At NAB today, Pinnacle Systems announced the availability of a new version of the professional video effects tool, Commotion. Version 3.0 marks the first version shipped by Pinnacle, which recently acquired Puffin Designs. According to Pinnacle:
Commotion 3.0 Key New Features
Timeline and Keyframing - Includes full controls for compositing, sorting, and keyframing multi-layer moving images. Users can combine an unlimited number of layers using Adobe Photoshop-compatible blend modes. Additionally, the compositing engine features the highest-quality motion blur available, with pixel-accurate motion blur to achieve the most photo-real rendering of motion.
Composite Previews - Preview and move independent layers with direct controls over, position, scale, and rotation. NTSC and PAL preview output support is included with support for the built-in FireWire ports on Apple's G3 and G4 systems or select Pinnacle Systems capture products.
Two-Way Paint - Paint on a clip and see immediate results in the Composite Preview window. Paint can also be applied directly in the Composite view and results will also appear in the clip. All paint tools are WYSIWYG (what you see what you get). Elements can be cloned between layers and frames using Commotion's SuperClone tools, and the brushes are sub-pixel accurate.
Super Cache Disk Playback - SuperCache disk playback extends the RAM playback capabilities of previous versions of Commotion to include playback from disk. Using a suitable RAID 0 disk array, with just two Ultra2 SCSI drives, playback long clips that will not fit into RAM. By combining paint and compositing with disk based playback, Commotion 3.0 improves workflow and delivers the optimal environment for creative work.
Effects Filters - Commotion Pro 3.0 includes over 75 effects filters. Primatte Keyer generates highly accurate mattes by isolating images from any colored background and eliminates spill, corrects imprecise edges, and captures fine details such as hair or image reflections using direct sampling. Composite Wizard filters include automated color correction, blur and feather edges, and the ability to remove unwanted artifacts such as speckles, dust, or holes. Image Lounge includes style tools for great text and motion graphics effects. Included in the set of filters are fractal particle systems to simulate natural elements such as fire, smoke, and water, shadows, displacement, and accurate camera blur.
Commotion 3.0 is scheduled to ship by the end of May early February, and will be available for US$1,995. You can find more information at the Puffin Designs web site.
