AppleInsider Staff
Apple on Thursday rolled out a trio of updates for its pro-level video editing suite, bumping versions of Final Cut Pro X, Compressor and Motion with feature additions and numerous bug fixes.
Flagship non-linear editor Final Cut Pro X reached version 10.2.3 with today's update, bringing both user-facing interface changes and extended backend processing support for newly released file types and equipment. For example, a 4K export preset has been introduced to create video files for Apple's own devices.
Sharing options have also been expanded to support multiple YouTube accounts and Share window assets for iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro and the fourth-generation Apple TV. Users can now import Canon XF-AVC data from that company's C300 Mark II camera.
Other enhancements and bug fixes include:
- Customizable Default Effect lets you choose both a video and audio effect that is assigned to a keyboard shortcut
- Improves speed when opening libraries on a SAN
- Resolves an issue that could affect the timecode display in the Dashboard on OS X El Capitan
- Resolves an issue in which a disabled video effect could appear as Missing Effect when opening the project or when sharing to Compressor
- Addresses an issue in which black frames could appear in imported iPhone video clips that were trimmed on iPhone
- Fixes an issue that could cause the playhead to jump ahead when editing short titles
- Fixes an issue that could cause the timeline to stop playback when switching views in the Browser
- Fixes an issue in which points on a Bezier shape could incorrectly switch from Linear to Smooth
- Fixes an issue in which some objects within Motion templates render with soft edges
The last major Final Cut Pro X update came almost a year ago in April 2015, when Apple introduced easy-to-use 3D titles, support for contemporary and various UI upgrades.
Final Cut Pro X version 10.2.3 is a free 2.83GB update for current users, while new customers can purchase the software for $299.99 from the Mac App Store.
Motion, Apple's Final Cut Pro X graphics and animation companion app, also added support for the latest in Apple hardware. Version 5.2.3 mostly contains bug fixes, however, including stability improvements for Photoshop file handling and iTunes and photo library searches.
Other fixes include:
- Improves stability when using the Undo command after ungrouping a parent group
- Correctly saves percentage-based parameters in the Checkerboard generator after closing and reopening a project
- Correctly saves the preview movie for Motion templates created in German, Japanese, and Chinese
- Fixes an issue in which points on a Bezier shape could incorrectly switch from Linear to Smooth
- Fixes an issue in which some objects within Motion templates render with soft edges
Motion version 5.2.3 comes in as a free 2.21GB download for existing users. The app is priced at $49.99.
Finally, file export and management software Compressor also added Apple device-centric 4K export preset capabilities in its Thursday update. The latest iPhone, iPad and Apple TV models were likewise added to the compatibility list.
Version 4.2.2 fixes a closed caption file issue that would pop up when creating iTunes Store Packages, while squashing graphical bugs relating to the navigation window and OS X El Capitan.
Priced at $49.99 from the Mac App Store, existing users can download the 431MB Compressor version 4.2.2 update for free.
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Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
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24 Comments
I like Motion. From what I understand it's far less capable than Adobe's motion graphics product (After Effects), but you can get results far faster with Motion.
This is it? This is a maintenance update with a new feature as far as FCPX is concerned. Apple continues to disappoint when it comes to supporting its' own products.
Yep, @gadetcanav2, what was @rfmac thinking? FCP X is AWESOME! In four short years Apple has taken FCP from an NLE Hollywood trusted in its post workflows, to a YouTube/Vimeo editing tool, to its new razor-sharp focus on what really matters in media - Apple's own devices. Forget 4K cinema - it's the iPad Pro, man.
So the "Pro" application that still can't make a decent audio AAF (don't bore me with that tech stuff, my clients just want AWESOME) and hides important things like timecode like they're just there to look at, not cue to or copy/paste, is getting very much better at working with media that really matters - "movies" from your iPhone. So what's iMovie again? Oh that ends at K12. After that, we're all Pros, here at high school. Yeah right.
FCP X is positioning itself as the perfect tool for people who think an unaffordably high end camera is made by GoPro. Arri's best Alexa is 3.2K? Puh! My GoPro's 4K man! Eats it for breakfast! FCP X for 45 second news snippets cut by journalists in the back of the car? Sure. Bentley commercials shot on iPhone? I suspect they went through Flame in a real facility, somewhere in Soho. FCP X has its place, but adding features like phone support before fixing the fundamentals is flawed.
@fearless
YES, YES and YES.
Billions if not squillions in the bank and the way they treat their pro customers is like shite. I still feel anger that Aperture was DROPPED for what?? a pissy poor featured app called Photos. Gosh, I cannot count the number of pro photographers Apple managed to piss off in one fell swoop. I mean, surely with all that hard earned dosh they couldn't have employed a few extra software engineers, if only to support it into the future.