Presets are nice, but saving your own customization is even nicer. You can easily create your own presets to ensure consistency between HUD implementations with the click of a button. Super sweet.
While the Binocular mode allows you to add some of your own imagery, I was left wanting the same feature in both Target and OSD modes. While there are a bevy of options available, duh no surprise, us creative types want more. I’m a total newb at using the Quartz Composer from Apple, so I don’t really trust myself with creating an “improvement”. However, the ability to add some iconography that would lock to animation features already built in would be nice.
When you engage HUD and begin using many of its options, you are asking your computer to do a good deal of work. These are sophisticated abilities and they do exact a render-time penalty. Considering that these effects are probably confined to short screen time, the calculation and render issues are not prohibitive by any means - just something to be aware of. So, performance both real-time and render-time is highly contingent upon the user’s computer.
In fact, on screen updates while preparing your work takes awhile, too, unless you are blessed with the latest in quad-core technology. That can be a little frustrating when accustomed to more instant real-time interaction afforded by other plug-ins, but to be fair, HUD is simply doing more than most of the other plug-ins that I own.
The creation experience is very good and the end results are first rate - regardless of your computer’s abilities.
At $79, HUD costs more than a sandwich. If you’re not currently planning any targeting or Cloverfield types of presentations than getting HUD is strictly a matter of how much disposable coin you have in your pocket. It is a one trick pony for sure.
That said, this is another one of those plug-ins that pays for itself in one use. The sophistication that HUD brings to the table lets users create and finesse looks in seconds that would require an hour or more to pull together by other means. The real claim-to-fame for HUD is the animation capabilities that are built into it. It’s one thing to hack together some static artwork for a brief screen presence, but adding animation that leaves your audience thinking, “Wow, that’s really cool”, is another.
Additionally, if you have DigiEffects Damage plug-in, you can create some excellent targeting imagery with extra “issues” easily. The video distortion effects in SUGARfx HUD are confined to the source imagery/video itself and not the on screen widgets and icons. For truly cataclysmic display failures, you’ll need some extra help.
I like plug-ins; they save time. However, HUD not only saves time, it’s just flat-out fun to play with. If you like shiny things and are easily swooned by techno-cool then you’re already salivating and I don’t need to say anything more.
I would say this is an essential plug-in for anybody that needs what it does. There simply isn’t another way to produce what HUD does as fast or with the sophistication as it does.
