Yeah, I thought I might get pulled up on that. But I dont really create too many intricate shaders, or too complex animations, I mean, I know, Maya is, essentially, oh whats the saying...''a collection of nodes working with each other in..." I forget.... but I dont think of it really in those terms...whereas in Nuke the node graph is permanently open and most of what you do you do through it.

Like, this week, the course is looking at channel management. Compositing elements through the merge node. There's one route where each element is seperate, so it's one merge node to merge say diffuse and specular, and you set the operation of the merge node to the required. Then another merge node for the next element and so on. Then theres another route where its a multi layered exr file...so you're taking the output of different channels and feeding them back into itself through other channels, with different merge operations...etc. It's the science of different file formats. I think this is the part Im finding most daunting. When I use Maya Im only interested in whats inside the file. But when compositing, you have to really understand the differences between files, whats happening in them and how they are made, so that you can bring them together correctly.

We've covered the rotopaint node, and last week was about colour corrections. I guess it's hard also because, moving on from topic to topic one week to the next it seems as if its all flying by and it's alot to take in. Also, I think I made it hard for myself by looking through some videos to do with set extensions and projection set ups...some huge scenes and node structures. I think this is the part of Nuke Im most interested in...the 3d compositing side of it, but thats some of the more advanced stuff I guess, which I should leave for a bit further down the line. In two or three weeks, the basics of that will be covered on the course Im doing.

I think i just needed a rant as it seems like it's been alot to take in!

Do you use Nuke alot Hammer, at your work?