Apple has announced a new major update to Final Cut Pro X that adds several new improvements to proxy workflows, making the software far more suited to remote and collaborative editing for videos. The 10.4.9 update also adds several other useful new features, including a machine learning-powered “Smart Conform” feature that can automatically crop videos for social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.
Many of us are still working from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but we still need to work closely with colleagues on some projects. Changes to how you create and handle proxy media in Final Cut Pro will help some folks on that front. Apple says those improvements will “provide editors with portability and performance when working with large resolution formats, or when collaborating remotely.”
There are other workflow and performance improvements across the board. Final Cut Pro can transcode 8K RED RAW video to ProRes 422 up to three times faster on MacBook Pro and up to twice as fast on Mac Pro, Apple says. If you’re working with 360-degree video, you’ll be able to “quickly stabilize stereoscopic 3D video” and review footage separately for each eye in the 360-degree viewer.
Along with the Final Cut Pro improvements, Apple has updated its motion graphics tool Motion and encoding app Compressor. You can read more about all of the upgrades, which are free for existing users, on the Apple Newsroom.
The new version of Final Cut Pro X is available now as a free update for existing owners on the Mac App Store. Apple is also renewing its free 90-day trial with the 10.4.9 update — all customers will be able to try out the new version of Final Cut Pro X for 90 days, even those who have already taken advantage of the previous free trial introduced in March.
