Particle Illusion Now free !

0oseven

https://borisfx.com/news/now-available-particle-illusion-standalone-it-s-free/

UnifiedBrain

Thanks, but already reported on here.

Steve K

(Repeat post)  I mentioned a while back that I switched my video editor to be able to use Particle Illusion, an old favorite stand alone 2D FX program that can overly any video or still.  It was reborn as a plugin (only) for high end video editors, hence my switch to Vegas.  I'm working on an animation now and really enjoy using it.  To me, it seems much easier than 3D particle systems, and gives the same or better results.  Here is a short animation using some of the hundreds of PI presets (it renders basically in real time, sometimes faster.  Really.)  Examples in this 720x480 video - growing vines (on a still), bird flock (on a still), welding sparks (on a still), submarine smoke (on a still), submarine wake (on a still), train smoke.:

Dartanbeck

Live Stream that happened today:

Boris FX Live : Particle Illusion from Preset to Polished Project

Toward the end, the stream died. Picks back up for the last 14+ minutes here:

Dartanbeck

Steve K said:

(Repeat post)  I mentioned a while back that I switched my video editor to be able to use Particle Illusion, an old favorite stand alone 2D FX program that can overly any video or still.  It was reborn as a plugin (only) for high end video editors, hence my switch to Vegas.  I'm working on an animation now and really enjoy using it.  To me, it seems much easier than 3D particle systems, and gives the same or better results.  Here is a short animation using some of the hundreds of PI presets (it renders basically in real time, sometimes faster.  Really.)  Examples in this 720x480 video - growing vines (on a still), bird flock (on a still), welding sparks (on a still), submarine smoke (on a still), submarine wake (on a still), train smoke.:

I remember you turning us on to this a while back. This looks so cool! I grabbed it up as soon as it went Free - one never knows, right?!

Is anyone else joining the Webinar today? If so, I'll be on there as Daniel Beck.

Steve K

Dartanbeck said:

Steve K said:

 

I remember you turning us on to this a while back. This looks so cool! I grabbed it up as soon as it went Free - one never knows, right?!

Thanks, I always enjoyed using the standalone version of PI with Carrara short animations.  One disadvantage vs. the plugin version is that the latter has a much better organization of the many presets (thousands?), by type (fire, smoke, snow, etc.)  The old standalone version offered a download batch every month or so, but you ended up with years of folders just by date, with multiple types in each.  Probably like most people, I resorted my favorites, but its nice that now all presets are much easier to find.  Plus I never had much luck creating my own, way too many variables that I did not understand.  (Reminds me of trying to create patches for synthesizers, like the Yamaha DX7).  But maybe the new free version has the better preset organization?

 

WendyLuvsCatz

I grabbed the standalone 

but damn they want a lot of info including phone number FFS!

bit hard to use without being to import a background image for reference but I have no software it can be a plugin to.

I also downloaded it to my Win7 which doesn't have Hitfilm express (can only have it free on one computer) so had to find something that imports mp4 as chromakey, Cyberlink Powerdirector which came with my Video capture hardware does, nothing else much on that PC does mov except Blender!

shame it doesn't do avi or image series for Carrara textures

I need to convert it, so far Blender is the only option.

ironically that is the better PC for video capture etc as although it has no graphics card it has a better CPU and twice the RAM of my Win10 and my capture dongle and webcam software actually  uses that not the GPU so it is the one I need it on.

Am hoping I can install it on both though as hate to choose like I had to with Hitfilm.

I can of course chromakey it and move, mask etc it in Hitfilm as mov and mp4

 

Dartanbeck

Steve K said:

Dartanbeck said:

Steve K said:

 

I remember you turning us on to this a while back. This looks so cool! I grabbed it up as soon as it went Free - one never knows, right?!

Thanks, I always enjoyed using the standalone version of PI with Carrara short animations.  One disadvantage vs. the plugin version is that the latter has a much better organization of the many presets (thousands?), by type (fire, smoke, snow, etc.)  The old standalone version offered a download batch every month or so, but you ended up with years of folders just by date, with multiple types in each.  Probably like most people, I resorted my favorites, but its nice that now all presets are much easier to find.  Plus I never had much luck creating my own, way too many variables that I did not understand.  (Reminds me of trying to create patches for synthesizers, like the Yamaha DX7).  But maybe the new free version has the better preset organization?

Nicely organized, and includes a really handy search window that works well.

Oh man, the webinar that just (just now) concluded was FanTasTic!!!

Dartanbeck

WendyLuvsCatz said:

I grabbed the standalone 

but damn they want a lot of info including phone number FFS!

bit hard to use without being to import a background image for reference but I have no software it can be a plugin to.

I also downloaded it to my Win7 which doesn't have Hitfilm express (can only have it free on one computer) so had to find something that imports mp4 as chromakey, Cyberlink Powerdirector which came with my Video capture hardware does, nothing else much on that PC does mov except Blender!

shame it doesn't do avi or image series for Carrara textures

I need to convert it, so far Blender is the only option.

ironically that is the better PC for video capture etc as although it has no graphics card it has a better CPU and twice the RAM of my Win10 and my capture dongle and webcam software actually  uses that not the GPU so it is the one I need it on.

Am hoping I can install it on both though as hate to choose like I had to with Hitfilm.

I can of course chromakey it and move, mask etc it in Hitfilm as mov and mp4

If you have Resolve, you should be able to export the ProRez to alpha image sequence. It takes some learning to figure out how, but it does these things.

I believe this video explains it briefly:

They also explained in todays webinar that (answered a question, actually) that there's a trick that one can use to get a still frame into the Standalone PI. If I remember correctly (it went by really fast - so many questions being answered and I was actually watching John do his amaing VFX) it is this video that shows the trick - I could be wrong:

When asked how many computers we could use this one, the answer was: There is No license - so no restrictions

WendyLuvsCatz

well now I am getting an internal data error every time I try to render

no idea what changed from my first go

edit, seems size related 

mindsong

FWIW, I think Hitfilm, free or otherwise, allows for two registrations per license key. (could be wrong).

I fight these battles between machines and resources too. urg.

--ms

WendyLuvsCatz

mindsong said:

FWIW, I think Hitfilm, free or otherwise, allows for two registrations per license key. (could be wrong).

I fight these battles between machines and resources too. urg.

--ms

it told me I cannot not have it on more than one computer when I tried and that I had to uninstall it

once I did off the original computer it let me

WendyLuvsCatz

this is just a quick test Chromakeyed on an image using the Power Director

Dartanbeck

WendyLuvsCatz said:

mindsong said:

FWIW, I think Hitfilm, free or otherwise, allows for two registrations per license key. (could be wrong).

I fight these battles between machines and resources too. urg.

--ms

it told me I cannot not have it on more than one computer when I tried and that I had to uninstall it

once I did off the original computer it let me

Yep. We don't have to uninstall, but we do have to deactivate (can do from web) one machine before it'll allow use on another. So using the FXHome account, we can swap back and forth, I imagine. Not sure how often they'd let us do that.

But they do let us run different versions on any machine, so I keep the older version activated on my laptop while my Carrara machine always gets the latest and greatest!

Dartanbeck

WendyLuvsCatz said:

video link

this is just a quick test Chromakeyed on an image using the Power Director

...because HitFilm can't open ProRez? Is that true? Because I think HF can also export image sequences(?)

WendyLuvsCatz

Dartanbeck said:

WendyLuvsCatz said:

video link

this is just a quick test Chromakeyed on an image using the Power Director

...because HitFilm can't open ProRez? Is that true? Because I think HF can also export image sequences(?)

I did not have Hitfilm on my Win7 because cannot have it on two computers

I will also put Particle Illusion on my Win10 and use it there

I had two different versions of Hitfilm when I got that message

interesting

it works far better on my more powerful Win7 without the graphics card even though it is said to be GPU based, it's very laggy on the Win10 and GPU-Z is not showing much activity on my 980ti

might try this for reference image or video

https://sourceforge.net/projects/ctio/

WendyLuvsCatz

well that overlay sofware won't install, another one won't let me click through the image even though I check clickthrough

not having much luck

I had one I used years ago and forgot what it's called

I found another that works but not easy to get the image the right size

well can but if I get it wrong need to close and start over

https://sourceforge.net/projects/overlayapp/

Dartanbeck

Gotta go to work so I can't upload an example, but I finally got a chance to play.

I exported with premultiplied Alpha and it just loaded into DaVinci Resolve's Fusion without a hitch. 

Wow! I'm finding it really easy to build what's on my mind and tweak it to my liking! Tutorials coming!