Autodesk has kicked off its annual release cycle with Flame 2025, the latest iteration of its acclaimed compositing, finishing, and effects software. This update brings a wealth of enhancements designed to elevate creative workflows across the Flame family.
Key highlights of Flame 2025 include the introduction of the new Match Grain node, which automates the matching of film grain to source footage, offering adjustable RGB values, dispersion, and scale. This node promises a more streamlined approach compared to traditional methods using Degrain and Regrain nodes.
The lens distortion workflow has also been revamped, now featuring a versatile Lens Distortion node that replaces its predecessor. This node allows for correction or simulation of lens distortions using options such as Lens Grid clips, manually inserted splines, or imported data from 3D tracking software like 3DEqualizer. Users can apply multiple distortion models, generate STMap and Inverse STMap outputs, and ensure consistent undistortion across clips via the new STMap node.
In a significant shift for user management, Autodesk has replaced Flame User Profiles with a more flexible system organized into user, project, version, and system preferences. This overhaul facilitates centralized presets across studio networks, enhancing collaborative workflows.
Additionally, Flame 2025 introduces numerous smaller workflow improvements across the timeline, Batch processing, Keyboard Shortcuts Editor, and user interface. It also embraces the Apple Log color space and updates its support for various SDKs and media formats, aligning with industry standards and technological advancements.
Notably, Autodesk released Flame 2025.1 on July 25, 2024, featuring advanced AI capabilities such as machine-learning slow motion in the Timewarp node and support for custom ONNX AI models via an Inference node. Workflow enhancements in this update include object tagging in the Media Panel and Timeline, and customizable color coding presets, further refining user interaction and efficiency.
These updates underscore Autodesk's commitment to empowering creative professionals with cutting-edge tools and streamlined workflows in Flame 2025 and beyond.
