Boris FX Particle Illusion Pro 2025.5 v18

Boris FX Particle Illusion Pro 2025.5 v18

Particle Illusion Pro is a dedicated, standalone particle effects generator and animation tool from Boris FX (originally from WonderTouch). Renowned for its vast library of preset emitters and real-time playback, it allows artists to create stunning particle animations without simulation wait times. It features a node-based workflow for building custom particle systems, deep integration with host applications via plugins, and advanced controls for physics, color, and behavior, making it a staple for broadcast graphics and dynamic video effects.

🎬 Primary Users

Particle Illusion Pro is developed for motion graphics artists, VFX compositors, video editors, broadcast designers, and content creators. It is specifically designed for professionals who need to generate complex, customizable particle effects like explosions, fire, smoke, sparkles, and magical elements quickly and integrate them seamlessly into video projects.

✨ Key Features & Capabilities

• Extensive Library of Pre-Built Emitters: Thousands of high-quality, ready-to-use particle effect presets (emitters) for sparks, fire, smoke, energy, abstract backgrounds, and more, which can be customized instantly.

• Real-Time GPU-Accelerated Playback: The hallmark feature. See complex particle animations play back in real-time as you adjust parameters, enabling rapid iteration and creativity without rendering delays.

• Node-Based Emitter Designer: Build custom particle systems from scratch or modify presets using a visual node graph to control birth, behavior, shape, physics, and death of particles over their lifetime.

• Advanced Physics & Force Fields: Apply real-world physics like gravity, wind, turbulence, and vortex forces. Use obstacles and deflectors to make particles interact with layers or masks.

• Seamless Host Integration: Works as a standalone app and as a plugin within Adobe After Effects & Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Avid Media Composer, and MAGIX Vegas Pro via the Boris FX Continuum filter.

• Sprite & Polygonal Particles: Use image sequences (sprites) for realistic effects like smoke or fire, or use generated polygons/shapes for stylized, vector-style motion graphics.

• 3D Depth & Camera Integration: Create particles in true 3D space with depth, and import 3D camera data from host applications to match perspective and movement.

🆕 What’s New in Particle Illusion Pro 2025.5 v18

This major update focuses on a modernized core, new emitter content, and enhanced 3D workflow:

1. New Unified Render Engine: A completely rebuilt, modern render core offering better performance, higher fidelity (including support for 32-bit float rendering), and improved anti-aliasing for cleaner particles.

2. “HyperEmitter” Library Expansion: Addition of hundreds of new, contemporary particle presets designed for 4K/8K workflows, including organic fluids, holographic UI elements, and cinematic energy effects.

3. Enhanced 3D Space & Lighting: Improved 3D particle depth sorting, support for importing 3D objects as collision surfaces, and the ability to add 3D lights that affect particle color and intensity.

4. Streamlined UI & Project Management: A redesigned, more intuitive user interface with a dark mode, better library browser, and enhanced project/scene management tools.

5. Performance & Export Optimizations: Faster startup, reduced memory footprint, and new export options including ProRes 4444 with alpha channel and image sequences for high-end pipelines.

🖥️ System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) 1909 or later

• CPU: Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 (4th generation or newer)

• RAM: 8 GB

• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 / AMD Radeon RX 560 with 2 GB VRAM (OpenGL 4.5 support)

• Disk Space: 2 GB available space (HDD)

• Display: 1920 x 1080 resolution

• Other: Internet connection for activation

Recommended System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit) 21H2 or later

• CPU: Intel Core i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 7/9 (8-core or higher)

• RAM: 32 GB or more

• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / RTX 4070 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT with 8+ GB VRAM

• Disk Space: 10 GB available space (NVMe SSD recommended)

• Display: 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) resolution

• Other: Latest NVIDIA Studio or AMD Adrenalin drivers, internet connection