RE:Vision Effects has released SmoothKit version 2, the ultimate plugin set to smooth imagery that combines user-directed controls and feature-sensitive methods.

SmoothKit is a set of 9 special purpose filters that complements the basic blurs provided by host applications. SmoothKit’s emphasis is precise control on the filtering process, with no compromise on image quality. SmoothKit allows you to blur without blurring over edges, sharpen with much less ringing, intelligently reduce small image defects, reduce jaggies, blur with per-pixel direction control, and z-blur using greyscale depth images. Many plugins have per-pixel controls, allowing you to vary the amount of blur or the direction of the blur, and many other controls, at each pixel.

What’s new in version 2?
* A new Z-Blur filter for depth of field effects using depth maps from 3D systems
* Floating point support within After Effects 7.0 or later
* Optimization to take advantage of After Effects’s region-of-interest and other smart rectangle processing (AE 7.0 and up)
* More aggressive multiprocessing support
* Ability to use splines to control the direction of the blur at each pixel (After Effects and combustion only)
* New sharpen feature, with a mode that reduces ringing and other artifacts
* New compositing alpha handling modes are introduced including “grow alpha” which allows you to blur without creating inner transparency on large blur kernels.
* A new blur filter mode option, “Bloom”, that better preserves highlights

Other SmoothKit features
* Selectively filter the luminance, or the chrominance, or each of the RGB channels independently
* Blur areas while preserving sharp edges.
* Scale filters on a pixel-by-pixel basis by specifying optional greyscale images
* Reduce or eliminate staircasing by using the jaggie-reducing filter (especially useful in frames that have been reconstructed from fields)
* Intelligently reduce block artifacts (for example, DV or MPEG compressed footage)
* Soften areas without blurring important features
* Directionally filter images with per-pixel direction and strength controls
* Time blend sequences using the multi-frame (temporal) filter with several processing modes

Availability and compatibility
* Macintosh: Adobe After Effects 7.0 and up, Autodesk combustion 4.0.5 and up, Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 and up, Apple Final Cut Pro 5.1 and up, Boris Red 4.0 and up. Includes native Intel and Leopard support.
* Windows: Adobe After Effects 5.0 and up, Autodesk combustion 3.0.4 and up, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 and up, Boris Red 4.0 and up, eyeon Fusion 4.04e and up. Quantel generationQ support via Video Design Software.

Pricing
* Full versions are priced at $119.95.
* Render-only licenses are priced at $23.99. Render only licenses are for use with After Effects’, combustion’s and Fusion’s render-only programs (aerender, backburner, and Render Slave respectively). Note that the render-only licenses only work on projects written with a full license (so you must have at least one full license for the render-only licenses to be valid).
* Upgrades from SmoothKit version 1 are priced at $39.95.
* Our Effections bundles for After Effects, Combustion, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro and Fusion will now include SmoothKit version 2. Effections "regular" for After Effects, Premiere Pro, combustion, Final Cut Pro is priced at $889.95. Effections Plus for After Effects and Fusion are priced at $1199.95 and $1399.95, respectively.
* Customers who purchased SmoothKit version 1, Effections or Effections Plus for Combustion, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro or After Effects after December 1, 2007 will be upgraded to SmoothKit version 2 for free.
* Volume discounts available. Contact sales@revisionfx.com.

Demo versions, example movies, and screencasts of the product in use are available on the RE:Vision Effects webpage for SmoothKit, http://www.revisionfx.com/products/smoothkit/ SmoothKit is a trademark of RE:Vision Effects, Inc.