OpenFX (API)


OpenFX, a.k.a. The OFX Image Effect Plug-in API, is an open standard for 2D visual effects or compositing plug-ins. It allows plug-ins written to the standard to work on any application that supports the standard. The OpenFX standard is owned by The Open Effects Association, and it is released under a 'BSD' open source license. OpenFX was originally designed by Bruno Nicoletti at Foundry Visionmongers">The Foundry Visionmongers">Foundry Visionmongers.
Plug-ins are written as dynamic shared objects, and the API specifies a few entry points that must be implemented by the plug-in.
The OpenFX host exposes sets of entry points to the plug-in, called suites. The Property Suite is used to manage attribute-value pairs attached to objects defined by all other suites of the API, the Image Effect Suite is used to fetch film frames from the inputs or the output of the effect, and there are other suites to display informative messages or ask questions to the user, handle multithreading, use OpenGL for processing, etc.
Each plugin is described by a list of parameters and supported inputs and output. The host may execute various actions, for example to signal that a parameter value has changed or that a portion of a film frame has to be rendered.
Optionally, the plug-in may also display graphical information over the current frame using OpenGL, and propose interactions using mouse and keyboard.
An OpenFX host is an application capable of loading and executing OpenFX plugins.

History

Current version is 1.5 as of December 2024.
OpenFX was first announced on Feb 10, 2004 The Foundry Visionmongers.
The OpenFX specification was written so that a plugin supporting the latest version of the API may be implemented to be compatible with a host implementing an earlier version.
  1. OpenFX 1.0 was released in 2006.
  2. OpenFX 1.1 was released in 2007.
  3. OpenFX 1.2 was released in 2010.
  4. OpenFX 1.3 was released in 2012.
  5. OpenFX 1.4 was released in 2015.
  6. OpenFX 1.5 was released in 2024.

Hosts

Free and open source hosts

  • Natron for macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and Windows
  • Ramen compositor

Commercial hosts

Discontinued:

OpenFX plug-ins

Free and open source plugins

  • The official contain sample plugins, programmed using the standard C API, or a C++ wrapper.
  • is a set of visual effects plugins, mainly based on ImageMagick.
  • is a set of plugins for reading or writing image and video files, and for color management.
  • is a collection of essential plugins, which provide many basic compositing tools, such as filters, geometric transforms, and color transforms. Commercial OpenFX hosts usually provide their own versions of these plugins.
  • provides many plug-ins, especially for color grading, usable in most OpenFX hosts.
  • INK green/blue screen keyer and ChannelMath by
  • TalentTracker by

Commercial plug-ins

  • Beauty Box Video by digital anarchy
  • Composite Suite Pro, Film Stocks, Rays, reFine, zMatte, Tiffen DFX by
  • DE:Flicker, DE:Noise, RE:Match, Twixtor and ReelSmart Motion Blur by RE:Vision Effects
  • and by Dehancer
  • Film Convert for OFX by Rubber Monkey Software
  • by
  • by
  • by
  • by
  • by
  • by ABSoft
  • NewBlueFX plugins
  • Primatte by Photron/Imagica
  • Red Giant Universe and Magic Bullet by Red Giant Software
  • Sapphire Visual Effects OFX and Monsters GT VFX Plugins OFX by GenArts
  • White balance, exposure and color matching by
  • by InviziPro

Extensions

OpenFX' suite-based design enables one to easily introduce new sets of entry points, in order to cover other applications while still relying on the same core dynamic plug-in mechanism. A notable example is OpenMfx, an API based on OpenFX but meant to define procedural effects on 3D meshes rather than 2D images. A host that supports the Image Effects API does not necessarily support the Mesh Effect API, and vice versa, but both support the same core plug-in mechanism and basic suites like the Property Suite or the Parameter Suite. OpenMfx is an initiative independent from The Open Effects Association, led by Élie Michel since 2019.

Documentation

  • is the official reference.
  • by Bruno Nicoletti.
  • , based on the .
  • , an OFX Mesh Effects API, including the API reference as well as a C++ Support library and some tutorials.