aeFiller: Effortless Object Removal & Surface Reconstruction in Foundry Nuke

Introduction

In VFX digital compositing, removing unwanted elements like tracking markers, blemishes, or wires while preserving surface details is a crucial task. Traditionally, artists rely on paint or clone techniques, but these methods can be time-consuming and may not always maintain texture accuracy.

 

Enter aeFiller—a powerful Foundry Nuke compositing gizmo designed to seamlessly fill in unwanted elements using advanced Blink Script-based inpainting. Whether working with skin details, set clean-ups, or general object removals, aeFiller provides a GPU-accelerated solution for effortless object removal and texture reconstruction.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

How aeFiller works under the hood

Key features for seamless inpainting & surface detail recovery

Best practices for using aeFiller in a professional VFX pipeline

What is aeFiller?

aeFiller is a time-saving node for removing unwanted elements while maintaining the integrity of surface textures. Unlike traditional clone stamping or manual painting, it leverages surrounding pixels and adaptive inpainting algorithms to generate a clean replacement for any marked area.

Key Features of aeFiller

Smart Inpainting – Uses nearby pixels to reconstruct missing details

Stretch Controls – Allows directional bias for more natural fills

Detail Transfer Mode – Clones high-frequency textures from other areas

Path Mode (Photoshop-Like Cloning) – Select a region to manually place over the target area

GPU Acceleration – Faster performance for high-resolution plates

Why is this useful? Whether you're working on film compositing software or VFX post-production tools, aeFiller offers a fast and accurate way to clean up plates without destroying the original texture details.

How aeFiller Works Under the Hood

aeFiller is powered by Blink Script, Foundry Nuke’s GPU-accelerated computation framework. This allows real-time processing of inpainting tasks, ensuring fast and high-quality object removal.

Step-by-Step Process

  1. Mark the Area to Remove
    • Use an alpha channel mask or input a matte to define the unwanted region.

  2. Inpaint Using Nearby Pixels
    • aeFiller samples surrounding textures and blends them seamlessly over the removal area.

  3. Control Inpainting Direction (Stretch Mode)
    • Adjust the Stretch parameter to bias the inpainting process in a specific direction.
    • Ideal for skin, cloth, or planar surfaces where detail alignment is key.

  4. Use Detail Mode for High-Frequency Textures
    • Instead of relying on nearby pixels, Detail Mode allows users to copy high-frequency textures from another area.
    • Great for preserving skin pores, fine textures, or repeated patterns.

  5. Path Mode for Photoshop-Like Cloning
    • Manually select an area and place it over the unwanted element, mimicking Photoshop’s Patch Tool.

  6. Final QC & Integration
    • Compare the cleaned plate with the original texture details to ensure a seamless match.

Pro Tip: When working with complex lighting conditions, tweak the Feather & Edge Refinement settings to blend the inpainted area naturally.

How to Use aeFiller in Foundry Nuke

1. Load aeFiller and Prepare Your Plate

  • Import your footage into Nuke.
  • Add the aeFiller node to your compositing workflow.

2. Create a Mask for the Area to Remove

  • Use a Roto node or Garbage Matte to define the unwanted element.
  • Connect the mask to aeFiller’s Matte input.

3. Choose the Right Inpainting Mode

ModeFunctionBest Use Case
Stretch ModeExtends textures in a defined directionSkin, cloth, or large flat surfaces
Detail ModeCopies high-frequency details from another areaPores, patterns, fine textures
Path ModeSelects an area manually and patches it overPhotoshop-style cloning for tricky removals

 

4. Adjust Edge Refinement & Feathering

  • Fine-tune Feathering & Edge Smoothing to prevent visible seams.

5. Compare & Finalize the Cleanup

  • Toggle between the original plate & cleaned version for a final QC check.

Best Practice: Always use a high-quality mask for precise removals, and tweak Detail mode settings to ensure accurate texture blending.

Best Practices for Using aeFiller in a Professional VFX Pipeline

Use High-Resolution Plates – More pixel data ensures better texture recovery.

Fine-Tune Edge Refinements – Prevents abrupt transitions in inpainted areas.

Combine with Other Nodes – Use with Smart Vectors for motion-aware removals.

Optimize GPU Performance – Ensure Blink Script acceleration is enabled for fast processing.

QC with Different Lighting Conditions – Check multiple exposure levels to confirm seamless blending.

Common Mistakes When Using aeFiller

🚫 Overusing Stretch Mode – Can create stretched artifacts in the final result.

🚫 Ignoring Edge Feathering – Hard edges make the inpainting noticeable.

🚫 Using Low-Resolution Inputs – Causes texture blurring and loss of detail.

🚫 Not Checking Lighting Consistency – The inpainted area may not match the original shadow & light properties.

Use Detail Mode for accurate texture mapping and always match the light conditions of your plate.

Conclusion

aeFiller is an essential VFX compositing tool that removes tracking markers, blemishes, and unwanted objects while preserving surface details. Powered by Blink Script, it provides GPU-accelerated inpainting, making it faster and more accurate than traditional cloning or paint techniques.

By leveraging Stretch Mode, Detail Mode, and Path Mode, artists can clean plates efficiently while maintaining seamless texture accuracy. Whether working on feature films, commercials, or episodic TV, aeFiller is a must-have for professional clean-up workflows.

Want to try it out? Download the latest version on Nukepedia or GitHub!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can aeFiller be used for feature film compositing?

Yes! aeFiller is designed for high-end VFX workflows, providing fast and accurate object removal for professional projects.

2. How does aeFiller compare to Nuke’s built-in Inpaint node?

While Nuke’s Inpaint node offers basic inpainting, aeFiller provides:

  • Better texture preservation with Detail Mode
  • Directional inpainting with Stretch Mode
  • Photoshop-style cloning with Path Mode
  • Faster processing with Blink Script GPU acceleration

3. Is aeFiller compatible with older versions of Nuke?

Yes! While optimized for Nuke 12+, it can also run on earlier versions with Blink Script support.

4. Can I use aeFiller for motion-tracked elements?

Yes! Combine aeFiller with SmartVectors to track and inpaint moving objects with better accuracy.

5. Where can I download aeFiller?

You can find the latest version on Nukepedia or GitHub for easy access and updates.

“Pixels are the atoms of the digital world.”