After Effects, the popular postproduction tool for video professionals, offers numerous workflow improvements for the CS4 release. Echoing its partner CS4 applications, these improvements include pull-down menus for flipping among various workspaces and easily resizable panels.
In addition, you can search timelines and projects. For example, typing "PSD" within a search field will bring up Photoshop files related to your project. That time-saving improvement alone might be worth the upgrade price for a well-funded production studio. Plus, there's XMP metadata support for managing assets.
Working with 3D imagery expands, as you can import Photoshop Extended 3D layers into After Effects. Plus, 3D compositing gets more control with a Unified Camera tool for viewing every angle, as well as independent animation of X,Y, and Z frames.
Creative Suite 4 integration also includes the capability to export layered After Effects work in the new, XML-based XFL format for Flash CS4.You can also import FLV media.
