Adobe After Effects CS6
- Downloads:
- Views:
- Rating:

Adobe After Effects CS6 Editor's Review
For post-production and stunning visual effects creation, there are not many apps that can challenge supremacy of Adobe After Effects. Just like Photoshop trounces the competition in image editing and retouching segment, After Effects remains the default choice of motion graphics artists and video editing professionals worldwide. Like its other siblings from stable of Adobe, this app has also received some major updates in the latest release. As Adobe focuses more on cloud based services, this version of After Effects remains a major overhaul for all segments of users. There are important core changes and it is a speedier app, capable of yielding major performance boost when coupled with right hardware.
Just like its popular cousin, Premiere Pro, After Effects requires a reasonably powerful computer to run smoothly and deliver expected results. While Adobe recommends a minimum limit of 4 GB RAM, heavy users will possibly require double of that amount. This invariably means your PC must be equipped with 64 bit version of Windows and any OS older than Windows 7 will not fit the bill. In fact, your PC will need Windows 7 with SP1 to run the app and it should have a multi core CPU. Of course, your PC also needs to be fitted with a GPU certified by Adobe. The list of supported GPU is not very long, which can be disappointing for many users. Pricing for the new version is quite steep though existing users can upgrade at a diminished cost or opt for cloud based subscription.
To let After Effects’s new Ray-traced 3D Renderer do its job well, you may invest in a NVIDIA video card that has CUDA technology embedded. For complex rendering tasks, this makes a lot of difference and cards not certified by Adobe may take much longer to render a composition compared with certified GPU models. Of course, the app supports multiple GPUs but ensure they have same version of NVIDIACUDA drivers. After Effects also requires plenty of disk space both for installation and disk cache building. The installation does require some time and you will have to install latest QuickTime version to use its features. In other words, without powerful and compatible hardware, After Effects can bring a PC on its knees easily.
The interface of this version of Adobe After Effects seems like a blend of Photoshop and Premiere Pro. The composition is the timeline and it contains stack-able layers. You can manipulate the layers with key frames. A first timer may find working with the app not so difficult but the feeling vanishes once he or she delves into the deeper settings! As it is, After Effects offers myriads of features and settings that can appear intimidating for users new to the app. The interface layout is not much different compared to the last version.
To address the rising need of users who expect After Effects to render complex compositions laden with myriads of effects to work as desired, Adobe has implemented the 'Global Performance Cache' feature. It is in reality- a mix of new graphics pipeline, persistent disk cache and global RAM cache. Interestingly, Adobe offers decent import capability from rival apps like Final Cut Pro and Avid’s Media Composer in After Effects.
One bane of working with animation and video editing apps is that users have to wait endlessly for a composition as it builds the first preview. For users dealing with compositions with long duration and plenty of visual effects, it can be quite tedious. Now, you can open and cache a composition in the app while working on another project at the same time.
When you reopen a composition in After Effects that was cached earlier, there will be blue hued lines above the composition layers. It basically indicates the app has traced previously cached frames on your PCs’ hard disk and there is no need to re- render them. This feature, called persistent disk cache is time saving for sure. It also helps in events like system crash or power failure. Adobe has tweaked the app to deploy Open GL to manage tasks like drawing masks, interface elements and motion paths etc.
Now After Effects integrates even more tightly with Adobe’s powerhouse vector graphic app Illustrator and you can create Shapes using vector layers within the app. You can perform basic shape editing within After Effects. This saves time and you do not have to shuttle between two resource hogging apps, as it is. Now, Illustrator EPS files can be easily imported into this app. Thereafter, you can convert them into shape layers and animate them. For making interesting 3D logos, this is simply superb.
Now that Apps like Photoshop has got extensive 3D features, can After Effects be far behind? In fact, one of the app’s groundbreaking features is its spanking new Ray-traced 3D rendering engine. It enables users to design geometric shape and text layers in 3 dimensions. The new ray-traced renderer offers better and more accurate results than the older Classic Renderer. The enhanced features of the 3Dray-traced renderer include extrusion and beveling of text.
It also allows you to add complex lighting effects to layers in a composition easily. The newly added environment maps support lets you use an image as layer to create stunning photorealistic reflections. In short you can tweak and play with different aspects of lighting and its reflection in a simulated 3D environment.
You can use the Ray-traced rendering engine to get enhanced depth-of-field blur as well as soft shadows. While quality of rendering is adjustable, keep in mind this takes a toll on rendering time, even on PCs with powerful CPU and GPU. As a matter of fact, CPU based rendering is slower than GPU based rendering in most cases. Those users who have PCs with supported GPUs featuring NVIDIA OptiX technology will get faster performance in this department.
Another useful new feature in this release of After Effects is its 3D camera tracker. It actually uses a 3D Virtual camera within imported footage elements. If you are familiar with Photoshop’s’ feathering capabilities, a feature used by millions of design professionals, After Effects has something similar on platter too. Its new Mask Feather tool enables you set the points along a mask. You may also define feather width at those points. It does let you explore creative possibilities as far as blending objects in composition is concerned.
If you are used to import video footage from diverse sources and devices, the 'Rolling shutter' issues should not be unknown to you. They happen more with footages captured by video-capable DSLRs or camera equipped with CMOS sensors. Mobile phone videos are also laden with this menace at times. Dealing with this can be quire frustrating. After Effects now comes with a Rolling Shutter Repair effect which heals the problem to an extent.
The app is known for its stunning and professional looking effects that video editors and post production units use in compositions extensively. After Effects’s 80 new as well as enhanced built-in effects will cater to their needs well. The updated effects support 16-bit color per channel, thus they are suitable for HD video projects.
Positive Points:
- No compulsion to re-render cached content.
- New 3D Ray Tracing renderer works amazingly.
- Tighter integration with Illustrator.
- Wider import support from competing apps.
Negative Points:
- Requires a very powerful computer to run smoothly.
- No support for Windows versions below Windows 7.
- Adobe certified video cards list not extensive.
Conclusion:
Unlike the updated versions of its siblings, this iteration of After Effects boasts of some very useful and time saving features. The app’s Global Performance Cache for example, is a thoughtful addition by Adobe team and it will benefit users with computers that are not very new. Tighter Illustrator integration also deserves applause and artists dealing with animated text video creation will appreciate this. The enhanced ray tracer renderer and 3D camera tracker also open up new creative possibilities for motion video professionals. However, there are still some small glitches that need to be addressed. The enhanced 3D renderer works only when your PC is equipped with Adobe supported GPUs having Nvidia CUDA technology. Surely, this is not the case with all existing After Effects users and they will feel it is an unfair deal. Despite the small flaws, After Effects remains a solid motion graphics tool for video editors and compositors and the improvements do justify the steep price.
Rating: 4/5
Adobe After Effects CS6 Publisher's Description
Create dazzling effects at dizzying speed
Adobe® After Effects® CS6 software lets you deliver cinematic visual effects and motion graphics faster than ever before with new Global Performance Cache. Extend your creativity with built-in text and shape extrusion, new mask feathering options, and the fast, easy-to-use 3D Camera Tracker.
Features:
Create visual effects faster in Adobe® After Effects® CS6 software with Global Performance Cache, which optimizes and keeps your previews so you can beat deadlines instead of waiting for frame updates. Boost your creativity with a new 3D engine for text and shape extrusions, a 3D camera tracker, and variable-width mask feathering.
Global Performance Cache
Create more in less time. With new Global Performance Cache, your previews are saved and ready when you are - no more waiting for the application to catch up. This revolution &under the hood& makes After Effects extremely fast and responsive by taking full advantage of the power of your computer's hardware for visual effects and motion graphics.
3D Camera Tracker
Track 3D elements with complete control over depth of field, shadows, and reflections. Automatically analyze and place 3D track points onto 2D footage in the background while you work.
Ray-traced, extruded text and shapes
Extrude fully ray-traced text and shapes natively and take full advantage of reflections, environment maps, and more.
Variable mask feathering
Create a separate set of splines to precisely control mask feathering. Get the exact shape you want with the proper degree of softness at any point along the mask edge, resulting in a big boost to creative flexibility.
Integration with Adobe Illustrator
Instantly convert Illustrator vector art (AI and EPS format) into shape layers. Easily animate vector art in 2D or extrude to 3D.
Rolling Shutter Repair
Remove rolling shutter artifacts such as skew and wobble without forcing stabilization.
New and updated effects
Enhance your creativity with 90 new and updated built-in effects, including the complete 16- and 32-bit CycoreFX HD suite.
Avid AAF and FCP 7 XML file import with Pro Import AE
Import and work with files created in Apple Final Cut Pro 7 or earlier versions, as well as Avid Media Composer and Symphony, letting you integrate After Effects with professional production workflows.
Free download from Shareware Connection - Create dazzling effects at dizzying speed
Version: 11.0.0.378 | Size: 1011712 KB | Platform: WinOther
Released Date: 12-08-2012 | Rating: 5 | Title: Adobe After Effects CS6
Author Url: http://www.adobe.com/
Program Info Url: http://www.adobe.com/
Download Url: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=after_effects&PID=4042794
Screenshot Url: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UoRbHzrBX8g/T3Nd3okUVgI/AAAAAAAAAb8/pN7mcHwItK8/s1600/adobe+after+effects.jpg
Adobe Flash Player for 64-bit Windows 11.3.300.250 Be - Flash plays small, fast multimedia buttons, as well as interactive animations
Adobe Flash Player 11.3.300.250 Be - Flash plays small, fast multimedia buttons, as well as interactive animations
Adobe Flash Player 10 for 64-bit Windows Preview - Enables native 64-bit support on Linux operating systems
Adobe Flash Player Debugger 11.3.300.250 Be - ActiveX control content debugger for Flash developers
Adobe Flash Player for Android - Adobe+eT« Flash+eT« Player is a cross-platform browser-based application runtime that delivers uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across screens and browsers.
Picture Merge Genius
ACD FotoCanvas
Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker
Watermark creator Real Estate edition
AAA Logo Software
Photo Frame Maker
Logo Design Studio
Fun Photo Creator
Photo Frame Show
Sketch Master
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
PhotoZoom Pro 2
AKVIS Sketch
AutoDWG PDFin PDF to DWG Converter
Animation
Audio Encoders & Decoders
Audio File Players
Audio File Recorders
Audio
Authoring Tools
CD & DVD Tools
Composition
Desktop Publishing
Fonts
Graphic Capture
Graphic Viewers
Illustration
Image Editing
Adobe Effects
Adobe Effects Videocopiolet Pluggings
Adobe Effects Avi Plugin
Adobe Effects Banner Make
Adobe Effects Beach
Sapphire Plug-ins (AE Mac) - GenArts Sapphire Plug-ins includes 200+ 2D visual effects for compositing and editing systems including Adobe After Effects (AE), Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro (FCP), and Autodesk Combustion for the post production, film, tv & video industries.
Monsters GT - Monsters GT is a handy and reliable plugin designed to provide users with a collection of stunning video effects for motion graphics.
Bytescout Image To Video SDK - Image to video slideshow conversion - .NET & ActiveX SDK. Create slideshow with 2D and 3D effects from JPG, PNG, BMP images, with MP3, WAV sound and WMV, AVI video as output. Works in Visual C#, Visual Basic, ASP.NET, ASP classic, VB6, VBScript.
HitFilm Ultimate 64-bit - All-in-one video editing and visual effects
Nevron Chart for SharePoint 2010_Vol.1 - Nevron Chart for SharePoint is an advanced web part delivering a complete and unmatched set of 2D and 3D charting types, highly customizable axes, advanced data analysis, numerous tuning options and stunning visual effects to your SharePoint sites.
Shareware Connection periodically updates pricing and software information of 'Adobe After Effects CS6' from company source 'Adobe Systems' , so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it. Software piracy is theft, Using 'Adobe After Effects CS6' crack, password, serial numbers, registration codes, key generators is illegal and prevent future development of Adobe After Effects CS6.
Edius Pro - In the last few years, NLE video editor segment has become somewhat populated than earlier, with big names like Sony vying for attention with established behemoths like Adobe. However, Adobe’s move to subscription only model has deterred ...
Avira Ultimate Protection Suite - With time the importance of PC security has gone up by leaps and bounds. Earlier, people used to rely on standalone antivirus software. However, security conscious users prefer having a more robust form of protection. They opt for Internet ...
Adobe SpeedGrade - Adobe has been a long time player in video editing and post production sector, with apps like Premier Pro and AfterEffects winning accolades and keeping customers hooked for several years. To cater to a niche section of the target users, it has ...
Apple iMovie - For higher end video editing and post production related needs on Mac OS, the preferred choice is FCP in most instances. However, not all Mac users need to deal with a feature laden, sophisticated editor for casual needs. For casual to moderate ...
NovaBench - PC performance benchmarking is something that may not interest average users much but tech savvy lot resort to such apps to find out prowess and capability of their laptops and desktops. While there are quite a few PC benchmarking apps in market, ...
Freemake Video Converter - Video conversion can become a necessity for average PC users who find it increasingly hard to manage an ever growing collection of media and video files. The DVDs, videos obtained from web and clips shot with mobile devices keep growing. Over ...
Video Editor - With advancements in both computer software and hardware, average users are getting into activities that were hitherto reserved for professionals. There are several video editing tools aimed at casual users as well. While professional users ...
Simpo PDF Creator Pro - Millions of PC users resort to using PDF format for exchanging and sharing documents for a number of needs. PDF is cross platform compatible, print friendly and can contain various objects like text, image and fields. While a majority of people ...
Serif MoviePlus X6 - It is no longer the norm that studio professionals deal with video editing and adding effects exclusively. Average PC users also need to deal with video clips derived from multiple sources from time to time. The abundance of video editing apps ...
Reallusion iClone - Nowadays, there is no scarcity of 3D animation and modeling software in market. However, not all such apps are user friendly and easy on wallet. If you want an intuitive and capable tool for making 3D animations without requiring much time, give ...






