Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 4, 2017. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Fusion, the former Windows-only compositing flagship, has been available for Windows, Linux and MacOS since the last version. This is relevant because Blackmagic Design has managed to obtain ProRes certification from Apple.
Fusion 9 can therefore now handle all relevant formats alongside ProRes and DNxHR (hint: Mxf), and the Pro version can decode and encode ProRes on Windows and Linux and, of course, Apple devices. This secures its solid place in Resolve, Avid, Premiere, FCP and essentially all other pipelines. In the free verison, all formats can be decoded, and only Mac devices can encode. Fusion would thus be one of the most cost-effective transcoding solutions for ProRes on Windows and Linux systems.
Three areas received special attention in the update: The new planar tracker was adapted to track flat objects for replacements or for roto. Completely new is the camera tracker, which analyzes camera movement in the footage – and the tracker also handles lens metadata for framing, focal length and so on – all already built in and included. Analysis of focal length and lens distortion is even performed automatically. The new Delta Keyer is fresh from development and brings a complete set of Matte Finesse Controls as well as a new Clean Plate Tool that can even handle live footage.
This live capability benefits the next major innovation: the VR toolbox. It includes all the important functions, from real-time—stereo correction to a built-in 3D viewport and export to Fbx, 3ds, Alembic, Collada and many other data formats, as well as possible live VR productions (we are working on a story). Rendering in Fusion uses both Nvidia and AMD GPUs. 2D image processing is also OpenCL-ready.
For multi-user workstations (So, studios….) the Studio Player now comes into play – with a playlist, storyboard, a playable timeline, versioning, notes and annotations, LUT support and much more, you can play out wherever you want, from the workstation to cinema approval. The Studio Player can also simply output via Decklink and Ultrastudio end devices, making playback possible on any device, regardless of where the customer wants to hold the approval session.
As soon as the Studio Player is on a server with an internet connection, it can also synchronize worldwide, and a “Bin Server” can keep all assets ready for everyone – without every workstation having to download everything.
This network can also be used for rendering – for studios, this means that the individual render nodes are available free of charge – the pricing model here seems to be that you purchase a single license and install it on as many machines as you like, which then function as render nodes.
And anyone now thinking, “Fusion was always a bit Expensive” – the price of the Fusion 9 Studio version, which has everything built in, will be around 3OO euros – comparable to Resolve Studio. There is also a free version, although it can only export ProRes on the Mac and is somewhat limited in terms of keyers and trackers.
