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Boris FX and FCP 5.1.2
I’ll try to keep this short. It’s an ongoing frustration. I am unhappy with the treatment I’ve received from Boris, in the form of being ignored. Anyone here who can help me obviously falls into a completely different category! Please accept my apologies in advance for being short, gruff, and possibly a little snarly. I’m hoping someone here can help me!
I upgraded my Dual 2GHz G5 system to OS 10.4.8 and FCP 5.1.2 last month. I own Boris FX for FCP, but nowhere in my documentation can I find what version. I don’t understand the Boris products and numbers and versions. The outside of the box I bought reads Boris FX. The sticker on the box reads “Motion Graphics Pack for Apple Final Cut Pro”. The disks inside are labeled “Red 3GL v.3.0.1” and “Continuum Complete version 3.0.1”
After the OS and FCP upgrade, I downloaded and applied the patches and did so with the appropriate “Caps Lock On”, “Caps Lock Off” routine. It was even done twice to make sure the problems I’m having aren’t resulting from an error made in those steps.
I downloaded the “RED3.0.5CDUpdater”, “BCC4.0.1forFCP5.1CDUpdater”, & the “BCC3CDFinalCutGenPatch”. When those didn’t work correctly after my attempts, I downloaded the “BFX9.1Updater” and installed that. I don’t know what version Boris FX I actually have. It’s not documented anywhere by version number. Like I said, it says “Boris FX” on the box, but the disks inside are separate “Red” and “Continuum Complete” disks with separate serial numbers. I don’t even know if Boris FX 9 is something I should have or not. It is not clear in any of the documentation or in any of the posts I have read.
I initially, a month ago, had the typical issues of attempting to add a Boris filter and having the foreground disappear. I was able to un-archive an old project, drag a copy of the BCC Chroma Key filter into my current project, and use that as a starting point for the last time I needed to chroma key after the upgrade. I was successful with that project. I sent my first inquiry to Boris about the issues then via their Support page on their website. I was able to use the filter then, but not when applied from the Effects menu in FCP, only when resurrecting a previous filter from an project created before the upgrade(s).
Now, today, I am having a chroma key emergency. I need to composite this footage, and when I pull and old chroma key filter from a project where it previously functioned properly and apply it to my new footage, I get a black x across my footage. I have deleted the prof cache and the obj cache and did the quit/caps lock on/relaunch/quit/caps lock off/relaunch dance, and still get no joy.
This is very confusing. I know Apple says it’s Boris’ problem, and Boris says it’s Apple’s problem. I honestly don’t care. I need software that works.
For as much as I paid for this software, I would expect ACTUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE. Being ignored really chaps my hide. I am a one-editor shop. I pay my own way, I buy my own gear, I buy my own software. I need software that works, or I will go out and find other vendors who want my business.
If I cannot get this functioning in the next 12 hours, I will be a very unsatisfied customer.
Thanks for you time, patience, and hopefully insight as to what is wrong with my software.
debe
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1 Reply
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Well, my problem is not yet solved, but I have to share that after I was able to get the attention of someone at Boris, they have been very attentive.
They have offered me phone support with one of the “senior tech people”, as he calls himself. We have exchanged several emails today already.
Although I had to take my project out to another facility due to my deadline, and couldn’t be in front of my system for him to help me troubleshoot today, we have agreed to speak at the Boris booth at NAB and see how much we can accomplish face-to-face, and then finish up when NAB is over on the phone.
I just wanted to let others know that it seems once the folks at Boris know you have an issue, they are on top of making sure they can help you. I don’t know what happened to my original request for support from a month ago, but I am willing to accept that it just may have slipped through a crack.
debe
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