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Apple updates Final Cut Pro X & iMovie with support for Touch Bar in new MacBook Pros

After accidentally leaking the existence of Final Cut Pro 10.3 on its trial website, Apple has officially unveiled the updated release at today’s Hello, Again MacBook Pro keynote. The update, which will available to download today on the Mac App Store, adds support for the Touch Bar in the just-announced 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pro. The update also brings refinements to the app’s revolutionary Magic Timeline.

Apple’s Susan Prescott demonstrated editing a project timeline via the Touch Bar with timeline displays, and contextual controls. Users will be able to move about the timeline, trim clips, adjust waveform volume, and much more.

While in full screen view, users will see a representation of all elements in the project timeline on the Touch Bar. Users can then scrub through a project timeline by sliding on the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, while the project is in full screen view.

The Magnetic Timeline, a staple of the redesigned Final Cut Pro X, has been updated as well:

With the new Magnetic Timeline in Final Cut Pro X, users can understand their film at a glance with customizable arrangement and color coding of audio clips based on type or “role” — such as dialogue, music and effects. It’s simple to create and assign roles, and give each one a unique color. And in a first for pro video software, users can simply drag to instantly rearrange the vertical layout of their timeline or highlight specific audio roles while editing.

Additional updates found in Final Cut Pro 10.3:

  • Flow transition creates invisibly smooth jump cuts
  • Remove Attributes allows users to easily delete or reuse select effects across multiple clips
  • Timecode overlay effect and generator allow users to edit with a large view of source timecode
  • Support for ProRes MXF, Panasonic V-Log and export of AVC-Intra
  • Direct video output via Thunderbolt 3 enables high-quality video monitoring on an external display with a single cable

Final Cut Pro X 10.3 will be available today on the Mac App Store for $299, along with a free 30-day trial download as well. Apple is also releasing updates to both Apple Motion (version 5.3) and Compressor (version 4.3), two integral Final Cut Pro X companion apps for media professionals. Compressor gains a new dark layout to match Final Cut Pro X and Motion, support for wide color, and Touch Bar support, while Motion gains Touch Bar support, wide color support, 3D text enhancements, and a new Align To behavior lets users easily connect separate objects to create advanced animations.

Apple’s entry-level iMovie app has been updated (version 10.1.3) as well. It comes with the following changes:

  • Support for Touch Bar on MacBook Pro lets you quickly add video clips to your movie, or use them to create picture in picture, green screen, and split screen effects
  • Tap the Touch Bar to play your movie, split a clip, or easily adjust the volume of any clip
  • Ability to delete render files to recover drive space

The Touch Bar and Magnetic Timeline features sound great, but I’m seriously excited about the new flow transition feature, as my videos tend to incorporate lots of jump cuts. What do you think about Final Cut Pro X 10.3?

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