fusion discards the original reference and instead creates a camera with baked keyframes. To avoid the loss of synchronization between camera and render versions, Muse instead uses the metadata encoded in Redshift renders to drive the camera. The metadata contains a transformation matrix, which must be translated into Euler angles for use by expressions on the camera. We’ve made our Redshift Camera Extractor fuse available on the Muse VFX website, along with a setting file for a camera that is configured to use the metadata (www.musevfx.com/ tools). The Fuse is well-documented to make it easy for a TD to modify it to handle metadata from other renderers. Bryan Ray, Muse VFX
18 RELIGHTING IN THE 3D WORKSPACE
With both geometry and a camera, adding lights or other elements to the scene is easy. To improve the lighting, give the geometry a simple white material (the default) and add a light to the scene. In a linear workflow, lights can be simply added to the render using Channelbooleans in Add mode. Don’t forget to set Alpha to Do Nothing! The limitation to this technique is that the WPP has no data about occluded geometry, so shadows might reveal the ‘rubber sheet’ nature of the model. Bryan Ray, Muse VFX
19 PICK WORLD POSITION COORDINATES FROM A RENDER
3D tools with Transform controls are aware of World Position channels in an image, allowing you to pick a location directly from the 2D Viewer. You can inject the WPP from the original render, or simply turn on World Position of the Renderer3d node. Auxiliary channels of an image in the Background input of a Merge are preserved, so you can place an object in 3D space by dragging the pick button onto the 2D Viewer. You can also pick rotation values if the Normal channels are available. Bryan Ray, Muse VFX
20 SHARPEN, BLUR, GLOW, AND GOD RAYS
Because of anti-aliasing, 3D renders frequently need sharpening to allow the details to pop, and add that bit of extra realism. I use Fusion’s sharpen effect on almost all my renders – you can find it under Addtool>blur-sharpen. I also use the glow effect, which you can find under Addtool>blur-glow to add a warmer look, or enhance a hazy feel from volumetric lights. Another useful effect is god rays, which you can find under Addtool>effect-rays. These can add some gorgeous lighting effects to your render. Nabil Matiben, 3D generalist
21 ADD CHROMATIC ABERRATION
Chromatic aberration can add some really nice vintage, photographic looks. Motion designers also sometimes animate chromatic aberration with shake modifiers to create cool glitches. In Fusion, you can add chromatic aberration with the tool found in Fusion Bins. Just press Ctrl+b under Templates>fusion>tools. Nabil Matiben, 3D generalist
22 REMOVE FLICKER WITHOUT A CLEAN PLATE
If you ever need to remove flickers that are part of a repeating pattern, you can do this in Fusion by offsetting the footage by one frame and merging it on top of itself at 50%. First, stabilise the shot (Tracker>match Move>bg only). Next, branch off your Tracker to a Time Stretcher. On frame 0, the Time Stretcher should be frame 1.
On the last frame, set the time stretcher to one frame longer than the global range. On the original loader, you’ll then need to add a hold frame on the last frame to extend the shot by 1. Now Merge the stabilised footage (BG input) with the Time Stretcher (FG input) and set the Blend to 0.5. If it was a repeating pattern, the flicker will be cancelled out. Shaina Holmes, Flying Turtle Post
23 ADD NATURAL HANDHELD CAMERA MOVEMENT
Many VFX shots are locked off so compositing is easier, but then when these shots are cut back into a scene with handheld camera movement, they feel out of place. To add handheld movement back, some may be tempted to use the Camera Shake tool. I find it never quite looks natural enough, so my suggestion is to use Fusion to track a shot from the scene, even the reference QT, and apply that same tracking data to this shot. Just make sure the shots aren’t right next to each other in the scene or it may look repetitive. Shaina Holmes, Flying Turtle Post
24 USE LUTS TO WORK IN MIXED COLOUR SPACES
Most footage these days is in a Log colour space, retaining more dynamic range – but this looks very flat and desaturated. If you need to do a screen replacement, usually the footage or graphic you are inserting is a linear colour space, which looks good on your monitor, but will not match the original log footage. Best practice would be to
use a transformation LUT, or look up table, to convert the linear (i.e. SRGB or REC709) image to Log (i.e. Log-c).
In most cases, the client should be providing the LUT for the shot for when you make editorial deliverables for them. I collect transformation LUTS from projects I’ve worked on so I’m ready for any colour space. Sometimes you need to convert SRGB to Linear first, then Linear to Log-c, so you may need to use more than one LUT in your comp. Shaina Holmes, Flying Turtle Post
25 PROVIDE ALPHA MATTES TO COLOUR/CONFORM
For any screen replacement or greenscreen shots, always provide a black and white matte along with your final render to the post house. This way, the colourist has complete control over balancing the insert footage into the rest of the scene depending on final colour. Otherwise, if they cannot track a precise power window or apply colour grade to the entire shot, it will get kicked back to VFX for a colour fix.
To do this in Fusion, branch off a second saver after where your masks or alpha channels are all merged together. On the export tab, save Alpha to Color. Make sure to export the same exact number of frames as the rendered final shot, even if the mask is only used for a few frames. Also, name the render the same exact name as the VFX shot with “_matte” appended at the end. Shaina Holmes, Flying Turtle Post
26 ORGANISE YOUR NODES
When working on a VFX team, it is always smart to work as organised as possible in case someone else needs to open your comp after you. First, in the Flow area, right-click>arrange Tools>to Grid. This will create a much more regulated structure when adding nodes by snapping their placement to a grid. Another good practice is to use the Tools>flow>sticky Notes and Underlay to label sections of the node tree or leave notes for the next person who opens the comp. This can be used in conjunction with Groups. If you, for example, have ten paint nodes in a row, you can highlight them all, rightclick>group. Changing the colour of the notes and sections makes it even easier for someone else to decipher your comp. Shaina Holmes, Flying Turtle Post
27 NAVIGATE THE INTERFACE
Navigating the Flow area is intuitive, but a couple of tips can help
you go faster. Scroll vertically and horizontally to move across the flow area, or hold down the middle key (mouse scroll wheel) to get a freehand tool for navigation. Hold down Cmd (or Ctrl) and scroll in the flow area to zoom in or out – very handy if you are working with large comps with a lot of nodes. These same commands also work when moving around the video preview windows. Veikko Luukkonen, Phenomenal Creations
28 THE MOST IMPORTANT SHORTCUTS
You can easily access the entire Fusion effects library simply by hitting Shift+spacebar. This shortcut lets you see all the various tools available to you in an instant. Just scroll to find the one you want – or you can use the text search area to quickly find what you are looking for. Hitting Enter (Return) will apply that tool as a node to your flow area.
If you already had a node selected before adding the new tool, hitting Enter will automatically connect it to your previous node. Now, by pressing 1 or 2 on your keyboard, the merge node result appears on one of the video previews. Veikko Luukkonen, Phenomenal Creations
29 USE THE PAINT NODE FOR GLOW EFFECTS
The paint node allows you to turn your cursor into a brush, and start painting on top of your footage. Set the background colour to transparent
(alpha slider turned down) to see the paint effect on your footage. By selecting the soft glow effect, you can then change parameters like glow size and colour. Change the brush size on the fly by holding down the Cmd/ctrl key and then clicking-and-dragging left to right. After you have dialed the effect to your liking, you can paint in neon in real time! Veikko Luukkonen, Phenomenal Creations
30 GET BETTER PLAYBACK
Many might not realise this, but there is a ‘hidden’ control at the play button area in Fusion – right-click on it, and disable high quality and motion blur. Then, right-click on the play button and set Playback update to ‘fast’. This should instantly give you better playback. Vi-dan Tran, Jackie Chan Stunt Team
31 ADD MOTION BLUR
This can really enhance the filmic look of your work, especially if you’re finishing action sequences or car chases. In Fusion, motion blur is hidden in every transform or merge node in the inspector. Experiment with it for some interesting final results. Vi-dan Tran, Jackie Chan Stunt Team
32 INVISIBLE FIXES
The Clone brush, which can be found in the Paint tool, is great for invisible fixes. While grading this short film, I was asked to remove a reflection of the boom mic in the windscreen of
the car. I found a point on the rear-view mirror which I could track, and made a clean patch to place over the reflection. Jamie Dickinson, freelance colourist
33 GRID LAYOUT MACRO
Several people have asked recently about making a grid layout in Resolve and Fusion. It’s not something that is built in to Fusion, but Fusion is very easily customised so I was able to create a Macro to achieve this, using two standard tools and a couple of expressions below. I started this in Fusion 9 standalone, but it does also work in Resolve Fusion too. Jamie Dickinson, freelance colourist