Switchlight (Beeble)
AI compositing and relighting for VFX artists with node-based control.
Beeble delivers genuine production value with its node-based Canvas and PBR pass generation. The cloud-only restriction on SwitchX and Canvas is a real limitation for offline pipelines, but for studios seeking fast AI rotoscoping and relighting with artist control, it's a strong choice. The new Team Plan improves collaboration.
- VFX artists needing AI rotoscoping and relighting with full artistic control
- Compositors using node-based pipelines who want to integrate AI models
- Studios producing photorealistic VFX for film and TV
- Virtual production teams requiring real-time relighting with DMX/LED-wall input
- Users who need fully offline processing (SwitchX and Canvas are cloud-only)
- Social media creators looking for quick one-click background removal
- Artists on a tight budget, as cloud features use credits that can be costly
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Skip Beeble if you need a fully offline AI VFX pipeline or if you can't work within per-minute credit caps for cloud features.
Switching from 720p to 1080p generation triples your credit consumption from 3 to 10 credits per second, cutting your monthly output by 70% on the same plan.
Beeble's Creator plan at $16/mo (yearly) is competitive for solo VFX artists who need cloud AI tools, though Wonder Studio's $20/mo plan offers similar video relighting. The Professional plan at $60/mo suits pros needing longer video lengths and image sequence uploads. Studios may find the custom Team plan cost-effective if they need shared credits and admin controls, but it's pricier than RunwayML's $30/mo Pro plan for simpler tasks.
In short
Switchlight (Beeble) — AI compositing and relighting for VFX artists with node-based control. Best for VFX artists needing AI rotoscoping and relighting with full artistic control, Compositors using node-based pipelines who want to integrate AI models, Studios producing photorealistic VFX for film and TV. Free to start; paid plans from $16/mo.
What's new in Switchlight (Beeble)
Checked yesterdayAcross the latest 10 updates: 3 feature updates, 3 launches and 4 news mentions.
Conrad Curtis on AI filmmaking at ACM SIGGRAPH
Conrad Curtis spoke at ACM SIGGRAPH about AI filmmaking.
Turn an empty stadium into a packed crowd with AI VFX
Tutorial: using AI VFX to fill an empty stadium with a crowd.
Join Beeble for a VES discussion on AI relighting
Beeble is hosting a VES talk on AI relighting techniques.
Add realistic fire VFX while preserving original footage
Tutorial on adding fire VFX without degrading source footage.
Controlling the frame: Beeble at SIGGRAPH 2026
Beeble's presence at SIGGRAPH 2026 with demos and talks.
Beeble Editor is now 3D Relight
Beeble Editor renamed to 3D Relight; core relighting tool updated.
OpenArt VFX: AI video transformation, powered by SwitchX
OpenArt VFX integrates SwitchX for AI video transformation.
Releasing Beeble's Team Plan for studios
New Team Plan for studios with collaborative features.
Launching Canvas: AI compositing for production
Canvas feature launched: AI-based compositing for production workflows.
Beeble at AI on the Lot 2026
Beeble participated in AI on the Lot 2026 event.
Viability Score
How likely is Switchlight (Beeble) to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 4 signals — momentum (how recently it shipped), wrapper dependency, revenue model, and web presence.
Last calculated: July 2026
How we score →Key Features
- SwitchX: video-to-video transformation preserving original performance
- Canvas: node-based AI compositor with native and external models in one graph
- Background Remover: AI rotoscoping with clean mattes
- VFX Pass Generator: extract PBR passes (normal, depth, roughness, metallic, specular, alpha)
- 3D Relight: real-time relighting editor with physically accurate lighting
- Video-driven lighting: reactive to DMX/LED-wall signals
- Branch variations at any node in the graph
- Export as clean matte or background-free source
- Plugins for Nuke, Blender, Unreal Engine
- Cloud rendering on Beeble servers
- Local GPU rendering in Studio (offline version)
- Credit-based usage for cloud features
- Unlimited local processing in Studio (no credits)
- Team Plan with shared credits and collaboration
- AI VFX: add fire or virtual crowds to footage
About Switchlight (Beeble)
Beeble is a production-ready AI compositing platform for video, built for VFX artists and studios. It transforms any video in seconds—switching backgrounds, lighting, and style while preserving the original performance. The node-based AI compositor Canvas lets you wire every step from plate to final, using native and external models in a single graph. Beeble also offers SwitchX for video-to-video transformation, a VFX Pass Generator that extracts PBR passes (normal, depth, roughness, metallic, etc.), and a 3D Relight editor with physically accurate lighting and video-driven lighting via DMX/LED-wall signal input. Key features include Canvas (cloud-only), SwitchX (cloud-only), Background Remover with AI rotoscoping, VFX Pass Generator for PBR pass extraction, and 3D Relight for real-time relighting. The platform supports cloud rendering on Beeble servers and local GPU rendering in the Studio (offline) version. Integrations include plugins for Nuke, Blender, and Unreal Engine. Recent updates (June 2026) include the release of the Team Plan for studios, Canvas launch, rebranding of Beeble Editor to 3D Relight, and new AI VFX capabilities like adding fire or virtual crowds. Beeble won a 2026 Webby Award and is used by Oscar-winning studios. Compared to alternatives like Wonder Studio or RunwayML, Beeble offers deeper artist control via its node-based graph and physically accurate relighting, but its cloud reliance for core features may deter offline-only teams. It's best for VFX professionals needing fast, controllable AI compositing.
Behind the Verdict
Beeble is a serious tool for VFX professionals who need speed without sacrificing control. The node-based Canvas is its standout feature—you can wire native and external models into a single graph, branch variations, and keep the graph intact. That's a level of compositing flexibility that cloud-only tools like RunwayML don't offer. The VFX Pass Generator extracts production-ready PBR passes (normal, depth, roughness, metallic, specular) from any footage, which saves hours of manual roto and spec work. The 3D Relight editor, recently rebranded from Beeble Editor, now includes video-driven lighting that mirrors DMX and LED-wall signals—a boon for virtual production. However, the major caveat is that Canvas and SwitchX are cloud-only. If your pipeline requires 100% local processing (security, latency, or data sovereignty), you're limited to the Studio version which only offers VFX Pass Generator and 3D Relight locally. The new Team Plan ($16/mo Creator, $60/mo Professional yearly) is reasonably priced for the feature set, but heavy users should watch credit consumption—SwitchX at 1080p costs 10 credits per second. Beeble's integrations with Nuke, Blender, and Unreal are solid, and the community showcases demonstrate real production use cases. Compared to Wonder Studio, Beeble feels more like a professional Nuke plugin than a standalone AI toy, which is both its strength and its limitation.
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Switchlight (Beeble) actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
You receive a plate shot that needs to be relit from night to day and have the background replaced with a CGI environment.
Outcome: Use SwitchX to relight the shot and swap the background while preserving the actor's performance, then fine-tune lighting passes in the 3D Relight editor and export PBR passes for final compositing in Nuke.
You shot a scene on a green screen but need to generate a realistic exterior background and match the lighting.
Outcome: Upload the footage to Background Remover for a clean alpha, use 3D Relight to add an HDRI environment, and generate PBR passes with VFX Pass Generator to hand off to a compositor.
Use Cases
- Relight a night scene to look like a sunny day without reshooting.
- Change the background of a product video to match different brand campaigns.
- Generate 3D PBR passes from a single video for use in game engines.
- Remove and replace backgrounds in footage with clean rotoscoping.
- Transfer the lighting and color grade from a reference image onto your video.
- Composite multiple AI-generated elements using Canvas node-based workflow.
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-07-14
Limitations
- Cloud plans have credit caps: Creator gets 540 credits/month, Professional gets 2400.
- SwitchX and Canvas are cloud- plan only.
- Free tier limits may apply.
- No local processing for SwitchX or Canvas.
as of 2026-07-02
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Switchlight (Beeble) tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Starter (Monthly)
$0
Creator (Yearly)
$16/mo
Ideal for
Freelance VFX artists and indie filmmakers who need commercial use and moderate cloud usage.
What this tier adds
Adds 540 credits, Canvas, SwitchX, and full commercial license compared to Starter.
Professional (Yearly)
$60/mo
Ideal for
Professional VFX artists and small studios requiring longer uploads and higher credit volume.
What this tier adds
2400 credits per month, 1-minute video uploads, and image sequence uploads over Creator.
Team (Custom)
Custom
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Switchlight (Beeble)'s pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Beeble's Creator plan at $16/mo (yearly) is competitive for solo VFX artists who need cloud AI tools, though Wonder Studio's $20/mo plan offers similar video relighting. The Professional plan at $60/mo suits pros needing longer video lengths and image sequence uploads. Studios may find the custom Team plan cost-effective if they need shared credits and admin controls, but it's pricier than RunwayML's $30/mo Pro plan for simpler tasks.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Switchlight (Beeble) — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
For the cloud app, setup takes minutes: create an account, upload footage, and start using Background Remover or 3D Relight immediately. Canvas and SwitchX require a short learning curve (30-60 min) to understand node graphs. The Studio offline install requires downloading the app (Windows/Linux) and a local GPU, but runs without credits.
Switching to or from Switchlight (Beeble)
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From Wonder Studio: export your shots as image sequences and import into Beeble's Background Remover or Canvas for node-based fine-tuning.
- →From RunwayML: download processed clips and re-upload to Beeble for PBR pass extraction and advanced relighting.
- ↗To Nuke: export PBR passes and mattes from Beeble as PNG sequences, then import into Nuke for final compositing.
- ↗To Unreal Engine: generate PBR passes with VFX Pass Generator and use the Beeble Unreal plugin for one-click import.
Integrations
Resources & Guides
Tutorials & Learning
Official links
Tools that pair well with Switchlight (Beeble)
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Switchlight (Beeble), with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Alternatives to Switchlight (Beeble)
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