Blackmagic Design has announced the release of Fusion 8 and Fusion 8 Studio visual effects and motion graphics software. This version is compatible with Windows and Mac and features a redesigned interface. The apps allow user to “pull keys, track objects, rotoscope, retouch images, animate titles, create amazing particle effects and much more, all in a true 3D workspace”.

Fusion 8 is available as a free download while Fusion 8 Studio has a variety of pricing options from $995.

Press release

Blackmagic Design Announces Fusion 8 and Fusion 8 Studio Are Now Shipping

Fremont, California, USA - April 1, 2016 - Blackmagic Design today announced that both Fusion 8 and Fusion 8 Studio, the world’s most advanced visual effects and motion graphics software, is now shipping and is available for download from the Blackmagic Design website for both Mac OS X and Windows.

The release of Fusion 8 is the first ever Mac compatible release of Fusion, which was previously a Windows only product. Fusion 8 Studio is now also available in 10, 20 or 50 multi user licenses, making it easy to install in larger creative groups and studios. The multi user licenses feature a single USB dongle programmed with multiple licenses that plug into a machine running Fusion Server, which is installed by default with Fusion Studio. Fusion Server manages the licenses across the Ethernet network. That means licenses can be floating and are not tied to any single machine, making it easy to administer in large facilities with lots of users.

Now that Fusion 8 has come to the Mac, high end visual effects are available to even more users than ever before, opening the door to millions of motion graphic artists, broadcast designers, video editors, visual effects compositors, and 3D animators. In addition, projects can be easily moved between Mac and Windows versions of Fusion so customers can work on the platform of their choice. Now, anyone with a Mac or Windows computer can get access to the same high end visual effects tools used by Hollywood’s most elite artists.

Fusion 8 features a more intuitive and modern looking interface that makes it easier for new users to learn how to use the software, while also maintaining the consistency that long time users need to continue working without having to relearn anything. As part of the port to Mac OS X, the underlying architecture in Fusion has been modernized. Now that the port to Mac OS X is complete, the Fusion engineering team will work with the visual effects community to add even more powerful new features and continue modernizing the software’s workflow and user interface.

Fusion has been one of Hollywood’s leading visual effects and motion graphics tools for over 25 years, and has been used on thousands of feature film and television projects, including blockbusters like Thor, Live Die and Repeat, the Hunger Games trilogy, White House Down, Battlestar Galactica and more.

Featuring a powerful node based interface, Fusion makes it extremely 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. Unlike timeline based applications, it’s easy to see and adjust any part of a project in Fusion by simply clicking on a node.

With a massive toolset consisting of hundreds of built in tools, customers can pull keys, track objects, rotoscope, retouch images, animate titles, create amazing particle effects and much more, all in a true 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 seamlessly 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 amazing atmospheric effects that render in seconds, instead of hours.

“Some of the world’s best animators, designers and visual effects artists prefer using the Mac, but their choices for software have been either too limited or too expensive,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “With Fusion 8, there’s finally a true professional, high end way to do motion graphics and create visual effects on the Mac! The improved, modernized code base also means that Fusion runs better on Windows than ever before too! The most exciting part of this release is that the free version now makes high end visual effects and motion graphics available to more people than ever. Projects created with the free Fusion 8 are fully compatible with Fusion 8 Studio, the paid version, making it easy for customers to make the jump when they need to!”

Fusion Versions

Fusion 8 is available in two versions:

Fusion 8 for Mac and Windows is free for customers and is now available to download from the Blackmagic Design website. Fusion 8 is a full professional 3D visual effects and compositing system that is suitable for independent effects, motion graphics, and broadcast design artists. Fusion 8 features integrated 2D and 3D compositing and motion graphics software with a massive toolset featuring paint, rotoscope, titling, animation, multiple keyers, an amazing 3D particle system, advanced keyframing, GPU acceleration, and support for importing and rendering 3D models and scenes from other applications.

Fusion 8 Studio for Mac and Windows is available now from US$995. Fusion Studio has all of the same features as the free version, but also adds advanced optical flow image analysis tools for stereoscopic 3D work, retiming and stabilization. Fusion Studio also includes support for third-party OpenFX plugins, unlimited distributed network rendering, and Generation for studio wide multi user collaboration to track, manage, review and approve shots when working with large creative teams on complex projects.

Availability and Price

Fusion 8 is available today for download from the Blackmagic Design website free of charge. Fusion 8 Studio for Mac OS X and Windows is now available for US$995, as well as in multi user licenses starting from US$8,955 for the 10 user license, US$17,895 for the 20 user license and US$44,495 for the 50 user license from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.