Although this is technically a minor update, we've worked hard to bring you a number of key improvements. As always, we are open to feedback. Please contact us over social media (Instagram & YouTube: @alightmotion, Twitter: @alightcreative) or at support@alightmotion.com and let us know what you'd like to see in future updates! Read on to see what's changed!

New Effects

Hexagon Array (Procedural)

The Hexagon Array effect draws an array of hexagons on top of the layer. 

By default the hexagons only appear inside the layer, but by changing the Blend parameter to "Overflow" the layer itself is hidden and hexagons are drawn based on whether the layer was originally transparent or not at the center of the hexagon.

To take full advantage of this, first use Wipe or a similar effect on the layer first, being sure to use feathering to get partial transparency. After applying a feathered wipe or other partial transparency effect on the layer, then add Hexagon Array and turn on the Scale Using Layer Alpha option, for a result like this:

Hexagon Array is an extremely versatile effect. Be sure to share your creations with us!

Hexagon Tiling (Distortion/Warp)

Yes, we were a little bit hexagon-obsessed for this release. Hexagon Tiling crops the layer to a hexagonal shape and then repeats it to fill the screen. 

Here, we've simply used keyframe animation to animate the "Twirl" property.

Simple Starfield (Procedural)

Although we already have a quite nice Starfield effect, it wasn't very flexible. Simple Starfield is, well, simpler—but with a lot more options for customization.

Block Noise (Procedural)

Similar to the existing Noise effect, Block Noise allows you to add square blocks of noise at a larger scale. 

This is particular useful in combination with other effects, such as Displacement Map, to make glitches.

Polar Displacement Map (Distortion/Warp)

By popular request, we've added Polar Displacement Map—this is the same as Displacement Map, but instead of displacing pixels in the X and Y directions, pixels are displaced by an angle or a distance from the center of the layer.

Text Randomizer (Text)

NOTE to beta testers: this was added in the 2.6.6 BETA update, so you may need to wait for the update before this effect is available

This replaces characters in a text layer with random letters, numbers, or symbols. Useful for those cheesy "password hacking" scenes in movies...

Updated Effects

Flip Layer

The Flip Layer effect has finally been updated to support transparency!

To avoid breaking existing projects—If you're already using the effect in one of your projects, it will change to the non-transparent version "Flip (Compatibility)". To update to the new one, delete the flip effect and add it again using the Add Effect button.

Displacement Map

Displacement Map has been updated so that you can control which color channels affect X and Y displacement separately. This can be combined with (for example) the Normal Map mode in a 3D effect for some interesting glass-like distortions.

Grid Repeat

Grid Repeat has a new additional parameter, Stagger, which can offset alternate (odd vs. even) rows in the grid of repeated layers.

Radial Shadow

There has been a long-standing problem with the Radial Shadow effect: If it was used on a non-square project, the shadow lines would not be straight.

The old (incorrect) curved shadow lines in Alight Motion 2.5.x

We've since fixed this so that the lines are straight for all projects.

The new (correct) straight shadow lines in Alight Motion 2.6.6

Note that if you are already using Radial Shadow on a layer from a previous version of Alight Motion, you'll need to delete the effect and add it again in order for the change to be applied.

Repeat

In previous versions, the Time parameter of the Repeat effect did not work correctly and caused a "jittery" motion if the layer was longer than a few seconds. This problem has been fixed in the 2.6.7 update.

Localization

We have now translated Alight Motion into two new languages: Indonesian and Turkish. Please be aware that none of us on the team are native speakers of either language, so if you see something that looks wrong, please contact support@alightmotion.com and let us know :) 

General Improvements

Alight Motion can now be installed on external storage, if your phone supports it.

Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements

Element Timing Improvements

Elements using the "Stretch" or "Loop and Stretch" retiming methods now play more smoothly when their duration is increased after being added to a project.

Grouping Improvements

We fixed a major bug where grouping layers would cause keyframe animations on the grouped layers to slow down (keyframes would move forward in time when grouped). This affected animated layers that started at a time other than 00:00:00. We're very sorry for this problem, and understand it may have made using groups very inconvenient. We hope you'll give grouping another try now!

We also fixed a bug where the animation timing in a group could shift by a small amount (about half a frame) when creating the group.

Reduced memory (RAM) usage

We've reduced the amount of RAM that Alight Motion uses while running. This isn't a huge reduction, but it should help to increase reliability on some devices, especially devices with limited memory.

Reduced installation size

The Alight Motion app now takes up about 25% less space when installed on your phone (the exact amount of savings depends on your phone model and OS version).

Improved export reliability on some devices

We're aware of the complaints about export reliability and we've been working very hard to improve the export process. The improvements we've made won't affect all users, but for some projects and some devices, there should be some significant improvements over previous versions. In particular, the problem where export "succeeds" but there are low-resolution broken frames of video in the final video should be solved for most devices. If you're still experiencing problems with this after the update, please contact support@alightmotion.com and let us know. The more detailed information we get, the more we can continue to improve reliability in future updates.

Bug fixes and performance improvements

As usual, this release also includes many minor performance improvements and bug fixes. Only a small number of users are still experiencing crash issues, but we're working hard to reduce those remaining crashes. This version isn't perfect but it should be a big improvement over previous releases. 

As always, thanks for your support, and be sure to let us know what you think of the update!