OpenFX image processing plug-in standard

The authoritative source for information about OFX is http://openeffects.org/

• OFX Build
• OFX Documentation - start here
• OFX Documentation: Reference
• OFX Programming Guide By Example (github)
• Programming Guide By Example (readthedocs.io)
• OFX API Programming Guide -
• OFX API v. 1.4 Autogenerated Reference (doxygen)
• OFX Discussion Google Group

Our wiki is on the Academy Software Foundation Confluence site.

Here are some Ways to get involved with OpenFX.

Why a Standard?

VFX plug-in vendors were frustrated for years because host application vendors created proprietary plug-in interfaces. As a result, each plug-in vendor had to port their plug-ins to all the different hosts and hosts couldn't use each other's plug-ins, limiting the selection of effects available to artists. The need for a standard interface was clear, so Bruno Nicoletti of The Foundry led the effort to develop a standard. That standard is OFX.

OFX is a win for artists because there is no waiting for plug-in vendors to port their cool effects to your application. Once a host compositing or editing application adopts OFX, all OFX plug-ins on the market instantly become available on that host.

And OFX is a win for plug-in vendors because they can concentrate on what they do best: making cool effects

OFX Terminology

Host

A video compositing or editing application, such as The Foundry Nuke, Assimilate Scratch, Sony Vegas, or FilmLight Baselight

Plug-in

Video software, such as GenArts Sapphire or RE:Vison Effects which adds a wider variety of effects to a host application.

Open Effects

A standardized software interface between VFX host applications and plug-ins (also known as OpenFX and OFX).

Editor

An application which allows you to manipulate a video timeline by adding, removing, and changing the in and out points of video clips. Effects, Generators, Transition, Compositors and Retiming effects are commonly used in editors.

Compositor

An application which allows you build a video clip by layering video clips, still images, and effects.

Contributing

Please read the Contribution Guidelines for how to submit pull requests for fixes and changes to the standard.

About the Open Effects Association

The Open Effects Association (OFX), a non-profit organization, develops and promotes open standards across the visual effects community. The founding members come from Assimilate, Autodesk, Digieffects, FilmLight, The Foundry, GenArts and RE:Vision FX. These are companies which have helped artists create ground-breaking VFX shots on nearly every blockbuster movie.

The Association's initial focus is to improve the OpenFX image processing plug-in standard. This goal of this standard is to reduce development effort and support needed for plug-ins across different compositing and editing host platforms.

Building

You can build the examples, support lib, and host support lib using Conan and CMake

Prerequisites

Install cmake:

• Mac: brew install cmake
• Windows: choco install cmake
• Linux: apt install cmake

Install conan using pip (and python3) -- we still require conan v1, although conan v2 has been released:

• pip3 install conan<2.0.0

Build

On all OSes, you should be able to use scripts/build-cmake.sh which does something like this:

# Install dependencies from conanfile.py
% conan install -s build_type=Release --build=missing .
# Configure cmake to build into Build folder, and build example plugins
# Note: The preset name is platform and conan version dependent. The preset name for your specific platform will be printed by the "conan install" command.
% cmake --preset default -DBUILD_EXAMPLE_PLUGINS=TRUE
# Do the build
# Note: The build directory is also generator specific. If the preset name is something like "release", then you'll likely need to use "--build build/Release" instead of "--build build"
% cmake --build build --config Release

This should build with the default Visual Studio on Windows and Makefiles with gcc on Linux and Mac. You can use alternative build systems supported by CMake like ninja if you want (not covered here).

Building Docs

See instructions in Documentation/README.md.