Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
With the plus of some long - awaited characteristic , Shake 4 is a welcome upgrade for existing substance abuser , and a great choice for pros who want a eminent - end compositing tool . Not only does Shake 4 add together much - need 3 - five hundred compositing capabilities , but it also offers Modern stabilization and buckle features as well as adept Final Cut 5 integration . Like Shake 3.5 ( , July 2005 ) , Shake 4 is frustratingly slow in some areas , and frustratingly un - Mac - like in others . But for high - end film and video compositing work , it ’s hard to beat .
An unusual interface
judder delivers compositing capabilities for everything from standard- and high - definition video to 35 mm film . Its main competition is Adobe After outcome ( although Autodesk ’s Combustion is also in the mix ) . While Shake ’s feature arrange may not disagree dramatically from After effect ’ , its interface is better - suited to super complex compositing work .
Shake uses a unparalleled node - based approach . To bring forth a composite , you create a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree of nodes that are wired together to define how the program should combine the unlike medium component . The advantage to Shake ’s attack is that you may easily access any part of your complex , unlike with After Effects ’ timeline - based port , which ask you to poke through multiple bed to cut a particular parameter or issue .
While the user interface remains mostly unchanged , Apple has added a few features to facilitate navigation of the node tree diagram . you could now insert new knob by simply puff them onto the wires that connect existing nodes . you may also make Favorite views , which aid you quickly stand out to a particular part of a node tree . New color coding do it easier to identify expression link , vivify nodes , and different routine depth .
The downside : Shake ’s port is — and has always been — passing un - mack - like . All functions , from salvage files to creating concluding render — even basic media direction — involve you to add extra thickening , rather than use card - based commands . This is fine for long - time Shake users , but it can be a tangible tussle for newcomers .
A new dimension
preceding reading of Shake have lack true 3 - ergocalciferol compositing , but version 4 savoir-faire this want quite hands down with the new MultiPlane lymph gland , which lets you set any media element in 3 - D space . To use it , connect any layer that you want to manipulate in 3 - D to a MultiPlane node . Those stratum remain hold back within of a 3 - five hundred space , where you’re able to reanimate each severally . The MultiPlane node provides a on-key 3 - D environment , complete with an animatable camera .
When edit a MultiPlane node , Shake acquaint a special Viewer environment , which provides a distinctive 3 - 500 workspace , with separate window for top , bottom , side , and isometrical perspective . you could use these views to put your elements and refine your 3 - five hundred scene .
Shake ’s 3 - five hundred user interface is very intuitive ; positioning your elements and camera is very wide-eyed . To allay the cosmos of lucifer moves , you’re able to even import camera information from any 3 - D plan that put up .ma ( Maya ASCII ) Indian file .
Shake still lacks some features feel in After Effects ’ 3 - D armoury , though . For illustration , you ca n’t supply lights to the MultiPlane environs , which think no shadow casting . This is not a dreadful omission conceive that Shake is tailor more toward compositing than move graphics — but it ’s something I ’d wish to see in the future .
Unshaking it
While previous versions bring home the bacon Stabilizer node for smoothing out tv camera shake , version 4 add together Optical Flow engineering science , which perform complex pixel - by - pixel trailing of each frame in a level . This permit for several impressive new Shake feature , including a Smoothcam node , which render mellow - calibre stabilisation and an easier port in which to work out .
Optical Flow technology also provides for passing high - quality medium retimings , whether you ’re creating straight irksome - motion effects or clip with variable timing . When equate to After Effects ’ Time Remapping features , I found that Shake ’s Optical Flow - found retimings yield noticeably superior results .
newfangled soma - based morphing and warping tool allow you to utilise vector - based shape to apply distortion and warping effects . Because they ’re shape - establish as opposed to simple pixel manipulations , you may animate these warps and distortions over time . But of all of the new peter , I found these to be the most difficult to learn .
Scripting goods
For complex production pipelines , Shake features an extremely robust scripting language . you’re able to easy automate every aspect of the compositing process , and Shake ’s speed of light - like scripting language can incorporate Perl or AppleScript . you could represent any parametric quantity in Shake with a numerical formula , making it possible to create complex adjective effects that would be extremely tedious or impossible by hand .
Besides adding musical accompaniment for the programme ’s Modern nodes , Shake ’s scripting and reflection engine remain largely unchanged in variation 4 .
Shaky performance
sway 4 adds improved desegregation with other high - end Apple product : you’re able to now beam edited clips directly from Final Cut Pro or Motion ( both , October 2005 ) into Shake . unluckily , I discover these feature film unreliable .
Shake continues to offer better gamy - piece media reenforcement than the competitor , but it still suffers from a number of performance problems . On many occasions , a simple Undo would crash the program . Also , while Shake 4 now provide a Cache node to assist you optimise the computer program ’s playback caching , performance can still be inadequate on very big projection . If you ’re work with high - bit 4 K spiritualist , you ’ll probably notice extreme slow - downs once you go past 20 or so bed . There are some workarounds for these problems , but it would be nice to see additional betterment in this area .
Macworld’s buying advice
agitate 3.5 exploiter will definitely want to upgrade for the new 3 - five hundred features , and the stabilisation and time - remapping tool . As for new users , if your compositing study consists mostly of question - graphics - character chores , then Shake is overkill . You ’re good off sticking with After Effects or a dedicated move - nontextual matter programme like Apple Motion . But if you do serious compositing work — especially projection involve gamy - bit media with complex color business organization — then Shake is the good option around .
[ Ben Long is a freelance author , photographer , and videographer based in San Francisco . ]
