iStopMotion 2.1 to utilise Leopard features
"New features in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard will directly benefit our customers in the immediate future," says Oliver Breidenbach, CEO of Boinx Software. "iStopMotion 2.1 will be the first of our applications to be optimised to take advantage of Leopard improvements." The application is scheduled to ship in late 2007.
"Mac OS X Leopard offers over 300 new features and advanced technologies, including Core Animation which helps developers easily create animated user experiences," said Ron Okamoto, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. "We're thrilled that developers like Boinx Software embrace Leopard's technologies and find ways to further improve the user experience for their products."
Connecting an HD camera through FireWire
Ever since the first HD camcorders came out, users wanted to connect them to iStopMotion through their FireWire connetions. With iStopMotion 2.1, Mac OS X 10.5 and a codec that Apple delivers with Final Cut Studio, iStopMotion 2.1 can capture frames off the MPEG2 data stream from the camera and use it for the live preview. MPEG2 licensing issues make the purchase of Final Cut Studio a requirement for this workflow. Connecting the HD camera via HDMI provides an alternative that does not require Final Cut Pro for HD capture on Mac Pro computers.
Using Multiple Video Sources
Another benefit of running iStopMotion 2.1 on Mac OS X Leopard is that users can now use multiple video sources simultaneously, for example capturing different angles of the same scene to only one computer. This way, the scene doesn't have to be animated twice to cover different view points.
Image Manipulation with Core Image Filters
Mac OS X includes a technology called Core Image which provides a comprehensive set of image manipulation tools, covering everything from image blurring to color correction. These Core Image Filters can be applied to the image when it is captured with iStopMotion 2.1 running on Mac OS X Leopard.
Availability and pricing
iStopMotion 2.1 will be available later this year from http://boinx.com/download. A built-in assistant will guide users through the process of aquiring the proper license. The update to iStopMotion 2.1 is free of charge to current iStopMotion 2 license owners at their current license levels. iStopMotion 2.1 Home is available for $49, iStopMotion 2.1 Express is available for $99 and iStopMotion Pro is available for $499 via Kagi. iStopMotion 2.1 Home is also available at the Apple Store. For all purchase options see http://boinx.com/istopmotion/buy.
About iStopMotion
Stop motion animation is the easiest way to tell a story in a movie. No need for talented actors. No need for a budget. No need for a script. Just some toys, a table top or a clear patch of carpet and a bit of fantasy get you started. And, according to our customers, iStopMotion is the best tool to get the story into your movie. Teachers love it because their students love it and create short masterpieces within a couple of hours. Parents love it because their kids have fun doing something worthwhile. Professionals love it because they can work much faster than with traditional film based methods. You will love it because you have never been more creative before.
About Boinx Software
Boinx Software Ltd. is based in Puchheim near Munich, Germany. Boinx Software develops and publishes fun and easy to use applications for the creative user. Boinx iStopMotion is the leading solution for stop motion animation and time lapse capture for your digital hub and won the O'Reilly Mac OS X Innovators Award in 2003. Boinx FotoMagico is a tool to create and present professional live photo slideshows and has won the O'Reilly Mac OS X Innovators Award in 2004 and an Apple Design Award 2006 - Best Mac OS X User Experience Runner-up. Boinx iVeZeen turns your webcam into a digital camcorder. Boinx Mouseposé is the essential mouse pointer highlighting tool for everyone doing presentations, trainings or demos and those individuals with huge and high resolution displays. Information about Boinx Software and its services can be obtained from its website http://www.boinx.com