Autodesk releases free Mac OS X video effects app
Autodesk has released a free video effects app for Mac OS X Lion.
Like the existing Fluid FX app, Motion FX builds on the company’s Maya Fluids technology. But unlike the rather limited – and iOS-only – Fluid FX, it combines the system with a live video feed, enabling users to control the effects or warp the picture in real time.
Given the toolset and the lack of the option to record video, only capture stills, it’s more of a home user tool than a professional one, although Autodesk suggests it could be used for live performance. Fun, though.
PRESS RELEASE (Excerpts)
Autodesk, Inc. released the Autodesk Motion FX app, a free* movement-based video effects app available exclusively for Mac OS X Lion. The app enables users to create smoke, fire and a variety of other fluid effects that react to real-time movements captured on the Mac FaceTime camera.
The Autodesk Motion FX app makes the most of new facial tracking technology and full-screen mode on Mac OS X Lion, as well as Academy Award-winning Autodesk Maya fluid effects technology, to create swirling motion-driven effects in real time. A variety of preset effects are included in the app’s five modes:
Motion Detect: Effects chase movements picked up by the camera
Color Detect: Effects are applied to a user-selected color from the live video
Face Detect: Effects emit from any face visible to the camera
Effect Paint: Users can blaze a trail of vivid effects across a screen using their mouse or trackpad
Video Warp: Users can create amazing effects by warping their video feed in real time
A cycle mode allows effects to automatically transition from one to the other, leaving the user’s hands free to play with motion. Users also can choose to overlay their real-time effects on top of their video feed or perform on a blank canvas.
The Autodesk Motion FX app provides one-click capture for grabbing still images as their dynamic creation unfolds. Support for multiple displays also enables users to control the effects on one screen, while displaying the output on a secondary screen or video projector — perfect for video artists performing before an audience.