Wednesday, November 18th, 2020 Posted by Jim Thacker

Red Giant releases Trapcode Suite 16.0 for After Effects


Red Giant has released Trapcode Suite 16.0, the latest version of its set of motion graphics and VFX plugins for After Effects.

Particular, Trapcode Suite’s plugin for creating organic 3D particle effects, gets a big update, adding a new Wind effect, particle flocking behaviours, and the option to chain up particle emitters.

Users can also now use Cinema 4D files as source objects in several of the Trapcode plugins.



Particular 5: new physics controls, flocking behaviours and support for linked emitters
Most of the new features in Trapcode Suite 16.0 are in Particular 5.0, the latest version of its plugin for creating organic 3D particle effects.

The plugin’s physics controls have been overhauled, introducing a new Wind effect, and making it possible to use air and bounce physics in the same particle system.

There is also a new particle flocking system, which provides readymade behaviours for mimicking effects like the swarming of birds or fish, or people meandering through public spaces.

Users can also now have up to 16 particle systems in the same scene – up from eight – and to set up particle emitters that themselves emit emitters, making it possible to create more complex effects.

The full changelog is much longer, so check out the video above or the link at the foot of the story for details.

Native Cinema 4D file import in Particular 5.0, Form 4.5 and Mir 3.5
Following Red Giant’s merger with Maxon earlier this year, integration with Cinema 4D has been strengthened in several Trapcode Suite plugins, making it possible to use .c4d files as source geometry.

In Particular 5.0, the geometry can be used as particle emitters, with the plugin preserving animation set up in Cinema 4D, including object rotation, translation and scaling.

In Form 4.5, the new version of Trapcode Suite’s particle grid tool, geometry can be converted to 3D particle objects; and in Mir 3.5, the new version of the particle terrain generator, it can be used as Mir objects.

Pricing and availability
Trapcode Suite 16.0 is available for After Effects CC 2017 and above on Windows 10 and Mac OS X 10.11+.

New licences of the entire suite cost $999, but it no longer seems to be possible to buy the plugins individually now that sales have moved to Maxon’s website. We’ve contacted Maxon to check.

Updated: Maxon has confirmed that plugins are no longer available individually. If you have an existing individual licence, upgrade pricing is available, but you will need to contact Maxon sales directly.

The software is also available to rent via the Red Giant Complete and Maxon One subscription plans.

Read an overview of the new features in Trapcode Suite 16.0 on Red Giant’s blog