For those who don’t know the tool: Boris FX Continuum is a multi host VFX plugin set for editors and compositors in Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, Apple Final Cut Pro and Apple Motion, Foundry Nuke, and DaVinci Resolve plus Fusion, with a shared FX Editor and Particle Illusion module.

Deinterlacing that does not feel like archaeology

Continuum 2026.5 adds an ML based deinterlacer called “BCC+ Deinterlace ML”. The idea is to take interlaced material (The bane of archived footage) and output progressive scan frames – the kind of footage you still get handed at the worst possible moment, including analog TV sources and VHS transfers, and it sits in the image restoration lane where you want it.

It also lands next to the classic, non ML deinterlacing option, BCC Deinterlace, which already covers interlaced to progressive conversion and includes options like TeleCine style pulldown and converting 29.97 fps NTSC to 24 fps film style frames. The takeaway: 2026.5 now offers two approaches in the toolbox, and you can pick based on what the clip does when it hits motion, fine detail, and compression.

Four ML models get a tune up, plus a GPU memory bouncer

Continuum updates four ML models: Face ML, License Plate ML (Yes, it’s a thing, and surprisingly useful!), Motion Blur ML, and UpRes ML. Face ML adds nose and neck segmentation, giving the face tool more regions to isolate for beauty work, stylised grading, or targeted fixes. Motion Blur ML adds a prismatic colored blur trails option, which pushes it from pure repair into a more obviously stylised look.

The release also introduces an ML model unload system that automatically removes an unused model from the GPU after a period of inactivity, then reloads it when needed. In day to day work, that aims to reduce the slow creep where multiple ML effects sit on a timeline and quietly claim VRAM, especially when you bounce between shots and forget what still has an ML node enabled. VRAM is too expensive these days to waste it on unused code.

If you rely on masking helpers for cleanup and selective looks, the best advice remains boring and true: test ML updates on your very, very worst footage first, not your demo reel footage. New models can change edges, temporal stability, and failure cases, so validate them before you bake them into a show pipeline.

FX Editor gets better at isolation and color sanity

Continuum’s FX Editor adds an integrated Pixel Chooser workflow for isolating effects within a single layer using shape masks, luminance keys, and AI-driven depth maps. The point is fewer stacked layers and fewer “why is this matte two precomps deep” moments. If your day involves lots of stylisation, glow stacks, lens effects, or targeted distortions, faster isolation saves time and makes revisions less error-prone.

The FX Editor also adds a colour management panel with OpenColorIO colour config presets, plus exposure and gamma sliders. That targets consistency when you jump between host apps or when a project uses a defined colour config, and you want the plugin preview to match the host viewing transform as closely as possible. The panel does not magically solve color management on its own, but it gives you one more place to keep settings aligned instead of eyeballing it.

An info panel provides live RGBA and pixel position readouts. That sounds small until you need to match a graphic element, verify a clamp, or confirm what the effect actually output at a pixel. It is the kind of utilitarian feature that rarely makes marketing art but regularly saves real time.

You will likely see these changes show up first in workflows already living on Pixel Chooser driven isolation, especially for masking heavy looks, selective blurs, and depth based focus tricks. One caution: more control panels also mean more places for mismatched settings, so build a quick checklist for the team and keep it consistent across shots.

Warps and displacements get rebuilt for more control

Continuum 2026.5 overhauls parts of the warp and displacement category. BCC+ Ripple now includes three independent ripples you can adjust separately or globally, plus new waveform shapes and perpendicular height options aimed at advanced distortion looks.

Displacement effects, including BCC+ Displacement Map, BCC+ Polar Displacement, and BCC+ Vector Displacement, gain access to over 1000 built-in displacement maps via the FX Editor, along with RGB separation controls. They also add built-in glitch animation and an integrated Beat Reactor that syncs animation to music. That combination signals an intent to make these effects more preset-friendly while still giving artists enough knobs to art-direct motion without keyframing every wobble.

If you have already used distortions as a finishing pass, the refresh should feel like less fighting for predictable behaviour and more time exploring variations. If you use them as a hero look, plan for a quick reapproval cycle on existing presets, because reworked effects can render slightly differently than older versions.

Wipes learn to take direction, literally

Three wipe transitions add a gradient control: BCC+ Smoke Wipe, BCC+ Texture Wipe, and BCC+ Depth Wipe. The gradient aims to guide direction, focus, and motion so the wipe does not have to hit the entire frame uniformly. Gradient types and radial direction changes live in the FX Editor, so the same place you audition presets becomes the place you shape the transition.

This is the kind of feature that can quietly improve editorial pacing. A wipe that starts where the viewer already looks often feels cleaner than a wipe that bulldozes the whole frame at once. It is also a practical tool for hiding cut pain when you need to blend shots that aaaalllllmoooooost (*Arrrgh*) match.

If you work in multiple hosts, the core appeal remains consistency: the same transition concept travels between apps, so you can rough it in the edit and refine it later without switching tools.

Particle Illusion gets parameter linking that actually helps in production

Particle Illusion inside Continuum, and in the standalone Particle Illusion Pro, gains several upgrades in 2026.5. Parameter linking lets you link parameters across particle nodes, so one change updates all linked nodes. That targets the common problem where a multi-node preset looks great until you tweak one emitter and everything falls out of alignment.

Colour mapping adds gradient mapping modes for more deliberate colour control, including angular, linear, and radial mapping, plus controls for offset and angle. The emphasis is non-random control, which helps when you need art direction rather than happy accidents.

Clone Particle Type links position-related parameters to keep multi-node effects aligned while you adjust looks. Link All Clone Parameters allows retroactive adjustments to existing presets, so you can modernise an older setup without rebuilding node by node.

For motion graphics and comp work, these features read like a direct attempt to make particle presets more editable without breaking. That matters because Particle Illusion thrives on presets, but production survives on revisions.

About one third into your tests, try pushing a complex preset harder than you normally would. If the links hold under aggressive changes, you can trust them in real jobs. If they break, you at least learn where the limits are before a client does.

Presets, performance, and the usual upgrade math

Continuum 2026.5 adds more than 150 new presets across categories, including Blur, Lens, Particle Illusion, Stylise, Title Studio, Transitions, and Warp. Several existing effects gain new parameters, including BCC+ Scanline and multiple dissolve variants tied to ripple and displacement. Beat Reactor also extends to more effects.

Title Studio receives improvements and adds 70 new drag-and-drop presets. If you rely on Title Studio as a fast title lane inside an NLE or comp host, more responsive performance and a refreshed library tend to matter more than a single marquee feature.

Pricing stays in the same model family: subscriptions, upgrade and support plans, and perpetual licenses. Subscriptions start at $325 per year or $48 per month. Customers on a Continuum subscription or upgrade and support plan, or the Boris FX Suite subscription, receive 2026.5 as a complimentary update.

As always, run a proper production-style bake-off before you roll it out. Test archival interlace conversions, stress the ML tools on tough edges, and verify that existing presets render consistently across your key hosts.

https://borisfx.com/products/continuum/

The post Boris FX Continuum 2026.5 tunes AI and FX Editor first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

InstaMAT Studio is out now – a layer-based painting and node-based authoring tool in the same general category as Substance 3D tools like Substance 3D Painter, Substance 3D Designer, and Substance 3D Sampler, with integrations into common DCCs and engines including 3ds Max, Blender, Maya, Unity, and Unreal Engine.

What changes in 2026 is the set of levers available for high-precision, iteration-friendly detailing. Curves Brushes move detail painting toward an editable, control-point workflow. Lazy Stroke helps freehand lines behave. Radial symmetry adds a new patterning tool. Masking and mesh filters expand geometry-aware selection and effects. The new toolbar and hotkeys aim to keep artists in flow instead of chasing settings panels.

And yes, your first experiment should probably be those curve-driven panel lines that always look great right up until the model changes. This time, the system is explicitly designed so the detail survives that upstream change.

Curves Brushes: strokes that stay alive

Curves Brushes let you create editable curve paths on the mesh, using control points rather than a one-and-done freehand stroke. Those curves remain editable after creation, including moving and refining control points, and transforming an entire curve as a unit by translating, rotating, or scaling the path.

A single curves layer can hold multiple curves, and their painting sequence can be reordered. Curves can also be set to erase instead of paint, and they can be closed to form continuous shapes from end point to end point.

Control points support different point types, including linear, symmetrical, smooth, and cusp, with a Joint Smooth setting to control how sharp or fluid the transitions are between segments. Each control point also supports per-point settings for radius, falloff, flow, and rotation, enabling effects such as tapering and gradual fading along the curve.

Curves can orient brush strokes along the path, so details follow the curve’s flow rather than fighting it. Curves also support dynamics for randomised size, flow, rotation, and position to add variation without manually wiggling your wrist into submission. The Curves workflow uses a GPU-accelerated 3D painting engine and does not rely on mesh UVs. The stated result is that curves remain intact even when topology or UV layout changes, which is framed as especially useful for repeating high-precision details such as panel lines, seams, stitches, and decorative elements.

Lazy stroke smoothing, now built in

Alongside Curves, InstaMAT 2026 adds Lazy Stroke, a brush-smoothing feature designed to dampen shaky-hand input and cursor jitter. When enabled, the brush follows the cursor with a delay set by a configurable radius, producing smoother lines for precision freehand painting. The feature is positioned for tasks such as smooth linework, organic patterns, and fine-detail passes where jitter becomes visible in the final maps. If you have ever zoomed in to paint one confident line and instead produced a seismograph reading, Lazy Stroke is aimed squarely at that moment. Try it, then decide if it belongs in production.

Symmetry upgrades: radial joins planar

Radial symmetry painting is new in InstaMAT 2026, enabling repeating brush instances around a central axis. The symmetry axis can be set to X, Y, or Z, the number of repeated instances is configurable, and the angle span can cover full 360 degree patterns or partial arcs. The plane origin is also customizable, allowing the symmetry center to be placed where it is needed on the asset.

Planar symmetry painting is also described as significantly improved. The symmetry plane can be offset to a custom position on any of the three world axes, plane visibility can be customised, and there is an option to mirror the brush on the opposite side of the plane. Symmetry accuracy is described as improved even when painting on meshes that are not exactly symmetrical, targeting the real-world scenario where characters and props have small asymmetries and deformations.

Masking: normals, submesh size, and raytraced AO

InstaMAT 2026 extends its mask set with new workflows aimed at isolating geometry features without hand-selecting everything. The new Mesh Normal Mask can isolate parts of a mesh based on polygon normals and an angle tolerance. The workflow is click-based: click a region, and the mask selects surfaces with similar normal directions. Multiple chosen areas can be defined within a single mask, and tolerance can be adjusted per point. The mask is described as UV independent and stable across topology or UV changes.

The Mesh Submesh Mask can mask submeshes by size and distance, targeting scenes with many similarly sized objects where manual isolation is tedious. There is also a Mesh Ambient Occlusion Mask described as using raytracing to generate occlusion-based selections for isolating crevices, corners, and recessed areas.

Mesh filters and nodes: mirror, bevel normals, drips, and smoothing

A batch of mesh-oriented effects and nodes are listed as part of the 2026 update. Mesh Laplacian smoothing arrives as an option in the Mesh Smooth node, described as producing a more unified surface while better preserving mesh volume compared to traditional smoothing methods that can shrink geometry. The described use cases include cleaning scan data, removing photogrammetry noise, and refining sculpted details while preserving silhouette.

Mesh Mirror can mirror decals, masks, and entire layers, and it can be applied to a layer group to mirror complex effect and mask combinations.

Mesh Bake Bevel Normals is a node for beveling low poly asset edges using a GPU-accelerated bevel normals baker, with procedural masking for selecting which objects or edges to bevel. The behavior is described as procedural, so bevel placement remains correct if the input mesh topology or UVs change.

Mesh Directional Blur is presented as a way to create leak and drip effects by blurring in a specific direction in 3D space, keeping directionality consistent across the mesh surface regardless of UV layout or texture resolution. It includes distortion and falloff controls.

Additional mesh features listed include Mesh Solidify for solidification to prevent rendering artifacts, Mesh Sharpen for definition and detail clarity, and a Mesh Stylized Filter for non-photorealistic texturing options.

InstaMAT UI and workflow: less hunting, more painting

InstaMAT 2026 introduces a dedicated painting toolbar intended to centralise common controls. The toolbar provides quick access to brush and curve settings, including radius, flow, rotation, Lazy Stroke radius, symmetry, and curve-specific controls. It is described as dynamic, updating based on the active layer type so only relevant options are displayed.

There is also a dedicated brush rotation hotkey, described as Cmd or Ctrl+Shift with a left-mouse drag, to rotate the brush, aiming to reduce interruptions during stroke work.

Viewport and gizmo changes include planar translation gizmos for moving a mesh, effect, or mask along two axes at once, plus custom viewport wireframe settings for width and color, and a viewport shortcut overlay that displays hotkeys while painting, using curves, and using the paint projector.

Mesh import settings add options to configure mesh up axis and coordinate system handedness for asset texturing projects.

Integrations: Blender, Unreal, 3ds Max, Maya

The release notes list updates for several integration plugins tied to the latest https://docs.instamat.io/en/Products/InstaMAT_Studio release.

InstaMAT_for_UnrealEngine lists support for Unreal Engine 5.7.3, plus fixes for crashes when creating invalid graph instances, and fixes for broken materials and mesh orientations for Scene outputs. Library previews are added for Mesh-type Graphs and Graph Instances.

Blender integration notes include support for the latest Studio release, improved performance when setting mesh as a graph input, improved performance when resetting graph instance inputs, and fixes for plugin stalls when creating faulty graph instances. Library grid UX is adjusted with fixed cell width, and search results quality is described as improved.

3ds Max integration notes list support for the latest Studio release and a fix for the plugin getting stuck when creating faulty graph instances, plus window icons changed to match the main menu.

Maya integration notes list support for the latest Studio release, improved mesh-as-input performance, fixes for plugin stalls on faulty graph instances, and a fix for incorrect exported textures when using the export dialog window.

InstaMAT Licensing and pricing: what the numbers say

InstaMAT licensing is split across tiers with revenue or funding caps stated for some options. The Pioneer license is free and fully featured with commercial-use rights, with availability limited to individuals or businesses with annual revenue or total funding less than 100,000 US dollars, and it requires attribution.

The Indie license is available for individuals or businesses under 250,000 US dollars in annual revenue or total funding, with an option at 8 US dollars per month billed annually, and a perpetual Indie price shown at 489 US dollars. For Pro, the pricing page lists a Pro subscription shown at 36 US dollars per month billed annually, and a perpetual Pro license shown at 989 US dollars.

If you are evaluating the tool for a pipeline, test it against real assets, real render targets, and real deadlines before it touches a production branch. New tooling should earn trust with results, not promises.

Finally, keep an eye on how the new mesh filters slot into your existing material graph habits. Directional blur for drips in 3D space, procedural bevel normals, and AO-based masking can remove steps that otherwise happen in separate tools. If it holds up, it reduces context switching. If it does not, at least you learned it on a duplicate branch instead of the hero asset.

Also, do not skip the boring step: validate exports, naming conventions, and texture packing against your engine ingest rules before you fall in love with a shiny new brush. The most dangerous bug is the one that looks like a style choice until delivery day.

InstaMAT Test: Painting, Procedurals and Pasta

The post Abstract ships InstaMAT 2026 Curves Brushes first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Manuel Kotulla.

For those who don’t know the tool: Beeble is a cloud-based VFX relighting platform. Its new SwitchX adds generative background and lighting changes inside the same web app, not as a DCC plug-in.

Backgrounds first, everything else optional

Beeble has introduced SwitchX, a generative video feature designed to make background and lighting changes straightforward while keeping the main subject intact. SwitchX allows artists to replace environments, adjust lighting, and modify elements such as props or costumes while preserving the recognisable appearance of the subject. The core idea is simple: switch the world around the subject without altering what matters. The tool runs entirely inside the Beeble cloud application. No desktop version or direct host integration is mentioned in the official material.

A simple cloud workflow

The workflow centres on ease of use. Users upload a video or image to the Beeble web app. SwitchX automatically detects the main subject, and an interactive masking tool is available for finer control. A reference image is then added to define the new background, lighting and mood. The system analyses the footage frame by frame and pixel by pixel to guide the generation process and maintain temporal consistency.

In a few minutes, SwitchX can generate a 2K video with a new background, updated lighting, shadows and adjusted camera perspective. Identity, facial characteristics and audio sync are intended to remain intact. The exact pixel dimensions, codec and colour pipeline are not specified.

Relighting and environment reshaping

Beyond swapping backgrounds, SwitchX enables relighting of entire scenes. Mood, time of day or genre can be shifted by adjusting lighting conditions through the reference image. Props, costumes and set elements can also be modified. The material describes physically correct light interaction, though no technical definition or rendering model is detailed.

The launch video on YouTube demonstrates examples such as turning an everyday room into a studio-style setting or placing a subject into a city street environment. These examples illustrate aesthetic possibilities rather than measured performance data. Camera perspective adjustments are mentioned, but it is not clarified whether these involve 3D reconstruction or 2D approximations. There is no information about depth passes, AOV export or multilayer output.

Output and beta access

SwitchX produces 2K output in the cloud. The term crisp is used descriptively, without technical metrics. Bit depth, colour space, HDR support and ACES compatibility are not specified. The transcript of the launch video notes that SwitchX is available for free during a beta period. Pricing beyond beta is not included in the official announcement. There is no detail on render limits, clip length restrictions or commercial licensing terms.

Data handling, encryption and storage policies are not addressed in the provided material. Studios working with sensitive footage will need to confirm these aspects directly with Beeble.

Practical take

SwitchX focuses on easy background switching combined with relighting, delivered as a cloud-based video-to-video service. It promises consistent 2K output in minutes and aims to minimise flicker and drift. Whether it meets production tolerances will depend on shot complexity and delivery standards. As with any AI-driven tool entering a post pipeline, thorough testing is essential before committing to client work.

https://beeble.ai/research/switchx

The post Beeble SwitchX focuses on easy background swaps first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Continuum 2025.5 introduces two new AI-driven masking tools to Mocha and the Pixel Chooser interface: Object Brush ML and Matte Assist ML. With Object Brush ML, artists can click and paint over an object to generate editable splines automatically—no manual keyframing required. Matte Assist ML pushes automation further by segmenting a matte from a single frame and animating it over time. The tools streamline isolation for color correction, stylized FX, or patchwork, cutting down the usual masking grind to a few seconds of brushwork.

The new BCC+ Depth Map ML estimates depth from 2D footage using machine learning, outputting a grayscale depth matte. Users can toggle between two model types—performance or detail—and refine results with matte controls. The resulting depth map is usable for depth-of-field FX, transitions, or as groundwork for compositing tasks where a z-buffer would normally be missing in action.

BCC+ Frame Fixer ML deals with damaged, missing, or corrupted frames. It leverages AI to intelligently interpolate and replace frames within a specified range. The tool is effective even under strobe-heavy conditions, such as paparazzi flashes or compression artifacts. No need to patch by hand—just define the affected range and let it clean up the chaos.

BCC+ ST Map is a GPU-accelerated warper for remapping pixels using external ST (UV) map images. Whether loaded from disk or sourced from the timeline, the ST Map directs how footage is distorted based on image color data. It comes with a Watch Folder for managing maps and includes metadata overlays for better asset tracking. The result: warped footage without the warping headache—ideal for custom transitions and advanced distortion work.

FX Editor, Vignette, and Particle Illusion Tweaks

FX Editor playback is now 2x faster for 8-bit 4K content. BCC+ Vignette gets a new Blend Mode option for more nuanced application. Particle Illusion adds camera animation presets and updates its emitter library for faster dynamic effect generation.

8K Support in Title Studio

Title Studio, the integrated 3D titler, now handles resolutions up to 8K across all supported hosts. Whether you’re punching out text for broadcast or cinematic title cards, the tool ensures sharp, scalable vector results across large-format workflows.

Availability and Pricing

Continuum 2025.5 is compatible with After Effects, Premiere Pro, Media Composer, DaVinci Resolve, and VEGAS Pro (As well as OFX). Pricing starts a $99/month (all hosts, no yearly contract), or even perpetual licenses, starting at $970, with free access for users on an active support or subscription plan. Visit the official product page for more.

As always, test all updates thoroughly before deploying in production environments. New tools are powerful—but so is Murphy’s Law.

The post Continuum 2025.5 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.