CrumplePop has released Metal (http://www.crumplepop.com), an US$69 tool for creating "big, mean, summer blockbuster titles" in Final Cut Pro. It allows editors to add giant, high-quality metallic titles to any FCP project by typing in text and rendering.

CrumplePop Metal works right on the Final Cut Pro timeline, without requiring a trip to another application. You can add titles that appear to be cut from a solid block of steel, copper, chrome-plated steel, or steel diamond plate. CrumplePop Metal is based on Apple's Master Template architecture.

In addition to text, CrumplePop Metal also lets you drop in any logo artwork with transparency, instantly giving it a "dipped in steel" look. For instance, you could import a Photoshop document containing your logo into FCP, drop it into CrumplePop Metal, and your logo will look as if it was cut from a solid plate of metal. CrumplePop Metal gives you four metald to choose from: Steel, copper, chrome-plated steel, and steel diamond plate.

Built-in transitions allow you to explode the titles into and out of the frame, and keyframeable lens flares let you add as much dramatic shimmer as you need, says Jed Smentek, lead designer at CrumplePop. Metal also includes a high-resolution fog background texture in ProRes format, as well as "whoosh" sounds to accompany your titles.

CrumplePop Metal supports 40 different video codecs, resolutions, and framerates including XDCAMEX, XDCAMHD, DVCProHD, HDV, all varieties of ProRes, DV, DV Anamorphic, PAL, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i, 24fps, 30fps, 25fps, 50fps, and 60fps. CrumplePop Metal works with both Final Cut Pro 6 and Final Cut Pro 7.