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What are the best layer based compositing software tools?
5
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Considered
21
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Oct 14, 2022
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4
Options
Considered
Best layer based compositing software tools
Price
License
Desktop targets
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Adobe After Effects CC
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HitFilm 2
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Sony Vegas Pro 13
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Apple Motion 5.1
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Adobe After Effects CC
My Rec
ommendation
for
Adobe After Effects CC
My Recommendation for
Adobe After Effects CC
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All
14
Pros
10
Cons
4
Top
Pro
•••
Great for motion graphics compositing
Ae is the de facto standard for motion graphic design.
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Top
Con
•••
No true 3D environment for compositing
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Top
Pro
•••
Huge amount of resources
Because of the popularity of Ae, there are a plethora of tutorials, presets, plug-ins, etc that can be used.
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Top
Con
•••
No real-time features
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Top
Pro
•••
Extensive plug-in support
After Effects has extensive plug-in support. A broad range of third party plug-ins are available including solutions for particle systems, 3D environments and grading.
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Top
Con
•••
Costly
The Adobe subscription costs are quite steep for anybody on a shoestring budget.
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Top
Pro
•••
C4D Lite & Cineware integration
After Effects CC includes a Lite version of MAXON CINEMA 4D, a 3D modeling, animation and rendering application.
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Top
Con
•••
No stereoscopic editing support
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Top
Pro
•••
3D camera tracker
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Top
Pro
•••
Speedy and comfortable UI
After grasping what panels do what, the workspace feels safe and comfortable. And the timeline moves and shows things how you would expect it to.
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Top
Pro
•••
Works well with other Adobe software
This program is made to interact very well with the other Adobe production apps like Premiere Pro, Soundbooth, Photoshop and others. You can dynamically link with a set list of Adobe software so when you update something in Ae it will update in other software accordingly.
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Top
Pro
•••
Subscription / cloud-based model
Ensures you always have the latest version of the software. Allows saving preferences in the cloud, so you can load them on a different machine. You can even sync setting from a different user.
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Top
Pro
•••
Subscription based model
You constantly have the latest software that is updated regularly.
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Top
Pro
•••
Ray-traced and extruded text and shapes
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Recommend
11
--
HitFilm 2
My Rec
ommendation
for
HitFilm 2
My Recommendation for
HitFilm 2
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All
11
Pros
10
Cons
1
Top
Pro
•••
Import 3D models
You can import .obj, .lwo or .3ds models right into your composites, then texture and animate them. No 3rd party plug-in required.
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Top
Con
•••
No OMFI support
Open Media Framework Interchange (OMFI) is a platform-independent file format intended for transfer of digital media between different software applications.
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Top
Pro
•••
It has a free express version
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Top
Pro
•••
2D & 3D motion tracking
A 2D track is built in HitFilm and the "Camera Solve" part of Mocha comes integrated with the software.
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Top
Pro
•••
Powerful particle simulator
Physics based 3D particle simulator that can interact with surfaces and forces. You can have custom particles, size randomness, bounce, different emitters, etc. It can even be set to animate based on audio waveforms.
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Top
Pro
•••
Real 3D
Particles, models, lights, camera tracking, effects, etc are all in true 3D space. You don't have to manage object or effect depth or angles by obfuscation.
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Top
Pro
•••
Mac & PC support
Works on both Mac OS X and Windows.
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Top
Pro
•••
Powerful presets & visual effects
Color grading, motion blur, lights, flares, 3D muzzle flashes, procedural fire, etc. They both work out of the box and can be heavily customized. More than 150 visual effects and more are added constantly.
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Top
Pro
•••
Beginner friendly
Amazing all-in-one starter software thanks to a lot of powerful presets and a simplified workflow. There are tips, guides, explanations and easy access to community support. The interface is intuitive and easy to overview.
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Top
Pro
•••
3D camera data support
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Top
Pro
•••
Splash screen
Gives access to community.
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Recommend
5
1
--
Sony Vegas Pro 13
My Rec
ommendation
for
Sony Vegas Pro 13
My Recommendation for
Sony Vegas Pro 13
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All
9
Pros
8
Cons
1
Top
Con
•••
Only available on Windows
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Top
Pro
•••
Can import layered Photoshop files
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Top
Pro
•••
OpenFX plug-in architecture
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Top
Pro
•••
2D and 3D compositing modes
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Top
Pro
•••
GPU acceleration
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Top
Pro
•••
Multi-camera editing
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Top
Pro
•••
Native 4K XAVC support
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Top
Pro
•••
Very powerful audio tools
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Top
Pro
•••
Stereoscopic 3D
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Recommend
--
Apple Motion 5.1
My Rec
ommendation
for
Apple Motion 5.1
My Recommendation for
Apple Motion 5.1
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All
8
Pros
7
Cons
1
Top
Pro
•••
Full keyframe curve editing
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Top
Con
•••
No true 3D environment for compositing
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Top
Pro
•••
Animation with "behaviors"
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Top
Pro
•••
Extensive list of filters, effects and animations
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Top
Pro
•••
Share directly to YouTube at 4K resolution
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Top
Pro
•••
2D and 3D compositing
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Top
Pro
•••
Particle effects
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Top
Pro
•••
Intuitive interface
With a single-window layout you can understand the workflow quickly and start using it fast.
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Recommend
1
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NATRON
My Rec
ommendation
for
NATRON
My Recommendation for
NATRON
Free
Recommend
3
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