ENDA Episode 158→ The time when ENDA tells a little secret called: Filtering (Part 2)
It’s just a few pixels lost with one transform node. But how many transforms, reformats, corner pins, and filtered merges do you use across a full comp?
In a previous episode, we explored how filtering affects image quality when using spatial transform nodes. But we left one key question unanswered:
How do you avoid artefacts or loss of detail, no matter which filter you choose?
Well... the answer is here.
As we mentioned before, the trick lies in a node sandwich. If you look closely in the video, you’ll notice that the Transform node is placed between three different sets of node sandwiches.
The nodes used?
🔹 log2lin
🔹 PLogLin
🔹 OCIOLogConvert
These are all native nodes in Nuke, no need for additional installs.
So, what do they have in common?
3, 2, 1…
They all convert your image to a log colour space, which gives you a wider range of details. And just like we saw in the colour remapping technique back in Episode 150, the filtering now happens within the log image before being converted back to linear.
This allows you to preserve much more detail, even at the edges.
In the video below, check how the Checkerboard gains sharper edge fidelity when a log-space sandwich is applied around the transform. Now, the final result may vary slightly depending on the log node used, but that’s mostly due to gamma differences between log spaces. The key takeaway?
You now have multiple reliable options to preserve image quality in your comps.
Now, you might be thinking:
“Come on, it’s just a few pixels, no one will notice.”
That’s the trap.
It’s just a few pixels lost with one transform node.
But how many transforms, reformats, corner pins, and filtered merges do you use across a full comp?
Multiply that loss across your entire script, and suddenly, your comp is bleeding detail without you realising it. You might not see it… but a VFX Supervisor, a Comp Lead, or a picky client will.
And in high-end productions, those missing details do show up on cinema screens, on 4K TVs, in HDR deliveries.
That difference? It’s what decides whether you’re invited back for the next project, or not.
So… is this all there is to Transform nodes? Maybe yes, maybe not. There’s still a world of nodes and techniques to uncover.
So stay tuned!
The journey continues…
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