# Natron Comprehensive Roadmap

This page constitutes a semi-official roadmap for Natron. It isn't official yet but that should soon change once the devs review it and approve it. However, it should represent a good step in the right direction, and a good place to refer any person if they ask *"is Natron a dead project?"* or *"when will ___ feature be implemented"* etc. A trello board will mirror this in the future. While looking far ahead can feel daunting, having this roadmap gives us a vision to follow through on and build upon.

Note: This document follows the [Natron Markdown Code Style](https://hackmd.io/@natron-dev-awesome/SyqUwnN_u). *Please* keep the Markdown to that code style.

[TOC]

## Website Redesign Launch

- [ ] Finish new site, currently within [Hank's repository](https://github.com/shrinks99/NatronGitHub.github.io/)
- [ ] There is a whole other [todo list for the website](https://hackmd.io/@natron-dev-awesome/SJUwyv6vu) for reference, which is why it isn't here
- [ ] Publish new branding assets, including badges and new refined logo
- [ ] Begin creating gallery of Natron renders for the new splash screen

## Natron Refactoring

- [ ] Fully switch to Github actions rather than Travis CI
- [ ] Issues cleanup
- [ ] Close all the issues that are irrelevant or are already solved
- [ ] Delete the following issues, as they don't add anything of substance and are not mentioned in the milestones:
- [x] [#605](https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/issues/605)
- [ ] [#271](https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/issues/271)
- [ ] [#436](https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/issues/436)
- [ ] [#264](https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/issues/264)
- [ ] [#108](https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/issues/108) - although this is mentioned in a milestone I don't think the original impetus for the issue holds true anymore, OpenGL is not necessarily faster than Qt and adds more complexity
- [ ] Qt4 -> Qt5 port
- [ ] Find all config files referencing Qt4
- [ ] Find all config files referencing PySide1
- [ ] Find all config files referencing Python 2.7
- [x] `PythonBin.pro`
- [ ] Port Python 2.7 to Python 3.9
- [x] Port PythonBin
- [ ] Port PySide1 to Pyside2
- [ ] Port Qt4 to Qt5
- [ ] Update build instructions for Qt5 instead of Qt4
- [ ] Update build scripts to use Qt5
- [ ] Implement QtPy instead of PySide (which provides identical APIs) to allow both python2 and python3 to be used simulaneously
- [ ] High DPI support and better font rendering
- [ ] Render all icons as SVG icons via `QSvgrenderer`
- [ ] RTL languages support
- [ ] Implement live IPython interpreter as per https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/issues/153
- [ ] Close all PRs that are outdated and invalid - particularly the stylesheet PR
- [ ] Improve issues template - something like [Homebrew's](https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/tree/master/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE) would be great, and reduce the amount of irrelevant issues
- [ ] Work on the bugs mentioned in Natron's [issues](https://github.com/NatronGithub/Natron/issues)
- [ ] Get more contributors (devs) on board; we need those 20 daily PRs!
- [ ] Part of this is streamlining Natron's compiling process; AKA we should improve the compiling/installing guide
- [ ] Also create a brief developer intro guide, like [Blender's](https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Developer_Intro/Overview)
- [ ] Get the [official Cryptomatte implementation](https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/issues/163) fixed and refactored
- [ ] Port more nuke gizmos to Natron, including the following:
- [ ] https://github.com/fcocc77/nuke/tree/master/gizmos
- [ ] Internationalization - multiple language support
- [ ] Support these languages first as we already have native speakers:
- [ ] Chinese
- [ ] French
- [ ] Hindi
- [ ] Enable online simple translation editing via the [weblate platform](https://weblate.org/en/) - here is an [excellant example](https://l10n.elementary.io/projects/files/?utm_source=widget)
- [ ] Implement new splashscreen in Qt
- [ ] View Natron manual via QWebView rather than serving the manual on localhost in browser
- [ ] Update the build system for Natron to not affect system environment (make it like Skia's `ng` or blender's lib management system which manages dependencies, streamlines version control and helps with compiling) - this should make compiling easier
- [ ] Users should be able to run `nbs fetch` to get all dependencies, `nbs update` to get the latest version of all dependencies, and `nbs build [--release]` for compiling Natron without needing to install any additionall dependencies (other that `git`, `build-essential` tools and GNU coreutils)
- [ ] Also use it for auto-updating Natron and managing Natron versions on the system - like [blender launcher](https://github.com/DotBow/Blender-Launcher)

## Natron Redesign (Natron 3.0)

### About

Natron 3.0 will be the *first* release to offer new major features. In particular, Natron's new redesigned GUI will be fully rolled out in 3.0.

### Tasks

- [ ] New major user-requested features
- [ ] Vectorscope/Waveform/Histogram via [QCustomPlot](https://www.qcustomplot.com/) to imitate Resolve's color graph features
- [ ] Packaging as .appimage and create auto-build scripts for the latest version of Natron for all Linux distros:
- [ ] Arch Linux - Update AUR package
- [ ] Debian/Ubuntu derivatives - Update PPA
- [ ] Portage
- [ ] RPM
- [ ] Nix OS
- [ ] Guix
- [ ] Homebrew + Linuxbrew
- [ ] Alpine APK
- [ ] Flatpak
- [ ] Complete Natron UI Design System
- [ ] Complete mockup in Figma
- [ ] Collect user feedback on the design
- [ ] Get approval for mockup from Natron core devs
- [ ] Begin porting the design to Qt
- [ ] Implement high DPI support
- [ ] Write custom widgets and/or modify current widgets to suit the new design
- [ ] Release Natron 3.0 with the redesigned UI
- [ ] Finish milestones
- [ ] Backport changes from `master` to `RB-3.0`
- [ ] Change from `PySide` to `QtPy` which supports PyQt4/5 and Pyside1/2 out of the box and reduces the need to port pyplugs after a major Qt update

## Improving Documentation

### TL; DR

We want to polish and update Natron's documentation, which is decent already, but could be much improved. Eventually, Natron's docs should consist of the following:

* An **official training course** on youtube, with multiple videos and having everything you'll need to get started in Natron
* A **quick start manual**, which allows users to be introduced to core concepts in Natron, and also encompasses the "tutorials" section of Natron's current docs. This manual should not be long and should focus on user "how-tos" and FAQs - equivalent to [Krita's how-tos manual](https://docs.krita.org/en/tutorials.html#tutorials) and its [quick start guide](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/getting_started.html#getting-started)
* A **comprehensive reference menu**, likely several thousand pages long, which would be an extension to the current reference menu on ReadTheDocs - this should be incredibly detailed and document everything about Natron
* A **design system specification**, detailing Natron's UI design system, Natron's branding and web design system - this should be in PDF format, [here's a good example](http://wilkinson.graphics/downloads/toronto-mesh-brand-v001.pdf).
* A **design documentation manual**, similar in scope to [Material Design](http://material.io) and [Carbon Design](https://www.carbondesignsystem.com/). This should also include design resources such as Sketch, Figma, and Penpot files, and Natron's icons set for viewing and download
* A **developer manual**, which would be for developers to reference, similar to [Blender's developer wiki](https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Main_Page)

### Tasks

- [ ] Create an official "Introduction to Natron" tutorial on par with Blackmagic's [excellent Resolve tutorial](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training)
- [ ] Update, polish, and improve written documentation on Natron's [ReadTheDocs](https://natron.readthedocs.io/en/rb-2.4/)
- [ ] Will likely also involve redesigning the ReadTheDocs site to match Natron's design system
- [ ] We also need to make a PDF/printable version of the complete documentation
- [ ] Expand the "tutorials" section of current docs, and move the tutorials to a separate manual called the quick start manual, which essentially guides the user through performing some common tasks (e.g. roto, paint, keying)
- [ ] Finish developer documentation
- [ ] Finish design system documentation

## Community Outreach

- [ ] If possible, find volunteers who can take shifts for helping people on the Natron forum
- [ ] Figure out a system for preventing the exploitation of this system by spammers and impatient users
- [ ] These volunteers would automatically have a moderator role in a similar system with Stack Overflow
- [ ] Create Natron Stack Exchange
- [ ] Begin translating Natron into other languages - preferably with [weblate](https://weblate.org/en/)
- [ ] Create something like Blender Arists to show off community work
- [ ] Increase number of demo files

## Natron 4.0 (3D + Deep Comp)

### Notes

Natron's future 4.0 release will be when it achieves full feature parity with Nuke and Fusion. Among other things, it will release with 3D compositing and deep compositing features.

3D compositing and deep compositing are **assured features** for Natron 4.0, as per Natron's [milestones roadmap](https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/milestones). That means they *are* going to come, when they are ready. These are things that can't be rushed, so we ask for patience before screaming for these features to be finished.

### Tasks

- [ ] 3D tracker
- [ ] We could base this on Blender's, or we could use the excellent (but slow) tracker from Meshroom (which is also open-source)
- [ ] 3D workspace - this is the big one! Early draft of implementation discussed in [this separate tasklist](https://hackmd.io/@natron-dev-awesome/B1SHZex6_)
- [ ] Deep compositing
- [ ] CUDA support
- [ ] CUDA + OpenCL + Optix support (to support Resolve's extended OFX spec)
- [ ] Better rotoscoping
- [ ] AE-like rotobrush
- [ ] Shape-manifold based rotoscoping based on [Roto++](https://github.com/vinben/Rotopp)
- [ ] Full 3D workspace
- [ ] 3D tracker based on either Blender's or Meshroom's
- [ ] PBR renderer complementing the existing 2.5D renderer (NatronRender) via either Appleseed or LuxCore
- [ ] Qt 3D-based or alternatively OpenGl-based 3D GUI interface
- [ ] Shader editor (for building shaders compatible with Blender and the Open Shading Language, best if it could be something like Substance Designer's with an enhanced node-based interface)
- [ ] 3D cards and basic modelling ability (like what Nuke has) for image projection and true 3D matte paintings
- [ ] Simulation, physics, and particles
- [ ] Volumetrics
- [ ] Port of [Kentools](https://keentools.io/) into open-source library for Natron
- [ ] Deep compositing
- [ ] Retiming
- [ ] Motion vectors
- [ ] Z-blur and other Z-based effects
- [ ] Vector displacement based on depth maps
- [ ] Fix color management and color processing to be on par with Nuke/Resolve (the industry standard(s) in terms of color)
- [ ] Improve pipeline integration
- [ ] Support .blend, .dae, and OpenVDB files by default

## Natron Network

### TL; DR

* Natron Network is a planned project that intends to be
* It includes:
* A pyplugs store
* An OFX plugins store
* Compositing assets (like ActionVFX's smoke, fire, dust elements)
* Community art critique (like Blenderartists)

## Securing Funding

- [ ] Create new Natron VFX reel based on community-made content
- [ ] Natron foundation?
- [ ] University sponsorship? Studio sponsorship?
- [ ] Maybe get into SIGGRAPH?
- [ ] Epic Megagrant?
- [ ] Implement [democratic FOSS funding](https://fundoss.org/)

## Natron 5.0

### TL; DR

Note: These are *highly hypothetical* projects, ones that will **probably not** appear until Natron 5.0 and likely 5-10 years into the future. They are just an indication of what Natron might be able to become one day.

### Tasks

- [ ] Design custom UI + brand sans-serif font for Natron (I am working on it at the moment)
- [ ] Implement CUDA + Optix
- [ ] Possible: Make our own open-source implementation of CUDA/Optix and make it the open standard
- [ ] Procedural systems like Houdini or Blender geometry nodes
- [ ] Full vector implementation (I am working on it with @PhantomzBack at the moment)
- [ ] Motion graphics on par with After Effects
- [ ] Typography tools
- [ ] C4D-like 3D MoGraph tools
- [ ] Animation
- [ ] Rigging/IK/FK
- [ ] AI-assisted tools
- [ ] Natural image matting
- [ ] Auto sky replacement
- [ ] Automatic/semi-automatic rotoscoping
- [ ] Automatic clone stamping
- [ ] Neural network-based features like the ones Resolve/Autodesk Flame has
- [ ] Improving current keyers to match Keylight
- [ ] Implementing USD support/[Solaris](https://youtu.be/lidw4rllGV4) to make it possible to use *any* render engine
- [ ] Improve color grading tools to match that of Resolve's
- [ ] Asset Manager
- [ ] VR
- [ ] Visual programming
- [ ] Realtime collaboration
- [ ] Natron studio and Natron Open Reels (similar to Open Movies)

## Missing Features for simple VFX work (short term solutions ?)
- [ ] Optical Flow for retime/Motion Blur/Smart Vectors (could be obtained with updated GMIC / python execution node+OpenCV ?)
- [ ] Warp (Itransform pyplug, could be obtained with updated GMIC ?)
- [ ] Roto copy/paste keyframe function (C++ only or maybe python script ?)
- [ ] Roto is too heavy when saving script (C++ serialize to text/hexadecimal instead of decimal ?)
- [ ] Basic 3d with cards and camera projection (more stable Shadertoy to get PM_Card3D pyplug stable) + reproject nuke gizmo translated to pyplug

above elements suggested by bonalex01