ACESLooks is a set of LMTs for ACES versions 2.0 and 1.3. The purpose of the LMTs is to provide a sensible starting point for color grading, rather than providing a final look as looks/LUTs often do. All the LMTs can be used anywhere in the grading stack/node tree. All the LMTs are high dynamic range (20+ stops) and have wide gamut (ACEScg AP1). The LMTs are available as CLF v3 files, Davinci CTL (DCTL) files, and as 3D and 1D LUTs (for most of them).
The LMTs are categorized with a filename prefix as follows:
- M-XXX: Emulation (or "Masquerade") LMTs. These LMTs emulate a pre-existing look (like a DRT) as well as possible. For ordinary surface colors they provide excellent match. For higher luminance and higher saturation levels they differ from the original. This is mainly because the LMTs have higher dynamic range and wider color gamut.
- C-XXX: Colorimetric LMTs. These LMTs change scene colorimetry, but doesn't change contrast or exposure. They also retain saturation over the entire luminance range. They are a convenient and fast way to change scene colors without changing anything else.
- T-XXX: Tone-curve LMTs. These LMTs provide different types of tone-curves (contrast curves). These LMTs can be combined with one or more colorimetric LMTs to create new looks or they can be used as-is with default ACES colorimetry.
See ACES2Looks and ACES1Looks directories for all LMTs and see Images for more example images and comparison images for emulation LMTs.
Copy the ACES2Looks directory for ACES2 LMTs, and ACES1Looks directory for ACES1 LMTs, to your DCC software's LUT/LMT/Look directory.
When upgrading to a new version of the LMTs, remove the old directory and copy it again.
Copy the directory to following location:
- Mac: /Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/LUT
- Windows: C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\LUT
- Linux: /home/resolve/LUT
NOTE: To use the CLFs you must have Davinci Resolve Studio 17.4.2 or later.
See OCIO v2 config file that defines the LMTs as OCIO Looks.
The CLF LMTs are to be applied in ACES2065-1 AP0 linear.
NOTE: The LUT versions of the LMTs must be applied in ACEScct AP1 space.
In Davinci Resolve LMTs can be used as LUTs and they are available in the same location as LUTs are. Make sure that in project/clip/node settings the LMT is being applied in ACES AP0 linear, as they cannot be applied in the ACEScct AP1 timeline space.
In Nuke version 13.1 and newer the CLF LMTs can be used with the OCIOFileTransform node or OCIOLookTransform node if the LMTs are defined as looks in the OCIO config file. The working space in the OCIOFileTranform node must be changed to ACES2065-1 unless the input is already ACES2065-1, and interpolation must be set to Tetrahedral.
The main difference between the LMTs for ACES 2.0 and 1.3 is that ACES 1.3 LMTs may apply additional gamut compression because ACES 1.3 doesn't have a gamut mapper. However, ACES 2.0 has a built-in gamut mapper, so the LMTs do not apply any additional compression.
LMTs developed for ACES 1.3 can be applicable also with ACES 2.0 when combined with the C-ACES1.clf ACES 1.3 colorimetric LMT for ACES 2.0. For example, one could re-create the ACES1Looks M-ARRI.clf equivalent in ACES 2.0 by first applying the ACES2Looks T-ARRI_Tone.clf, followed by the C-ACES1.clf and then apply the ACES1Looks C-ARRI.clf. The end result should in large part match the look of M-ARRI.clf of ACES1Looks through ACES 2.0. The match can be expected to differ with more saturated and brighter colors.
All the emulation LMTs for ACES 2.0 are the concatenation of the Tone-curve LMT and the Colorimetric LMT. You can always re-create the emulation by applying the LMTs separately. For example, to re-create the M-ACES1.clf exactly, one would first apply the T-ACES1_Tone.clf followed by the C-ACES1.clf.
All the current emulation LMTs for ACES 1.3 can be recreated in large part by using Tone-curve LMT and Colorimetric LMT. For example to re-create the M-ARRI.clf one could first apply the T-ARRI_Tone.clf followed by the C-ARRI.clf. This would create exact match for normal surface colors, but because the colorimetric LMT retains saturation while the DRT emulation doesn't, higher luminance and higher saturation colors would differ. Gamut compression could then be used to get the match much closer, but probably not exact. On the other hand, this allows to create, in this example, ARRI ALF-2 emulation with customizable saturation rolloff.
Out of gamut colors are pixels with negative color values and they can occur in ACES. None of the LMTs specifically handle negative values and it is recommended to use the ACES 1.3 Reference Gamut Compression (RGC) operator before the LMTs with those images that have out of gamut colors. It is not necessary to apply it if your image doesn't have out of gamut colors.
Gamut compression can be used also creatively. Since the colorimetric LMTs retain saturation over the entire luminance range they can retain also super saturated colors. These colors may be undesired, too strong or cause clipping with some images. In these cases gamut compression operator could be used before or after the colorimetric LMTs to achieve the desired look. This issue with super saturated colors is generic to ACES 1.3 and not directly related to the LMTs.
Internally the LMTs are ACEScct-log AP1-gamut cubes.
