Thursday, November 15th, 2018 Posted by Jim Thacker

Boris FX ships Mocha Pro, Continuum and Sapphire 2019


Originally posted on 14 September 2018. Scroll down for news of the commercial releases.

Boris FX has unveiled Mocha Pro 2019, the next version of its planar tracking software, plus Continuum 2019 and Sapphire 2019, the next versions of its suites of effects plugins for compositing and editing apps.

Key changes include the combination of Mocha Pro and sister tool Mocha VR into a single unified plugin, and the inclusion of veteran 2D particle animation tool particleIllusion within Continuum 2019.

All three products go on show at IBC 2018 this week, with Mocha Pro 2019 due to ship later this month, and Continuum 2019 and Sapphire 2019 following later in the fall.

Mocha Pro 2019: now includes Mocha VR’s 360-degree tracking tools
The key change in Mocha Pro 2019 is that it also now includes the features of Mocha VR, its sister product for tracking and fixing 360-degree VR footage.

The update also streamlines the user interface, adds GPU support for object removal, and introduces new spline tools. Boris FX’s blog post summarises the new features as follows:

  • Mocha Essentials workspace with streamlined user interface: Makes planar tracking easier to learn and master than ever before
  • GPU-accelerated object removal: Delivers dramatic rendering speed increases on the most challenging object removals and clean plating shots
  • Accelerated masking & roto with new spline creation tools: Adds magnetic spline with edge snapping, freehand spline tool, ellipse, and rectangle tools
  • Retina/High DPI monitor resolution support
  • Mocha Pro and Mocha VR features are now combined into one product
  • Mocha Pro is now officially part of the Boris FX U&S (Upgrade & Support) plan and moving to a yearly release cycle



Continuum 2019: now includes particleIllusion
In Continuum, the headline change is the inclusion of 2D particle system particleIllusion (shown above) – a move originally announced at NAB 2018 in March, when the release was still called Continuum 12.

Distributed by developer Alan Lorence through his own company, Wondertouch, throughout the 2000s, particleIllusion was acquired by GenArts in 2009 – itself then bought by Boris FX in 2016.

Lorence rejoined Boris FX earlier this year, where he has been working on an updated, GPU-accelerated version of the software, described as a “slick 64-bit application with a streamlined, easy-to-use interface”.

particleIllusion will be available both as part of Continuum 2019 and its modular Continuum Particle Unit.

Boris FX summarises the other new features in Continuum 2019 as follows:

  • Title Studio adds the ability to apply GPU-accelerated Image Processing Shaders directly inside its interface, includes 150+ new professionally designed templates, a useful new grids and guidelines feature, on-screen Text Tools for even faster and accurate placement, and more
  • New Mocha Essentials interface with a new Magnetic Spline Tool and new geometric shape presets makes tracking and masking even easier before. Point trackers like spotlights, rays, and lens flare can now be tracked by Mocha.
  • Preview to External Monitor Support (Blackmagic Design only in initial release) for Title Studio and the FX Browser
  • Simplified Avid Effect list: Say goodbye to “blue dot” effects thanks to the addition of Mocha’s parameter-based tracking, plus cleaner parameter layouts



Sapphire 2019: big revamp of Lens Flare Designer
In Sapphire, the key change is a revamp of S_LensFlare, the suite’s lens flare design tool.

Like Continuum 2019, Sapphire 2019 also features deeper integration of the Mocha tracking technology, more extensive GPU acceleration, and preliminary support for external monitors.

Boris FX summarises the other new features in Sapphire 2019 as follows:

  • Lens Flare Designer completely redesigned with a new customizable interface, new lens elements and components, additional functionality, and new presets created by the world’s most talented artists
  • Brand new effects like S_PixelSort and S_Whiplash
  • Animating Shape Tool inside Sapphire Effect and Transition Builder for easier matte creation
  • New Mocha Essentials interface with a new Magnetic Spline Tool and new geometric shape presets makes tracking and masking even easier before
  • Preview to External Monitor Support (Blackmagic Design only in initial release) for applications such as Sapphire Builder and Sapphire Flare Designer
  • Faster speeds with improved GPU-acceleration

Pricing and availability
Mocha Pro 2019 is due to ship later in September 2018, with Continuum 2019 and Sapphire 2019 scheduled to follow later this fall. Updated: All three applications are now shipping.

Each is priced according to which host platform you buy it for: there are typically separate prices for Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, OFX tools and/or multiple hosts.

Mocha Pro 2019 costs from $695 to $1,495. Sapphire 2019 costs from $1,695 to $2,795. Continuum 2019 costs from $695 to $1,995; the Continuum 2019 Particles unit costs $299.

Read more about Mocha Pro 2019, Continuum 2019 and Sapphire 2019 on Boris FX’s blog