What It Does
FXAA (Fast Approximate Anti-Aliasing) eliminates jagged edges in rendered footage. Originally developed by Timothy Lottes at NVIDIA, this algorithm analyzes pixel data in your final image rather than geometry, which means it requires minimal computing power. The plugin runs entirely on your GPU, making it fast even on complex compositions.
The technique works particularly well on “crunchy edges” that show up when using motion effects. If you’ve applied Echo or Cartoon Moblur and noticed stairstepping artifacts on motion trails, FXAA cleans those up without slowing down your render.
Key Features
GPU-accelerated rendering. The plugin offloads processing to your graphics card, which handles these shader algorithms in parallel. You get clean anti-aliasing without the render time hit of traditional methods.
Image-based processing. Rather than analyzing 3D geometry or layer edges, FXAA looks at your flattened comp. This makes it compatible with any effect or composition, regardless of how the layers were created.
Works on motion smears. The plugin specifically targets the aliasing that occurs on motion trails and blur effects, where other anti-aliasing methods often struggle.
Who It’s For
Useful for motion graphics artists dealing with fast animations and echo effects. Also relevant for compositors who need to smooth edges on rotoscoped elements or stylized renders without adding heavy processing.
Pricing
Free. No subscription, no trial period, no upgrade tiers.