Although word came on Friday that GenArts had joined Imagineer Systems under the Boris FX umbrella, GenArts has also announced it will release version 10 of its flagship Sapphire VFX suite in late September. 

In preview at IBC, Sapphire 10 includes a suite of new effects filters and presets, as well as improved workflow controls and better ways to both find effects and organize projects inside the software.

The Builder tool now lets users work with multiple source clips (matte from a path or alpha channel), giving them more options for combining many Sapphire effects at once. And as artists’ node trees get more complex, a new snap-to-grid feature inside Builder keeps things streamlined by cleaning them up during the build process.

An improved preset browser gives swifter access to more than 150 new presets, including 60 advanced Builder Effects, as well as the already broad collection of 3,000+ presets included in Sapphire 9. The newest presets are top-level choices accessed in one click by the New navigation tab.

New effects include S_Luna, a photoreal and date/time-accurate lunar-cycle generator with options for halo, glow, color tint and atmosphere; S_Brush, which renders a hand-painted style in a variety of mediums and brush types; and S_RomanTile, a textured geometric mosaic overlay that even includes custom grout options.

Sapphire 9 owners, as well as those with an active subscription plan and/or a current Upgrade and Support contract, are eligible to receive a free copy of Sapphire 10 in the next few weeks.