Boris FX releases Continuum 11 and Sapphire 11
Originally posted on 10 March 2017. Scroll down for news of the commercial release.
Boris FX has unveiled Continuum 11 and Sapphire 11, the next updates to its collections of effects plugins for common compositing and editing software, adding new features based on its Mocha tracking technology.
Both updates will be previewed at NAB 2017 next month.
The company has also announced Boris FX Suite, a new product bundle comprising Continuum, Sapphire and planar tracking software Mocha Pro, which is already available for purchase.
New in Sapphire 11: integrated Mocha planar tracking
Sapphire 11 – the first update since Boris FX acquired the product from original developer GenArts last year – integrates the Mocha tracking technology inside all of its constituent filters.
Flame users get an additional S_Mocha spark, enabling tracking and stabilisation data to be exported from Mocha directly onto a surface in Flame’s Action toolset.
The update also adds over 50 new presets for Sapphire’s Builder toolset, which enables users to create their own custom effects and transitions. You can see an overview of the new presets in this video.
Boris FX has also made Sapphire’s tools available as nine individual ‘units’, rather than a single product bundle. You can find more details in this story.
New in Continuum 11: Primatte colour keyer, new tools for 360-degree video
New features in Continuum 11 – previously known as Boris Continuum Complete (BCC) – include the popular Primatte chromakeyer, which Boris FX has just licensed from developer Photron.
According to the firm’s press release, all of its products will “benefit from the technology”, although there’s no information on how it will be integrated into anything other than Continuum yet.
Continuum 11 also adds VR Unit, a new module intended for finishing 360-degree video, and based on tech developed for Mocha VR, Imagineer Systems’ VR-ready planar tracking tool, which Boris FX also now owns.
Other changes in Continuum 11 include a new Broadcast Safe filter, designed to format projects to match broadcast standards.
Titling plugin Title Studio gets a new 3D render engine with support for motion blur; a new spline basd motion path for animating multiple objects on one path; and “many more” presets and templates.
In addition, Sonicfire Pro 6, SmartSound Software’s $199 standalone tool for semi-automatically generating soundtracks for projects, is now bundled free with Continuum.
Updated 17 October 2017: Sapphire 11 and Continuum 11 are now shipping. We’ve updated the story above with more details of the new features, and you can read the official release announcement online here.
Pricing and availability
Sapphire 11 and Continuum 11 are available for a range of editing and compositing applications. Pricing for Sapphire 11 starts at $1,695, while Continuum 11 starts at $695.
The new Boris FX Suite bundle has been updated, and now comprises Sapphire 11, Continuum 11 and Mocha Pro 5. MSRPs range from $3,085 for the version for OFX tools like Nuke, to $5,790 for the multi-host version for Adobe, Avid and OFX software. It is currently available at a launch discount.
Read more about Sapphire 11 and Continuum 11 on Boris FX’s website