Thursday, July 9th, 2015 Posted by Jim Thacker

Red Giant Software releases Universe 1.5

Red Giant Software has released Universe 1.5, the latest update to its online library of effects and transitions for common editing and compositing packages, adding six new effects and transitions, three of them free.

Free automatic alphas and retro film effects
Users of the free version of the library get a pretty useful set of tools, including UnMult, which automatically generates an alpha channel for footage shot on a black background, such as practical fire or smoke elements.

The tool is an updated, GPU-accelerated version of Knoll UnMult.

There is also a GPU-accelerated version of old Magic Bullet plugin MisFire, for simulating film damage effects; and a new luminance-driven Gradient Noise transition.

New transitions and noise effects for Premium users
Premium users get a more customisable luminance-driven transition, Turbulence; CrumplePop Film Transition, a retro-style transition based on scans of archival film headers; and an Expressionist Noise effect.

The existing ToonIt Cartoon and Paint tools also get Expressionist Noise presets for creating a “wet, fluid look”.

In addition, existing tools Glitch and Holomatrix have been updated: the former to include new frame rate controls, and the latter to automatically take account of upstream effects.

Pricing and Availability
Universe 1.5 is available online now. Basic membership is free; Premium membership costs $10 per month, $99 per year, or $399 for lifetime membership.

Read more about the tools in Universe on Red Giant’s website