Thursday, October 11th, 2018 Posted by Jim Thacker

NIM Labs releases NIM 3.0


Originally posted on 9 August 2018. Scroll down for news of the commercial release.

NIM Labs has unveiled NIM 3.0, the latest version of its studio management platform, redesigning its shot review toolset and adding new customisable templates for bidding on jobs.

The update, which will be available later this year, will be on show at Siggraph 2018 next week.

A locally installed alternative to cloud-based production-management systems
Developed in house at LA post facility Ntropic, NIM is intended to provide a locally installed alternative to cloud-based production management platforms.

Although users view and manage jobs within a standard web browser, the system is supplied as a virtual machine that can be installed behind a company’s firewall.

It provides a fairly standard range of scheduling, production tracking and shot review features, plus more specialised features for timecard management, bidding jobs, and financial projections.

Users include VFX houses Digital Domain and Intelligent Creatures, and commercials specialist Taylor James.

New in NIM 3.0: redesigned shot review system, customisable bidding templates
The update revamps NIM’s review system, designed to manage screening and markup of videos and still images, and extends review capabilities to more parts of the system.

Changes include a new bin view for review items, with smart filters and grouped elements, and a new Theater View (shown above), which enables uses to pan and zoom within review items during playback.

Review items can also be stacked according to version, helping to track progress at a glance.

The bidding system has also been extended, with the option to define different sections of a bid using groups, providing more flexibility when bidding for large jobs.

Bidding also now supports item linking, enabling users to modify multiple line items simultaneously, with the ability to attach supporting images, notes and descriptions.

Other features include AD/LDAP support, enabling companies with existing directory systems to manage user permissions and security groups via Active Directory or Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.

The release also adds a new NIM connector for Premiere Pro, providing a live link between the two packages. Existing connectors are available for many common 3D and compositing applications.


Updated 11 October 2018: NIM 3.0 is now shipping.

As well as the features covered above, the update adds new options for managing internal communications, including the option to organise users into groups and to set up rules-based controls for email notifications.

It is also now possible to attach profit centres to bid items and expenses, helping management to determine profitability by department.


Pricing and availability
NIM 3.0 is available now. Pricing starts from $40/month or $360/year.

NIM is delivered as a preconfigured Ubuntu Server virtual appliance. Users can use virtualisation tools like VirtualBox or vSphere to run the virtual machine on Windows, other flavours of Linux, and Mac OS X.

Read a full list of new features in NIM 3.0 on NIM Labs’ website