Gaffer: an open-source application framework for VFX

Abstract

Gaffer is an open-source application framework for visual effects production, which includes a multithreaded node based computation framework and a QT based UI framework for editing and viewing node graphs. The Gaffer frameworks were initiated independently by John Haddon in 2007, and have been used and extended in production at Image Engine since they were open-sourced in 2011. They have become vital to nearly the entire Image Engine pipeline, forming the basis of any node-based system we choose to develop.