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Mac OS software version 9.1, 9.2.1,
or Mac OS X version 10.1
128 MB of RAM installed (256 MB or more
recommended)
120 MB of available hard-disk space
for installation (500 MB or larger hard
disk or disk array recommended for ongoing
work)
CD-ROM drive
24-bit color display adapter
Apple QuickTime 5.0 software (recommended)
Date of Review: 5/28/02
Rating: Overall: 4 bounces, Pure
Lust
Ratings Legend
One Bounce: Lustless
This product is uninspiring and not only lacks lust
appeal, but it also lacks even the possibility of lust-production.
Two Bounces: Lack-Luster
If you need what it is that this product does, look
elsewhere or wait, it lacks lust-appeal.
Three Bounces: Lustworthy
A few rough spots here and there, but overall a high
quality item worthy of lust.
Four Bounces: Pure Lust
Unalloyed lust.
Motion Graphics: After Effects 5.5
Since we last
visited Adobe After Effects not much has
changed in its design or interface. The big
change is under the hood. After Effects 5.5
is now OS X native and the advanced 3D Rendering
Engine makes it's debut. Adobe managed to squeeze
in a few new features and additional effects
as well. With its release, video professionals
are one step closer to making the big leap to
OS X. However, AE 5.5 will still run just fine
in Mac OS 9.1 and 9.2.1. Enough of this boring
stuff let's get to it!
Advanced 3D
Besides the big switch to OS X, AE 5.5 introduces
the much-anticipated Advanced 3D rendering engine.
AE 5.0 shipped with the Standard 3D render engine,
which didn't provide for true Z-Space interactions
between objects. Now, the Advanced Render Engine
correctly interprets intersecting objects as
well as calculating anti-aliasing, motion blur
and layer modes for intersecting layers. The
examples below show all of these advanced rendering
options in effect. As you can see in the first
image, the Applelust text is passing through
the background layer, exhibiting a blurring
effect and is anti-aliased. To prove two more
points, I've applied the new 'Vivid Light' layer
blending mode to the background in the second
image so you can see that the Applelust text
is indeed passing through the background layer.
In addition to this, Adobe added a Light Transmission
option to the Material Options of each layer.
This allows for some interesting light projection
abilities. For example, you could take a piece
of video, turn it into a 3D layer, cast a light
on it, adjust its light transmission properties
and project it onto another object in 3D space.
Below, I've created a simple stained-glass window
and cast it onto a background with the Applelust
text in between. The result is pretty impressive.
Also, by setting the Cast Shadows option under
Material option to 'Only' the object, which
is casting the shadow, becomes hidden.
One other feature, which you'll find in every
major 3D application, is now available to AE
5.5 users. That is the use of multiple window
views. Now, you may have as many views open
as you like. Each comp window allows you to
select which angle to view your composition
from. In the example below, I've got the Right,
Back, Front and Camera views all open at once.
As you may soon discover, it helps to have an
Apple 22 or 23 inch Cinema Display or dual monitors
when using this feature.
A final, yet notable feature is the ability
to turn any light into an adjustment layer.
Those of you familiar with Photoshop's adjustment
layer feature know that it allows you to apply
a filter or effect to any layers below the adjustment
layer. In AE 5.5 the principle is the same.
When you turn a light into an adjustment layer,
it will only cast light onto the objects below
it in the timeline.
Waiting for the Effect
Although Adobe has added some new effects
to AE 5.5, many third party plug-ins still do
not work natively when running under OS X. Third
party vendors must carbonize their effects packages
to work under OS X. It's just a matter of time,
but it is just one more thing that may keep
you in the Mac Classic OS if you're addicted
to plug-ins. Despite this, there are some notable
new Additions to AE 5.5's effects arsenal. One
of them is an interface addition called the
Effects Palette. This new palette gives you
quick access to all the effects inside your
Plug-ins folder. Effects can be sorted alphabetically,
by Category and by Finder Folders. From there
you can narrow your options by typing text into
a search box. Once you find the proper effect,
simply drag and drop it onto the layer you want
to apply it to. This is a great time saver for
AE users with tons of third party plug-ins.
In addition to adding the effects palette,
Adobe added a few new effects into the mix.
The first of which I'll mention is the Color
Stabilizer effect. This allows you to remove
flicker from poor video clips or compensate
for color shifts due to changing light conditions
in your video. Similar to the motion stabilizer
effect, it can save a shot that may have been
completely unusable. Also available at your
disposal are the new 4-Color Gradient, Advanced
Lightning (Production Bundle Only), Cell Pattern,
Grid and Roughen Edges effects.
The Fruits of OS X
I mentioned in my previous review that the
future of rendering would change considerably
when applications that must render finally switch
to OS X. I'm happy to report the benefits of
OS X's pre-emptive multitasking are apparent
in AE 5.5. Once you start a render (as I've
done while writing this review) you may switch
to another program and continue working while
AE does its thing in the background. I am doing
all this on a PowerBook G4 500 MHz machine.
Closing any open programs helps as it frees
up more memory for AE to use, but just imagine
the performance gain you'll get with a dual
processor machine. Beyond that, imagine setting
up an AE render farm with a handful of Apple
Xserve machines chained together. The possibilities
boggle the mind.
To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade...That is the
Question.
Most video professionals haven't made the
switch to OS X yet because of a few key programs
that haven't made the switch yet, however, that
shouldn't stop you from buying this excellent
upgrade to AE 5.5. It still runs under OS 9.1
and higher and you'll be ready for the big switch
when the time comes. The Advanced 3D render
engine opens up a whole new world of possibilities
for AE users and the added effects are a nice
bonus. But, unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier,
many third party plug-ins aren't OS X native
yet. Again, it's just a matter of time. I gave
After Effects 5.0 3 Bounces last time and stated
that AE 5.5 may receive the lucrative 4 Bounce
rating. Well, I have to say; I think After Effects
5.5 deserves 4 Bounces. The addition of the
Advanced 3D render engine, added effects and
the ability to render in the background make
this an upgrade well worth the money.
Stuffit
7 (10-18-02) Dr. Neale Monks. What purpose does file compression have
in this day of 100 GB hard drives? Is version 7 worthy of the upgrade fees?
Fireworks
MX (10-8-02) Dean Browell. Fireworks is more than just a pretty face;
The last app I needed to convert entirely to OS X delivers in upgrades and
features as well...
Dreamweaver
MX (10-8-02) Joel Davies. Not being satisfied with just carbonizing it's
product, Macromedia made sure that Dreamweaver MX was the killer app for web
design.
SliMP3
(9-6-02) Pat St-Arnaud. The SliMP3 is a small, simple and elegant network
devices that connects to any audio component with RCA inputs and lets you
browse, search and play music directly from your computer's MP3 collection.
Voyager
III v.3 (8-16-02) Dr. Neale Monks. Carina's Voyager is the grandfather
of Mac planetarium programs, but does it still have what it takes to keep
up the current generation?
CodeWarrior
8 (8-16-02) Douglas A. Welton. Doug dives into the latest version of this
robust multi-platform programming tool.
STM
Sports Backpack (8-9-02) Pierre Igot. How will this backpack designed
for the "global digerati" stack up when Pierre puts it to the test
with his mobile digital lifestyle?
Scope
Driver (8-2-02) Dr. Neale Monks. An alternative to the 'point and click'
telescope control paradigm: a powerful list-based utility for Autostar and
LX200 telescopes.
Apple
Final Cut Pro 3.0 (7-19-02) Michael Tate Jones. Tate reviews the video-editing
powerhouse Final Cut Pro 3 and sizes up its competition. Does Final Cut Pro
3 hold its ground?
Strata
DVpro RME (7-16-02) Matt Frederick. Matt Frederick. Matt takes a comprehensive
look at Strata DVpro, Strata's pro-level non-linear editor for digital video.
Stargazer's
Delight (6-28-02) Dr. Neale Monks. Looking for a viable shareware alternative
to the big commercial astronomy software packages? Neale may have found one.
TheSky
(6-21-02) Dr. Neale Monks. Neale takes a look at the easiest to use planetarium
program for the Mac.
NI
FM7 (6-21-02) Matt Frederick. Matt takes this software replica of Yamaha's
DX7 synthesizer for a test drive.
The
Digital Universe (6-14-02) Neale Monks. Planetarium program, astronomy
encyclopaedia and space flight simulator all rolled into one - could The Digital
Universe be the ClarisWorks of astronomy software? Neale Monks takes a look.
After
Effects 5.5 (5-31-02) Michael Tate Jones. Tate reviews the OS X native
version of After Effects and likes what he sees.
InDesign
2.0 for Non-Professional Designers (5-24-02) Pierre Igot. In the second
part of our review of Adobe InDesign 2.0 for Mac OS X, Pierre Igot looks at
InDesign from the point-of-view of the non-professional designer - and finds
plenty to like.
Corel
Graphics Suite, Part 2 (5-24-02) Dean Browell. CorelDraw returns in full
force and Corel R.A.V.E makes its debut.
Corel
Graphics Suite, Part 1 (5-17-02) Dean Browell. CorelDraw is back, and
it's brought some powerful friends that makes this Suite worth the look...
OmniGraffle
2.0 (5-10-02) András Puiz. Analog napkins are so 20th century --
this gem from OmniGroup knows (almost) all about diagramming. András
Puiz wishes all Mac developers developed a similar understanding of Aqua,
and of Mac OS X in general.
Watson
(5-03-02) Michael Tate Jones. Tate discovers a 'Swiss Army Knife' for OS X...
it's called Watson.
