SAN JOSE, Calif.--Jan. 7, 2002--Adobe is now shipping Adobe After Effects 5.5, its award-winning motion graphics and visual effects software. Adobe After Effects 5.5 delivers an impressive set of new features, expanding creative options with more precise control. This new version allows professionals to streamline their workflow and work with more media types than ever before. Adobe After Effects 5.5 enhances productivity with native support for Apple Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows XP and optimization for the Intel Pentium 4 processor. As an added bonus, Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator Classic(1) is included with the After Effects 5.5 Production Bundle and Standard to Production Bundle upgrade, allowing users to turn 2D artwork into 3D elements without leaving the After Effects environment. "One of the greatest assets of After Effects is its global community of users,'' said Brian Diecks, president and creative director of The Diecks Group. "The unfettered exchange of tips, tricks and solutions to problems via the Web and the many user groups is representative of one of the most generous groups of artists I've ever encountered. With After Effects 5.5, Adobe has once again raised the bar, giving us all exciting new tools for both creativity and productivity.'' Adobe After Effects boasts an open architecture that allows third party developers to create specialized plug-ins exclusive to After Effects. Numerous plug-ins including those from Automatic Duck, Conoa and Maxon, enable After Effects 5.5 users to extend their creativity even further. A complete list of third party plug-ins is available online at http://www.adobe.com/products/plugins/aftereffects/main.html.