Apple updates Final Cut Pro, Motion and Compressor with new blockbuster features
Apple has just released major updates to its flagship nonlinear video editing software for Mac, Final Cut Pro, and the program’s companion Mac apps, Motion and Compressor.
The updated Final Cut Pro introduces support for 3-D titles, which can be created using built-in templates or designed on the fly with various animations and other customization options. It also features new advanced effects, including the ability to display up to four video scopes simultaneously for more precise color grading and the ability to apply Shape masks to any clip.
Moreover, the new version of Final Cut Pro adds native support for more video formats, including the Panasonic AVC-Ultra codec family, Sony XAVC-S, and JVC H.264 Long GOP. It also features support for RED RAW anamorphic formats and makes for GPU-accelerated RED RAW processing with support for dual GPUs on Mac Pro.
The latest update to Motion extends the new 3-D title feature of Final Cut Pro with the ability to add multiple lights, cameras, tracking, shadows, and reflections to any 3-D title. What’s more, it comes with new 3-D templates from a number of third-party partners, with more templates from new partners coming soon. The update also features 12 new generator effects, improved keyframing, and improved mask and shape creation.
As for Compressor, its latest update makes it easy to package a movie for sale on the iTunes Store, complete with a trailer, closed captions, subtitles, and more. The update also brings encoding improvements, including GPU rendering when using Send to Compressor with support for dual GPUs and hardware-accelerated multi-pass H.264 encoding on compatible systems.
With these updates, professional and amateur movie makers alike are sure to find many things to like.
The new versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Compressor are available now on the Mac App Store as free updates for existing users or as paid downloads for new ones priced at $299.99, $49.99, and $49.99, respectively.
See also: Apple releases the first iOS 8.4 beta featuring a completely revamped Music app, Premium content providers, like HBO Now, only pay Apple a 15 percent cut when users sign-up on the Apple TV, and Health care apps will remind Apple Watch users to take their medication, initiate live doctor visits and more.