5.0.5 Removes Image Units From Library

OK, now Apple has me somewhat miffed. I use Image Units a lot, and since the 5.0.5 update they are flat out gone. What the heck are you doing, Apple? What about my regular promos I have to update regularly that use Image Units? GGgggrrrr...

Yes, I've filled out the feedback page as a bug report.

Mark Spencer advised me not to rely on Image Unit effects and generators - he got the impression that Apple had depreciated their use.

I guessed the same after noticing the documentation said they might not work very well in Motion:

Although Motion generally supports the operating system’s Core Image Units, some image units may not work as expected in Motion.

I'm not sure why they included most of them in Motion 5. I guess FxFactory is your only solution for now - you can publish simple Quartz Composition replacements for the image units you need, Noise Industries seem to have done some already.

For now the Generator Image Units still work, but they might not work in future versions. Here's a Motion 5.0.5 project with the generators working OK. You can drag them from this project into projects you need them in:
www.alex4d.com/plugins/fcpX/Image_Unit_Generators.motn.zip


@alex4d

Seriously? So is Motion going to be downgraded now? It is only going to be an "effect creator for FCP X" only? That seriously sucks. Glad I started learning Blender now.

When you talk about Image Unit Effects and Generators do mean these with the red rectangle around them?

Yes, those. I have Generators, but no Image Units. It has really messed me up. I have to rebuild 3 very complex projects now. Thanks Apple!

Can you go back to Motion 5.0.4 to finish up the projects?

Alex, why did Mark advise you NOT to use generators?

As a trainer and consultant, I have to keep up with the latest, figure out the bugs, the workarounds. So doing this is part of my job. I have an older laptop with Motion 5.0.4, but I'd rather just rebuild my image units from scratch at this point. I'm going to have to figure out a new alternative for that anyway, may as well do it now and get it over with.

SR,

In versions of Motion prior to version 5.0.5 there were two classes of Filter and Generator. The normal filters and generators and Image Unit-based filters and generators.

Image Units are part of Core Image, the part of Mac OS X that is available to modify images. They are used to add graphics features to apps, especially for programmers who want to concentrate on programming non-graphics apps. They use Core Image to add graphic effects to their images.

The Image Unit filters and generators available to programmers were made available to Motion 5 users running OS X 10.6.8 or newer.

5.0.5-formatted Motion projects cannot refer to Image Unit-based effects, even though 5.0.5 can open and play 5.0.4 projects can use Image Unit effects, but if modified and saved as 5.0.5 projects, they will no longer work.

Final Cut Pro X 10.0.6 can still display and use 5.0.4-based templates that refer to Image Unit effects.

As regards Image Unit-based generators, although they're no longer available in 5.0.5's library, they still work in 5.0.5-formatted projects.

This follows on from a tweet I sent to Mark Spencer last year. I asked if it was a good idea to use Image Units in Motion Templates I published on my blog. He suggested that I didn't.

@alex4d

As to why Mark suggested that I didn't use them, I didn't ask. I can only guess this was an insight he picked up from Apple while he was testing Motion before it was launched. He must have had it a few weeks in advance in order to have his Ripple Training videos ready.

@alex4d

Ben, I understand. I'm curious, what do you use image units for?

Alex, thanks for the detailed explanation.

BenB wrote: Seriously? So is Motion going to be downgraded now? It is only going to be an "effect creator for FCP X" only? That seriously sucks. Glad I started learning Blender now.

My words for the longest times.
I think Motion was not ment to keep up with the other big boys. :sick:

Well, Stupid, I'm not sure yet. I'm working on it.

I guess Motion and Compressor will go the way of Color and Shake and Final Cut Server? What will follow, Logic Pro, Aperture?

Dear Apple,
Why do you feel this constant need to kill off your most advanced and successful software products?