Betas: New Silverstack Lab, Resolve for iPad, More

Several recent betas have graduated to full releases but there are a couple of new ones. First, a beta for Pomfort Silverstack Lab 8.4. There is a closed beta of DaVinci Resolve for iPad, which will be out soon, so this is an announcement more for informational purposes than to try. Another new one is Lossless Cut, a cross-platform FFmpeg GUI. Frame.io has a new beta for RED Camera. In addition, check out the new Adobe Photoshop beta. Plus, several updates of products that you may not have known are in beta.
There are also LOTS of updates: Rhino, Pilgway 3DCoat, FumeFX 6 and lots more!
If you want to check them out before release, this is your last chance. Keep scrolling for details.
What’s a beta?
Beta software not only lets you try some software for free but also helps developers find problems. In addition, feedback from users helps developers steer the direction of their products.
Of course, we’ll keep this page updated with current public beta information. If you hear about something and we don’t have it listed, or if you know if a beta has ended, please drop us an email and let us know.
To be clear, some of the betas here are public while others require that you have a current license.
Bookmark this page! We updated it often.
What’s new/updated in this post?
Updated: 13 January 2023
- Avid Pro Tools Apple Silicon Beta New
- Silverstack Lab v8.4 Updated
- BRAW Toolbox Updated
- Lossless Cut
- Battle Axe
- Rhino Updated
- Chaos Cloud Collaboration beta
- Autodesk USD in 3ds Max
- Adobe Creative Cloud Updated
- Adobe Frame.io
- Adobe Substance
- KeenTools GeoTracker Updated
- Pilgway 3DCoat Updated
- FumeFX 6 Updated
- Cinematte for Mac
- CLAP
- Jawset Reactions
How to be a valuable beta tester
Instabug has some great advice on how to give the best feedback and maximize your time while being a beta tester.
Obviously, you should know the product and what bugs have already been reported, but the article also touches on submitting a quality bug report and suggesting usability changes. If you’re a private beta tester, you should always keep your beta testing confidential too.
Avid Pro Tools 2022.12 New
Description: The Avid team has been working on native support for Pro Tools on Apple M1 and M2 computers. The beta is included in the latest release
Release: December 27, 2022
Pomfort Silverstack Lab 8.4 Updated
Beta type: Public
Current Version: 8.4 Beta 2
Updated: 13 January 2023
Curious about Alexa 35 HDE workflows? 👀 The updated Silverstack Lab 8.4 Beta comes with support for the new Codex Device Manager 7 (currently available in the Codex Help Center as public beta: https://t.co/V3intMvJZF). Get the Silverstack Lab 8.4 here: https://t.co/HzD2Dpxloc pic.twitter.com/FiG69j4ocY
— Pomfort (@pomfort) January 13, 2023
Beta type: Public Beta for Silverstack Lab users. If you don’t have a Silverstack Lab license, you can test the beta using the free 10-day trial: https://pomfort.com/silverstacklab/try/
Silverstack Lab 8.4 Beta requires macOS 11 or newer.
BRAW Toolbox Public Beta Updated
Description: BRAW Toolbox allows you to import Blackmagic RAW files directly into Final Cut Pro without transcoding.
Have you tried the latest @3DCoatOfficial 2022.57 Beta? The update includes fixes and improvements across multiple areas of 3DCoat. Full changelog and download here: https://t.co/tXDD0bLFMt#3dcoat #beta #latest #download #3dcoat2022 #fixes
— 3DCoat (@3DCoatOfficial) January 13, 2023
Current Version: Beta 7 (Mac)
Release Date: 14 January 2023
Note: Braw Studio is made by Autokroma, while BRAW Toolbox is from Chris Hocking of LateNite Films.
Lossless Cut
Description: LosslessCut aims to be the ultimate cross-platform FFmpeg GUI for extremely fast and lossless operations on video, audio, subtitle, and other related media files. Open-source.
Current beta version: 3.48.2
Release Date: 24 November 2022
Battle Axe Betas
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what they have in beta, but they have a Discord server that users can join. On Twitter, Battle Axe has mentioned betas several times when users are running into issues.
McNeel Rhino for Windows & Mac Updated
Current beta version: Rhino 8 WIP (8.0.23010)
Release date: 10 January 2023
Beta type: Ongoing beta for license holders
Chaos Cloud Collaboration
From Kalina Maneva, Chaos product manager: We are launching a new Collaboration service as part of Chaos Cloud which aims to optimize the 3d design review process. It is available for all Chaos users and can be accessed directly on this link or from within the V-Ray Framebuffer.
The service allows you to:
- Upload images (and panoramas) and organize them into projects and folders.
- Add other users as viewers, commenters or editors.
- Share links to invited users only or publicly to anyone.
- Add pins and comments on the designs.
Autodesk USD in 3ds Max
With the 2023.2 Update of 3ds Max, USD in 3ds Max is in a public beta.
Release Date: 28 October 2022
Version: 0.3
The following bullet points are from the Autodesk web page, USD in 3ds Max (public beta)
- USD Stage: 3ds Max can now directly load a USD stage without having to import the data. This allows the display and rendering of native USD in a Max scene. Teams can now use USD as a more efficient form of referencing than Scene XRef in many cases.
- USD Exporter SDK: The Max USD SDK allows developers and TDs to control how our USD Exporter translates data from 3ds Max into USD. This is essential for custom data types specific to different render engines, game engines, and other environments. This SDK provides both C++ and Python APIs and has a signature very similar to the extensibility features in Maya, which will reduce the effort developers spend making USD tools between 3ds Max and Maya.
- Exporter: The exporter has been expanded to support the new USDStageObject. The exporter UI has been updated to expose custom options that plugin developers can provide via the new USD Exporter SDK. This allows artists to get more of their data from Max into USD.
- USDStageObject nodes will export as a reference in the exported file.
- Custom Shaders and Chasers can be turned on and off in the Exporter UI.
Adobe Creative Cloud Betas Updated
Below, read about what’s currently in beta. Download these betas in the Adobe Creative Cloud app.
After Effects Updated
One of the big things we’ve heard from AE beta users is that the Properties panel needed text support. Good news: it’s in today’s beta! Give it a try and let us know what you think.https://t.co/tbyzWqnPQi
— Victoria (@FakeGreenDress) January 11, 2023
3D Model Import
Import 3D models into your composition without any additional plugins. Then, composite them with your other After Effects 3D layers. Learn more: 3D Model Import
Properties Panel
This is the one I’ve been waiting for! Properties Panel lets users access the important properties of selected layers in the Timeline Panel without having to twirl open multiple layer hierarchies or a different panel.
The Beta build adds the Properties Panel feature for the Shape layers. Learn more: Properties Panel
OpenColorIO and ACES color management
Manage colors natively in After Effects with OpenColorIO (OCIO). It uses ACES, the industry standard for managing color. ACES is used in major motion pictures and TV for managing color throughout the entire project. More on OpenColorIO and ACES color management
Premiere Pro
Assemble rough cuts from transcripts
You can now create rough-cut edits from selected text passages with options to generate transcripts on import or from the Text panel. Learn more: Assemble rough cuts from transcripts
Photoshop
Introduction to Photoshop on the web beta
Familiarize yourself with Photoshop on the web’s beta interface, collaboration features, and limited editing functionality. Introduction to Photoshop on the web beta
Collaborate with stakeholders
Easily manage feedback and editing permissions for your stakeholders. Share your document for others to make edits, or send a view-only link for comments, contextual pins, and annotations. Collaborate with stakeholders
Limited editing on the web
Make quick edits, retouch, and adjust images with Photoshop on the web beta. Limited editing features include simple layers, selection tools, masking, and others. Limited editing on the web
Adobe Frame.io Camera to Cloud Beta for RED
This beta is for new integration with RED V-RAPTOR and V-RAPTOR XL cameras.
KeenTools GeoTracker for After Effects Updated
GeoTracker, a tool that has been available for Nuke for years, has a beta touting the first 3D tracker for After Effects. The beta works on both Mac and Windows. Watch the video below for fantastic examples.
Match-moving tasks are done with a snap with GeoTracker — what usually requires a team of motion tracking specialists can be done by a VFX artist with no tracking skills and with less time spent. Now this technology is available for users of After Effects, so they can use object tracking to reach the new level of motion graphics and design.
KeenTools
Beta type: Open Beta
Current version: 2022.3.0
Released: 18 Dec 2022
Pilgway 3DCoat Updated
The beta for 3D Coat is ongoing and updated often. 3DCoat allows you to take your 3D idea from a block of digital clay to a production-ready, fully-textured organic or hard surface model. Click the link to Buy 3D Coat for more product information.
Have you tried the latest @3DCoatOfficial 2022.57 Beta? The update includes fixes and improvements across multiple areas of 3DCoat. Full changelog and download here: https://t.co/tXDD0bLFMt#3dcoat #beta #latest #download #3dcoat2022 #fixes
— 3DCoat (@3DCoatOfficial) January 13, 2023
Current beta version: 2022.57
Date released: 11 January 2023
FumeFX 6 Updated
The FumeFX Beta is available to download and use until 3/3/2023 even for commercial use. You need to register at the SitniSati forums to download and use the public beta.
FumeFX 6 is about to become the most exciting FumeFX release ever! This time we have created a completely new, node-based procedural system that includes particle system, rope, rigid body dynamics, cloth, soft body dynamics, voxel grid manipulation, node based access to FumeFX simulation and interaction, extensive integration with the Arnold renderer supporting point rendering, procedural rendering of splines via Arnold curves, geometry instances, volumes and custom channels, ISurf – particle mesher object and much, much more. With over 130 ready to use nodes artists can create amazing visual effects directly inside the FumeFX package more efficiently than ever before.
Sitni Sati
Beta Type: Open to Everyone
Beta serial number (fully commercial license valid until 3/3/2023): FFXKPR3UX4
Current Version: FumeFX 6, Public Beta 12
Release Date: 19 December 2022
Host Support / System Requirements:
Window 10 minimum
3ds max 2019 – 2023
Arnold Renderer 7.1.1.0
Cinematte for Mac
The Mac version of Cinematte is now in the Public Beta phase. You can request access by contacting Cinematte.
CLAP – Audio Format
U-he and Bitwig jointly announced today a co-developed audio plugin standard known as CLAP. Download the public preview and try it out! Click the Learn More button below the video for more information and a download.
Jawset Reactions
Description: Reactions is a toolkit for physically-based animation built for Visual Effects and Motion Graphics artists and technical directors. It is the evolution of TurbulenceFD that advances versatility, performance, and workflows. Reactions includes tools for volumes (like fire, smoke, or clouds), particles, and procedural SDFs. But it allows for substantial extensibility of its framework that also handles polygon meshes and curves. Both built-in and user-created extensions use GPU and CPU hardware. In addition, Reactions includes ready-made, dynamic assets, and allows artists to create their own to re-use and compartmentalize their work.
Host: Standalone app, Cinema 4D R20-R25
Posted by Michele Yamazaki