Download Hitfilm Express 8.0 for free
FXhome’s teaser for HitFilm Express 8.0, the free version of its editing, compositing and effects software. Raw footage and project files for the short can also be downloaded free.
FXhome has released HitFilm Express 8.0, the new version of its free editing, compositing and effects tool, adding simple motion graphics features and improving editorial and compositing workflow.
The commercial version of the software, HitFilm Pro, has also been updated to version 8.0, although it’s a much smaller update, most of its new features having already been added in HitFilm Pro 6.0 last year.
In the free edition: new motion graphics Behaviors, plus improved editorial and preview workflow
The successor to HitFilm Express 2017 – FXhome having now reverted to its old version numbering system and skipped versions 5 to 7 – HitFilm Express 8.0 adds a number of basic motion graphics tools.
These include a set of Behaviors enabling users to animate layers using simple physics properties like gravity and acceleration. Further behaviors, like drag and attraction, can be bought as an add-on.
In addition, a new layout panel makes it easier to position and align layers more precisely.
Editorial changes include the option to access HitFilm’s animation tools or create text directly from the timeline, plus support for motion blur in sequences within the Editor, resulting in smoother transitions.
The preview window gets new quality options, making it possible to trade visual quality against frame rate; and many 2D effects can now be adjusted directly in the Viewer.
The Express edition also now supports full-screen previews, making it possible to view a project at its target resolution on a second monitor.
Available as paid add-ons: new 360-degree video and particle toolsets
As far as we can see, that’s it for the core software: the online changelog does list other new tools, but if you cross-reference with the feature list, they require paid add-ons.
These include a picture-in-picture effect and an Audio Hard Limiter effect for evening audio between clips.
Other new tools shown as requiring paid add-ons in both the changelog and the feature list include the Puppet animation tool, new text effects and 360-degree video tools first rolled out in HitFilm Pro 6.0.
HitFilm Pro’s physics-based particle simulator is also now available as an add-on for Express.
HitFilm Pro 8.0: a smaller, workflow-focused update
In addition, the Pro edition itself has been updated, although HitFilm Pro 8.0 is a smaller update.
As well as the new layout panel added in the Express edition, changes include the option to select multiple points on a mask by dragging around them, and to scale masks from a corner, rather than the centre point.
Pricing and availability
HitFilm Express 8.0 is available now for 64-bit Windows 8+ and Mac OS X 10.11+. The core application is free, while individual add-ons cost between $10 and $50. HitFilm Pro 8.0 costs $299.
To download the software, you’ll need to be logged into the website. Registration is free, but you have to provide your email address, and FXhome asks that you share the news on social media before downloading.
Read a full list of new features in HitFilm Express 8.0 in the online changelog
Download HitFilm Express 8.0 for free from FXhome’s product page