FCPX – Slicex or all out Mocha Pro 3.x

[Ross Shain]

If you need to do a lot of dedicated roto & masking work, I would recommend trying mocha Pro.

SliceX is excellent for tracking masks but can limited simply by the fact that it is a plug-in. For example, many roto jobs require breaking up an actor into multiple layers (head, torso, limbs, etc). Mocha Pro is made for these type of tasks with unlimited layers, whereas you would get pretty bogged down in SliceX with 1 mask shape on each instance of the plug-in.

Ross Shain
Imagineer Systems
http://www.imagineersystems.com

[T. Payton]

I use both and it really depends on the job. I had a simple object removal on a hand held shot (just 5 seconds) and completed it in just a few minutes in SliceX with Mocha. It is just amazing that you can do this inside an NEL. For comparison I then tried it with AE and Mocha. Ouch! Took dozens of steps in AE and Mocha.

However, many things just can’t be done with Slice X: Set extension, object replacement, anything more than basic root, you definitely want to use Mocha. The workflow is simply superior. Slice X is for quick cleanup. Mocha is for a larger workflow.

If you have creative cloud, then a limited version of Mocha is included. But if your job can pay for it, Mocha Pro is quite phenomenal.

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[T. Payton]

Good point about SliceX in Motion, and the tracker in motion. However, Mocha is an amazing tool because it is a planar tracker. I’ve never used Motion’s point tracker, but have used AE’s point tracker. Also Mocha can do roto tracking!

If you have Creative Cloud is is well worth the time to dive into Mocha. If the project warrants it, getting Mocha Pro will be well worth it.

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[T. Payton]

Hi Andy,

Sorry I wasn’t clear. Creative Cloud comes After Effects and a limited version of Mocha, called Mocha for AE.

Here is some info about it:

https://www.imagineersystems.com/products/mochaAE

If your project warrants it, then Mocha Pro is about $800 if you have After Effects.

https://www.imagineersystems.com/upgrade-guide

At my shop, our project budgets can typically absorb with a $800 software purchase. I didn’t mean to imply that every project could.

Let me say again that I am a big fan of Slice X. I haven’t actually had to use Mocha in AE for about a year and a half because Slice X is able to take care of my needs.

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[T. Payton]

Touché!

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[Ross Shain]

Just to clarify:
mocha AE CC (ships free with After Effects Creative Cloud) and does include both planar tracking and roto (with and a simple copy/paste masks directly into the AE mask channel). Note: mocha AE CC is launched from the AE animation menu.

mocha AE CC is designed specifically for After Effects users but there is a stand alone version mocha AE v3.2 that also exports tracking to Motion, FCP 7 and Boris FX.

mocha Pro is the top of the Imagineer line with extra advanced modules including the ability to render external mattes, object removals, stabilization and support more systems. Any registered user of mocha products (including the CC bundle) qualify for the $795 upgrade to mocha Pro.

For more information, you can view the compare products chart:
https://www.imagineersystems.com/compare-products

For what it is worth, most mocha users report about a 40% time savings for planar tracked roto vs manual keyframing. It all depends on the job and how much you can charge clients.

The great thing about SliceX with mocha is the ability to do some of this masking work directly in the edit timeline, at a fraction of the cost.

Best,
Ross

Ross Shain
Imagineer Systems
http://www.imagineersystems.com

[Max Gibson]

I took the time to experiment with SliceX in FCPX and Mocha Pro this last weekend. It’s amazing the power of these tools and what they can accomplish in so little time and almost no user intervention ! WoW !

On the contrary to some negative opinions about the Mocha Pro’s user interface, I found it intuitive and user friendly. One just need to spend the time to study and experiment alongside a few tutorial videos and you are good to go. Same for SliceX. Clever and easy as slice bread. SliceX is a must have.

Well, I purchased the SliceX after 5 minutes of using it. I will purchase the Mocha Pro as well. Mocha Pro’s tool sets and efficiency will pay for itself in only one job. I wished it was priced bellow $1K but hey it’s worth every penny for the magic it performs.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. My special thanks to Ross for detailed info and links.

Now back to removing the chocolate from the lead cast’s smiles ( all 18 takes … LOL ).

[Ross Shain]

Glad to help!

For people that feel mocha Pro is not in their price range, I encourage you to join the Imaginer Systems mailing list. Black Friday/Cyber Monday is coming soon! 😉

https://tinyurl.com/mocha-list

Ross Shain
Imagineer Systems
http://www.imagineersystems.com