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Tools I use

My toolbox.

Every tool behind my videos and my production work on Thresholds, sorted by what it does in the pipeline.

Some links are affiliate links. I only list tools I actually use.

How it all connects

One orchestrator, one backbone, then the tools. Click an area to jump to it.

00
Orchestrate
PXLnexus

AI production orchestrator, powered by Claude Code. It plans, routes and checks the work across every tool below. Each agent supports a role I direct; none replaces the artist in it.How PXLnexus works →

Powered by Claude Code
01
Backbone
PXLsuite

My production tools. Tracking, bidding, library, review, and the tools inside Maya and Nuke that connect everything.See PXLsuite →

PXLflowPXLbidPXLlibraryPXLrvPXLtools
02

Capture and virtual production

Scanning, virtual cameras and real-time sets.

XGRIDS

Gaussian-splat capture hardware (PortalCam), on my Thresholds pipeline for scanning locations.

Seen inThresholds
Volinga

Brings Gaussian splats into Unreal Engine 5 and relights them. Part of the Thresholds pipeline.

Seen inThresholds
Lightcraft Jetset

iPhone virtual camera for previz against the Unreal set. I am building Maya tools around it.

Seen inThresholds
Unreal Engine

Epic's real-time engine: Thresholds environments and rendering, and where my previs characters end up.

Dash

Polygonflow's world-building plugin for Unreal Engine 5. I work with it as a beta partner.

Seen inThresholds
03

AI image, video and voice

Generation inside a pipeline, not next to one.

FREE
ComfyUI

Open-source, node-based engine for AI image and video. My character-sheet and shot workflows run inside it.

Nano Banana

Google's image model. From one concept image it builds the full character sheet, with the views 3D needs.

Kling

AI video model. I use it for video-to-video work on Thresholds shots.

Seen inThresholds
AI Studio

Reallusion's 3D-to-AI tool: consistent AI actors, shot after shot, driven by the 3D character.

Seen inHoly Grail
ElevenLabs

AI voice, music and sound effects for my videos.

Seen inHoly Grail
04

3D and characters

From an AI mesh to clean, rigged production topology.

FREE TRIAL
Tripo

Turns the character-sheet views into a high-poly, triangulated 3D model with PBR textures, exported as GLB.

Autodesk Maya

The hub of my pipelines. I am an Autodesk Certified Professional and Approved Instructor.

FREE BY PXLMENTOR
GLB Manager

Maya has no native GLB import, so I built this. One click brings a GLB into Maya.

FREE BY PXLMENTOR
TurnTable

My second free Maya tool: builds a client-ready asset presentation in seconds.

ZBrush

Sculpting, ZWrap and Decimation Master: from over 3 million polygons to 75K, UVs and textures kept.

Faceform Wrap

Wraps clean topology onto scans and AI meshes. I am a Faceform beta tester.

Seen inHoly Grail
Character Creator

Reallusion's character platform: clean, rigged production topology for the hero character.

Seen inHoly Grail
Headshot 3

Rebuilds the face from an image onto rigged Character Creator topology.

Seen inHoly Grail
MetaTailor

Dresses any 3D character in seconds. It dressed IndyKid.

Seen inHoly Grail
05

Texturing and look‑dev

Materials, texture transfer and rendering.

Substance Painter

Texturing. I beta-tested it before the Adobe acquisition; texture transfer on IndyKid.

Seen inHoly Grail
Substance Designer

Procedural materials, part of the texture transfer on IndyKid.

Seen inHoly Grail
Arnold

Core renderer on Thresholds. My TurnTable tool renders through it.

Seen inThresholds
06

Rig, animation and performance

From a static mesh to a performing character.

FREE
AccuRIG

Free auto rig from Reallusion. Under five minutes, no manual weight painting, no bone placement.

AccuFACE

Facial performance capture from a simple video. It drove IndyKid's face.

Seen inHoly Grail
iClone 8

Animation and cameras: test the rig, pose it, animate it, export FBX for Maya and Unreal.

07

FX

Real-time simulation.

EmberGen

Real-time fire and explosions from JangaFX. FX on Thresholds.

Seen inThresholds
LiquiGen

Real-time liquid simulation from JangaFX. FX on Thresholds.

Seen inThresholds
08

Comp and edit

Where the shots and the video come together.

Nuke

Compositing, over 20 years of it. My PXLtools include tools for Nuke.

Seen inProduction work
Premiere Pro

Edit, music and sound for my videos.

Seen inHoly Grail
See them in action

The videos these tools come from.

Concept to rig in under 15 minutes

One concept image to a rigged 3D character: ComfyUI, Tripo, Maya, ZBrush, AccuRIG, iClone.

The Holy Grail of AI VFX

The full breakdown of IndyKid and the AI Crusade: traditional VFX and AI, one hybrid workflow.

Who uses these tools

Cristian Spagnuolo, VFX and CG Supervisor.
Over 20 years supervising on real productions, and still working on them.

Autodesk Certified Professional, Maya and 3ds Max Autodesk Approved Instructor
Proud member of Visual Effects Society
Clients & productions
Disney Plus Apple TV Plus Netflix Paramount Plus 20th Century Studios
Studios I have worked at, among others
DNEG MPC Framestore Mill Film Pixomondo L'Atelier Animation Mels Studios Mokko Studio
Technology partners & tools on my production work
Reallusion Faceform 3D.sk Volinga XGrids Dash Lightcraft Jetset

Technology partners & tools on my production work. Not sponsors of this program.

Want to talk?

Questions about these workflows?
Let’s have a chat.

Thirty minutes, free, no pressure.
Tell me what you are working on and which part of these workflows is unclear, and I will tell you honestly what I would use and why.
If I am not the right help, I will say so.

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