FAQ
License tool returns an error about wrong hosts when attempting to license within Mocha
December 3, 2020
If you are having trouble activating your license within the Mocha Application GUI when using the Plug-In version, try closing Mocha and activate using the Licensing section of the Plug-In interface. The Plugins all have a “License and registration” section you can use to license instead of inside Mocha itself: In Adobe After Effects, this control is at the top of the effect in the title bar, called “License…”: In Adobe Premiere, it is the small box in the effect title bar with the arrow:
Sapphire 2021 Metal Performance
November 21, 2020
Sapphire 2021 now features Metal GPU acceleration for all our host applications running on Apple hardware. Performance will vary depending on macOS, specific GPU, host application, and Sapphire effect. For Metal acceleration, Sapphire 2021 requires a minimum of macOS Mojave (10.14). For the best stability and results, we recommend macOS Catalina (10.15) and macOS Big Sur (11.01). Effect name Sapphire 2020.5 Sapphire Metal 2021 X Times Faster % Speed increase of 2021 vs 2020.
Mocha Pro OFX Plugin will not run or crashes my system after installation in Nuke, Vegas Pro, or HitFilm
November 19, 2020
If you experience a problem loading or crashing the Mocha Pro OFX Plugin in any OFX host, you may need to clear that host’s OFX plugin cache. Foundry Nuke If Nuke projects containing Mocha Proa are not working when you upgrade or install Mocha Pro, please clear the Nuke plugin cache. Instructions from Foundry are here: https://support.foundry.com/hc/en-us/articles/206989899-Q100043-How-to-clear-your-Nuke-NukeX-NukeStudio-cache FXHome HitFilm Clearing the plugin cache via the HitFilm settings may not work and you need to do it manually.
Optics FAQ
July 16, 2020
What is Optics? Boris FX Optics is a standalone image editing application that includes 160 plug-ins and filters for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Optics is developed for professional photography and designed to accurately simulate optical camera filters, specialized lenses, film stocks and grain, lens flares, optical lab processes, color correction as well as natural light and photographic effects. Optics 2021 is available as a Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom plug-in, as well as a standalone application for macOS and Windows.
PI FAQ
June 17, 2020
What is Particle Illusion? Particle Illusion is a legendary particle generator that gives motion graphics designers, visual effects artists, and video editors access to thousands of professionally-designed, drag-and-drop particle emitters. Particle Illusion’s massive Emitter Library features photorealistic effects to easily add explosions, fire, smoke, dust, snow, fireworks, abstract organic elements, and even retro video game-inspired graphics to titles, lower thirds, and motion backgrounds. Users can choose to render out a preset as is or tweak parameters to create custom animations.
Monthly Subscriptions FAQ
May 27, 2020
How long does my monthly subscription last? Your Sapphire, Continuum, Mocha Pro, or Silhouette monthly subscription lasts 30 days from the purchase date. Will my monthly subscription auto-renew? Yes, all Boris FX monthly subscriptions auto-renew after 30 days. How do I cancel my subscription? You can cancel your monthly subscription at any time by visiting borisfx.com, logging into your BorisFX customer account, clicking on the license tab, and choosing “cancel subscription”.
Silhouette and Silhouette Paint FAQ
April 13, 2020
What is Silhouette? Since 2005 Silhouette has made its mark on film and television visual effects and post-production. Silhouette is an award-winning GPU accelerated compositing application that runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. Silhouette’s standout features are advanced rotoscoping tools and a non-destructive 32 bit, HDR paint system. Silhouette is also a node-based compositing tool with integrated planar tracking, keying, matting, warping, morphing, and a total of 154 different nodes–all stereo enabled.
COVID-19 "At Home" Licensing FAQ
March 18, 2020
I have heard that Boris FX is providing temporary free licenses for those affected by COVID-19. How do I get an at-home license of Sapphire, Continuum, Mocha Pro, or Silhouette? Great question! Temporary licenses are being provided for individuals and companies under active upgrade and support plans with floating licenses whose offices and facilities have temporarily been closed due to issues related to COVID-19. These licenses are not intended for individual users who already own Boris FX products and wish to receive an additional free license.
VEGAS Pro FAQ
July 30, 2019
Q. I purchased VEGAS Pro 18 Suite and I saw I got free Boris plugins. Is this true? With every purchase of VEGAS Pro 18 Suite, you are entitled to receive a license for Continuum
Sapphire 2019.5 Third Party Broadcast Monitor Support
June 18, 2019
Sapphire 2019.5 supports output to a third party broadcast monitor via a Blackmagic or AJA card for the Effect and Transition Builder (S_Effect and S_Transition) and the Flare Designer. To enable the output of these applications to your broadcast monitor, please follow the instructions below per host. Adobe After Effects: In After Effects settings, enable Mercury Transmit and select your video card. In Builder settings, under “View”, select “Reference Monitor” and choose appropriate frame size and frame rate as per your project.
Sapphire 2019 for Flame 2020
April 18, 2019
What is the future for Sapphire…Sparks or OFX? OFX!!!! At Boris FX, we are very excited about the future of our plug-ins on the OFX platform. It’s more robust and modern API, and frankly, the future of all our products. We will continue to support customers who own Sapphire Sparks and are on a current Upgrade and Support contract, but will gladly provide free cross-grades over to OFX. Is there a price difference between Sapphire OFX and Sapphire Sparks?
Mocha Pro: plug-in or standalone application?
November 26, 2018
Q. What Mocha Pro option should I buy, the plug-in or the standalone application? What is the difference between the Mocha plug-in and standalone? A. For most Mocha Pro users, the plug-in is the best choice for usability and integration with your host application, below are some situations where you might want to use the standalone application. Large roto projects or assistant stations. Some of our customers have a large number of roto artists, who only do roto.
How do I set up the Imagineer License Server on Linux with systemd?
November 7, 2018
systemd is the new mechanism for managing startup services on modern Linux distributions. The Imagineer License Server can be configured to use systemd instead of legacy init scripts for managing the server process.
Mocha Pro 2019
October 1, 2018
Mocha Pro 2019 is a major update to the Academy Award-winning planar tracking toolset. Get answers to our most frequently asked questions re: upgrades and licensing, sales, and general support.
Continuum Support for macOS Mojave
September 27, 2018
Boris FX Continuum currently supports macOS Mojave 10.14 for Avid Media Composer, FCPX or any OFX supported host (Nuke, Resolve, Vegas, etc).
Why does my Sapphire trial have a red X?
August 28, 2018
The Sapphire trial version is a fully functional 30-day trial watermarked with a red X.
Custom UI Crash in Avid with Dual Monitor Systems
August 21, 2018
There are ways to handle a known issue in which users, using Dual-Monitor setups on Windows 7, sometimes experience crashes if they use Mocha, when closing the plugin and going back to Avid.
How Do I Paste 3D Camera Solve Data into Adobe After Effects?
August 9, 2018
First, copy your 3D camera data out of Mocha by selecting the layer(s) you want to use and clicking “export 3D camera data.” In After Effects, paste your 3D Camera Data…
Premium Filters FAQ
June 29, 2018
Continuum premium filters like Primatte Studio and Stage Light are available for purchase as an individual filter. Check here before you install a premium filter in your host application whether it is Adobe, Avid, OFX, Resolve, or another host platform so that you are aware of important compatibility issues.
My favorite host application supports OFX plug-ins, will Sapphire work?
June 21, 2018
Sapphire VFX plug-ins work in many host applications that support OFX plug-ins…
FAQs on the Continuum VR Unit
April 30, 2018
Have a question about the Boris FX Continuum VR Unit giveaway? We’ve compiled questions here about host compatibility, technical support, licensing, and more.
How Do I Access the Sapphire Documentation?
April 27, 2018
Documentation for Sapphire is installed on your machine with the software and is available in HTML and PDF formats. The location of these files can be found here. . .
How Do I Find My Machine ID (Host ID)?
April 27, 2018
Your Machine ID is your Ethernet ID/MAC address. It consists of 6 pairs of numbers and letters A-F. You may see these pairs un-separated (d312a930bc7f), separated by colons (d3:12:a9:30:bc:7f) or separated by dashes (d3-12-a9-30-bc-7f). To find your Machine ID, please follow the steps below. . .
How Will I Be Notified of Complimentary Software Updates (Point Releases)?
April 27, 2018
Sapphire will automatically check for updates each time it is opened, and alert you if an update is available. If you would like to check for updates manually, please follow the steps below. Alternatively, you can always find the latest version of Sapphire at https://borisfx.com/downloads/?&product=Sapphire
Can Different Versions of Sapphire Be Installed On My Machine At the Same Time?
April 26, 2018
Unfortunately, apart from our Autodesk plugins, it is not possible to install multiple versions of Sapphire for the same host on one system. Our Sapphire Installer is designed to replace all other versions of Sapphire for your chosen host (but not for other host products). This prevents confusion from multiple copies of the same effects, and allows your saved projects to automatically use the new version. . .
How Can I See Which Machine(s) Are Currently Using My Floating License?
April 26, 2018
To see a list of machines currently using your Floating License, open the RLM server’s web interface using a browser. From the server machine go to http://localhost:5054. On the left side of the main page, select “Status”, then, go to the ISV Server table at the bottom of the screen and click “Get License Usage”. There you will see a table with the Host Name and Host Id of every machine using the license.
One Sapphire spark aborts when first loaded, although the others work fine.
April 26, 2018
You may have a corrupt setup file for that spark. Type these commands to a shell, replacing “LensFlare” with the spark name that is not working. . .
Where Can I Download the Sentinel Drivers for My USB Dongle?
April 26, 2018
Learn where you can find the Sentinel Drivers and SuperPro Framework for your USB Dongle here.
Why is Sapphire's Builder Only Available On Some Hosts?
April 26, 2018
There are a few reasons that Sapphire is unfortunately not available for use with all of our Host Products at this time. . .
Why Is the Sapphire Preset Browser Not Opening On My Mac?
April 26, 2018
Follow these steps if you are having issues with opening your preset browser on your Mac. . .
Will projects saved with prior Sapphire versions continue to work with Sapphire v11?
April 26, 2018
With the exception of our Autodesk Plugins, any projects containing Sapphire v2.093, v5, v6, v7, v8 and v9 effects will automatically be converted to use Sapphire v11 when opened with Sapphire v11. Please note, however. . .
Will Sapphire use multiple GPUs if I have more than one?
April 26, 2018
No, Sapphire will only utilize a single CUDA GPU. If you have multiple CUDA capable GPUs, you can control which one Sapphire uses in the s_config.text file. Change the use_gpu setting from “Yes” to the desired GPU index (0, 1, etc.). You can verify which GPU Sapphire is currently using in the Help dialog. s_config can be found in the following directories. . .
All My GPU Renders With Sapphire Sparks Are Failing In Autodesk
April 25, 2018
On Linux, add the following line to /etc/modprobe.conf and then reboot: options myri10ge myri10ge_pat_idx=1
All Sapphire Plugins Give a "CAN NOT LOAD" Error
April 25, 2018
This can occur if Sapphire plugins are not installed properly, or they were copied over from another machine instead of being installed at all. The solution is to re-install from https://borisfx.com/downloads/?&product=Sapphire&host=Autodesk
Can I use the same activation key on multiple machines?
April 25, 2018
You can use the same activation key on different machines provided you have enough number of fulfillments per activation. For instance, if you have an activation key for one machine, you can only activate it on one machine. If your activation key allows more than one activation, you may activate it on that many machines.
Do my Sapphire installs need to be the same version on both the GUI and render machines?
April 25, 2018
Yes, they do. You will need to either update your installer on both your GUI and render machines to the most current version, or install an older version.
Does Sapphire Work Under Autodesk Central Installation?
April 25, 2018
Unfortunately, this configuration is not supported at this time. Please contact Sales for more information.
How Can I Delete Precomputed Clips In Avid?
April 25, 2018
Learn how to delete precomputed clips in Avid here
How can I load Autodesk Setups from Prior Sapphire Versions into Sapphire 11?
April 25, 2018
An update_setups script is provided that automatically converts your setups from prior versions of Sapphire to Sapphire v11. For detailed information on how to use this, check the on-line docs installed with the software on your local Autodesk machine. . .
How Can I Process a Title or Key in Avid Without Affecting the Background?
April 25, 2018
Drop a Sapphire plugin onto a title or key and then select the “Apply To Title/Key” checkbox in the Effect Editor. This causes the plugin to process the fill and matte of the title together. . .
How Can I Promote Avid Sequences with Older Sapphire Versions to v11?
April 25, 2018
With recent Avid versions you can automatically promote all older Sapphire versions to Sapphire v11 AVX2. In some cases you can instead leave older Sapphire versions installed on your Avid so they will continue to be used when sequences with those versions are loaded. . .
How can I upgrade old presets to v11 in Avid?
April 25, 2018
Current Avid versions auto-conform effects used in sequences, but do not conform effects stored in bins. Until Avid supports this properly, use the following workaround. . .
How Do I Deactivate My Sapphire Activation Key?
April 25, 2018
To deactivate your Sapphire activation key, uninstall from your machine and select the option to “deactivate your license now” (if you have Internet connection) or “deactivate your license manually using another computer’s web browser” (if you do not have Internet connection). . .
How do I return to my previous version of Sapphire?
April 25, 2018
First, uninstall Sapphire from your machine. Then, install Sapphire using the older installer and re-enter your license. Please note however, that your Sapphire v11 license is not compatible with Sapphire v7 and older. Furthermore, please be advised that projects saved using Sapphire v11 will not open in older versions of Sapphire.
How do I Stop Sapphire From Collecting Usage Data?
April 25, 2018
To stop Sapphire from collecting usage data, go to the change-usage-collection folder and click on the change-usage-collection application. . .
How Do I Uninstall Sapphire From My Current Machine?
April 25, 2018
Learn how to Uninstall Sapphire from your computer.
I just installed a new version of my host application and Sapphire is not showing up.
April 25, 2018
If you install a new host application on your machine, you will need to re-install your plugins afterwards, so the new application can locate them.
Where Can I Find the Sapphire Diagnostic Log?
April 25, 2018
The “Help” dialog now has an “email Support” button that takes you to a form. The s_log_extended.text file will automatically be included when using this form. The Sapphire Diagnostic Log can be found in the following directories. . .
What is different in Continuum versions 8, 9, 10 and 11?
March 1, 2018
Boris FX releases new versions of Continuum regularly. Find out about the new filters, effects, and features that have changed in Continuum 11 through Continuum 8. From new filters to effects to GPU acceleration to improved motion tracking and more, get information here about the upgrades that have happened in Continuum since version 8.
Tech Note: Mocha Mask Crashing Adobe After Effects CC 2018 - RESOLVED
October 30, 2017
A prior crashing issue with Mocha AE and Adobe After Effects has been resolved as of January 2018.
Applying Continuum Filters to a Matte Key or Title in Avid Media Composer
October 26, 2017
With the release of Continuum 11, Boris FX has streamlined the way users interact with matte keys or alpha title mattes in Avid. Instead of having to set the multi-filter start-mid-end checkboxes in a multi-filter stack, this is now handled automatically from within Continuum. There are only three basic rules that must now be followed…
Continuum Specifications
October 19, 2017
See which hosts are supported for Boris FX VFX plugin, Continuum 2019, including The Foundry Nuke, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, Apple FCPX, Apple Motion, Avid Media Composer, Autodesk Flame, Blackmagic Davinci Resolve, Magix Vegas Pro, and HitFilm Pro.
Sapphire 2021 Specifications
October 12, 2017
View the supported hosts specs for Sapphire 2021. This chart includes specs for Nuke, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, Avid Media Composer, Autodesk Flame, Blackmagic Davinci Resolve, Blackmagic Fusion, and Magix Vegas Pro.
I had a GenArts or Imagineer Systems account, why isn't it working?
July 28, 2017
Imagineer Systems, GenArts, and Boris FX joined forces in 2016 to deliver our customers awesome VFX plug-ins together. As we are one company now, we are consolidating our systems and resources.
Which Sapphire license do you need?
July 19, 2017
Wondering which which Sapphire license will work best for your needs? View our cross-host license matrix for more information about hosts and licenses.
Looking for the Sapphire license install via command line install?
July 19, 2017
Sapphire license install via command line install
What are the installation instructions for Sapphire offline activation?
July 19, 2017
How to install a Sapphire activation key if your machine or license server machine is not connected to the Internet.
Is there a list with descriptions of the Sapphire effects?
March 16, 2017
Is there a list with descriptions of the Sapphire effects?
Sapphire Units FAQ
March 16, 2017
Are Sapphire Units perpetual licenses or subscription? Sapphire Units are offered as perpetual (node-locked) licenses only. Subscription pricing is offered for the full Sapphire suite only. Do I need an internet connection to license a Sapphire Unit? Yes, you need an internet connection to license a Sapphire Unit. Offline license activation is not supported for Sapphire Units. If you require offline activation, you need to license the full Sapphire suite.
What do we do if we don't want to use Quicktime on Windows?
June 23, 2016
If users have security concerns and do not want to use QuickTime on Windows, but still want access to .MOV and .MP4 codecs, we recommend that they uninstall QuickTime Player, and install only the QuickTime Essentials part of the package. This substantially reduces the attack surface and reduces QuickTime to the status of a faceless library on their system which will only be used inside of other software for codec decoding.
How do I install Mocha Pro 5 on Centos 7?
June 23, 2016
In your command line, install Mocha Pro. Either the node-locked or Floating License Managercan be installed with the command: sudo rpm -Uvh --nodeps Mochapro-5.0.0....rpm No other package installation is necessary, the Mocha Pro software should work. However, the License Manager does have an undeclared dependency that needs to be resolved. To install it, use the following command: sudo rpm -Uvh LicenseManager-1.4.0...rpm sudo yum installredhat-lsb-core
Does Boris FX support Monsters GT?
May 31, 2016
Monsters GT is no longer supported. Follow these instructions to uninstall it.
What product is right for me?
May 24, 2016
Q. I am not sure the differences between your products. Which do I choose? A.With the Mocha Pro 5 release we have simplified our offering. Choose from the Mocha Proplug-in or standalone options. The compare products chart shows the differences between Mocha Pro 5 and the Adobe & HitFilm bundled Mocha products (Mocha AE / Mocha HitFilm). Q. Do I need the standalone or the plug-in option? A. The standalone and the plug-in option share an almost identical feature set and the ability to export tracking and roto data to most popular formats.
Soundbite FAQs
February 19, 2016
What are the advantages of Soundbite over products that create a transcript? Boris Soundbite does not create a transcript. The process of making audio searchable in Soundbite is referred to as Indexing. The indexing process generates a record of the sounds in the audio - known as phonemes - and stores this information on your computer. Rather than making decisions about the words that are spoken at the time the audio is indexed - resulting in a transcript - Soundbite locates areas in the audio that sound exactly like or similar to the words or phrase being searched.
Mocha Plus
June 3, 2015
Q. I own Mocha Plus, why is it no longer on your site? A. Imagineer has recently stopped selling Mocha Plus, but it can still be downloaded from our downloads section. Customers that own a Mocha Plus license will be rewarded with a special upgrade discount to Mocha Pro 5. The list price of Mocha Pro 5 Plug-in for Adobe is $695. Mocha Plus owners can upgrade to this product for $395.
Soundbite Loads but is Not Functional
May 27, 2015
Subject : Soundbite loads but the functionality has stopped. Issue : User is unable to Open files, Index folders, or Delete already Indexed folders. Cause : This would be due to a corruption of the Soundbite protocols, which will need to be reset. Steps to work around this issue : 1. Close Soundbite, and go into this directory -Macintosh HD :: Users :: [ Current User/Home Folder ] :: Library* :: Preferences
Title 3D Crashing
May 27, 2015
Subject : Title 3D Crashing Issue : Title 3D crashing Final Cut Pro when applying, launching or rendering. Steps to work around the issue: 1. Quit Final Cut Pro and go to this location in the Finder -Macintosh HD :: Users :: [ Current User/Home ] :: Library** :: Preferences 2. Inside this location, delete the file that reads: “com.borisfx.Title 3D” 3. Inside the same Preferences folder, enter the Final Cut Pro User Data directory and delete these two files: ʻFinal Cut Pro Obj Cacheʼ & ʻFinal Cut Pro Prof Cacheʼ After this, re-launch Final Cut Pro and Title 3D should be operational again.
BCC Suddenly Experiences Problems on Windows
May 27, 2015
Subject : BCC Suddenly Having Problems On Windows Issue : My BCC Is Suddenly Experiencing Problems On My Windows System; Reinstalling Does Not Help Cause : Recent Changes, Manual Or Automated, Have Caused A Corruption in BCCʼs Behavioral Protocols How to Get Around the Issue : 1. Close your Host NLE/Compositor program and go into this directory - C:\Users\[Current User]\AppData*\Local\BorisFX 2. Inside here, you will see a folder for Boris Continuum Complete -- send this folder to the Recycle Bin and re-launch your NLE/Compositor program.
One Frame Watermarks on BCC AVX 9 on Mac
May 27, 2015
Subject : One Frame Watermarks on BCC AVX 9 on Mac Issue : When I render my BCC AVX 9 effects, each effect has a watermark on the first frame. This isnʼt visible before render, and the BCC AVX 9 software is fully licensed. Cause : Problematic Build How to Get Around the Issue : This is a known problem with one particular Installer build that was sent to multiple channels.
Issue Launching Boris RED in Media 100
May 27, 2015
Subject : Unable to Launch Boris RED in Media 100 Issue : When I apply Boris RED as a filter, Comp or Title, I receive an error that the Boris Graffiti or Boris FX file is missing. Cause : The files for Boris RED need to be in a specific location in relation to Media 100. Steps to work around the issue :
Media 100 Error Codes -39 and -2048
May 27, 2015
Subject : M100 Errors -39 and -2048 Issue : When Working In Media 100, Suddenly I Am Seeing Errors That Read Error Code -39 and/or -2048 How to Get Around the Issue : These two errors will come up, usually together, when there is a problem with Quicktime playback. To clarify the nature of these messages: Error -2048 is actually a Quicktime error, not a Media 100 error, stating that a clip cannot be loaded; Error -39 is the same error, just using a Media 100 numerical code, relaying the same problem.
BCC Installed but Not Applying in Final Cut Pro X
May 27, 2015
Subject: BCC Installed but Not Applying in Final Cut Pro X Issue : When I apply a BCC effect in Final Cut Pro X, I see a red screen with a yellow triangle showing an “!” symbol. The effect parameters load but the video is gone, and the effect does not appear either. Cause : When BCC loads within Final Cut Pro X, itʼs actually loading Motion Templates rather than the BCC effects themselves.
BCC AVX Crashes Avid on launch with Segmentation Fault Error
May 27, 2015
Subject : BCC AVX crashes Avid on launch with Segmentation Fault error Issue : When launching Avid Media Composer after installing BCC AVX, Avid crashes with the following error: error while trying to \Initialize AVX2 Host\ pop up appears and reads: \Segmentation faut\ in thread \MainThread\, at address 0x0 Cause : This would be due to BCC attempting to load a hardware asset that is no longer present -- the most common reason would be if CUDA-based hardware was removed from the system, but the drivers for this hardware were not uninstalled.
Poor Performance with Static BCC Wild Cards Effect
May 27, 2015
Subject : Poor Performance with Static BCC Wild Cards Effect Issue : When Previewing or Rendering Static Instances of BCC Wild Cards, The Performance Is Notably Slow Cause : The BCC Wild Cards Is Processing Unnecessary Information How to Get Around the Issue : During Preview at least (and possibly during Render), dis-engage the Anti-Aliasing function completely. Turn off the Motion Blur if enabled.
Boris Effects are Misaligned after Rendering from Sony Vegas
May 27, 2015
Subject : Boris Effects Misaligned After Rendering From Sony Vegas Issue : When I render my timeline from Sony Vegas, my effects have changed position. My Vegas timeline is a custom size. Cause : When the render carries out, the raw media automatically adjusts to compensate, but the effects do not. Note: Even if your Vegas timeline is an SD/HD standard, this can happen if you render/export to an alternate resolution.
Launching Boris RED/Boris FX as Transition in FCP
May 27, 2015
Subject : Boris RED/FX does not launch as Transition in FCP. Issue : When user applies Boris RED/FX as a Transition in Final Cut Pro 7, the plugin is recognized but when called upon from the Viewer window, the interface does not load. Cause : Intermittent limitation of old-style plug-in architecture. Steps to work around this issue : NOTE: Any one of these might be enough to get the interface to load, so it might work before you reach the end of list below.
Jagged and/or Flickering Titles Made by Boris RED/Graffiti
May 27, 2015
Subject : Jagged and/or Flickering Titles Made by Boris RED/Graffiti Issue : My Titles Made in Boris RED/Graffiti are Jagged and/or Flickering When Rendered in My Host Application. Cause : There are two settings in Boris RED and Boris Graffiti that re-adjust fields to optimize both vector and extruded text - Usually These Are Disabled, Causing These Problematic Renders; In Rare Cases, however, Having These Enabled Will Cause a Render Problem.
Avid Crash Outputting on Mac
May 27, 2015
Subject : Avid Crashing When Outputting Issue : Avid Crashing When Outputting Timeline with Boris RED/FX/Graffiti. Cause : A conflict is occurring between the output protocol or the hardware driver and the Boris Frameworks. How to Get Around the Issue : 1. Quit Avid and locate your Boris plugs in this directory - Macintosh HD :: Library :: Application Support :: Avid :: AVX2_Plug-Ins
No Visible Video on Media 100
May 27, 2015
Subject: Media 100 Gets an SD Video Signal but No Video Is Visible Issue : When user goes to digitize SD material into Media 100, the source is recognized and the V is green, but the video preview is black, and the resulting video file has no video. Audio works fine. Cause : Default setting set to a modern digital standard. Steps to work around the issue :
RED/Graffiti Crashing on Launch
May 27, 2015
Subject : RED/Graffiti Crashing on Launch Issue : RED/Graffiti is crashing host upon launch, as well as when attempting to launch as a stand-alone program. Cause : Problematic Fonts unable to successfully initialize, causing an interruption of launch operations. Steps to work around the issue: 1. Primarily, you want to force most of the Filters on the system Offline. 2. If you are using Mac OSX, close as many programs as possible and launch the FontBook application.
Getting your Boris product to display in the Operating Language
May 27, 2015
Subject: Boris Product Displaying in English on Non-English OS Issue: I have installed my Boris Product(s) on my Non-English Operating System, but the Boris displays in English, not the language of the Operating System. Cause: All Boris programs will run in the native language for most Operating Systems, but this requires a file to be installed called the ʻBoris Language Pack.ecsʼ Steps to work around the issue:
Getting your Boris product to display in English
May 27, 2015
Subject: Boris Displaying in My Operating Systemʼs Language Instead of English Issue: My OS (Mac/Windows) is a non-English OS, and after installation, my Boris product is displaying in the same language as my OS. Instead, I want my Boris product to display in English. Cause: The Boris installer, detecting the non-English nature of the Operating System, installed a Translation file to translate the program to the Operating System's current language settings.
Sony Vegas Pro will not update filter list
May 27, 2015
Subject: Sony Vegas Pro will not update filter list. Issue: Sony Vegas Pro won’t update filter list to reflect newly installed BCC effects, requiring you to manually clear the effects cache. Cause: This is a known problem with the BCC/RED installers for Sony Vegas and will be resolved at some point in the future. Steps to work around the issue:
BFX Error -28
May 27, 2015
Subject : BFX Error -28 Issue : When Working with BCC, Sometimes I See An Error That Reads ʻBFX Error -28ʼ Cause : This Is A Broad Error, But This Generally Indicates A Strain Of Available Resources For Preview Or Render How to Get Around the Issue : Your primary objective will be to remove any strain on the CPU, GPU or RAM usage when it comes to the BCC operations.
Render Queue CC AME Workaround
May 26, 2015
Add the project to the Render Queue: In the Render Queue twirl down the Output Module parameter and click on Lossless: In the Output Module window select Format Options: In Format Options select the codec that best suits your needs: Back in the Output Module check the box next to Resize, open the Resize to dropdown menu and select the size and frame rate that works for you: Hit okay, select your render destination, and start your render.
Downloading Issue with Norton 360
May 26, 2015
Issue: Norton Utility sees downloaded Boris products files (BCC, RED et al) as security threat and deletes them. However, Boris files do not have a virus and are not a threat. Cause: This is a known problem with Norton 360 and downloaded Boris product files. We are working with Norton to resolve this. Steps to work around the issue: 1) Open Norton 360
Graffiti 5 installer doesn’t display Pinnacle Studio 16 as install option
May 26, 2015
Subject: Graffiti 6.6 installer doesn’t display Pinnacle Studio 19 as install option. Issue: Graffiti 6.6 installer doesn’t display Pinnacle Studio 19 in the list of host applications during install process. However, Pinnacle 19 is a supported host application. Cause: This is a known problem with the Graffiti installer for Pinnacle and will be resolved at some point in the future. Steps to work around the issue:
FCP7 Crash in OSX 10.8
May 26, 2015
Subject: BCC Shaders crash FCP7 upon launch in OSX 10.8.3. Issue: After installing BCC version 7 or 8, FCP will crash on launch citing Boris Shaders as the cause. Cause: Shaders calls upon a portion of Mac OSX that no longer is supported in 10.8. This is due to the fact that FCP 7 is being considered a legacy product. Steps to work around the issue:
Moving from earlier versions of Adobe to Adobe Creative Cloud
May 26, 2015
Subject: Moving from earlier versions of Adobe to Adobe Creative Cloud. Issue: Manually moving plugins from older versions of Adobe apps to Adobe Creative Cloud. Cause: Adobe’s Creative Cloud update requires migration of Boris Plugins to work with them. Steps to work around the issue: For Mac OSX Users: For BCC/FEC – Open Macintosh HD: Library: Application Support: Adobe: Common: Plugins: CS(whatever your current version is): Media Core Copy the plugins Paste into Macintosh HD: Library: Application Support: Adobe: Common: Plugins: 7.
My activation keeps failing. What do I do?
May 26, 2015
Make sure you click "Verify" before you click "Activate" in the registration window or the message "activation failed" will appear. If you have a firewall set up, you may not be able to connect to the Boris FX server resulting in the "activation failed" message. You may want to modify your firewall to allow your system to contact our server or, as an alternative, use UPID activation. Thank you once again for your Boris FX Purchase.
My system crashed… How do I get my license back?
May 26, 2015
Serial number activation: Contact Boris FX Customer Service - customerservice@borisfx.com or 857-488-3572. A team member will verify your purchase and help you reactivate your license remotely! UPID activation: Submit your UPID to Boris FX Customer Service - customerservice@borisfx.com or 857-488-3572. Your UPID will be verified, processed, and an unlock code will be provided for activation.
Transferring Boris FX Products to another system
May 26, 2015
Serial Number Activation: Open the Boris FX registration window, and hit "Deactivate." Uninstall the product. Reinstall the product on your new system. Enter the serial number in the registration window. Click "Verify" and then "Activate". For detailed instructions, click here UPID activation: Contact customerservice@borisfx.com or call 857-488-3572 with your UPID # Once your UPID has been processed, you will be sent an Unlock code. Open the registration window and enter the Unlock Code.
What are Mocha's system requirements or technical specifications?
April 22, 2015
In order to run Mocha, you will need to check and make sure that you have the following on your target machine: Software Requirements: Mac: MacOS 10.12 or higher Windows: Windows 7 or higher on x64 Linux: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, CentOS 6 or a compatible Linux distribution on x86_64 Recommended Hardware: Processor: 64-bit Intel or AMD CPU with four or more cores Memory: 16 GB or more
How do I fix a 'can't connect to server' or 'server system is down' error when I know the server is running?
January 5, 2015
For the -97 error, it's likely that a port number is conflicting. You can edit the server license to fix this. Normally the license server runs in port 27000, but if other FLEXnet license servers are present it may take a different port (Nuke and Maya are common FLEXnet processes that may conflict with Mocha and eachother). To be safe, open ports 27000-27009. Also, the vendor daemon uses a port specified at run time.
Does Mocha use multi-threaded processing?
January 5, 2015
We only multi-thread some of the processes in Mocha at this time. Performance improvements are on the development list to speed up a lot of the workflows.We will let our users know when we are able to utilize multi-threadding on all of our processes, but that will take time to implement.
Why am I getting the error code: 'Could not decode product name from...'?
January 5, 2015
That is caused by trying to use the incorrect activation code for you Mocha product. Make sure you have double checked your activation code, and make sure you have the right version. You usually see this when you have used license manager 1.2.5 for Mocha V4, are trying to activate a Mocha V3 software with a Mocha V4 code, or have substituted Mocha Pro for Mocha Plus.
Will Mocha run on OSX Yosemite?
October 21, 2014
In general, as we don't use the latest OSX updates for "signing" Mocha, Yosemite is not totally green lit to run Mocha. This means Mocha's ability to run on Yosemite depends on the users' security settings (which apps you allow to run on OSX). Yosemite will initially not allow Mocha to run, it is up to the user to navigate to "Security & Privacy Settings" and choose to allow Mocha to run anyway.
Why can't I find 'Program Data' or locate my Mocha license on my machine?
August 6, 2014
If you can not find the following paths on your machine: Licence Directory for OSX: -/Library/Application Support/Imagineer Systems/FLEXlm/Licenses/ Licence Directory for Windows Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Imagineer Systems Ltd\Licensing\ Windows Vista: C:\ProgramData\Imagineer Systems Ltd\Licensing\ Windows 7: C:\ProgramData\Imagineer Systems Ltd\Licensing\ (Legacy versions of Imagineer Software may still use the directory C:\Program Files\Imagineer Systems Ltd\Licensing\) Licence Directory for Linux /etc/opt/isl/licences/ You probably need to make sure that you are able toview hidden folders on your computer.
Why won't my shape track or move in Mocha?
August 6, 2014
This may be a conflict with your video card. If your shape is completely stationary, try going to Mocha and select File>Preferences. Once preferences is open, navigate to the "Open GL" tab and check the checkbox "Disable Offscreen Buffers." Now try tracking again, your shape should follow the track properly.
How do I share my custom keyboard shortcuts?
August 6, 2014
Our custom user keyboard shortcuts are designed to be shared, but if you want to share the default settings (AE, Nuke, Etc) you'll need to make a copy of them first. You can find your saved keyboard profiles here: Linux: ~/.config/Imagineer Systems Ltd/ Mac OS: ~/Library/Application Support/Imagineer Systems Ltd/ Windows: [YourUserName]\AppData\Roaming\Imagineer Systems Ltd
How do I open Mocha Plus or Mocha Pro from After Effects instead of Mocha AE?
August 4, 2014
If you own Mocha Plus or Mocha Pro, you can open these products from within AE. To open Mocha Plus or Mocha Pro inside of After Effects the same way Mocha AE opens from After Effects, simply go to Mocha>file>preferences and open Mocha's preferences. Check "track in AE" and close Mocha. Restart After Effects and use Animation > Track in Mocha AE as you normally would. The Plus or Pro version of Mocha will now open the same way Mocha AE used to.
Why won't Mocha 4 or License Manager run on a 32 bit system?
July 29, 2014
hile older products supported 32 bit systems, Imagineer Systems license managers and Mocha v4 are 64 bit only moving forward.
What do I do if my question isn't answered here?
July 1, 2014
Check our user forums or contact support, we are happy to help you! If you have a sales related question, you can call us at:+1 (646) 797-3323
Where can I find more license and installation help?
July 1, 2014
You can find more the license and installation guide here. If you are still having problems or need technical support, contact us.
I am behind a firewall and can't activate my license, what should I do?
July 1, 2014
If possible, turn off your firewall for a minute and activate online. Otherwise, you will need to send your Host ID and activation code into support for a manual license generation. If you have a floating license server, you will need to provide support with your HOST ID and SERVER NAME. Contact support now.
Why am I getting the error code “Activation code does not match this product”?
July 1, 2014
You most likely have the wrong program installed. Please make sure you install the exact product your activation code is for. This is found in your purchase email. Please note: If you are running the Adobe After Effects bundled version of Mocha AE,updates are provided by Adobe. Installing a download from the Imagineer site, requires an upgrade purchase. Still confused?Email us and we are glad to walk you through the options.
How can I troubleshoot Mocha crashes?
July 1, 2014
Troubleshooting suggestions: Restart your machine, usually a simple restart is enough to get any piece of software back on track. Make sure you have enough memory dedicated to Mocha in File>Preferences. Turn hardware rendering ON or OFF in File>Preferences, depending on your settings. Make sure your video card driver is up to date. Try running Mocha in 32-bit mode by using “Get Info” on the app and checking the 32-bit box.
Why do I get “License error: Mocha AE CS6 must only be launched from After Effects” when I try to open videos on my computer?
July 1, 2014
You may see this ifMocha AE has been accidentally set as the default program for that type of video file on your machine. Please use quicktime or windows media player as your default video player on your machine instead. If you need more detailed instructions to change your default OS video player, please read the following: For windows: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-default-programs#1TC=windows-7 For mac: http://www.macworld.com/article/1154861/changedefaultapp.html
Why does Mocha crash immediately on startup or why can't I activate when I am using my thunderbolt ports on my new mac?
July 1, 2014
Legacy versions of Mochaare not supportedondual monitor thunderbolt systems or systems with several thunderbolt ports in use. This was a known conflict with our FLEXlm license dependency and MAC Thunderbolt systems. This issue has been resolved in the latest version of Mocha V4. Please make sure you have Mocha V4.1.o or above installed on your machine in order to fix this issue. If you continue to have thunderbolt issues, please contact support.
Why does my Wacom Tablet not work with Mocha?
July 1, 2014
While this issue is fairly rare, you may need to update your Wacom Driver. Make sure you use a driver suited for your machine and that it is the correct driver for your exact tablet model.
Why is my zoom tool not working?
July 1, 2014
This is usually due to a non-English language keyboard layout (German, for example), or other possible keyboard mapping conflicts. Go to your Key Shortcuts tab in Preferences: In the Track shortcut category the keyboard shortcut you need to change/delete is “Track Luminance” In the Stabilize category the keyboard shortcut you need to change/delete is “Stabilize Y Translation On/Off”. You may also need to change “Remove Current Frame from Fixed Frames”.
Can I customize my keyboard shortcuts in Mocha?
July 1, 2014
Customizable keyboardshortcutsare now found in: MochaPro 4 and Mocha Plus 4.You can customize your keyboard shortcuts by going to File>Keyboard>Customize, or File>Preferences. Find out more here.
Can I use custom frame rates with Mocha?
July 1, 2014
Mocha does not support non-standard, custom frame-rates. You will need to use a different frame-rate, as close to your desired frame rate as possible, but convert your footage to individual frames instead of a movie. You will then be able to composite your shot and convert it to the proper frame rate of your choosing.
Where did my cached renders go?
July 1, 2014
When you render in Mocha, renders are temporary cached image files in your Results Folder. If you close Mocha and un-check “retain cached renders” on exit, Mocha will delete all the temp files. We recommend that you export your rendered results to another output folder with File>Export Rendered Clip for proper backup.
Why can't I see my roto shapes, surface tool, or grid tool?
July 1, 2014
Turn overlays on, that should fix the issue for you.
Why does my surface tool disappear halfway through my track or why does my shape twist in on itself or scale off screen when I track?
July 1, 2014
If you using perspective when you track, it may be that your surface is going behind the camera in Mocha and corrupting the data. In Mocha, problem splines can occur when the tracking data has become so skewed it goes off or “behind” camera, the keyframes the tracking data generates can throw the shape information out of order. You may need to re-track the shape using only translation, scale, rotation, and shear instead of perspective.
Why does my shape not paste correctly into After Effects or Nuke?
July 1, 2014
If your Mocha shape does not lineup in your destination software, you may have a mismatched project frame rate or aspect ratio. If you are seeing stranger results, the track for that shape may have become corrupt. A good way to check this is to turn the surface tool on and see if the surface tool does anything unexpected, like disappear. You may need to re-track the object.
Why is my Mocha interface popping, jumping, jerking, or otherwise moving erratically?
July 1, 2014
You likely need to update your graphics card driver. Please do to your video card’s support page and download the latest video drivers. Install the drivers and restart your machine.
Why is my transform data off in After Effects when I paste it onto a null?
July 1, 2014
If you are using Mocha3.2.1 and below only it is because the anchor point is also driving the null. Turn off the anchor point and your track and null should line up perfectly. InV4 we removedthe anchor keys for our AE Transform Data export.
How do I optimize Mocha in my preferences?
July 1, 2014
In Mocha Preferences (File>Preferences), you can increase RAM in the texture memory section, or turn hardware rendering on and off. Mocha needs at least a few GB of RAM and 100 GB of free hard drive space to render fast and trouble free. You can also view Mocha's technical requirementshere.
What is the best way to work with interlaced footage?
July 1, 2014
Mocha has the ability to interpolate interlaced footage. This must be set up when you start your new project: separate fields. Please note: For rendering modules such as Remove, Insert and Stabilize, interlaced footage can be difficult to work with. Imagineerrecommends working inside Mocha on frame based clips. Consider processing interlaced footage into frame based , de-interlaced footage in another program. You may then remove and render out of Mocha at full size, making the remove tool work easily in your shot.
Why can I not track something that I know should be easy to track?
July 1, 2014
Understanding the planar tracker is key to getting a good track. Increasing the Min % of Pixel Used in the track tab can also help. If your tracker is simply not working properly, there could bea corrupt file in your cache. Delete the contents of your cache folder. You can find your cache folder in your Preferences: File>Preferences wherever you have set it to, but usually somewhere like “C:/MoTemp/”. Delete the cache folder contents and restart Mocha.
Why doesn't Mocha support my footage?
July 1, 2014
Mocha from Boris FX supports most standard movie clip and image sequence formats. In order to use clips (ie. not image sequences) you must have QuickTime installed. Level of QuickTime support can vary depending on the operating system. View documentation: supported file list What to Do if Mocha Does Not Support Your Footage In the event that you are working in a format that Mocha doesn't support, we recommend converting the footage to an image sequence.
Why is my track slipping?
July 1, 2014
It may be because you do not notice an occlusion that Mocha DOES see; moving objects or people that slowly move in front of the area you are trying to track need to be avoided. Also look out for obvious or even “barely there,” consistently moving reflections or shadows; Mocha will notice them even if you don’t! But it could also be that you are not tracking enough or the right area of an object.
Why doesn't my tracking or shape data line up from Mocha to my compositing or editing program?
July 1, 2014
When you paste or importyour Mochadata into the final composite or edit, make sure you are pasting or loading your data in at the first frame of the clip, otherwise your data will not line up. Project settings such as frame rate, dimensions and pixel aspect ratio must be match between your Mocha project and your destination software.Make sure these values match the settings in your compositor or editor and inside of Mocha, otherwise your tracking data will not match when you export it.
Why is my footage blank, black, white, or one frame long?
July 1, 2014
There are certain types of codecs and file types that Mochadoes not support, usually native, unprocessed codecs off of cameras and AVIs on Windows. You mayneed to convert the file to something Mochasupports, such asquicktime or an image sequence. If your screen is black or white for clips but not for images, it is most likely the codec for the movie files that is causing the issue. View Documentation: supported file list Other troubleshooting tips: Double-check that your quicktime drivers, codecs, and video card drivers are up to date, and that quicktime can open the file.
Why can I only export ten frames or why are all my renders watermarked?!
July 1, 2014
You are running Mocha in learning edition (LE) mode. In LE mode, exports are limited to 10 frames andrenders have watermarks on them. LE mode exists so that you can continue to learn Mocha even after your 15 day trial has expired. If you are running on a floating license and you see the that you are running in LE mode, all your licenses have been checked out. If you have been working on a file on a node-locked license and you lose your license to another user, do not save your file in LE mode.
How do I open Mocha AE that shipped with Adobe After Effects CS4-CS5?
July 1, 2014
Open the Adobe After Effects program folder and launchthe Mocha AE. It is astandalone program.
How do I open Mocha AE that ships with Adobe After Effects CS6 or Creative Cloud?
July 1, 2014
Mocha AE ships free within Adobe After Effects CS4 through CreativeCloud. To launch, within After Effects: select the layer you want to track, go to Animation>Track in Mocha AE.
How do I get started learning Mocha?
July 1, 2014
The getting started page is a good place to begin your Mocha journey. You can also view the video tutorial section and browse by tag or date. Another great resource are Curious Turtle training videos. You can watch the free Mocha Fundamentals video series here or purchase downloadable materials. Other resources: On the training resource page, you can findlinks for authorized training partners and certified Mocha instructors.
Legacy Products
June 3, 2014
Q. I do not seemy product (monet, mokey, motor, etc) listed. Do you still sell it? A.Imagineer has either discontinued these products or merged all the functionality into Mocha Pro. If you own an older, no longer supported product and wish to upgrade toMocha Pro,please contact sales@imagineersystems.com team for a custom upgrade quote.
Mocha AE (Mocha for After Effects)
May 30, 2014
Q: What is Mocha AE? A: Mocha AE is the bundled planar tracking and masking plug-in that has been licensed to Adobe since 2008, starting with CS4. Mocha AE CChas recently been updated in After Effects 2019. Select a layer and go to: Animation > track in Mocha Q: What is the difference between the new Mocha Pro 2019 and the Mocha AE CC that ships with Creative Cloud? A: Mocha Pro has many significant features not found in the Adobe bundled Mocha AE CC: Advanced Modules: Lens, Insert, Remove, 3D Solve, Stabilize GPU accelerated tracking and object removal Stereo 360/VR workflows Export data to industry standard systems For a full list, please view the product comparison chart.
Support & Maintenance Contracts
May 23, 2014
Q. Can you tell me about your support & maintenance contracts? A. Imagineer offers the option to purchase yearly support & maintenance contracts for Mocha Pro. This is ideal for customers that wish to insure they are always running the latest version or need guaranteed response time for customer support & technical issues. Most sites purchasing multi-seats or floating license take the support option. 1 year support contracts include: Free upgrades to major releases Minimum 1 business day response for all technical support cases.
Mocha Pro
January 10, 2014
Mocha Pro version 5 has new features for hosts like Blackmagic Fusion, Autodesk Flame, and HitFilm.
Mocha Pro Licensing Questions
January 10, 2014
Q. How many computers can I install a license on? A. Mocha Pro 5now has an improved license system allowing users to activate or deactivate their software license while connected to the internet. This allows a user to install the software on multiple systems, then "activate" the Mocha Pro 5license on their computer of choice. Simply "deactivate" your license to move it to a new system. Customers not connected to the internet should contact our support team for manual license transfers.