Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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init.py and menu.py decide how every tool, menu, and shortcut loads inside Nuke — and most artists never learn the difference. This free lesson from the Python & AI Integration for Nuke course breaks it down and shows you how to build your own custom menus, nodes, and icons.

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In this lesson you'll learn what each file actually does, when Nuke executes them, how the plugin path works, and how studios — at every size — structure their tools so they load automatically.
By the end you'll be able to:
- Tell init.py and menu.py apart and know which code belongs where
- Read and append to nuke.pluginPath() so Nuke finds your tools
- Use the .nuke home directory the way studios do
- Bundle a tool into a single portable folder
- Add your own menus, sub-menus, commands, custom nodes, and icons


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