Automatic Duck is back!

Automatic Duck was a software that, until it was discontinued in 2011, was used to translate timelines to move sequences between incompatible systems. Now, its creators Harry and Wes Plate have decided to return to their original work (after leaving Adobe in 2014) and launch two new products through Red Giant.

The first tools in the new Automatic Duck are aimed at solving the problems users have in getting their work from Final Cut Pro X to After Effects.

Ximport AE

Ximport AE reads Final Cut Pro X XML files and passes the sequence maintaining scale, position and rotation. In addition, it is able to translate compound clips and recognize third-party effects (such as Colorista), provided they are installed on the system.

It is priced at $199.

Media Copy

Media Copy is an add-on product that reads XML (from Final Cut and FCP X) and AAF (from Avid) files, locates all media and copies it to a user-specified destination from a local disk or network.

It is priced at $99.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHIUQF16hfk

The creators say that one of the benefits of working with a large company like Red Giant is that new users will be able to try their products for a 14-day period before deciding to buy.

Another piece of news that will please many is that older plugins can be downloaded for free, with the option to make a voluntary donation. This was already done when Automatic Duck was discontinued, but last year the links disappeared. Here they are again.

Both Ximport AE and Media Copy are now available through Red Giant.