Boris FX adds AI-powered masking to Sapphire 2025.5
Boris FX has updated Sapphire, its set of effects plugins for compositing and editing software.
Sapphire 2025.5 is a significant update, adding a new AI-powered masking and tracking system, new movie-style lens flare presets, and support for GPU acceleration on AMD processors.
The price of the software has risen since the original Sapphire 2025 release.
New AI-based mask-generation and tracking system
Sapphire 2025.5 adds the new AI-based object masking and tracking toolset from Mocha, Boris FX’s planar tracking software, the core tech from which is integrated into Sapphire.
The Object ML feature makes it possible to isolate objects in a single frame of footage simply by clicking inside them, with Sapphire automatically generating a corresponding mask.
The selection can be refined by selecting extra parts of the image to include or exclude, or by painting areas in or out manually.
Once the boundaries are finalized, the software converts the selection into editable splines.
The Matte Assist ML feature automatically propagates a spline-based mask throughout a shot, tracking the object selected and generating animated mattes matching its changing outline.
Other new masking options
In addition, nine Sapphire effects get a new Apply Mask parameter, which makes it possible to choose whether Sapphire generates a Mocha mask before or after applying the effect.
It can make a big difference to the result of effects like Shake, as you can see in the video above.
New Pro Lens Flare pack of movie-style lens flare presets
Sapphire 2025.5 also includes the Pro Lens Flare pack, a set of eight preset lens flare effects “based on real-world blockbusters and TV projects”, co-developed by VFX artist Doug Hogan.
The update also reworks the UI of Sapphire’s Preset Browser, the Effect Builder and Transition Builder, and the Lens Flare Designer. You can see the changes in this video.
Now accelerated on AMD GPUs and integrated graphics
Sapphire also now supports GPU acceleration on AMD as well as NVIDIA hardware, for both viewport previews and final-quality rendering.
The software supports discrete GPUs from the Radeon Pro W7000 and W6000 Series, AMD’s current and previous-generation workstation cards, and integrated graphics in its Ryzen AI Max Pro Series CPUs.
Pricing and system requirements
Sapphire 2025.5 is available for a range of compositing and editing software, including After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, Flame and Nuke, on Windows, Linux and macOS.
Perpetual licenses now cost $1,865 for the Adobe/OFX and Avid Media Composer editions, up $200 since the previous release, or $3,075 for a multi-host licence, up $280.
Subscriptions cost $80/month or $545/year for the Avid and Adobe/OFX editions, up $18/month or $50/year.
Multi-host subscriptions cost $144/month or $985/year, up $32/month or $90/year.
Read an overview of the new features in Sapphire 2025.5 on Boris FX’s website
Read a full list of new features in Sapphire 2025.5 in the online release notes
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