The CGM Movie FX contains an improved version of the FXScript DVE Softwipe (included in Final Cut Pro 3 or Final Cut Express). The transition now allows video clips as well as still images to be imported using the image input gadget and also for the CGM Movie FX overlay.

Apply the CGM Movie FX video transition (located in Video Transitions / CGM DVE Dissolve) and double-click to open its input controls in the viewer. 

The Movie FX animations are optimized for a transition length of exactly 1 or 2 seconds. If another duration is set the plug-in interpolates the frame rate (without frameblending), sometimes giving less than perfect results.

Set the transition's duration to exactly 2 seconds and then open the folder Movie FX Volumetric Light NTSC on the CGM DVE CD. Drag the 3D animation file Light NTSC.mov onto the Movie FX gadget, then drag the alpha channel file Light NTSC Alpha.mov onto the Alpha FX gadget. Last of all drag the dissolve pattern for the volumetric light named Pattern.tif onto the Movie/Map gadget.

The direction of the animation can be reversed using the Flop pop-up menu.

The other soft wipe controls are described in Workshops 8 and 14.

CGM are developing an exciting new range of Movie FX animations which will become available in the second half of this year.

Blackmagic/FCP Bug: If you are using the Blackmagic video card for cutting uncompressed video, you should first convert the Movie FX footage using the uncompressed Blackmagic video codec. It seems that the Blackmagic render engine cannot mix different video codecs in effect entry fields.

You should import the Light NTSC.mov into FCP and drop this animation into a new empty timeline. Then select the icon of the new sequence in the Browser window and choose File / Export / QuickTime Movie from FCP's pulldown menu.

In the next dialogue window you are asked for a new filename, for instance you could try "Light NTSC BM.mov". The other settings should be as follows:

Settings: Current Settings
Include: Video Only
Markers: None
Recompress All Frames: Selected
Make Movie Self-Contained: Selected

Do this also with the Light NTSC Alpha.mov animation file and use the uncompressed Movie FX animations instead of the DV files.