HitFilm has always included a capable particle generator, but it is in HitFilm 3 Pro that sees the plugin reach new heights. If you are used to how things work in After Effects, you might be a bit shocked to see what is possible by having a unified 3D space in a compositor. HitFilm 3 Pro essentially comes with, out of the box, a particle plugin that is the equivalent of Trapcode Particular, and Element 3D.
HitFilm’s particle simulator has always been one of its most powerful features, delivering fully 3D and customizable particle systems
So just to drive that point home, Trapcode Particular is a shocking $399.00, and Element 3D comes in at a much more reasonable and friendly priced $149.00 for a total of $548.00 combined. HitFilm 3 Pro costs $299.00 for basically everything.
HitFilm has enjoyed particle features such as forces, deflectors, mobile emitters all built into the application… Deflectors! You could place elements in the scene that would either kill the particle on contact, or have it bounce off in another direction, or affect the particle on contact in some way.
All without the use of complex expressions or tricks to get it all working. The Particle Simulator in HitFilm 3 Pro will get some significant new features in addition to these.
New Emitter Type.
HitFilm 3 Pro adds the ability to have layer emitters, giving you the opportunity to define your own emitter shape within that layer. This opens up some new creative possibilities, and brings the Particle Simulator in HitFilm 3 Pro inline with other modern particle system capabilities.
Effects & Masks for Particles.
Keeping in mind that HitFilm is a true 3D environment, the particles as such can operate understanding the 3D space. This has lead to some great workflows, but also a couple of hinderances in the past. Now you can set Particle Simulators to 2D mode which will render the 3D effect to a 2D layer. By doing this, you can then affect the layer with effects that were previously not available, and more importantly give you the ability to use masks on the particle systems, just as you would an ordinary 2D layer.
3D models as particles.
HitFilm 3 Pro will allow you to set the particle type to a 3D model layer in the scene. This will give you the ability to create entire city blocks, or instance any 3D shape in the scene however you like. It will be a great way to handle swarms, flocks, a squadron of planes, or anything that requires 3D particle and instancing.
Unified 3D Space.
This is another huge one. The particle Simulator in HitFilm 3 Pro can truly interact with other elements or objects in the 3D space. This means you don’t have to employ any compositing tricks or as you might in Ae, endless expressions, to have everything work together as it should.
To learn more about all the new features of HitFilm 3 Pro and the particle simulator, check out he page at FX Home – HitFilm 3 Pro,.
Availability and Pricing
HitFilm 3 Pro is set to launch November 2014 for $299.00 and you can take advantage of bonuses offered to new and existing customers by pre-ordering today. – Upgrades will be from $169.
