SilhouetteFX has released version 5 of Silhouette, its stereo roto, paint and keying software. The upgrade sports a new raster/vector hybrid paint system, semi-automatic 2D to 3D conversion, a fresh look at shape-based warping and morphing, and the inclusion of planar tracking technology from Imagineer System's mocha Pro.

An option available at an additional cost of $3,995 (for a limited time; it's regularly $5,995), a S3D node for Silhouette 5 facilitates 2D to 3D conversion and stereoscopic processing in six ways. Silhouette’s roto tools have become depth-enabled (in the S3D option). Every shape has a depth that can be keyframed.

New roto tools such as ramps, hallways, tunnels and more have been added. Depth maps can be built semi-automatically from both mono (non-stereo) as well as stereoscopic images. Existing stereoscopic content can be depth analyzed and re-rendered for different display sizes taking into account the 3D geometry of the target display.

Parallax and convergence can be finely adjusted during post-production. The S3D node can generate virtual camera views using a specialized warper required for auto-stereoscopic, multi-view and plain stereoscopic displays.

New licenses for Silhouette V5 are US$1,495. For more info go to http://silhouettefx.com . Silhouette V5 requires Mac OS X 10.7 or higher.