For those who don’t know the tool, SynthEyes from Boris FX is a standalone 3D camera-tracking and matchmove application used in VFX pipelines. It exports to major DCC and compositing tools and sits upstream of layout, animation, and comp, quietly solving cameras so others can focus on lighting.

Boris FX has announced SynthEyes 2026 with a faster, more responsive camera solve release aimed at reducing iteration cycles and workflow interruptions in feature film and high end streaming projects. The update introduces a Mocha Point Tracker, Live Preview for geometric hierarchy solving, user interface revisions and expanded USD support. According to the company, the release is shaped by user feedback and focuses on daily production tasks rather than broad architectural changes.

Faster supervised tracking

As shots become more complex, trackers require more manual attention. Rapid camera moves, whip pans and motion blur increase the likelihood of drift or failure. But a classical point tracker operates by defining a small target area and a larger search area. On each frame, the tracker searches for the target area’s pixel pattern within the search region by scanning left, right, up, and down. This works reliably when the camera is locked off or moves in a controlled manner on a dolly, gimbal or tripod.

The limitation is that a standard RGB point tracker does not inherently account for rotation or scale changes in the pattern over time. These are affine transformations: translation, rotation, scaling, and shear. If the tracked feature rotates or changes size significantly, the tracker may drift or lose the pattern entirely.

SynthEyes provides options such as updating the reference frame at defined intervals. However, between those reference updates, the tracker still searches primarily by translation, allowing drift to accumulate. In shots with strong rotation or scale change, this can result in unstable supervised tracks and broken solves.

For these scenarios, SynthEyes 2026 introduces the Mocha Point Tracker. The feature leverages Mocha’s planar tracking technology under the hood directly into the supervised tracking workflow. The goal is to combine the robustness of planar tracking with the point data required for camera solving.

Planar brain, point output

Planar trackers are designed to compensate for rotation, scale and other affine transformations across a defined surface patch. Instead of following a single pixel pattern, they analyse the motion of a planar region.

The Mocha Point Tracker tracks a small planar patch and returns the coordinates of the centre of that patch as point tracking data. In practical terms, artists still obtain a single 2D point suitable for solving, but that point is derived from a planar solve rather than an RGB comparison.

In the user interface, switching a tracker from the traditional RGB mode to Mocha Point Tracker updates the tracker controls without launching Mocha. The planar patch can be reshaped freely. Corners can be adjusted individually, and the centre point can be offset by holding Shift while dragging.

The planar patch does not need to remain a strict rectangle. Artists can enlarge it to capture more contrast detail, for example, around the edges of an architectural feature. During tracking, the patch visibly rotates and scales with the image content, while the returned centre point remains tightly locked.

This behaviour addresses a core limitation of classical point trackers: Because the planar patch models translation, rotation, scale and affine deformation, it remains stable under perspective and motion changes that would cause a standard tracker to drift.

Parameters for unruly shots

The Mocha Point Tracker includes adjustable parameters for more demanding material. By default, each tracker automatically determines how much of the initial pattern must be visible in subsequent frames before continuing. This percentage threshold can be manually adjusted.

Users can also select different motion models. The default model is 2D TRSA, which stands for Translation, Rotation, Scale, and Affine. Alternative models constrain the tracked motion to fewer parameters. For heavy perspective change, a 3D Perspective model is available.

All models ultimately return single-point data, but they use different internal motion assumptions to generate that data. In addition, advanced controls allow users to increase the expected per-frame rotation and scale change. By default, SynthEyes expects up to one degree of rotation and half a per cent scale change per frame. These limits can be raised for more aggressive camera movement. These advanced controls are typically unnecessary, as the planar tracking approach is quite forgiving at default values, but who knows what happened on set? Sometimes it is best not to ask.

Mixing tracker types

SynthEyes continues to support mixing different tracker types within a single supervised tracking setup. The Mocha Point Tracker is particularly useful for bridging gaps where feature trackers fail. In such cases, adding larger planar patches can help maintain continuity across problematic frames, enabling a continuous solve where feature tracking alone breaks down.

This highlights a workflow caveat: When combining two Mocha Point Trackers into a single tracker, SynthEyes first converts them into classical point trackers before merging. This avoids merging two planar patches directly, which would be unstable. After conversion, the resulting track retains point data but no longer allows modification of the original planar patch.

Boris FX positions the Mocha Point Tracker as a complementary tool rather than a replacement. Traditional RGB trackers remain better suited for manual frame by frame adjustments, where artists may need to babysit a track through occlusions. The supervised tracking system is designed to allow mixing and matching tracker types as needed.

In short, when the camera behaves politely, classical point tracking remains efficient. When it does not, the Mocha Point Tracker offers a planar fallback inside the same workflow, without requiring artists to leave SynthEyes. If neither works, demand reshoots.

Real time GeoH feedback

SynthEyes 2026 introduces Live Preview for geometric hierarchy, referred to as “GeoH”. Live Preview is a toggleable checkbox located above the axis lock controls in the GeoH interface. When enabled, the GeoH setup dynamically adjusts while users manipulate trackers and selected parameters.

With Live Preview active, artists can adjust trackers, focal length and distortion parameters and see the hierarchy update instantly in the current frame. The primary use case described by Boris FX is tracker adjustment. Instead of replaying the shot after every modification, the result is visible immediately.

In addition, the feature operates hierarchically. Users could typically enable Live Preview on the object level where downstream elements should animate in real time. For example, activating it on a shoulder joint would allow the arm chain beneath it to update in real time. In practice, it can also be enabled on the topmost root object if required.

In current builds, enabling Live Preview highlights the affected hierarchy in yellow, providing visual feedback about which nodes are active. This is particularly useful in larger hierarchies where dependencies can become difficult to track.

But why?

The system updates without requiring repeated play-stop-check cycles. Users can move trackers, adjust seed positions, tweak pivots, unlock or rebalance axes and modify lens or offset parameters while seeing the result immediately. You can think of GeoH in SynthEyes as a lightweight rigging system inside the tracking environment. Objects are created at mesh pivots and parented hierarchically. Animation channels must be explicitly unlocked before they can be driven by trackers or mesh deformation. Locked parameters remain static.

A typical workflow involves creating a GeoH object from a mesh, branching joints from parent nodes, adjusting pivots in Edit Pivots mode and painting vertex weights to define influence regions. Trackers can then be parented under specific GeoH objects, with seed points projected onto the mesh to drive animation.

With Live Preview enabled on a GeoH object, moving a tracker updates the mesh deformation or joint rotation immediately in the viewport. The effect is comparable to interactive rig manipulation in DCC applications, with the mesh responding as trackers are repositioned.

Before finalising animation for export, users should disable Live Preview on all relevant nodes and then play through the shot so that the animation is fully realised. This step ensures the resulting keyframes are baked from the tracked motion. Or, don’t do that, and we’ll see what happens :) Jokes aside, the feature should cut iteration time by at least one order of magnitude.

SynthEyes Special: The Interface refresh begins

The 2026 release marks the beginning of a “multi-phase user interface modernisation”. The current update focuses on the left panel and room navigation – one thing after the other. Boris states that improved labelling, more consistent layout and interaction behaviour, and a clearer visual structure are intended to enhance discoverability and daily usability. At the same time, existing workflows and muscle memory are said to be preserved.

The changes are positioned as incremental rather than disruptive. Advanced users are expected to retain familiar workflows, while first-time users may find the application more approachable. Because, as good as Syntheyes is, the Interface was always a bit … particular.

USD moves upstream

And another thing: SynthEyes 2026 expands USD support, allowing USD assets and scenes in the application. Users can import individual meshes or full USD scenes while preserving hierarchy, cameras, lights, animation and metadata, including parent-child relationships and transforms. USDZ assets import with embedded textures intact.

Whole scene transforms and STMaps

A new Whole Scene Transform mode allows scale, rotation or translation to be applied to the entire scene, including cameras, objects, trackers and meshes, while preserving relative motion and solve integrity.

This mode is intended for late-stage adjustments, including multi-camera projects. The company states that relative motion and solve integrity remain intact, though no technical detail is provided on the underlying implementation.

Distortion map export, commonly referred to as STMap export, is now integrated directly into the standard Export menu and the Multi Export system. This enables distortion data to be generated alongside other outputs in a single export pass rather than as a separate step. STMaps are commonly used in compositing to apply or remove lens distortion via UV maps. Integrating STMap export into the main export pipeline reduces the number of discrete export operations required.

Pricing and availability

SynthEyes remains a standalone application. Subscription, perpetual, upgrade and support renewal options are available. Pricing starts at 325 USD per year or 62 USD per month. Customers with an active SynthEyes or Boris FX Suite subscription, or with an upgrade and support plan, receive the 2026 release as a complimentary update.

Further details are available via the SynthEyes product page on the Boris FX website.

As with any update that affects solving, hierarchy behaviour or export fidelity, new tools and innovations should be tested before use in production.

// SynthEyes 2026 What’s New
// https://borisfx.com/products/syntheyes/whats-new/

The post SynthEyes 2026 Speeds Up first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For those who don’t know the tool: SynthEyes by Boris FX is a dedicated 3D camera tracking and matchmoving software used across film, VFX, and advertising production. It interfaces smoothly with Nuke, After Effects, Fusion and other DCC applications, delivering fast, precise solves for integration of CG into live action. Part of the Boris FX Suite, SynthEyes sits alongside tools such as Mocha Pro, Continuum, Sapphire, and Silhouette, forming a tightly integrated pipeline of visual effects and finishing plugins.

Free matchmove mastery – for a limited time

Boris FX has announced SynthEyes Essentials, a new training series designed to teach both the conceptual foundations and practical workflows of matchmoving in SynthEyes. The package, usually priced at USD 95, is available as a free premium download until 31 December 2025.

The offer includes over three hours of professional instruction, spread across eighteen videos, with accompanying project files and sample footage. The series is taught by Boris FX product specialist Christoph Zapletal, a long-time VFX artist and trainer – and Digital Production’s own Compositing, Flame and Star trek Author.

Topics include matchmove theory, camera solving, AI-assisted workflows, roto masking, lens distortion management, mesh generation, and object tracking. Boris FX positions the series as a comprehensive, concept-driven training rather than a feature-by-feature tutorial. If you want to learn what you are doing, and not just which button to press, this is the course for you.

What do you get?

Across eighteen lessons and twelve blocks, SynthEyes Essentials builds a structured learning path from theory to application. It starts with conceptual understanding, progresses through tracking, solving, calibration, and ends with practical export and integration workflows. Each block is designed to be modular, allowing artists to focus on specific parts of the matchmove process or follow the series sequentially for a full onboarding to SynthEyes.

Foundations and Core Concepts

The course opens with an Introduction and a clear explanation of the Underlying Concepts of matchmoving. These first lessons establish the theoretical foundation of what camera solving actually does, namely mapping 2D image data into a consistent 3D coordinate space. Christoph outlines how SynthEyes interprets motion, focal length, and parallax, giving artists a solid base before they begin working hands-on. This section sets the tone for the entire training: conceptual understanding first, tools second.

Tracking Workflows

Once the principles are clear, the series moves into practical tracking. Lessons on Automated Tracking and Supervised Tracking demonstrate SynthEyes’ two primary approaches to extracting tracking data. Automated tracking covers point generation and solving for shots that can be processed algorithmically. The supervised section focuses on when and how to step in manually: tuning track points, correcting drift, and controlling motion paths when the automated system struggles. Together, these chapters establish a complete understanding of tracking strategies for real production footage.

Solving and Refinement

The next stage is “The Solver Room”, where all the accumulated tracking data is converted into a working 3D solve. The solver section demonstrates how SynthEyes interprets the camera’s path and reconstructs the scene’s geometry. The training then introduces Roto Masking, showing how to isolate moving foreground elements or exclude unwanted regions from the tracking process. This not only improves accuracy but also keeps solves stable in complex or occluded shots.

Lens and Calibration

Zapletal then focuses on optical parameters in three consecutive chapters: Lens Distortion, Lens Calculation, and Lens Calibration. These lessons explain how real-world lenses introduce distortion, how SynthEyes models and compensates for it, and how to calculate or calibrate lenses from footage or reference data. This block is particularly useful for artists working with varying cameras or mixed-format source material, where lens data is inconsistent or missing.

Coordinate Systems and Scene Setup

The two lessons titled Coordinate Systems Part 1 and Part 2 explain how SynthEyes handles scene orientation, scale, and alignment. Understanding coordinate spaces is crucial when exporting solves to downstream 3D applications such as Nuke or Maya. These chapters ensure that solved data lines up correctly with CG scenes and compositing environments, avoiding scale and rotation mismatches in later stages of production.

Mesh Generation

The Mesh Generation Part 1 and 2 chapters explore SynthEyes’ built-in mesh tools. Artists learn how to create proxy geometry that helps verify solves, anchor objects in space, and visualise tracking quality. These lessons demonstrate both automated and manual mesh workflows, preparing users for typical use cases like ground plane setup or background modelling for compositing reference.

Object Tracking

Next, Object Tracking Part 1 and Part 2 move beyond camera solves to show how SynthEyes handles independent object motion. This section is key for shots with multiple moving elements—cars, props, or handheld devices. It explains how to isolate and track objects independently while maintaining a consistent world space between multiple solves.

Export and Integration

The final three chapters deal with transferring the finished solve to other applications. Zapletal demonstrates exporting cameras, point clouds, meshes, and nulls to standard 3D and compositing packages. Topics include export format choices, scaling conventions, and verification of data integrity. The course closes with best practices for integrating SynthEyes results into downstream VFX or editing pipelines.

Availability and next steps

Artists can download SynthEyes Essentials for free via the Boris FX webshop until the end of December 2025. From 1 January 2026, it will be priced at USD 95 for the premium download, though the videos will remain freely viewable on the Boris FX website. As with any training-based workflow adoption, users are advised to validate techniques and settings against their own production data before deploying in critical pipeline stages, but, after we have seen a few of the videos, this one will be useful for pretty much everybody.

The post SynthEyes Essentials Training is here and Free for the Holidays first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The 2026 edition of Sapphire refines Boris FX’s long-standing effects suite with new filmic textures, advanced transitions and workflow improvements. The focus: creative control with physical authenticity. Let’s go throug the new tools!

FilmBurn: The analogue heartbeat

The new S_FilmBurn effect reconstructs the look of “over”non-traditionally”-exposed film using high-resolution scans of damaged celluloid. Instead of overlaying stock footage, the plugin generates procedural flashes, flares, and edge burns entirely within Sapphire.

Artists can combine multiple light bursts, tune flicker frequency, and shape each flash’s hue and softness. Additional modules replicate scratches, dust, grain, hairs, leader markings and sprocket edges. Each component is independently keyframeable and blendable via combine modes such as Add or Overlay.

Presets like Silver Halide or Sepia Sulfide emulate specific chemical film responses, while the FilmBurn Transition version extends the look into motion edits, replacing hard cuts with organic light wipes. The effect is available across all major Sapphire hosts.

MochaWhip: Motion with precision

MochaWhip Transition fuses Mocha’s AI-based masking with Sapphire’s Whiplash engine to deliver tracked, subject-aware whip edits. Foreground and background motion can be driven separately, allowing smooth hand-offs between clips. The transition suits fast-cut sequences and stylised energy transitions, integrating directly into the host without pre-compositing. And, you know, Mochas excellent Mask ML.

Pro Lens Flares: Eight new optical models

Sapphire 2026 adds eight handcrafted flares based on real cinematic lenses. The collection includes strong anamorphic streaks, diffused bloom effects and chromatic internal reflections. Each preset maintains physically-plausible flare fall-off and spectral behaviour, designed for both realism and stylised grading work. Use those as a ready preset, or change them to your needs.

Grunge Stamps: Real-world texture capture

The S_Grunge module expands with new scanned materials: oil paint, chalk, ink, sponge and other tactile surfaces. These high-resolution “stamps” supply a physical texture base for titles, motion graphics and surface distress work.

Effect Builder: Easier visual logic

The Effect Builder receives one of its most practical updates yet. Parameter links, the connections driving relationships between nodes, are now visually displayed. Lines appear between linked parameters, colour-coded to indicate driver and driven nodes. Hovering reveals contextual data about what controls what. This seemingly minor change significantly improves readability for complex, multi-node setups.

The Builder also consolidates preset browsing across all Sapphire effects. Users can search, tag and favourite looks globally, or isolate only those marked “new” for the 2026 release. Presets can be edited or rebuilt from scratch, then shared seamlessly between hosts. Parameters exposed in one application remain intact in another, enabling consistent pipelines across Avid, Adobe and Resolve environments. Combined with the new visible linking, this cross-host portability makes custom effect design more transparent and maintainable.

Builder presets and advanced nodes

New “Advanced Presets” demonstrate complex node combinations, using FilmBurn, DuoTone, and Hue-Saturation stacks as modular examples. Each preset exposes only the most relevant host parameters, reducing clutter for editors while maintaining full Builder control.

The improved Builder enables rapid prototyping: layer nodes, link parameters, and adjust controls visible to the host, then export the preset for facility-wide use.

Workflow considerations

The new film-scanned effects and multi-layer composites may increase GPU load. Tests should confirm playback and render speed on specific hosts. For predictable results in colour-managed pipelines (ACES/OCIO), users should verify how FilmBurn and Grunge interact with graded footage.

Availabilty and Pricing

Sapphire 2026 supports Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer and everything compatible with OFX-Plugin-Connections. The update runs on both macOS and Windows, with native support for Apple Silicon and modern NVIDIA/AMD GPUs.

Licensing remains subscription-based OR perpetual. As of publication, a new annual licence for Sapphire (Multi-Host) starts at 125€ per Moth, going down to 40€ a month anually, and perpetual licences from 2720. Existing users with subscriptions obviously receive the 2026 update at no additional cost. A free, fully functional trial of Sapphire 2026 is available via borisfx.com/free-trial.

The post Sapphire 2026: Film Burns, Whip Cuts & Builder Love first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Mocha Pro just got another update – and version 2025.5 puts AI in your timeline whether you like it or not. First on the list: Face Detection, now built into Mocha’s tracking toolkit. This new feature auto-detects and tracks multiple faces across a shot. It’s geared for tasks like privacy masking, facial blurs, or selective color correction – and it saves time by creating a single spline keyframe per face.

Each face layer now comes with in/out points, making face management less of a pain. You can still refine the result, but most of the heavy lifting is now automatic – good news if you’ve ever spent a weekend rotoscoping a blink.

Learn more about Face Detection in the official video here (13:32).

Matte Work That Doesn’t Feel Like Work

The Matte Assist ML toolset gets a quality-of-life pass: You can now refine mattes on individual frames directly, fixing holes or bad data fast. Mattes are convertible into editable splines and back, giving you flexible cleanup options without switching tools. The workflow runs faster overall and supports interlaced output in After Effects. One button renders both forward and backward in time, which eliminates the UI hunt and helps if you like your buttons big and your matte work minimal.

Check out the Matte Assist ML improvements here (12:08).

When The Camera Doesn’t Move

You’d think a static camera would make things easier, but it usually confuses solvers. Not anymore. The 3D Camera Solve in Mocha 2025.5 adds a “Locked Shot” option to handle moving objects in otherwise static footage. You can now snap imported models to these moving objects and get better focal length estimates in AE 3D Camera exports. If you’ve ever struggled to pin a 3D element to a nodding dog, this one’s for you.

See the updated Camera Solve in action here (6:32).

Export Everything, All At Once

The export panel gets less irritating with a batch of improvements. Mocha now supports presets for exports – so if you’re always exporting the same way, you can save your config and use it again. Even better: You can batch multiple exports in one go, including single-layer outputs. That means less clicking, more coffee. You can even tweak the presets externally via JSON. The release also adds improved support for SNI and Fusion MultiPoly exports.

Dive into the updated export dialog here (2:38).

Price? That Depends

Mocha Pro is available in several licensing models, depending on your preferred host and commitment level. For Adobe users, an annual subscription for the plugin costs $295 per year, including ongoing updates and support. If you’d rather skip the renewal cycle, a perpetual license for the Adobe plugin is available for a one-time payment of $675.

For other platforms, Mocha Pro is also offered as plugins for Avid or OFX hosts (like Resolve and Nuke), with similar pricing tiers. The annual subscription for these hosts also sits at $295, while perpetual licenses range from $675 to $995, depending on the host.

Studios looking for flexibility can opt for the multi-host plugin, which supports Adobe, Avid, and OFX in one license. This multi-host option is priced at $1,195 for a perpetual license, or $395 annually. For full project pipelines or teams needing more comprehensive coverage, this might be the more practical choice—especially when your shots bounce between hosts like they’re auditioning.

Pricing includes support and updates for subscription users, while perpetual users receive updates only within the current major version.

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Fact Check Reminder:
As always, before you feed any new version to your studio’s pipeline, run it through real-world tests. Face Detection, new solves, and batch exports all sound useful – but what sounds useful and what’s production-stable are often two very different things.

The post Mocha 2025.5: Faces, Frames & Focal Lengths first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Sapphire 2025.5 adds AI-driven masking via Mocha’s interface. Object Brush ML creates editable splines with a click, trackable via Mocha’s planar tracker. Matte Assist ML generates animated mattes from a single frame. Both tools enable fast, accurate isolation of effects like Glow or Zap—without leaving Sapphire.

VHS Damage: Retro Revival with a Modern Twist

Sapphire 2025 brings back the ’80s with its new VHS Damage effect, meticulously crafted using textures sourced from original tapes. This effect emulates the nostalgic look of analog video, adding authentic wear and tear to your footage.

Lens Flares: Eight New Ways to Shine

The Light & Flares category expands with eight new lens flares, enhancing your lighting effects arsenal. These additions offer more options for creating rays, glows, glints, bokeh effects, streaks, light leaks, and flashbulbs.

Visual Consistency Across Hosts

Sapphire 2025.5 delivers a unified UI overhaul across the Preset Browser, Effect & Transition Builder, and Flare Designer. The redesign includes optimized control grouping, streamlined parameter access, and GPU-accelerated UI responsiveness—enabling faster navigation, effect construction, and real-time flare design within a modernized visual framework.

OpenColorIO Integration

Sapphire 2025 continues to support OpenColorIO (OCIO) for consistent color management across applications. The Flare Designer and Builder applications now feature an OCIO panel, allowing users to manage color output confidently. Additionally, the S_OCIOTransform effect enables the application of OCIO transforms within any host application, bringing OCIO color management to platforms that have yet to adopt the standard.

Pricing and Availability

Sapphire 2025.5 is available through Boris FX. For detailed pricing information and to download a free trial, visit the official Sapphire product page.

Note: Always verify new features in a controlled environment before integrating them into critical projects to ensure compatibility and stability.

The post Sapphire 2025: Now with More Zap, Less Crap first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.