Boris FX releases Particle Illusion Pro
Boris FX has released Particle Illusion Pro, a paid standalone edition of the particle generation tool for motion graphics and visual effects work.
Particle Illusion Pro takes the old free edition of Particle Illusion and adds support for importing background video and position tracking data.
Create complex 3D particle effects using a node-based workflow
Part of Boris FX’s Continuum suite of effects plugins for compositing and video editing software, Particle Illusion is a GPU-accelerated particle generator for motion graphics and VFX work.
It lets users create 3D particle effects using a node-based workflow to combine emitters, forces and deflector objects, with the option to apply fluid dynamics, or generate particle trails.
In 2020, Boris FX released a free feature-limited standalone edition of the software, which has received regular updates ever since.
New paid Pro edition removes the restrictions of the old free standalone edition
Particle Illusion Pro takes that free edition and removes the two main restrictions: that you couldn’t composite particles directly into source footage, and that it didn’t support tracking data.
The Pro edition can import background video in standard file formats, and can import tracking data for emitters or cameras from Boris FX’s Mocha and SynthEyes software.
In addition, the current release, Particle Illusion Pro 2024, includes the features added to the integrated version of Particle Illusion in Continuum 2024.
Key changes include the option to create particle sprites using generative AI, and to make particle lines true 3D objects.
Can still be used for free in feature-restricted trial mode
Particle Illusion Pro can still be run for free indefinitely in trial mode, which disables the import of background video and tracking data.
Like the orignal free edition, output is not watermarked, although trial mode is “intended for non-commercial or personal use only”.
Boris FX told us that it had introduced the Pro edition because “we received many requests from customers … who were looking to use Particle Illusion on commercial/paid projects and needed full access to our technical support”.
Pricing and system requirements
Particle Illusion Pro 2024 is compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS 10.15+. The software is available rental-only. Subscriptions cost $25/month or $195/year.
Particle Illusion is also available as part of Continuum, or the Continuum Particles Unit.
Perpetual licenses of Continuum cost from $695 to $1,995 according to the host applications. Subscriptions cost from $25/month to $87/month or $195/year to $695/year.
A perpetual license of the Continuum Particles Unit costs $399.
Read a full list of features in Particle Illusion Pro 2024 added since the last free edition
Read more about Particle Illusion Pro on Boris FX’s website
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