The big news this week was the
release of macOS Catalina, along with updates to
Final Cut Pro X,
Motion and
Compressor. Details on the new versions of Apple's pro video software is my
lead story today.
While there were almost no new features in the new versions, the real work was under the hood -
improving performance of all three apps. What Apple was really doing is positioning the software for the upcoming release of the 2019 Mac Pro, which features a multi-core CPU and up to four GPUs running in parallel! While Catalina provides base-level support for these features, an app needs to be modified to fully support this level of power.
A caution, though. It is reported that FCPX 10.4.7 in macOS Catalina becomes
completely unresponsive while stuck on rendering media in your timeline.
Here's the link to learn more. (Thanks,
Cee, for the heads-up.)
The new release of
Final Cut Pro X does have a new preference setting, which speaks directly to the new capabilities of the Mac Pro. That's my
second story this week - a look at both Final Cut and the Mac Pro.
Apple was also touting new performance benefits in the latest release of
Compressor. So, this week, I spent a couple of days measuring the performance of the new version and comparing it to
Adobe Media Encoder. The results will surprise you.
Here's the link.
Finally, in Apple's promotional materials for the new Mac Pro, they are talking about real-time support for
8K media!
Sheesh...! My last article looks at "
The Brave New World of 8K Media." A fast computer is a must, but, even MORE important, 8K will force you to rethink all your storage and how it's connected. I think you'll find my
last article, ah, enlightening.
But there is more news this week than just Apple. The team at
BorisFX released
Mocha 2020. The new version offers faster tracking, roto, and powerful new VFX workflows for set extensions, matte painting, and object removes.
Mega Plate allows you to easily generate larger-than-raster image stitches to seriously speed up traditional paint & clone techniques. The
Area Brush Tool applies paint strokes to large tracking areas quickly. And the
OpenColorIO (OCIO) supports more accurate color. Mocha is state-of-the-art when it comes to motion tracking.
Before I wrap up, I want to invite you to join "
The Inside Tips." This new,
free, web-service provides weekly "Tip Letters" filled with tips and techniques for your favorite software. I'll send you a
formal invitation tomorrow, but want to give you a heads-up today. The initial response has been great! The
first Tip Letter -
Final Cut Pro X - starts Wednesday this week.
Premiere follows on Thursday, while
Random Weirdness wraps up each week on Friday. Get in at the beginning - sign-up at
TheInsideTips.com. It's free. It's safe. And I designed it for you.
It's an exciting time and I'm working on some fascinating articles for next week. In the meantime, please visit
TheInsideTips.com and
edit well.
