FilmLight has announced the release of Baselight v7, the latest version of its flagship colour grading and finishing solution.
Designed for today’s VFX-heavy and detail-driven productions, Baselight v7 introduces “powerful new machine-learning tools, redesigned matte and channel workflows, and a range of performance and pipeline improvements that help colourists work faster and more creatively”, FilmLight said.
A key focus of Baselight v7 is the evolution of matte workflows. The new Segment Anything Flexi Effect enables fast, object-based matte creation using intuitive selections, while improvements to matte channel selection make it easier to search, preview and manage large numbers of mattes, including cryptomattes and externally generated channels.
Together with an enhanced Matte Merge, these tools significantly reduce the complexity of working with layered mattes.
Baselight v7 also brings refinements to matte quality. An updated Edge Filter and the new Matte Refiner recover fine edge detail, such as hair and soft transitions, helping machine-learning-generated mattes integrate more naturally into the final grade.
A new Depth Map generator further extends creative control with Depth Keyer enabling depth-based grading for any operator, while the Haze and Bokeh operators use depth to simulate a variety of atmospheric effects and optical looks.
Beyond mattes, Baselight v7 delivers smarter tools for conforming and finishing. Conforming is now faster and more efficient with the new Transform Matching tool, which intelligently analyses an offline reference and then matches scale, rotation and position of shots accordingly.
Flow Blend and a new Transition operator provide more flexible and intelligent shot transitions, with tools for repairing damaged frames, smoothing jump cuts and removing unwanted blinks.
Performance and workflow updates underpin the release, with a redesigned caching architecture that improves responsiveness and protects review-critical cache files, alongside enhanced animation curves for greater control over motion and transforms.
Expanded support for modern standards and interchange formats further strengthen the release.
“Baselight v7 is very much a response to what our customers are telling us about the realities of modern post-production,” said Martin Tlaskal, head of development, FilmLight.
“As projects become more complex and VFX-driven, colourists are spending more time working with mattes and layered elements.
“With v7, we’ve invested heavily in more advanced and intuitive matte tools so artists can handle that complexity with greater speed, precision and confidence.”
Baselight v7 is available now on supported FilmLight systems and Baselight for macOS.
