File LUT Node

File LUT loads a LUT file (.cube, .3dl, .lut, .alut) and applies it to the input image. Use it to:

• Convert a camera log signal (S-Log, C-Log, Log C) to Rec.709 for preview.
• Apply a "look" supplied by a colorist (film emulation, film print density, client look).
• Share a color correction across several comps / projects without copying and pasting curves.

• Effects Library: Tools > LUT > File LUT
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > LUT > File LUT

• .cube - the most common format (Adobe / DaVinci). Supported everywhere.
• .3dl - Autodesk Lustre format, widely used in film post-production.
• .lut / .alut - specific formats (sometimes 1D, sometimes 3D).
• DaVinci Resolve has its own native system with ResolveFX - but File LUT works with any third-party LUT you download.

• Input (orange) - the 2D image to apply the LUT to.
• Effect Mask (blue) - optional. Limits the effect to an area (localized look).

Log-to-Rec709 conversion:
MediaIn (S-Log3 footage) → File LUT (Sony S-Log3 to Rec709.cube) → MediaOut

Applying a look after the primary grade:
MediaIn → Color Corrector (base correction) → File LUT (look.cube) → MediaOut

Localized look:
MediaIn → File LUT ← Polygon mask (face only)

LUT File

Path to the LUT file. Use the Browse button to locate the file. The path is relative or absolute depending on the Fusion preferences.

Pre-Gain

Brightness adjustment applied before the LUT. Useful to fit the input to the range the LUT expects (e.g. pushing the highlights into the valid range of a log-to-Rec709 LUT).

Post-Gain

Gain after the LUT. Lets you adjust the final result without rebuilding the LUT.

Color Space

Working space before the LUT is applied: RGB (default), YUV, HLS, HSV. RGB suits most modern LUTs.

Pre-Divide / Post-Multiply

A critical option for images with alpha (keyed). Divides the pixels by the alpha before the LUT, then multiplies afterward. Prevents illegal values (over-bright colors around keyed edges).

Output Range

Sets the output range (normalized 0-1 or legal 0-255). Important to meet broadcast / export standards.

• Log-to-Rec709 monitoring - S-Log3, C-Log3, Log C camera footage → File LUT to preview a "normal" result while you work, even if the final export stays in log.
• Applying a supplied look - the colorist delivers a .cube file → File LUT → the look is applied consistently. Edit the file and every comp updates.
• Film emulation (Kodak 2383, Fuji 3513) - film print density LUTs available online → File LUT = a photochemical cinema look.
• Matching cameras - shots filmed with different cameras (Sony + RED + Arri) → one LUT per camera to bring them into the same space.
• HDR ↔ SDR color space conversion - an HDR-to-SDR LUT to create an SDR version from a master HDR grade.
• Localized look with roto - Effect Mask to apply a LUT only to the face (e.g. skin tone correction) or to a specific element.

• LUT ≠ grading - a LUT is a fixed transform. For precise grading tailored to the shot, use Color Correctors before (or after) the LUT.
• Order: Color Corrector → LUT - the classic approach: fix luminance / balance first, then apply the look LUT. LUT before corrections = the LUT cannot "make up" for a badly exposed shot.
• Pre-Divide for images with alpha - a must to avoid illegal colors on the edges of a keyed subject. Never forget it on a composite with a keyed FG.
• Relative path for portability - if the comp is shared, put the LUT in a project folder with a relative path rather than an absolute system path.
• 1D vs 3D LUT - 1D LUTs only adjust the RGB curves (like curves). 3D LUTs change the interactions between channels (complex "Hollywood" look). .cube and .3dl are typically 3D.
• Test before/after - right-click the node → Disable to see the shot without the LUT and judge consistency.
• For a multi-node LUT workflow, prefer referencing the same LUT file in several File LUT nodes - edit the source file and they all update automatically.