Natron 2.5.0 Released

Python 3 support, documentation improvements, and a new CMake-based build system!

Natron 2.5.0 is here, bringing Python 3 support, a new CMake-based build system, and an overall improved developer experience! As with all major releases everything you need to get started can be downloaded here! Downloads for previous versions can be found on GitHub.

Major changes

  • Use Python 3 rather than Python 2 (which is not maintained anymore). This will require very few changes to the Python code (mainly print statements), and most code can be easily adapted to be 2-3 compatible. #686
  • Use QtPy==1.11.2 rather than PySide. QtPy is an abstraction layer for PyQt5/PyQt4/PySide2/PySide (newer versions support PyQt6/PySide6). QtPy uses the Qt5 layout (where the QtGui module has been split into QtGui and QtWidgets). Using QtPy guarantees a higher level of forward-compatibility with future versions of Natron, which may use Qt5 or Qt6. PySide can still be imported explicitly, if required, but the resulting code will not be forward-compatible. Note that 2.4.4 binaries include qtpy, but still import PySide by default. #687

Known issues

All operating systems

  • Rendering sometimes silently stalls after X frames. #248
  • Some image formats may have issues (PCX, PSB). #602
  • MTS video files are sometimes not read correctly. #186