The Fusion 9 is a massive new release with a VR toolset that makes it indispensable for virtual reality projects. Customers get a full 360° true 3D workspace, along with a new panoramic viewer and support for popular VR headsets such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Working in VR with Fusion is completely interactive. GPU acceleration makes it extremely fast so customers can wear a headset and interact with elements in a VR scene in realtime. Fusion 9 also supports stereoscopic VR. In addition, the new 360° spherical camera renders out complete VR scenes, all in a single pass and without the need for complex camera rigs.
The new planar tracker in Fusion 9 calculates motion planes for accurately compositing elements onto moving objects in a scene. For example, the new planar tracker can be used to replace signs or other flat objects as they move through a scene. Planar tracking data can also be used on rotoscope shapes. That means customers don't have to manually animate motion, perspective, position, scale or rotation of rotoscoped elements as the image changes.
The new delta keyer brings state of the art image science to Fusion's keying tools. In addition to new image science and processing, delta keyer features a complete set of matte finesse controls for creating the cleanest possible keys while preserving fine image detail. There's also a new clean plate tool that can smooth out subtle color variations on blue and green screens in live action footage, making them easier to key.
For multi user collaboration, Fusion 9 Studio includes Studio Player, a new application that features a playlist, storyboard and timeline for playing back shots. Studio Player can track version history, display annotation notes, has support for LUTs and more. The new Studio Player can output via Blackmagic DeckLink and UltraStudio devices, making it perfect for customers that need to see shots in a suite or theater for review and approval. Remote synchronization lets customers around the world synchronize Studio Players in multiple locations. In addition, Fusion 9 features a bin server so shared assets and tools don't have to be copied onto each artist's local workstation.
Fusion 9 Studio also gives customers unlimited network rendering. This means that large studios working on complex shots and high end visual effects heavy feature films no longer have to pay a license fee for each render node. Customers simply purchase and install Fusion 9 Studio on all of their artist workstations and then install it on as many render nodes as they need, without any additional charges or ongoing maintenance costs.
Because Fusion does not require a subscription or a connection to the cloud, customers don't have to worry about it being automatically updated in the middle of a job. Customers can upgrade when they wish, such as after the completion of a major job. In addition, Fusion systems don't have to be connected to the internet, so they can be isolated to eliminate the possibility of hacking. Customers also don't have to pay monthly, so once Fusion is purchased it will keep working until customers choose to upgrade in the future.