Plugin compatibility with CS4?

[Graham Hickling]

I've read an opinion that CS4 with not be backward compatible with plugins written for the earlier versions.

Cineform has confirmed that for AspectHD/ProspectHD. Does anyone know (yet) whether that will be the case for ALL plugins?

[James Hooey]

I can only speak to the plugins that I use currently with Vegas Pro 8....Magic Bullets Looks 1.1 and Boris FX 9.1 and Grafitti 5.? In both Red Giants and Artel's cases they are suggesting that they will offer free upgrades to CS4 compatible version should there be issues with them working within CS4. Probably because I don't believe there is a SDK kit for CS4 available yet it may take some time for the plugin manufacturers to tweak them to work within CS4.

[Tripp Woelfel]

Sounds like Boris will provide updates for customers with their current products. Their Web site states they will be free.

It's interesting that neither Boris nor Adobe have made any public statement on their product pages as to whether any updates will be required. I expect that's because the plug-in software vendors can complete their compatibility testing only after CS4 goes GA. If a plug-in requires any code changes to work is CS4 than an update to the plug-in will be required.

I expect the plug-in updates will ooze slowly out from each vendor over the next few months. Another reason not to rush to play with CS4.

[Eric Addison]

I asked this question over in the Adobe forum and someone from Adobe gave me an answer...

Adobe Forums - To Wil or anyone else from Adobe...

[James Hooey]

Eric...good call on the info.

The installer issue may be a critical key. Boris install currently looks for AE as a location to install in but on a re-install with CS4 it may not show as a valid location.

I'll know soon enough...my CS4 production suite is on the way :)

[Eric Addison]

Originally Posted by James Hooey

I'll know soon enough...my CS4 production suite is on the way :)

I pre-ordered on the 23rd...I'm hoping mine is here soon!

[Tripp Woelfel]

James and Eric... My you guys are brave. Don't know if you've been beta testing but if you haven't isn't your purchase a bit like buying the next generation Mustang without taking it for a test drive? I'm not criticizing. Just curious about your motivation.

CS4 is advertised as having some nice improvements. And they very well might be worth the cost of upgrade from CS3 if they function as advertised. Call me silly (and you should do it out loud if you're inclined) but after 20 years in the software business I've learned that patience is indeed a virtue.

[James Hooey]

Tripp,

:) I could boil it down to two reasons for myself.

1) I'm an early adopter. That could be said for many things I've done such as Vegas both way back when I first bought into it and even up to the upgrade to Pro 8 last year when to my horror found it could not capture and edit 24f XHA1 footage until finally fixed with the 8.0c update. Same for the XHA1, bought it very shortly after it hit the streets in Canada. It's my nature to research the snot out of something and then get into it asap. About the only thing I use my patience and restraint for is buying movies...I can always wait until they sell for 6.99 in the used bin. :) Tech stuff....gotta have it....damn the risks.

2) I have a business need that requires After Effects, Photoshop and Illustrator. CS3 was no longer available from Adobe and searching for venders selling it was getting tricky even very shortly after the press release of CS4. So it pushed me twoards the latest iteration of the software. I also probably would have felt sick if I had plunked down $1700 USD for software that had already be released in a newer version (not upgrading here, buying new/full as I have never owned Adobe software before).

So...in a nutshell...I know what you are saying Tripp. I'm as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. There could be all sorts of issues just waiting to rear their head, and there always is. My peace of mind comes from knowing I can and always have worked them out or around the issues until they are solved.

Praise to the early adopter as he/she takes it on the chin so that everyone who follows can reap the rewards!!! .......... wow that's a little over the top ;)

All the best,
James Hooey

[Tripp Woelfel]

Originally Posted by James Hooey

My peace of mind comes from knowing I can and always have worked them out or around the issues until they are solved.

Praise to the early adopter as he/she takes it on the chin so that everyone who follows can reap the rewards!!!

I understand and was very much like you about 20 years ago. Now it's more important that it work, and since I've worked most of the major kinks out of CS3, I'll let someone else be the crash-test dummy. I've had my turn in the barrel.

All hail the early adopter! The young and fearless! [grin]