Debug and troubleshoot
Katana 6.0 also improves the functionality of the NetworkMaterialEdit Material Interface, first introduced in Katana 4.5. Now users can more easily modify and manage the material interface within this node.
The full list of features for Katana 6.0 is available here.
With the updated toolset, Katana 6.0 features a new Performance tab so artists can keep track of the scale of their scenes. In addition, Material Solo allows users to preview lookdev easily and better understand how every node impacts the result, and a further extension to look development with LiveShadingGroups.
Visit Foundry Learning YouTube Channel for videos and tutorials
Collaborate seamlessly
Foundry has announced the next major version of its look development and lighting tool, Katana 6.0, marking the third product update from the software developer this month, following updates to Nuke 14.0 and Mari 6.0. The latest Katana release introduces new features, including a Performance tab and Material Solo, to speed up manual tasks and processes. It also aligns with Nuke and Mari on software standards, including VFX Reference Platform 2022 and USD 22.05. Beyond Katana 6.0, work is underway to introduce native USD workflows with a shared approach to Nuke’s new USD-native 3D system.
The Performance tab allows users to keep track of the scale of their scenes with more efficient debugging. From the size of the Node Graph to time spent against various nodes, the feature uses a customizable color-coded Heat map to help artists understand where bottlenecks may lie in the Node Graph for faster troubleshooting.
Building on Macros and User Parameters, first introduced in Katana 4.5, Katana 6.0 extends its look development toolset with LiveShadingGroups, which enables collaboration by allowing users to share and reuse their work between projects, assets, or other artists. Any changes made in a LiveShadingGroup will automatically apply to other scenes that contain it.
Check out the “Katana 6.0 | Feature Overview:”
Source: Foundry
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
Modify with freedom
[embedded content]
Preview any section at anytime
Paul Denhard, Senior Product Manager for Look Development and Lighting at Foundry, commented, “Our focus for this release was simple: make it easier and more efficient than ever for artists to work in Katana. These exciting updates are the result of ongoing collaboration with lighting and lookdev artists, and we are confident these will help get them to the first pixel quicker without sacrificing visibility and control. We’re excited to see how Katana continues to streamline artists’ workflow and enable creativity, even when producing high volumes of work in a short timeframe.”
Katana 6.0 introduces Material Solo, a new feature enabling artists to gain immediate visibility over components of their material setups. Users can quickly isolate and debug complex material networks and have the functionality of previewing any section at any time.
