NukeRef: A PureRef-like tool for Nuke. Paste reference images directly into the Node Graph (Ctrl+V) right under your cursor. Lightweight & fast.
NukeRef
First submitted: 8 July 2026
Author: Denis Rychkov
Compatible Nuke versions: 16.0 or later
Compatibility: Source
NukeRef
Hey! As a compositor, I always wondered why Nuke doesn't have a default way to just drop references into the Node Graph. Window-hopping and splitting screens always broke my focus.
So I built NukeRef — a simple, PureRef-like tool made by an artist, for artists.
Saw a nice lookdev frame, made a screenshot, or copied a texture from Photoshop? Just hover your mouse over the DAG and hit Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V on Mac). The image instantly pops up right under your cursor as a clean, interactive backdrop.
✨ Why it's great:
Just paste it: Copy from a browser, Photoshop, or your OS and hit paste. It just works.
No distorted images: The backdrop automatically locks to the correct aspect ratio.
Lightweight: Images are saved in a folder right next to your .nk file, so your scripts stay tiny and Nuke never lags.
Visible on the Minimap: You can actually see your references in the Navigator.
⚙️ Quick Setup:
Works on Mac and Windows with Nuke 15
Drop nuke_ref.py into your ~/.nuke/ folder.
Add import nuke_ref; nuke_ref.install() to your menu.py.
Restart Nuke and enjoy.
MIT License • Happy compositing!
demo
https://youtu.be/dJ7a0vCVopM
or register to download or rate.
Comments