OpenColorIO (OCIO) is an Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) project providing a comprehensive color management solution for motion picture production, visual effects, and computer animation. It offers a consistent user experience, is compatible with the Academy Color Encoding Specification (ACES), and is LUT-format agnostic. The current version is 2.5.1, and the project targets annual releases around September, aligning with the VFX Reference Platform schedule.
pip install opencolorioVerified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.
This quickstart demonstrates how to perform a basic color space transformation on an RGB value. It requires an OpenColorIO configuration file (e.g., an ACES config) to be accessible, typically via the `OCIO` environment variable. The example shows how to load the current configuration, create a processor between two color spaces, and apply the transformation using the CPU processor.
Consult the 'Upgrading to v2' section in the official OpenColorIO documentation for detailed migration paths and API changes. Pay close attention to `Config::parseColorSpaceFromString()` (deprecated), `Config::getColorSpaceFromFilepath()` (new), and changes to strict parsing behavior and viewing rules.
Recompile your application against the OCIO 2.5.1 library if you use the GPU renderer API. Subsequent 2.5.x releases are expected to be ABI-compatible with 2.5.1.
If command-line tools are needed, refer to the official OpenColorIO installation documentation for building from source or using system-specific package managers (e.g., `brew` on macOS, `vcpkg` on Windows).
Ensure the `OCIO` environment variable is set to the full path of your desired `config.ocio` file before initializing or using the OCIO library. For example: `export OCIO=/path/to/your/config.ocio`.
Use `Config::getColorSpaceFromFilepath()` instead. This method is the proper way to extract a color space from a file path and works with both v1 and v2 configs, including those with FileRules.
Ensure `opencolorio` is installed: `pip install opencolorio`. If in a DCC, verify if it ships its own bindings or if the external `PyOpenColorIO` package is compatible with the DCC's Python interpreter version and ABI.
First, try `pip install opencolorio`. If building from source, ensure `DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH` (macOS) or `LD_LIBRARY_PATH` (Linux) is correctly set to include the directory containing the `PyOpenColorIO.so` (or equivalent) file.
Verify the `OCIO` environment variable points to the correct `config.ocio` file. Use `config.getColorSpaces()` to list available color spaces and ensure your names match exactly (case-sensitive).
Check the `config.ocio` file and any referenced `.clf`, `.cub`, or other LUT files. Ensure all paths are correct and accessible by the application running OCIO, considering relative paths and environment variables like `OCIO_LUT_PATH` if used.