Blackmagic Design announced that the public beta of the free version of Fusion 8 is now available for download from the company’s website. This beta is available for both Mac OS X and Windows.
This is the first Mac-compatible release of Fusion, which was previously a Windows-only product. Projects can be easily moved between Mac and Windows versions of Fusion so customers can work on the platform of their choice.
Featuring a node-based interface, Fusion makes it easy to build sophisticated visual effects compositions very quickly. Nodes are small icons that represent effects, filters and other image processing operations that can be connected together in any order to create unlimited visual effects. Nodes are laid out logically like a flow chart, so customers won’t waste time hunting through nested stacks of confusing layers with filters and effects.
With hundreds of built-in tools, customers can pull keys, track objects, rotoscope, retouch images, animate titles and create particle effects, all in a 3D workspace. Fusion can also import 3D models, point cloud data, cameras or even entire 3D scenes from Maya, 3ds Max or Lightwave and render them with other elements. Deep pixel tools can be used to add volumetric fog, lighting and reflection mapping of rendered objects using world position passes so customers can create atmospheric effects that render quickly.
“Since we announced our plans to bring Fusion 8 to Mac OS X, we’ve had a massive response from the creative community,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “This is something that animators, designers and visual effects artists have wanted on the Mac for a very long time. Because it was written specifically for Windows, bringing Fusion to Mac OS X wasn’t just a simple port.”
A beta for the paid version, Fusion 8 Studio, which adds stereoscopic 3D tools and is designed for multi-user workgroups and larger studios, will be available shortly.
