Apple Motion User Guide 5.2 Operating Instructions 52 UG EN
User Manual: apple Motion - 5.2 - Operating Instructions Free User Guide for Apple Motion Software, Manual
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Motion basics What is Motion? Motion is a behavior-driven motion graphics application used to create stunning imaging effects in real time for a wide variety of broadcast, video, and film projects. In Motion, you can: Create sophisticated animations on the fly using any of more than 200 built-in motion and simulation behaviors, such as Spin, Throw, or Orbit, which allow you to add dynamic motion to your projects in real time, with no preview rendering time necessary. Build complex visual effects using one or more of nearly 300 Build complex visual effects using one or more of nearly 300 filters such as Glow, Strobe, or Bleach Bypass. Animate the traditional way, using keyframes and modifiable curves, to create precise timing effects. Create polished text effects, from the simple (lower-thirds and credit rolls) to the complex (3D titles, animated effects, sequencing text). Create custom effect, transition, title, and generator templates for automatic export to Final Cut Pro X. You can also modify the effects, transitions, titles, and generators that ship with Final Cut Pro. Use rigging to map multiple parameters to a single control (for example, a slider that simultaneously manipulates size, color, and rotation of text) in Motion compositions or in templates exported to Final Cut Pro X. Build compositions by selecting from royalty-free content, such as vector artwork, animated design elements, and highresolution images. Retime footage to create high-quality slow-motion or fastmotion effects. Stabilize camera shake or create complex motion-tracking effects such as match moves and corner-pinning. Perform advanced compositing and green screen effects. Build fluid 3D motion graphics for show intros, bumpers, commercials, or title sequences. Create sophisticated particle systems involving large numbers of automatically animated objects in 2D or 3D space. Build complex patterns of repeating elements using the Build complex patterns of repeating elements using the powerful replicator tool, then animate the resulting collages in 2D or 3D space. Publish your projects directly to websites such as YouTube and Facebook, or send your motion graphics to iTunes for syncing with Apple devices such as iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV. Motion workflow The basic process of working in Motion is described below. You don’t have to do every step, and you might do other tasks that aren’t listed here. Create a project You can create a blank project, open a preset composition, or create a template for use in Final Cut Pro X. Add media Typically, you import media to create a composition. You can, however, create entire projects using the built-in content that comes with Motion, such as preset particle emitters, text, or generators. Each media item added to your project becomes a layer in your composite. Add or create effects Now the fun really begins. Whether you’re building simple animated backgrounds, creating green screen composites or 3D composites, or assembling complex motion-graphics animations, the effect possibilities are nearly limitless. Share your composition When your project is finished, you can publish your movie right from Motion to the web, or send it to iTunes, iPad, iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV. You can also burn a disc to give to others. Motion interface at a glance The Motion interface is divided into several functional areas. Project Browser When you open Motion, the Project Browser appears. Use this window to create new projects or open existing projects. For more information, see Create a new project. Main workspace After you open a project via the Project Browser, the main workspace appears. Use this window to build, modify, and preview your motion graphics projects. The main workspace is divided into several functional areas, described in detail below. File Browser The File Browser, located on the left side of the main workspace, displays all files on your computer and networked disks. Navigating the File Browser is similar to navigating a window in the Finder. When you select a file in the File Browser, a visual preview appears in the top-left corner of the Motion workspace, along with the file’s metadata. Library The Library, located on the left side of the main workspace, contains effects, content, presets, behaviors, filters, and other elements available in Motion. You can expand the Library content by adding fonts, music, or photos, or by saving content and effects that you create in Motion. When you select an item in the Library, a visual preview appears in the top-left corner of the Motion workspace. The preview area also contains text information for the selected item, such as a description of the behavior, filter, or generator. Inspector When you select an object in your Motion project—an image, video clip, or effect—its parameter controls become available in the Inspector, located on the left side of the main workspace, ready for adjustment. There are four Inspector categories, each of which displays parameter controls for the selected object: Properties Inspector: Contains controls for setting basic Properties Inspector: Contains controls for setting basic attributes of the selected object, such as position, scale, and blending. Behaviors Inspector: Contains controls for adjusting attributes of behaviors—animation and simulation effects that you can apply to objects in your project. Filters Inspector: Contains controls for adjusting attributes of filters—visual treatments that you can apply to objects in your project. Object Inspector: Contains controls that vary depending on the type of object selected. The name of this Inspector is also context-sensitive, changing depending on the type of object selected, such as Camera, Text, or Shape. Heads-up display (HUD) The most commonly used Inspector controls are also available in the heads-up display (HUD), a floating window that you can show or hide. For more information, see Transform layers in the HUD. Project pane The Project pane (located between the File Browser, Library, or Inspector and the Canvas) contains three lists, each of which provides access to a different aspect of your project: Layers list: Displays the hierarchy of objects (groups, layers, cameras, lights, behaviors, filters, and so on) in your project. Media list: Shows the files imported into your project. Audio list: Provides access to, and control of, audio files in your project. More than simple lists of items in a project, these panes let you organize key attributes of a motion graphics composition, including the stacking order of image layers, audio settings, and source media settings. Canvas Canvas The Canvas is the visual workspace where you modify and arrange objects in your composition. Adding layers and effects to your project is as simple as dragging them from the Library or File Browser to the Canvas. The composition in the Canvas is what will be output when you share a project. The buttons centered at the bottom of the Canvas are transport controls. Use them to play your project and see how it looks over time. Toolbar You can access tools for editing and creating objects in the toolbar, located in the center of the Motion workspace. There are tools that transform objects in 2D or 3D space; tools that create text, shapes, and masks; buttons that add cameras, lights, generators, particle systems, and replicators; and pop-up menus that apply filters and behaviors to objects. Timing pane The Timing pane, located at the bottom of the Motion workspace, lets you view and modify the time component of a project’s contents. There are three panes that control a different timing aspect of a project: Video Timeline: Provides an overview of objects in the project and how they’re laid out over time. Audio Timeline: Provides an overview of audio components in the project and how they are laid out over time. Keyframe Editor: Displays the animation curves for animated parameters and effects. Basic components of Motion The composition you build in Motion, then save and share, is called a project. The basic components of your project—images, video clips, applied special effects, and so on—are represented in the interface as objects that you can select, drag, and manipulate in various ways. There are several categories of objects that you’ll use in every project: Groups: The basic containers used in a project to organize imported media and Motion content and effects. A group can contain one or more objects, as well as other, nested groups. Layers: A specific kind of object that you can see in the Canvas, including: Images or video clips: Still pictures and movies that you import into Motion. See Add and manage content overview. Shapes: Rectangles, circles, lines, and more complex shapes that you create in Motion using the shape tools. See Shapes, masks, and paint strokes overview. Masks: A special type of shape used to create regions of transparency in layers. See Shapes, masks, and paint strokes overview. Paint strokes: Freehand shapes drawn in a single, continuous movement. See Shapes, masks, and paint strokes overview. Text: Type that you can add and animate in a project. See Basic text overview. Particle systems: Sophisticated animation effects composed of swarming small particles. You can create your own particle systems or apply the pre-built particle systems that come with Motion. See Particles overview. Replicators: Patterns of repeating visual elements you can create or apply to build cascading arrays of kaleidoscopic imagery. See Replicator overview. Generators: Graphical images that come with Motion, including colors, bars, stripes, and gradients that you can add to your project. See Generators overview. Effects objects: Special effects that you apply to visual layers. Effects objects are not visible in the Canvas on their own; rather, they modify the visual layers you see in the Canvas. Motion includes the following effects objects: Cameras: An angle of view that you can adjust or animate to create the illusion of panning, dollying, or zooming through your composition. See Add a camera. Lights: Simulated illumination sources that you can direct at any visible layer in the canvas. See Add lights. Behaviors: Sophisticated animation and simulation effects that you can apply to the visual layers in your project. For example, you can use the Spin behavior to make a shape rotate over time at a rate you specify. See Behaviors overview. Filters: Special visual effects used to modify the appearance of visual layers in Motion. For example, you can use a blur filter to make an image or shape appear to be out of focus. You can also animate filters. See Filters overview. In Motion Help, the term object is often used to describe the superset of all elements (groups, layers, and effects objects) that comprise and act upon a composition. Layer, however, always refers to the image-based elements acted upon—the visual media you see in the Canvas. About mice, keys, and multi-touch devices If you have a two- or three-button mouse connected to your computer, you can right-click to access the same controls specified by the Control-click commands in this documentation. Some keyboard shortcuts require you to use the Function key (Fn —next to the Control key) in conjunction with the keys specified in the user documentation. For more information about keyboard shortcuts in Motion, see Keyboard shortcuts overview. If you have a multi-touch device, such as a Magic Mouse or trackpad, you can use various gestures for interface navigation, scrolling, frame-scrubbing, and zooming. You can also use gestures to change the size of icons in the File Browser and Library. These gestures are discussed in their relative sections of the documentation. Create and manage projects Create and manage projects overview Creating a project is the first step in the Motion workflow. The easiest way to create a new project (or to open an existing project) is to use the Project Browser window. When you open Motion, the Project Browser appears. Use the options in the browser to specify the type of project you want to open: A new standard (“blank”) Motion project A previously opened Motion project A predesigned composition template that you can customize A new blank project based on one of the supplied Final Cut Pro templates (effects that you build in Motion for use in Final Cut Pro X) Before opening the new project, you can also use the Project Browser to modify your project properties—resolution (width and height), frame rate, and duration. For example, you might want to choose properties that will match your planned output format. Regardless of the project properties you choose, after you create a project, Motion lets you import nearly any kind of media file supported by QuickTime. Further, you can mix media files with different properties in the same project. For example, you can combine video clips of different frame sizes with graphics files. In the end, the file you output uses the frame size and frame rate specified by the project properties. After you create a project, you can or save or revert it, play it back, or modify its properties. Create a new project You can create a Motion project from scratch, using the standard project settings in the preview area of the Project Browser. If none of the presets meets your needs, you can create a project with custom properties. You can also create projects prepopulated with selected media. Additionally, you can create projects based on predesigned motion graphics templates or on special templates for use as effects in Final Cut Pro X. Create a basic project 1. Open Motion or, if it’s already open, Choose File > New (or press Command-N). 2. In the Project Browser, select the Blank category in the sidebar, then click the Motion Project icon. 3. Choose a resolution from the Preset pop-up menu and a frame rate from the Frame Rate pop-up menu in the right column, then click Open. Important: Frame rates cannot be changed for existing projects. A new, untitled Motion project opens. The project is not saved to your storage device until you choose a save command from the File menu. For more information on saving project files, see Save, autosave, and revert projects. Create a project with custom properties 1. Open Motion or, if it’s already open, Choose File > New (or press Command-N). 2. In the Project Browser, select the Blank category in the sidebar, then click the Motion Project icon. 3. Click the Preset pop-up menu on the right side of the browser, then choose Custom. Additional properties controls appear. 4. Set the resolution (width and height), field order, aspect ratio, frame rate, and default duration for your custom project. 5. Click Open. A new, untitled Motion project opens using the custom properties you specified. Create a project prepopulated with specific Create a project prepopulated with specific media files 1. Do one of the following: Choose File > Import as Project or press Shift-Command-I. Open the Project Browser, then click Create Project From File. The Import Files as Project dialog appears. 2. Navigate to and select the one or more media files, Shiftclicking to select contiguous items or Command-clicking to select noncontiguous items. As you select files, format settings at the bottom of the dialog become available. Settings inherent to the selected files remain dimmed, but propagate to the new project. For example, because movie files have an inherent frame rate, aspect ratio, and field order, those settings are dimmed in the Import Files as Project dialog. 3. If needed, set the frame rate, aspect ratio, field order, and audio mix settings. Except for the Frame Rate parameter, these settings can be modified after the project is created, in the Properties Inspector. For more information, see Project properties overview. Note: If you selected an item from an image sequence, select the Image Sequence checkbox to have Motion use each image as a frame in a movie clip. For more information, see About image sequences. 4. Click Import as Project. A new project populated with the media you selected opens. SEE ALSO Use templates overview Final Cut Pro templates overview Open an existing project There are many ways to open an existing Motion project. You can open projects and templates via the Project Browser, the Motion File menu, or the Finder. Open a project from the Project Browser 1. In the Project Browser (press Command-N), then select a category in the sidebar to limit which items are displayed in middle of the browser. 2. Select an item from the middle of the browser. A video preview, if available, plays in the preview area on the right. 3. If necessary, modify the resolution, frame rate, and default duration using the pop-up menus above the preview area. 4. Click Open. The Project Browser closes and the project you selected opens in the Motion workspace. Open a project file from within Motion using the Open command 1. With Motion open, choose File > Open (or press Command-O). The Open dialog appears. 2. In the Open dialog, navigate to the project file you want, then click Open. Open an existing Motion project file that does not appear in the Project Browser Using the buttons at the bottom of the Project Browser, you can also open a specific project that doesn’t appear in the Project Browser, but is accessible through the Finder. 1. In the Project Browser, click Open Other (or press CommandO). The Open dialog appears. 2. In the Open dialog, navigate to a Motion project file, select it, then click Open. Open a recent project Do either of the following: In Motion, choose File > Open Recent, then choose a project from the submenu. From the Project Browser, click Recent in the sidebar, select a project from the center of the browser, then click Open. Open a project file from the Finder From the Finder, do one of the following: Double-click a Motion project file. Select a Motion project file, then drag it onto the Motion application icon in the Applications folder or in the Dock (if you’ve placed a Motion application icon in the Dock). Select a Motion project file, then choose File > Open (or press Command-O). Control-click a Motion project file, then choose Open from the shortcut menu. The project you selected opens in Motion workspace. Tip: You can search for Motion projects via Spotlight in the Finder. For more information, see Search for projects using the Finder. Close a project Click the close button in the top-left corner of the project window (or press Command-W). Search for projects using the Finder Spotlight indexes the following properties of Motion projects, allowing you to perform advanced searches. Use Spotlight in the Finder (the magnifying glass icon in the OS X menu bar) to take advantage of this feature. Project property Description Layer name The name of a layer in a project Media name The name of a media object in a project Pathname The path to a media object in a project Text The content of a text object in a project Description Text in the Project Description field in the Properties Inspector Marker name The name of a marker in the Timeline of a project Marker comment Text of a marker comment in a project Bypass the Project Browser If you consistently create projects with a specific preset, template, or other starting project, you can bypass the Project Browser. This way, when you create a project, it’s opened in the Motion workspace with the settings you established. 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma). The Motion Preferences window appears. 2. Click Project. 3. In the For New Documents area, click Use Project. Note: If you haven’t assigned a preset project, the setting reads: Use Project: Nothing Selected. When you choose a project, the text updates to reflect the name of the selected project. 4. Click Choose. A window opens containing the contents of the Project Browser. 5. Select a category in the sidebar and a project type from the center area, then choose a preset (if available) from the right column. 6. Click Open. The selected project is assigned to the Use Project option in the Project pane of the Preferences window. From now on, the Project Browser does not appear when you choose File > New (or press Command-N). Instead, a new project opens in the format set in Motion Preferences. Create, edit, and delete project presets If you commonly create projects using properties that don’t match any available preset, you can create a custom preset for future use. Presets are created, modified, and deleted in the Presets pane of Motion Preferences. Note: The Default checkbox in the Presets pane of Motion preferences has no effect. To set a default project preset, see Bypass the Project Browser. Create a custom preset 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma). 2. Click Presets. 3. Click the Add button (+) beneath the presets list. The Project Preset Editor appears. 4. In the Project Preset Editor, enter the following information: a. Name: Type a name for the preset. b. Description: Type a brief description of what that preset is for, including significant characteristics such as frame size and frame rate. c. Width and Height: Enter a frame size. d. Pixel Aspect Ratio, Field Order, and Frame Rate: Choose settings from the corresponding pop-up menus. 5. Click OK. The new preset appears in the Presets pane and in the Preset pop-up menu in the Project Browser. 6. If you’re done creating project presets, close Motion Preferences. Note: For more information on industry-standard frame sizes, pixel aspect ratios, field order, and frame rates, see Supported media formats. Duplicate and edit an existing preset The project presets that come with Motion cannot be modified. However, you can duplicate an existing preset and then modify it. 1. In Motion Preferences, select a preset in the Presets pane. 2. Click Duplicate. The duplicated preset appears underneath the original preset with “copy” appended to its title. 3. Select the duplicated preset, then click Edit. If you select a built-in preset (designated by a lock icon), an alert dialog appears asking if you want to duplicate the preset. 4. When the Project Preset Editor appears, make your changes, then click OK. Note: You cannot edit or delete locked project presets. Delete a custom preset 1. In Motion Preferences, select a preset in the Presets pane. 2. Click the Delete button (–) underneath the presets list. Note: You cannot edit or delete locked project presets. Save, autosave, and revert projects It’s wise to save early and often as you work on your project. In addition to preserving your work for future use, Motion’s save commands can be used in other ways to manage the development of your project. For example, if you want to keep your current composition but create a variant version, use the Save As command to save a duplicate of the current project. If you want to gather all media used in a Motion project into a single folder, use the Collect Media option when you save. There are also commands that let you revert to a previously saved version of your project. Save a project 1. Choose File > Save (or press Command-S). If the project has not been saved, the Save As dialog appears. Note: If the project has been saved, the project file is updated without opening a dialog. 2. Enter a name into the Save As field, choose a save location on your storage device, then click Save. Save a duplicate of a project 1. Choose File > Save As (or press Shift-Command-S). The Save As dialog appears. 2. Enter a name into the Save As field, choose a save location on your storage device, then click Save. Save a project and collect all project media into a folder When saving a project, you can have Motion copy the all media files used in the project into a single folder, making portability and backup easier. 1. Choose File > Save As (or press Shift-Command-S). The Save As dialog appears. 2. Click the Collect Media pop-up menu, then choose Copy to Folder. If you want to collect all media files in your project, including those not used in the current composition, select Include Unused Media. 3. Enter a new name for the file in Save As field, choose a save location on your storage device, then click Save. Motion creates a folder with the name specified in the Save As field and places two items in the folder: A project file with the same name as the folder A folder named “Media” containing all media files used in the project Important: When using the Save As command, use a name that’s different from the name of any previously saved versions of the same project. Otherwise, you run the risk of overwriting a version of the project that you want to keep. Revert a project to the last saved version The Revert to Saved command discards all changes you’ve made to a project since the last time you saved it. Note: You can also use the application’s unlimited undo feature to achieve the same purpose in incremental steps. For more information on the Undo command, see Edit menu. Choose File > Revert to Saved. Important: This command cannot be undone. Autosave projects to a specific storage location By default, Motion automatically saves backups of your project at set intervals. In the Cache pane of Motion Preferences, you can specify how frequently projects are autosaved, as well as the storage location of the autosaved project files. Autosaved project files are time- and date-stamped. 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma). 2. Click Cache. 3. In the Autosave area, select Use Autosave Vault (if it’s not already selected). By default, the Autosave Vault folder is located in your /Users/username/Movies/Motion Projects/ folder. 4. If you want to set a different location for the Autosave Vault folder, click Choose, select a new location, then click Choose. Revert to an autosaved project If you’ve been using the autosave feature to back up your project, you can revert your project to an earlier autosaved version. 1. Choose File > Restore from Autosave. The Restore Project dialog appears. 2. Click the pop-up menu, then choose a saved project. The autosaved project opens in a new project window. Use templates Use templates overview There are two kinds of templates in Motion: composition templates and Final Cut Pro templates. This section discusses composition templates. For information on Final Cut Pro templates, see Final Cut Pro templates overview. Composition templates are premade, royalty-free projects that you can customize. They’re intended to simplify the process of creating professional-looking titles and graphics, especially for recurring projects such as television series. Using composition templates, you can: Create placeholder layers (called drop zones) for easy placement of custom video or graphics. Customize placeholder text without overriding effects or keyframes already applied to the template text. Modify animation already applied to a template to suit your own timing needs. SEE ALSO Open a template Template guidelines Drop zones overview Organize templates in the Project Browser Open a template Motion templates—shown in the Compositions category in the Project Browser sidebar—are premade, royalty-free projects that you can customize. Each template contains graphics, text objects, and backgrounds. You can also create custom templates for commonly used shots that you regularly create. For example, if you make titles for a news program, you can create templates for the opening title, interstitial graphics, bumpers, and other repetitious shots. Create a project from a composition template You can open a composition template from the Project Browser. 1. Open Motion, or if it’s already open, Choose File > New (or press Command-N). 2. In the Project Browser, select a category from the Compositions section in the sidebar. The compositions for that category appear in the middle of the browser. 3. Click a composition to see its basic properties (resolution, duration, and frame rate) and an animated preview on the right. 4. To create a project from the selected composition, click Open a Copy. A new project opens in the Motion workspace. You can customize the project by editing the text or exchanging the graphic elements with your own. The changes you make to projects created using compositions do not overwrite the source template files. Create a composition template from scratch You can also build a custom template from scratch. Custom templates are standard Motion projects saved in a special way. 1. With a standard Motion project open, Choose File > Publish Template. A save dialog appears. 2. Enter a name for the template and choose a category from the Category pop-up menu. To create a custom category, choose New Category from the Category pop-up menu, enter a descriptive name, then click Create. 3. Choose New Theme from the Theme pop-up menu, enter a descriptive name, then click Create. 4. If you want the template project to retain media in the Media list that isn’t present in the composition, select “Include unused media.” 5. If you want a preview of the template to appear in the Project Browser, select Save Preview Movie. Note: If you want to add the template to a Final Cut Pro project, select the “Publish as Final Cut Generator” checkbox. For more information, see Final Cut Pro templates overview. 6. Click Publish. The template is now available in the Project Browser, in the Compositions category you chose in step 2. Replace template media using drop zones Drop zones overview Drop zones are placeholder graphics where template users can drag images or video to customize the project. When you modify one of the built-in composition templates that come with Motion, or create a composition template from scratch, you can add drop zone layers. A drop zone layer appears (in the Canvas and in the Layers list) as a rectangle with a downward arrow in its center. In the Canvas, the drop zone’s layer name appears in the center of the graphic. Any media item (image or footage) dragged into the region defined by the drop zone replaces the drop zone placeholder graphic. Note: If there are multiple overlapping drop zones in the Canvas, the topmost one has priority when you drag an item over the zone. You can force all drop zones to appear by using the expose feature. For more information, see Control and expose drop zones. Adding a drop zone to a Final Cut Pro X template in Motion enables Final Cut Pro users to easily assign media to an editing project. For more information about creating templates for use in Final Cut Pro, see Final Cut Pro templates overview. SEE ALSO Create drop zones Modify drop zone images Drop zone controls Control and expose drop zones Create drop zones You create drop zones in either of two ways: by adding an empty drop zone object or by converting an existing layer into a drop zone. Any still image or video clip can be converted into a drop zone via the Image Inspector. Add an empty drop zone 1. Choose Object > New Drop Zone or press Shift-Command-D. A drop zone layer is added to the project. 2. Position and scale the drop zone layer. 3. If needed, rename the drop zone layer in the Layers list. 4. Open the Inspector and click Image to modify the drop zone parameters. For more information about using these parameters, see Drop zone controls. Resize a drop zone 1. In the Layers list or Canvas, select a drop zone. 2. In the toolbar, click the Select/Transform tool. 3. In the Canvas, drag a transform handle to resize the drop zone. Tip: Press Shift while dragging to resize the drop zone proportionally. Convert an image layer to a drop zone 1. Add a video clip or still image to your project. 2. Position or resize the image or clip where you want the drop zone to appear. For information about positioning and scaling images, see Transform layers in the Canvas overview. 3. Open the Image Inspector and click the Drop Zone checkbox. The drop zone parameters appear. 4. To replace the original image with a drop zone graphic, click the Clear button. An active drop zone replaces the original image. For more information about using remaining Drop Zone parameters, see Drop zone controls. Modify drop zone images After you add a source image to the drop zone, you can pan or resize the image within the boundary of the drop zone. You can add a solid color to the drop zone to fill empty areas that are the byproduct of panning or resizing the image. Add an image to a drop zone Do one of the following: Drag an image from the File Browser or Library to the Drop Zone in the Layers list. When the pointer changes to a curved arrow, release the mouse button. Drag an image from the File Browser, Library, or Media list (in the Project pane) to the Drop Zone in the Canvas. When the pointer changes to a curved arrow and the drop zone is highlighted in yellow in the Canvas, release the mouse button. Drag an image from the Media list to the Source Media well in the Image Inspector. In the Image Inspector, click To and select a media item in the project from the pop-up menu. Scale a drop zone image in the Canvas 1. Select the drop zone. 2. Do one of the following: In the Canvas, double-click the drop zone. The Adjust Item tool is automatically selected. In the toolbar, select the Adjust Item tool. The drop zone bounding box appears as a dotted line. 3. Drag the scale handles in the Canvas to resize the image. The image’s bounding box appears as a solid line and scales uniformly. Portions of the image that extend beyond the edges of the drop zone appear semitransparent. Scale a drop zone image in the Inspector 1. Select the drop zone. 2. In the Image Inspector, drag the Scale slider. To adjust the horizontal or vertical scale independently, click the Scale disclosure triangle to reveal the X and Y subparameters. Pan a drop zone image in the Canvas 1. Select the drop zone. 2. In the toolbar, select the Adjust Item tool. The drop zone bounding box appears as a dotted line. 3. Place the pointer over the drop zone image, and, when the Pan tool appears, drag within the drop zone to pan the image. The image’s bounding box appears as a solid line. The dotted line represents the edges of the drop zone. Portions of the image that extend beyond the edges of the drop zone appear semitransparent. Pan a drop zone image via the Inspector 1. Select the drop zone. 2. In the Image Inspector, adjust the Pan parameter X and Y settings. Assign a background color to a drop zone 1. Select the drop zone. 2. In the Image Inspector, select the Fill Opaque checkbox. Any empty portion of the drop zone is filled with black. 3. Use the Fill Color controls to choose a custom drop zone fill color. SEE ALSO Transform layers in the Canvas overview Transform layers in the Properties Inspector Drop zone controls You can add any media object to any drop zone, but the object might not have the same dimensions as the drop zone. Motion provides controls to help ensure that the image placed in the drop zone is handled as you want—scaling, stretching, and positioning the object correctly. The Image Inspector contains the following drop zone controls: Drop Zone: A checkbox (available in the Image Inspector of any image layers in your project) that, when selected, converts an image layer into a drop zone. Source Media: An image well that appears after an image is converted into a drop zone. Drag a media item to the well from the Media list to change the current drop zone image. To: A pop-up menu providing an alternative method of assigning media to the drop zone. The menu contains a list of media items in your project. Select an item to assign it to the drop zone. Pan: Value sliders to pan the media within the drop zone. Adjust the X value slider to move the media horizontally and the Y value slider to move the media vertically. Scale: A slider to uniformly scale the media in the drop zone. To resize the media horizontally or vertically, click the Scale disclosure triangle and adjust the X or Y parameter. Fill Opaque: A checkbox that, when selected, fills the drop zone background with a color when the drop zone is scaled down or panned. If the Fill Opaque checkbox is not selected, the empty drop zone area remains transparent. Fill Color: A color control to set a color when the Fill Opaque checkbox is selected. Use Display Aspect Ratio: A checkbox that, when selected, resizes the drop zone according to selected Display Aspect Ratio Snapshot (in the Snapshots pane of the Project Inspector). For more information about display aspect ratios, see Add multiple display aspect ratios to a template. Clear: A button to remove media from the drop zone, replacing it with a downward-arrow graphic. Control and expose drop zones When constructing your template, you can disable drop zones so you don’t accidentally apply media. Later, when using the template, you can turn drop zones back on. You can also use the expose feature in Motion to reveal obscured drop zones in the Canvas. The expose command shows an exploded view of valid drop zones in the Canvas. Turn drop zones on and off Choose View > Use Drop Zones. A checkmark appears next to the menu item when drop zones are enabled (which means they accept objects dragged to them). When no checkmark appears next to the menu item, drop zones are disabled (which means they ignore objects dragged to them). Expose all drop zones in a project 1. Use the Library or File Browser to locate an item to import into the project. 2. While holding down the Command key, drag the item onto the Canvas. Objects in the Canvas shrink and separate in an exploded view so you can see them all. Moving the pointer over an object reveals its Layers list name. Note: You cannot Command-drag non-image objects (shapes, Motion projects, particles, and so on) to the Canvas. 3. Drop the object onto its target. The object replaces its target, and the Canvas view returns to normal. Template guidelines When you work with templates, consider the following guidelines: Use descriptive group and layer names: Group and layer names in a template should describe each object’s function. For example, text objects in a titling template might be named “Main Title,” “Starring,” “Guest Star,” and so on. If you use visual elements in the template’s composition, their layer names should describe their function—“Background Texture,” “Divider,” and “Main Title Background,” for example. Descriptive layer names are especially important if others use the template. Create alternate versions of a template for each resolution you need: If you regularly create projects for a variety of output formats, you can build different display aspect ratios into a single template. For example, when you create a template with a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can add an alternate version customized for 3:2 displays. For more information about creating alternate display versions in a single template, see Add multiple display aspect ratios to a template. Place all media files used in a template in a central folder: To avoid problems with offline or missing media, move all media files for the template into a central folder on your computer before you begin the working on the project. Although customized templates are saved in the /Users/username/Movies/ folder on your computer, media added to the template remains in its original location on disk. A central location for all media resources ensures that files are not lost. Alternatively, you can use the File > Save As command, and use the Collect Media option. For more information, see Save, autosave, and revert projects. Organize templates in the Project Browser You can organize and access custom templates in the Project Browser. All templates are organized into categories. You can add, delete, and rename categories in the Project Browser. Add a category in the Project Browser 1. Choose File > New From Project Browser. The Project Browser appears. 2. Select a template type (Compositions, Final Cut Effects, Final Cut Generators, Final Cut Transitions, Final Cut Titles) from the sidebar (on the left). 3. Click the Add button (+) at the bottom of the sidebar. 4. Enter a name for the category in the dialog that appears. 5. Click Create. The new category appears in the column at the left under the template type you selected. Delete a category in the Project Browser 1. Choose File > New From Project Browser. The Project Browser appears. 2. Select a category in the sidebar. 3. Press Delete or click the Delete button (–). An alert dialog prompts you to confirm the deletion. The directory on your disk corresponding to that category is placed in the Trash, but is not deleted. Template files in that category’s directory are also placed in the Trash. Delete individual templates from the Project Browser 1. Choose File > New From Project Browser. The Project Browser appears. 2. Select a category from the sidebar, then select the template to delete. 3. Press Delete. An alert dialog prompts you to confirm the deletion. 4. Click the Delete button (–). Modify project properties Project properties overview When you create a project, you specify a set of project properties —Resolution, Frame Rate, Duration, and so on. You can change most of these properties at any time, even after you add objects to the project. The Properties Inspector lets you define the most essential attributes of a project. By choosing different parameters, you can accommodate nearly any video or film format you need to output to. These properties are the default settings used when you export your project. Project background color, as well as how the background color is rendered, is also modified in the Properties Inspector. SEE ALSO Edit project properties Properties Inspector controls About project frame size Edit project properties The Project object in the Layers list must be selected for the project’s Properties Inspector to be displayed. If another object is selected, that object’s properties are displayed in the Properties Inspector. Edit the properties of an existing project 1. Do one of the following: Choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J). Select the Project object at the top of the Layers list, then open the Inspector and click Properties (if that pane is not showing already). Control-click an empty area of the Canvas (in the gray area outside the project) and choose Project Properties from the shortcut menu. The Properties Inspector opens. 2. In the Properties Inspector, change any necessary parameters. Important: Project Frame Rate cannot be changed after a project is created. The Properties Inspector for the project contains settings for video file format, timecode display, motion blur, and other project attributes. Change the project background color 1. Do one of the following: Choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J). Select the Project object at the top of the Layers list, then open the Inspector and click Properties. The Properties Inspector opens. Two parameters in a project’s Properties Inspector affect the background color of a project and affect how a composition appears when exported out of Motion. 2. Set your project background properties: Background Color: Use this color well to set the color appearing in the Canvas when no other object obscures the background. Note: To export a project with a premultiplied alpha channel, Motion always renders against black. Background: Use this pop-up menu to set whether the background color is rendered as part of the alpha channel. If set to Solid, the background color creates a solid alpha channel. If set to Transparent, the background color does not render as part of the alpha channel. In either case, the background color is visible in the Canvas. For more information about transparency, see About alpha channels. Properties Inspector controls When the Project object is selected in the Layers list, the Properties Inspector is divided into several control groups: General, Motion Blur, Reflections, and Description. General controls Use the controls in the General group to set or modify your project’s basic attributes. Preset: A pop-up menu to choose a common video format to base your preset on. After choosing a preset, you can adjust the other parameters in the Properties Inspector to customize your format settings. For more information about managing Motion project presets, see Create, edit, and delete project presets. Width and Height: A value slider to define the size of the Canvas and the default output resolution of your project. Drag left or right over the values to decrease or increase them. Frame size is usually defined by the video format you plan on outputting to. For example, NTSC DV format video is 720 x 480, whereas PAL DV format video has a frame size of 720 x 576. Pixel Aspect Ratio: A pop-up menu to set whether the project is created using square or nonsquare pixels. Computer displays, film, and high-definition video use square pixels, while standard-definition video uses nonsquare pixels. Choose Square for projects intended for the web, high-definition projects, and film, or choose a nonsquare pixel ratio corresponding to each international standard-definition broadcast format. A value slider to the right of this pop-up menu displays the numerical aspect ratio, in case you need to change the dimensions manually. Field Order: A pop-up menu to set field order if the project uses interlaced video. Project field order should match the field order of the device being used to output the resulting QuickTime file to video. When working with progressive-scan video or film, choose None. Frame Rate: A display field to see the project frame rate (in frames per second). Frame rate should match that of the format you output to. For example, film is 24 fps, PAL video is 25 fps, and NTSC video is 29.97 fps. Important: Frame rates cannot be changed for existing projects. Duration: A value field to modify the project’s Timeline duration. Use the adjacent pop-up menu to define the duration units (Frames, Timecode, or Seconds). Override FCP: A checkbox (available only in Final Cut Transition projects) that, when selected, overrides the default transition duration (as defined in the Editing pane of Final Cut Pro Preferences). For more information, see Final Cut Pro templates overview. Start Timecode: A value field to set the starting timecode displayed in the project. Theme: A pop-up menu to assign a theme to the project. Designed for 4K: A checkbox available only in Final Cut Effect, Transition, Generator, or Title template projects. For more information, see Set template resolution. Background Color: A color control to set the background color of the Canvas. Background: A pop-up menu to define whether the Background Color is rendered as part of the alpha channel. Regardless of the selection, the Background Color is visible in the Canvas. Choose from these three options: Transparent: The background color does not render as part of the alpha channel. Solid: The background color creates a solid alpha channel. Environment: The background color creates a solid alpha channel and interacts with 3D projects, including blend modes and reflections. In the following images of the Canvas, Reflection is turned on for the elliptical shape (in the shape’s Properties Inspector). In the left image, the elliptical shape retains its original white color because Background is set to Solid. In the right image, the pink background is reflected in the elliptical shape because Background is set to Environment. Motion Blur and Reflections controls Below the General section of the Properties Inspector are two groups of controls that can affect how your project looks when exported: Motion Blur and Reflections. The Motion Blur controls simulate the effect a camera’s mechanical shutter has on a frame of film or video when the camera or its subject is moving. In Motion, motion blur affects objects in your project that are animated using behaviors or keyframes, creating more natural-looking motion in your project, even though the animation is artificial. As with a camera, faster objects have more blur; slower objects have less blur. The Motion Blur section of the Properties Inspector has two settings: Samples: A slider to set the number of subframes rendered per frame, where one frame represents 360 degrees. Higher Samples values result in a higher-quality motion-blur effect, but are more processor-intensive. The default Samples value is 8. The maximum possible value is 256. Shutter Angle: A slider to define the size of the motion blur that appears for animated objects. Increasing the shutter angle increases the number of frames over which the shutter is open. The following image shows a shape keyframed to move quickly across the Canvas horizontally. In the next image, Motion Blur is enabled and Samples is set to the default value of 8. Note: When using larger Shutter Angle values, it may be necessary to increase the Samples value to eliminate unwanted artifacts. In the above image, the Shutter Angle is set to the default of 360 degrees, which represents 1 frame. In the following image, Shutter Angle is set to 600 degrees. The Reflections section of the Properties Inspector has one parameter: Maximum Bounces: A slider to limit the number of recursive reflections that can occur when two or more shiny objects reflect one another. This parameter is intended to prevent an endless repetition of reflective bounces. For more information about reflections, see Cast a reflection. Description field At the bottom of the Properties Inspector is a field where you can enter a brief description of the project, including significant characteristics of the project preset, such as frame size and frame rate. About project frame size When you change the frame size of a project (via the Width and Height parameters in the Properties Inspector), you effectively change the size of the Canvas, increasing or reducing layout space for objects in the project. Changing the size of the Canvas does not change the size or position of objects in the Canvas. Further, because the coordinate system in Motion uses 0, 0 as the center of the frame, all objects remain arranged in their current positions relative to the center of the frame as the edge of the frame shrinks toward the center. This can result in objects being cut off as the frame shrinks past their edges. In the following example, a project with a frame size of 1280 x 720 is reduced to 320 x 240. The 720 x 480 video clip is smaller than the original frame size but bigger than the reduced frame size. Note: Because Motion is resolution-independent, it’s not usually necessary to change your project’s frame size. You can output a project at any size, regardless of the current frame size, by changing the settings in Motion’s Share windows. For example, if you build a project with a frame size for standard-definition broadcast, you can still export a half-resolution version of the project to post on the web by exporting to the necessary size. Add and manage content Add and manage content overview After you create a project, you add media—video clips, still images, special effects, and so on—to create a composition. Motion provides two easy ways to add this content to your project: File Browser: Locate external video clips, still images, and audio files on your computer or on networked storage devices, then import this media into your Motion project. See File Browser overview. Library: Search for high-quality content that comes with Motion (text styles, animated graphics, special effects, and so on), then add this content to your Motion project. See Library overview. The File Browser and Library, located on the left side of the Motion workspace, display all of your available content in hierarchical, searchable lists. Here you can also preview selected content before you add it to your Motion project. Media files imported from your computer or networked devices become source media. Source media can be scaled (resolution), cropped, exchanged or replaced, duplicated, revealed in the Finder, and so on. See Source media overview. Import media files File Browser overview The easiest way to import external media files (video, audio, and still images on your computer or a connected storage device) into Motion is via the File Browser. When you open a Motion project, the File Browser is displayed on the left side of the workspace. The File Browser shows a hierarchal list of all files on your computer and networked storage devices. Navigating the File Browser is similar to navigating a window in the Finder. The File Browser is divided into several areas: Preview area: At the top of the File Browser, a thumbnail image displays a video preview of any file selected in the navigation areas of the browser, along with information about the selected file, including filename, media type, file size, and frame rate. Navigation pane: Just below the Preview area is a list of Navigation pane: Just below the Preview area is a list of servers, storage devices, and folders available on your computer. Navigation arrows and a pop-up menu let you step forward or back through recently viewed folders and devices. File stack: When you select a server, device, or folder from the navigation pane, the contents of the selected item are shown in the lower area of the File Browser. View the File Browser If the File Browser is not visible in the Motion workspace, you can easily show it. Do one of the following: Click File Browser in the top-left corner of the Motion workspace. Choose Window > File Browser (or press Command-1). Collapse or expand the pane containing the File Browser, Library, and Inspector Click the “i” button in the lower-left corner of the Motion workspace. If it’s your first import By default, Motion places imported media files in your project at the location of the playhead (the current frame in the Timeline). You can change that setting to have imported media always placed at the start of your project (frame 1). Set the start point of imported media 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma). 2. In the Project pane, set “Create Layers At” to one of the following: Current frame: New media layers are added at the current playhead position. Start of project: New media layers are added at the first frame of the project. Import standard media files You can import media files (video clips, audio clips, and still images) into a Motion project one at a time or severally. Note: Although you can import iTunes and photo files via the File Browser, it’s better to add them via the iTunes and Photo categories in the Motion Library. When you add iTunes and photo files via the Library, you can browse for files using the playlist or photo album features. For more information, see Add iTunes and photo files from the Library. Import media files into a Motion project 1. Navigate through the File Browser to locate media files to import. To open a folder in the File Browser, click a folder in the upper navigation pane, then double-click a folder in the lower pane; to return to a previously viewed folder, click the left arrow button beneath the preview area, or choose a folder from the pop-up menu beneath the preview area, or press Command– Up Arrow. 2. Select one or more files to import. In list view, Shift-click to select multiple contiguous files; Command-click to select multiple noncontiguous files. 3. To stop preview playback, move the pointer over the preview area and click the Pause button; to mute preview audio, click the Play/Mute button to the right of preview thumbnail. 4. Do any of the following: Drag the file or files from the file stack to a location in the Canvas. Click the Import button at the top of the File Browser to add the file or files to the center of the Canvas. Drag the file or files into the empty lower area of the Layers list. Drag the file or files into the empty lower area of the Timeline. The media files appear in the Canvas and in the Layers list (as layers inside a new group at the top of the list). Import media files into an existing group in the Layers list You can also import media clips and images into an existing group in the Layers list. 1. Navigate through the File Browser and select one or more media files. 2. To nest the media files in an existing group in the Layers list, do one of the following: Drag the files on top of a group in the Layers list. The imported files appear as new layers in that group, placed above existing layers in the group. Drag the files between any layers in a group. A position indicator shows where the layers will be placed when you release the mouse button. Drag the files into the Timeline, placing them between any layers nested in an existing group. Note: For more information on adding objects to the Timeline, see Timeline overview. Import media files without using them in the composition You can also add media files to your project without having them appear in the composition. You do this by dragging a file into the Media list, thereby storing media objects you might want to use in the future. When you import this way, the imported media does not appear in the Canvas or in the Layers list. However, the media remains available in the Media list. 1. In the Project pane, click Media to open the Media list. 2. Do one of the following: Drag media files from the File Browser into the Media list. Click the Add button (+) in the lower-left corner of the Project pane; then, in the Import Files dialog, select a file to add and click Import. With the Media list active, choose File > Import (or press Command-I); then, in the Import Files dialog, select a file to add, and click Import. Control-click in the Media list, choose Import Media from the shortcut menu, then add a file via the Import Files dialog. To import an image sequence in the Import Files dialog, select the Image Sequence checkbox. If this checkbox is deselected, only files selected in the Import dialog are imported. The resulting media objects are added to the Media list but don’t appear in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. Import media files using the Import command You can also import media files without using the File Browser. To do so, use the Import command. 1. Do any of the following: Choose File > Import (or press Command-I). Control-click an empty area of the Canvas (in the gray area outside the project), then choose Import from the shortcut menu. The Import Files dialog appears. 2. Navigate to and select one or more media files, Shift-clicking to select contiguous items or Command-clicking to select noncontiguous items. If you’re selecting items from an image sequence, select the Image Sequence checkbox to have Motion use each image as a frame in a movie clip. 3. Click Import. The media files appear in the Canvas, and as layers inside new groups at the top of the Layers list. Note: When you import multiple files using the Import command, each media file is placed in a separate new group in your Motion project. However, when you import multiple files via the File Browser, the files are placed in a single new group in your Motion project. Import media files and create a new Motion project at the same time You can also create a new project for files at the time of import. To do so, use the Import as Project command. 1. Choose File > Import as Project or press Shift-Command-I. The Import Files as Project dialog appears. 2. Navigate to and select the one or more media files, Shiftclicking to select contiguous items or Command-clicking to select noncontiguous items. 3. If needed, set the frame rate, aspect ratio, field order, and audio mix settings. If you’re selecting items from an image sequence, select the Image Sequence checkbox to have Motion use each image as a frame in a movie clip. 4. Click Import as Project. The media files appear in a new Motion project. Import layered Photoshop files You can also import layered Photoshop files. Many motion graphics professionals create layouts in Photoshop, then import the resulting multilayered file into Motion, where the layers are animated and combined with other imported and Motiongenerated objects. There are several ways to import layered Photoshop files: With all Photoshop layers merged together as a single Motion layer With each Photoshop layer preserved as a separate Motion layer, nested in a new group By choosing a single Photoshop layer When you import all Photoshop layers as individual Motion layers, Motion places them in a new group in the Layers list and Timeline. Each layer retains the position, opacity, and blend mode of its corresponding original Photoshop layer. Although you can import Photoshop text layers, the text appears in Motion as noneditable bitmap graphics. The following Photoshop effects are not imported into Motion: Layer effects Layer masks Adjustment layers Paths Shapes Import a layered Photoshop file using the drop menu 1. Drag a layered Photoshop file from the File Browser into the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. Before releasing the mouse button, pause until the Canvas drop menu appears and the pointer becomes curved. This menu presents commands for importing the layered file. 3. Continuing to hold down the mouse button, choose a command from the drop menu, then release the mouse button: Import Merged Layers: All layers of the Photoshop file are collapsed into a single Motion layer. Import All Layers: A group is created, and each layer of the Photoshop file is preserved as a separate Motion layer in this new group. [Individual layers]: Each layer in the Photoshop file appears as a separate item in the drop menu. Selecting a layer adds only that layer to the project, where it appears as a single Motion layer. Note: When a Photoshop file contains more layers than can be displayed in the drop menu, the Choose Layer option appears in the drop menu. After you click the Choose Layer option, the Pick Layer to Import dialog appears. Add a layered Photoshop file using the Import command 1. Choose File > Import. 2. Select the layered Photoshop file to import, then click Import. The Pick Layer to Import dialog appears. 3. Choose a command from the Layer Name pop-up menu: Merged Layers: All layers of the Photoshop file are collapsed into a single Motion layer. All Layers: A group is created, and each layer of the Photoshop file is preserved as a separate Motion layer in this group. [Individual layers]: Each layer in the Photoshop file appears as a separate item in the drop menu. Selecting a layer adds only that layer to the project, where it appears as a single Motion layer. If you don’t like the layer you chose, you can pick a different one from the Photoshop file without deleting or importing again. You do so by selecting the recently imported Photoshop layer, then choosing a different Photoshop layer from the Layer pop-up menu in the Properties Inspector. Import image sequences Sometimes, animated sequences are delivered as a series of sequentially numbered still images. Motion lets you import these sequences as a single object, with each image used as a sequential frame in a movie. Import a series of numbered still images as a single object 1. Click the “Show image sequences as collapsed” button in the lower-right corner of the File Browser. The File Browser displays multiple items collapsed into a single object. 2. Drag the object from the File Browser to the Canvas, Layers list, Timeline, or Media list. Note: Images from digital cameras are often numbered sequentially but are not part of an animation sequence. To import a single still image from a digital camera, deselect the “Show image sequences as collapsed button.” For more information, see About image sequences. Sort and search in the File Browser You can display and sort files in the File Browser in any of several ways. In the File Browser, you can also search for files located on your computer or on connected storage devices. View the File Browser in list view Click the List View button in the lower-right corner of the File Browser. View the File Browser in icon view Click the Icon View button in the lower-right corner of the File Browser. Change the size of the icons while in icon view Do one of the following: Click the Scale button in the lower-left corner of the File Browser, then drag the slider to the right to make the icons larger, or to the left to make them smaller. On a Multi-Touch trackpad, pinch open to make the icons larger or pinch closed to make the icons smaller. Sort the File Browser list Sort the File Browser list When the File Browser is in list view, you can sort the list by any column. This can be helpful if you are looking for a specific file and know the approximate size or modification date. At the top of the file stack, click the header of the column to sort. The column header is highlighted and the contents of the window are sorted by that column. Search for a file Click the Search button at the bottom of the File Browser, then enter text in the Search field. The contents of the file stack are filtered to include only files whose names contain the entered text. Note: The Search field is not available unless the Search button is selected. Clear a file search Click the Clear button at the right side of the Search field. Manage folders and files in the File Browser In the File Browser, you can rename, move, or delete files. You can also change how files are displayed. WARNING: Renaming, moving, or deleting folders or files via the File Browser affects those items on your computer or networked storage device. This can cause other Motion projects to list the affected media as missing. To relocate missing media, see Reconnect offline media files. Rename a folder or file Do one of the following: Control-click the file or folder, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu; then, when the text field becomes active, enter the new name, and press Return. In the file stack, click the name of the folder or file once to select it, then click it again to activate the text field, enter the new name, and press Return. Delete a folder or file Do one of the following: In the file stack, Control-click the file, then choose Move to Trash from the shortcut menu. Drag the file from the file stack to the Trash icon in the OS X Dock. Create a folder Click the Add button (+) in the lower-left corner of the File Browser. A new folder with the name “untitled folder” is added to your computer or networked storage device (in the location selected in the file stack of the File Browser). Move a file into a folder In the file stack, drag the file onto a folder icon. The file is moved inside that folder. Note: Changes you make to your file structure in the Motion File Browser are reflected in the Finder. Display the location of a file in the Finder Control-click a file in the file stack, then choose Reveal in Finder from the shortcut menu. Preview a media file in a separate window Do any of the following: Open a file in a viewer window: Control-click a file in the file stack, then choose Open in Viewer from the shortcut menu. Open a file in QuickTime Player: Control-click a file in the file stack, then choose Open in QuickTime Player from the shortcut menu. About media file types Supported media formats You can import the following video, still image, and audio formats: QuickTime video codecs Animation DV - PAL DV/DVCPRO - NTSC DVCPRO - PAL DVCPRO HD 1080i50, 1080i60, 1080p25, 1080p30, and 720p50, 720p60 DVCPRO50 - NTSC DVCPRO50 - PAL Uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 4:2:2 HDV 1080i50, 1080i60, 1080p24, 1080p25, and 720p24, 720p25, 720p30 Motion JPEG MPEG IMX 525/60 (30Mb/s, 40 Mb/s, 50 Mb/s) MPEG IMX 625/50 (30Mb/s, 40 Mb/s, 50 Mb/s) Photo - JPEG Apple ProRes 4444 XQ Apple ProRes 4444 Apple ProRes 422 HQ Apple ProRes 422 Apple ProRes 422 LT Apple ProRes 422 Proxy XDCAM HD 1080i50, 1080i60, 1080p24, 1080p25, 1080p30 (35 Mb/s VBR) H.263 H.264 Other codecs MXF Still image formats Photoshop BMP GIF JPEG PNG TIFF TGA OpenEXR Other image formats Layered Photoshop files PDF files Audio formats You can import audio files with sample rates up to 192 kHz and with bit depths up to 32 bits. Mono and stereo files are supported. Multichannel audio files are also supported. Motion supports the following audio file types: AAC (listed in the Finder with the .m4p file extension) AIFF AIFF CAF WAV Important: You cannot import rights-managed AAC files, such as non-iTunes Plus tracks purchased from the iTunes Store. For more information about the file formats supported by Motion, go to the Motion website at http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/motion. About QuickTime movies Motion supports QuickTime movies using any file format (codec) installed on your computer. Although you can import movies in nearly any codec, avoid using highly compressed clips in projects. Excessively compressed clips can display undesirable visual artifacts. Fortunately, QuickTime provides many codecs ideal for moving uncompressed or minimally compressed video files between applications, including Apple ProRes 4444 XQ, Apple ProRes 4444, Apple ProRes 422 HQ, Apple ProRes 422, Uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 4:2:2, Pixlet, None, Animation, Apple M-JPEG A and B, DVCPRO-50, and DV/DVCPRO. Some codecs support alpha channels, which define areas of transparency in the clip. If a QuickTime clip has an alpha channel, Motion uses the alpha channel in your project. You can combine clips that are compressed with different codecs in the same project. You can also combine clips that have different frame sizes, pixel aspect ratios, and interlacing. About high-resolution still image files You can import still image files using most popular still image formats, including SGI, Photoshop, BMP, JPEG, TIFF, TGA, and JPEG-2. As with video clips, you can mix still image files with differing frame sizes and pixel aspect ratios. For a full list of eligible file types, see Supported media formats. A common and effective use of still images in motion graphics work is the animation of high-resolution files. The dots per inch (DPI) qualification as defined in programs like Photoshop does not apply to video. If the dimensions of an imported image are larger than the frame size of the Motion project, the image extends beyond the borders of the Canvas. You can reduce the scale of the image to fit the project’s frame size. You can also animate the image’s Scale parameter (in the Properties Inspector) to zoom into or out of the image, or animate its Position parameter to pan the image. Because Motion is graphics-card dependent, file-size import limitations vary from computer to computer. When you import an image that is too large, an alert dialog appears, stating: “This media is too large to render at full resolution, and will be shown at a lower quality.” Click OK to import the image at a lower quality. For more information on recommended graphics cards, visit the Motion website at http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/motion. For guidelines about working with high-resolution graphics, see About high-resolution graphics. When you import a still image, the image assumes a duration equal to the current duration of the project. Increasing the duration of the project does not increase the duration of an image that’s imported. Still images have infinite duration in Motion, so you can stretch them in the Timeline to be as long as necessary. For more information about modifying objects in the Timeline, see Timeline overview. Set the import size of large still images You can set an option in the Preferences window to import large still images at their original size or scaled to fit the Canvas size. 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma). 2. In the Still Images & Layers area of the Project pane, click the Large Stills pop-up menu and choose a setting. There are two options: Do Nothing: Imports the image at its original size. In the following example, a 2311 x 1525 image is imported into a Broadcast HD 1080 project (1920 x 1080) with Do Nothing selected in Preferences. The image is larger than the Canvas. Scale to Canvas Size: Imports and scales the image to fit the project size while maintaining the image’s native aspect ratio. In the following example, the same image is imported with Scale to Canvas Size selected in Preferences. The image is scaled—the equivalent of using the Select/Transform tool to scale down the image in the Canvas while pressing Shift. To confirm that the image is merely transformed and has not changed resolution, you can select the image file in the Media list, then open the Media Inspector. The Fixed Width and Fixed Height parameters display the resolution of the original file. About image sequences Numbered image sequences store video clips as individual still image files. Each image file has a number in the filename that indicates where it fits into the sequence. In a film clip that’s been digitally scanned, each file represents a single frame. In a video clip that’s been converted to an image sequence, each file contains both fields of a single video frame, with the upper and lower lines of the image saved together. Image sequences use the same variety of file formats as still image files. Some of the most popular formats for saving image sequences include SGI, BMP, JPEG, TIFF, and TGA. Like still image formats, many of these image sequence formats support alpha channels, which are used by Motion. Because image sequences have been around for so long, they remain the lowest-common-denominator file format for exchanging video across editing and compositing applications. Although QuickTime is increasingly used to exchange video clips between platforms, image sequences are still used, especially in film compositing. As with QuickTime video clips, you can mix image sequences of different formats, using different frame sizes, pixel aspect ratios, frame rates, and interlacing. Important: Any imported image sequence must contain three or more digits of padding—for example, “imagename.0001.tif.” Collapse image sequences The “Show image sequences as collapsed” button at the bottom of the File Browser lets you display image sequences as a single object, rather than as the collection of files on your disk. Note: You can turn this feature off for numbered image files that aren’t used as an image sequence. For example, pictures taken with digital cameras often have numbered filenames that can be mistaken for an image sequence. About PDF files The PDF file format is a PostScript-based document format that accommodates PostScript-based graphics and text, as well as bitmap graphics. Areas of transparency in a PDF file are also transparent in Motion. PDF files are capable of storing PostScript-based illustrations. Unlike graphics file formats such as TIFF and JPEG, which save images as a collection of pixels at a given resolution divided into red, green, and blue channels, PostScript-based illustrations are saved as mathematical descriptions of how the artwork is drawn. As a result, PDF files using PostScript-based artwork and text have infinite resolution. The practical difference between bitmap files and PostScriptbased files is that scaling a bitmap beyond 100 percent results in the image progressively softening the more you increase its size. PostScript-based illustrations remain sharp and clear no matter how large or how small you scale them. When importing a PDF file, its size is relative to the original page size of the file. As a result, even small graphics can have a large frame size, with empty space surrounding the graphic. When exporting a graphic as a PDF file for use in Motion, you may want to scale the graphic to fit the page dimensions, or reduce the page size in the source application’s page preferences to fit the graphic’s dimensions. Fixing the resolution of a PDF object Although PDF files have unlimited resolution, large PDF objects can consume a lot of video memory, which can hinder performance in Motion. To avoid this problem, limit the resolution of each PDF image to save video memory. By using fixedresolution parameters, the files are rendered once, ensuring better performance. The fixed-resolution parameters for PDF objects are adjusted in the Media Inspector. Select the PDF source media in the Media list to activate the Media pane of the Inspector. Adjust the following controls to modify the PDF’s fixed-resolution parameters: Pixel Aspect Ratio: A pop-up menu to assign a nonsquare pixel aspect ratio to the file. In most cases, the “From file” menu option is the best choice because it assigns the PDF source file’s native aspect ratio. Choose a different menu item only if you want to override that native setting. Fixed Resolution: A checkbox that, when selected, fixes the resolution of PDF source media to the size specified in the Fixed Width and Fixed Height sliders. Fixed Width: A slider to set the maximum horizontal resolution to which a PDF object can be smoothly scaled. Fixed Height: A slider to set the maximum vertical resolution to which a PDF object can be smoothly scaled. Use Background Color: A checkbox that, when selected, substitutes a custom background color for transparent portions of the PDF. Choose the background color in Background Color controls (described below). Background Color: Color controls (available when Use Background Color is selected) to set the background color for transparent portions of the PDF. Crop: Sliders (Left, Right, Bottom, and Top) to crop the edges of the PDF image, if necessary. These controls crop the PDF source media (and all layers linked to that source media). To crop an individual layer, use the Crop parameters in the layer’s Properties Inspector. Mixed content in PDF files Although PDF files can contain a mix of PostScript-based art, PostScript text, and bitmapped graphics, each format has different scaling properties. PostScript-based art and text scale smoothly, but bitmapped graphics embedded in a PDF file are subject to the same scaling issues as other bitmapped graphics formats. As a result, bitmapped graphics can soften if scaled larger than their original size. Note: Form objects, buttons, and JavaScript objects that are present in an imported PDF file do not appear in Motion. Multipage PDF files You can import multipage PDF files. When you do, a parameter called Page Number appears in the Properties Inspector when the PDF object is selected. Drag the slider to set which page is displayed in the Canvas. Animate this parameter to display different pages over time. Important: Multilayered PDF files are not supported. To import a multilayered illustration, export each layer as a separate PDF file and import these as a nested group of objects in Motion. About alpha channels Ordinary video clips and image files have three channels of color information: red, green, and blue. Many video and image file formats also support an additional alpha channel, which contains information defining areas of transparency. An alpha channel is a grayscale channel where white represents areas of 100 percent opacity (solid), gray regions represent translucent areas, and black represents 0 percent opacity (transparent). When you import a QuickTime movie or an image file into a project, its alpha channel is immediately recognized by Motion. The alpha channel is then used to composite that object against other objects behind it in the Canvas. There are two ways to embed alpha channel information into files. Motion attempts to determine which of these methods a media file uses: Straight: Straight alpha channels are kept separate from the red, green, and blue channels of an image. Media files using straight alpha channels appear fine when used in a composition, but they can look odd when viewed in another application. Translucent effects such as volumetric lighting or lens flares in a computer-generated image can appear distorted until the clip is used in a composition. Premultiplied: The transparency information is stored in the alpha channel as well as in the visible red, green, and blue channels, which are multiplied with a background color (generally black or white). The only time it really matters which kind of alpha channel an object has is when Motion doesn’t correctly identify it. If a media item’s alpha channel is set to Straight in the Media list when it’s really premultiplied, the image can appear fringed with the premultiplied color around its edges. If this happens, select the problematic item in the Media list, then change its Alpha Type parameter in the Media Inspector. About audio files You can import many audio file formats into your project, including WAV, AIFF, .cdda, MP3, and AAC. Although Motion is not a fullfeatured audio editing and mixing environment like GarageBand or Logic Pro, you can import music clips, dialogue, and sound effects. If you import a QuickTime file with mono or stereo tracks of audio, the audio appears in the Audio Timeline. You can import audio clips with various sample rates and bit depths. When you do, Motion resamples audio tracks to the sample rate and bit depth used by your computer. The default is 16-bit, 44.1 kHz float for the built-in audio interface. If you use a third-party audio interface, audio is remixed to the sample rate and bit depth used by that device. You can import audio files with sample rates up to 192 kHz and with bit depths up to 32 bits. Mono and stereo files are supported. Multichannel audio files are also supported. For more information about file formats Motion supports, see Supported media formats. For more information on using audio in Motion, see Audio overview. A seamless way to browse for and import music from your iTunes library is to use the Music category in the Motion Library. For more information, see Add iTunes and photo files from the Library. Note: You cannot import rights-managed AAC files, such as noniTunes Plus tracks purchased from the iTunes Store. About text files Motion can read and work with a variety of text files, both as media elements and as text data to incorporate in generators, particle systems, and replicator effects. For more information, see Add text. Add Library content Library overview Motion ships with a collection of built-in art content and effects (text styles and fonts, animated graphics, filter effects, and so on) that you can use in your projects. This content is available in the Library, which is displayed on the left side of the Motion workspace (next to the File Browser). Navigating the Library is similar to navigating the File Browser. The Library is divided into several areas: Preview area: At the top of the Library, a thumbnail image displays a video preview of content selected in navigation areas of the Library (special effects, text styles, graphical art, and so on). Navigation pane: Just below the preview area is a two-column pane displaying the categories and subcategories of content and effects available in Motion. Navigation arrows let you step forward and back through recently viewed categories of content. A pop-up menu lets you filter content by theme (Abstract, Sci-Fi, Urban, and so on). Library stack: When you select a category and subcategory in the navigation pane, the contents of the subcategory are shown in the lower area of the Library. View the Library If the Library is not visible in the Motion workspace, you can easily show it. Click Library in the top-left corner of the Motion workspace. Choose Window > Library (or press Command-2). Collapse or expand the pane containing the File Browser, Library, and Inspector Click the “i” button in the lower-left corner of the Motion workspace. Categories of Library content The Library contains the following categories of content that you can add to your project: Behaviors: Sophisticated animation and simulation effects (Spin, Grow, Gravity, and so on) that you can apply to objects and images in your project. Some behaviors can only be applied to specific objects. For example, Text Animation and Text Sequence behaviors can only be applied to text objects. For more information, see Apply behaviors overview. Filters: Special effects used to modify the appearance of images, objects, and video clips in your project. You can apply filters to create artistic effects (blurs, glows, stylized looks), to perform image corrections (color balancing, sharpening), or to create complex compositing effects (green screen keying). Third-party FxPlug filters appear in the category to which they belong. Most filters can be applied to any layer (text, images, shapes, video footage, particles, and so on) in your project. For more information, see Filters overview. Generators: Computer-generated art such as checkerboards, noise patterns, color rays, and animated text objects that you can add to your projects. For more information, see Generators overview. Particle Emitters: Animated swarms of small particles that let you add effects ranging from simulations of smoke, fire, and explosives to animated abstract textures. All premade particle systems can be customized after you add them to your project. For more information, see Particles overview. Replicators: Patterns of repeating elements used to create kaleidoscopic effects (static or animated) in your compositions. All premade replicators can be customized after you add them to your project. For more information, see Replicator overview. Shapes: Premade geometrical forms that you can use as visual elements or as image masks in your project. Each shape is a Bezier shape and can be customized using Motion’s shape-editing tools. For more information, see Shapes, masks, and paint strokes overview. Gradients: A selection of premade color spreads that can be applied to shapes, text, particles, and replicators in your project. For more information, see Gradient editor controls. Fonts: A browser containing all the fonts available on your computer, organized into subcategories based on the categories defined in the Font Book application. Simply select a font, then apply it to text in your project. For more information about Font Book, see Mac Help (in the Finder, choose Help > Mac Help). For more information about using fonts in Motion, see Preview and apply fonts. Text Styles: Thematic type styles (Antique, Fantasy, Grunge, and so on) that let you modify the look of 2D text and 3D text in your project. For more information, see Use preset text styles. Shape Styles: Preset shape styles that add artistic line strokes (Abstract, Flora, and Liquid, for example) to shapes in your project. For example, dragging a shape style onto a shape instantly applies that style. For more information, see Shapes, masks, and paint strokes overview. Materials: Preset 3D text materials that give 3D text a natural and realistic appearance, as they respond to lighting, exhibit reflectiveness, and so on. All premade materials can be customized after you add them to your project. See Materials overview. iTunes: A browser for locating and importing files from your iTunes library. The subcategories include the library and playlists created in iTunes. The contents of each playlist appear in the Library stack. See Add iTunes and photo files from the Library. Photos: A browser for locating and importing image files from your selected photo library. The contents of each photo album or photo library appear in the Library stack. The photo application that is available in the Photos category of the Motion Library is set in the General pane of Motion Preferences. See Add iTunes and photo files from the Library. Content: Graphical elements used in the templates and presets that ship with Motion. Use these images, text elements, patterns, and animations to create custom design elements, such as particles and replicators, which can be saved to the Library for later use. Favorites: A place to save objects—built-in or custom-made in Motion—for future use, including cameras, layers, or groups. You can also place frequently used media files (such as PDF or TIFF files) into the Favorites category. Objects you place in the Favorites category are available to every project you create in Motion. Favorites Menu: Objects you place in the Favorites Menu folder appear in the Favorites menu, for even faster access. When you choose an item from the Favorites menu, that item is placed into the selected layer and is positioned at the center of the Canvas. Objects you put in the Favorites Menu are available to every project in Motion. Add Library content to a project You can add Library content (special effects and premade graphical elements) to a project in several different ways. Add Library content to a project 1. Navigate through the Library, selecting a category and subcategory in the navigation pane and an item in the Library stack. For example, select the Filters category, select a filter subcategory, then select a filter in the Library stack. A preview of the selected Library item appears in the preview area. 2. Do either of the following: Click the Apply button to the right of the preview area. Drag the item from the Library stack to a location in the Canvas, or into the empty lower area of the Layers list or Timeline. The item is placed inside a new group at the top of the Layers list and Timeline, and the content appears in the Canvas or under the selected layer in your project. Note: Some categories of Library content are designed to modify specific types of layers. For example, items in the Text Styles category of the Library can only be applied to text layers in your project. If nothing happens when you try to add a Library item, make sure you’ve applied it to a suitable group or layer. Add Library content to a specific group or layer in a project 1. Navigate through the Library, selecting a category and subcategory in the navigation pane and an item in the Library stack. For example, click the Filters category, click a filter subcategory, then click a filter in the Library stack. A preview of the selected Library item appears in the preview area. 2. Do either of the following: Select a specific group or layer in the Layers list or Timeline, then click Apply in the preview area. Drag the item from the Library stack to a specific group or layer in the Layers list or Timeline. The item is placed in the group or applied to the layer. Note: Some categories of Library content are designed to modify specific types of layers. For example, items in the Text Styles category of the Library can only be applied to text layers in your project. If nothing happens when you try to add a Library item, make sure you’ve applied it to a suitable group or layer. There’s an additional way to add generators, behaviors, and filters —using the pop-up menus in the toolbar. For more information, see Add a generator, Apply and remove filters, and Add, remove, and disable standard behaviors. Add iTunes and photo files from the Library You can add files from your iTunes library and photo application libraries to a project via the Motion Library. The iTunes and photo content appear in two Library categories, iTunes and Photos. (However, you cannot import rights-protected video content from iTunes into a Motion project.) Note: Although a connected iPod appears in the File Browser as a hard disk, you can only browse for and import iPod files that are stored as data. Music transferred to the iPod via iTunes cannot be imported into Motion. Add a file from iTunes 1. In the Library, select the iTunes category. The iTunes library content appears in the adjacent navigation pane. By default, All is selected (the iTunes library). 2. Select a subcategory, such as Music or Podcasts, then select a file from the stack. 3. Do one of the following: Click the Apply button to the right of the preview area. Drag the file to the Canvas, Layers list, Timeline, or Audio Timeline (if the file is an audio track or is a video that contains audio). Note: Rights-protected AAC files cannot be imported into Motion and do not appear in the file stack. This includes non-iTunes Plus music purchased from the iTunes Store. For more information on working with audio files, see Audio overview. Add a file from a photo application 1. In the Library, select the Photos category. The albums (or libraries) appear in the adjacent navigation pane. By default, All is selected. Note: The photo application that is available in the Photos category of the Motion Library is set in the General pane of Motion Preferences. Only one application may be selected at a time. For more information, see General preferences. 2. Select an album, then select a file from the stack. 3. Do one of the following: Click the Apply button to the right of the preview area. Drag the file to the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. Note: When importing large-scale images into Motion, you can import the files at their native resolution or at the resolution of the Motion Canvas. For more information, see Set the import size of large still images. Sort and search in the Library You can display and sort content in the Library in any of several ways. You can also search for library content. View the Library in list view Click the List View button in the lower-right corner of the Library. View the Library in icon view Click the Icon View button in the lower-right corner of the Library. Change the size of the icons while in icon view Click the Icon Scale button in the lower-left corner of the Library, then drag the slider to the right to make the icons larger, or to the left to make them smaller. On a Multi-Touch trackpad, pinch open to make the icons larger or pinch closed to make the icons smaller. Sort using the Theme pop-up menu The Theme pop-up menu under the preview area lets you sort Library content by thematic categories such as Abstract, Nature, Sci-Fi, and so on. Do one of the following: Select a category in the Library sidebar or stack, then click the Theme pop-up menu and choose a choose a theme. To sort using the default themes, select the Content category, then click the Theme pop-up menu choose an item. Search for Library content Click the Search button at the bottom of the Library, then enter text in the Search field. Note: The Search field is not available unless the Search button is selected. Clear a file search Click the Clear button at the right side of the Search field. Manage Library folders and files Although you can’t modify the effects, elements, and folders built into Motion, you can organize custom effects, elements, and folders in the Library the same way you manipulate files in the Finder. You can create folders and delete certain files or folders. You can also easily create, save, and organize files and themes in the Library. Create a new folder in the Library You can create new folders in the subcategory column (the second column) or in the stack (the area under the category and subcategory columns) to better organize your custom Library content. Do any of the following: Create a new folder in the subcategory column: Select a category, select the All folder in the subcategory column, then click the New Folder button (+) in the lower-left corner of the Library. A new, untitled folder appears in the subcategory column. Create a new folder in the stack: Select a category, select the subcategory to contain the new folder, then click the New Folder button (+) in the lower-left corner of the Library. A new, untitled folder appears in the stack. For more information on saving custom Library content, see Save custom objects to the Library. Rename a custom folder or file Do one of the following: Rename a subcategory folder: In the subcategory column, click the name of a custom folder once to select it, click it again to activate the text field, enter a new name, then press Return. Rename a file or folder in the stack: In the stack, Control-click a custom file or folder, choose Rename from the shortcut menu, enter a new name, then press Return. WARNING: Renaming a custom folder or file in the Library renames the item on your computer or networked storage device. If projects use files from the originally named folder, Motion may list the item as missing. Remove custom objects or folders from the Library Select a custom folder in the subcategory column or stack (or a custom object in the stack), then do one of the following: Choose Edit > Delete. Press Command-Delete. WARNING: Deleting a custom folder or file in the stack removes that item from your computer or networked storage device and places the item in your Trash. Delete a folder or file In the Library stack, Control-click the custom file, then choose Move to Trash from the shortcut menu. Move a file into a folder In the Library stack, drag the file onto the folder icon. The file is moved inside that folder. When Library media becomes unavailable As with any other object used in a Motion project, Library media must be present and installed on your computer for that media to appear correctly in Motion. If someone gives you a project file and you don’t have the same filters or fonts used in the file, a warning appears when you open the project, listing the items that are unavailable. You can close the project and install the necessary files on your computer, or you can open the file. When you open a file with missing media, the following occurs: Missing Content: Missing content is treated like any other missing media item. For more information about reconnecting media, see Reconnect offline media files. Missing Filters: When a filter is missing, a placeholder object appears in the Layers list and Timeline. When you reinstall the missing filter, the filter object replaces the placeholder, and the effect is applied properly. Missing Fonts: When fonts are missing, the text objects that use those fonts default to Helvetica as a temporary substitute. Missing international fonts substitute the default system font for the relevant language. Work with Library themes Library themes help you organize projects that may share objects by allowing you to label specific objects with a default theme, such as Abstract, Nature, or Sci-Fi, or to assign objects to a custom theme. By default, some preset Library objects are assigned to a theme. For example, the Hypnotic particle emitter preset is in the Sci-Fi category. Note: Library themes are different from the themes in the Themes pop-up menu of the Project Browser. Project Browser themes are applied to entire Motion projects and shared between Motion and Final Cut Pro X when creating templates. For more information on creating templates for Final Cut Pro, see Final Cut Pro templates overview. Sort using the Theme pop-up menu Select a category or subcategory in the Library sidebar, then choose a theme from the Theme pop-up menu. Items belonging to the chosen theme appear in the stack. Create a new custom theme 1. In the Library, below the preview area, choose New Theme from the Theme pop-up menu. 2. In the Create New Theme dialog, type a theme name, then click OK. A new theme is added to the Library. New themes appear in the Theme pop-up menu. Custom themes are saved in the “themes” document in your /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/ folder. Assign a theme to custom content Control-click a custom item in the Library stack (such as a shape saved to the Favorites folder), choose Theme from the shortcut menu, then choose a theme from the submenu. An item must be saved in the Library before you can assign a theme. For more information, see Save custom objects to the Library. Items that can be assigned a theme include the following: Replicators Emitters Shapes Gradients Text styles Shape styles Layers or groups Note: You cannot assign a theme to behaviors, filters, fonts, images, image sequences, or movies. Remove a custom theme 1. Choose the theme to remove from the Theme pop-up menu. The Remove Theme item becomes available in the Theme pop-up menu. 2. Choose Remove Theme from the Theme pop-up menu. The theme is removed from the list. Note: You can only remove custom themes. Save custom objects to the Library You can save nearly any object in Motion to the Library, including animated cameras and lights, customized behaviors, filters, particle systems or replicators, shapes and text, as well as layers and groups. After an object is placed in the Library, it can be added to a project like any other element in the Library. You can save multiple objects to the Library as one file or multiple files. For example, if you create an effect using multiple filters and you want to save the cumulative effect of those filters to apply to other objects, you can save the filters as one item in the Library. Although you can save custom objects into their namesake folders, it is better to save customized objects that you use frequently to the Favorites category. Because some Motion Library categories contain numerous items, placing custom items in the Favorites or Favorites Menu categories can save you search time. In the Favorites category, you can create additional folders to better organize custom items. Note: You can create folders in the built-in categories, such as the Color Correction filters subcategory; however, those folders only appear in the Library stack and not the sidebar. Folders added to the Favorites category appear in the Library sidebar. Save a custom object to the Library 1. Open the Library and select the Favorites or Favorites Menu category, or another category. Note: To save a custom object to a category other than the Favorites or Favorites Menu category, the object type must match the category. For example, you can save custom filters to the Filters category, but not to the Behaviors category or Generators category. 2. Drag a customized object from the Layers list, Timeline, or Inspector into the stack at the bottom of the Library. The item is saved to the Library in the category you selected, and appears with a custom icon. When you save a customized item, it’s placed in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/ folder. Save multiple custom objects to the Library 1. Open the Library and select the Favorites or Favorites Menu category, or another category. Note: To save a custom object to a category other than the Favorites or Favorites Menu category, the object type must match the category. For example, you can save custom filters to the Filters category, but not to the Behaviors category or Generators category. 2. In the Layers list, select all objects to save and drag them to the stack, holding down the mouse button until a drop menu appears. 3. Choose “All in one file” or “Multiple files” from the drop menu, then release the mouse button. “All in one file” saves objects together, as one item in the Library. “Multiple files” saves the as individual objects in the Library. Note: When saving objects of different types, it’s best to save them to the Favorites or Favorites menu category (or a folder you specifically create) for organizational purposes. If multiple objects of different types are saved, such as a shape with an applied behavior and text, the objects are added to the Content folder as “Untitled.” Create a custom note for a saved Library object Control-click the icon in the Library stack, choose Edit Description from the shortcut menu, enter notes in the dialog that appears, then click OK. For information about renaming and organizing custom Library content, Manage Library folders and files. Manage source media Source media overview When you import an external media file into a Motion project, two things occur: An instance of that media (an image or video clip) is placed in your project, and is visible in the Layers list, Canvas, and Timeline. A link to the external source media file on your computer or other connected device is shown as an item in the Media list in the Project pane. Media used in Motion must remain connected to the source media files on your computer or networked device. If you move, delete, or rename external media files that correspond to media used in a Motion project, the source media link (in the Media list) and any layers in your project using that source media go “offline.” It’s easy to reconnect offline media in your project (as long as the external files are still available on your computer or networked device). For more information, see Reconnect offline media files. Because Motion is a nondestructive effects application, changes you make to media layers in your project are not applied to the external media on your computer or connected device. Rather, any changes you make to a media layer are applied to the instance of the media in Motion. You can view information about source media in two places in the Motion workspace: Media list: The second list in the project pane, itemizes all source media files (audio, image, image sequence, and QuickTime movie files) in your project. The items in this list are links to source media files that remain on your computer or networked device. Applied effects (such as filters or behaviors) and graphics content created in Motion (such as masks, shapes, or text) do not appear in the Media list. Columns in the Media list display information about each source file, including format, duration, frame rate, and so on. For more information, see Media list overview. Media Inspector: Available when you select a media item the Media list, displays information about the selected source media file (format, duration, frame rate, and so on). The Media Inspector also contains adjustable media controls for modifying instances of the source media file used in your project. For more information, see Display the Media Inspector. View source media information Media list overview The Media list (the second list in the Project pane) itemizes all media files (audio, image, image sequence, and QuickTime movie files) in the project. Items in this list are links to source media files that remain on your computer or networked storage device. Applied effects (such as filters or behaviors) and graphics content created in Motion (such as masks, shapes, or text) do not appear in the Media list. The columns in the Media list contain information about each media item, in the following categories: Preview: Displays a thumbnail of the media object. Name: Lists the filename of the source media on disk where the object is linked. If you change the name of corresponding linked objects in the Layers list, this name doesn’t change. Kind: Lists the type of file—still image, QuickTime movie, image sequence, or audio file. In Use: Indicates that the media is in use in the project. Duration: Displays the total duration of the object, in frames or timecode, depending on what is displayed in the Timeline. Frame Size: Displays the frame size of the object, in pixels. Format: For QuickTime movies, displays the codec used. For still images, displays the method of compression that is applied based on the file type. Depth: Specifies the color depth of the image. Vid Rate: Displays the video frame rate of the object, in frames per second. Aud Rate: For audio files and QuickTime movies, displays the sample rate of the audio. Aud Bit Depth: For audio files and QuickTime movies, specifies the bit depth of the audio. File Size: Shows the size of the source media file on disk. File Created: Shows the file creation date of the source media file on disk. File Modified: Shows the file modification date of the source media file on disk. This is a useful parameter for file management. SEE ALSO Display, sort, and search the Media list Source media controls in the Media Inspector Display, sort, and search the Media list Customize your view of the Media list to see the information most important to you. Display the Media list Do one of the following: If the Project pane is visible, click Media at the top of the pane. Choose Window > Media (or press Command-5). The Media list opens. Display and adjust columns in the Media list Do any of the following: To display all visible columns in the Media list, drag the scroller at the bottom of the Media list. To show or hide a column, Control-click a column header, then choose the item to show or hide from the shortcut menu. Items in the list with a checkmark are displayed in the Media list. Items with no checkmark are hidden. To reorder the columns, drag a column header left or right to a new position. To adjust column width, drag a column border to resize the width in the header row. To adjust row height, do one of the following: Position the pointer over a horizontal line and drag up or down to decrease or increase the height of all rows. Icons and thumbnails resize themselves as you make the adjustment. Click the Scale button at the bottom of the Media list, then drag the slider left to decrease row height or right to increase row height. Sort Media list items in a column by file type Click the column header. The layers are sorted in the column and a small arrow in the column header indicates the direction of the sort. To reverse the direction of the sort, click the column header. Search for specific items in the Media list Click the Search button at the bottom of the Media list, then enter the name of items to view in the Search field. As you type in the Search field, the Media list is filtered to show items containing the text you type. To stop filtering and return to the complete list, click the Clear button at the right of the Search field. Reveal source media Occasionally, you may need to find source media used in your project, to access additional information about an imported media file, or to locate the external file on your computer or networked storage device. Show a layer’s source media link in the Media list Do one of the following: Control-click a layer in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then choose Reveal Source Media from the shortcut menu. Select a layer, then choose Object > Reveal Source Media (or press Shift-F). The Media list opens, with the source media selected. The Media Inspector also opens, displaying information about the source media. Find external source media used in your project Open the Media list, Control-click a media item, then choose Reveal in Finder from the shortcut menu. A Finder window appears, and the external source media file used in your project is highlighted. Adjust source media parameters Display the Media Inspector The Media Inspector displays adjustable parameters that define how an image or movie clip is displayed and composited in the project. These parameters define the source media’s essential properties, including frame rate, pixel aspect ratio, interlacing, and alpha channel parameters. There are also parameters that allow you to define source media’s end condition, reversal, cropping, and timing. Open the Media Inspector Open the Media list (the second list in the Project pane), select a media item, open the Inspector, then click the Media tab. The Media Inspector shows adjustable parameters for and information about the selected item in the Media list. For information about adjusting source media parameters, see Source media controls in the Media Inspector. Source media controls in the Media Inspector Motion attempts to interpret the correct parameter settings for each source media item you add to a project. However, additional manual adjustment is sometimes necessary. Because Motion is a nondestructive application, changes made to these parameters are not applied to the source media files on disk. Parameter changes affect how objects are drawn in Motion. The following controls let you modify source media in the Media list. Modifying source media modifies all layers in a project linked to that source media. Note: The parameters described below do not apply to Photoshop files imported as separate layers. And PDF files with transparent backgrounds do not have the Alpha Type or Invert Alpha parameters. Alpha Type: A pop-up menu to set how Motion deals with alpha channels in the media item. An alpha channel contains information about areas of transparency in the image or movie. When you import an image file or QuickTime movie that has an alpha channel, its alpha channel is immediately recognized by Motion. There are several different ways to embed alpha channel information into files, which correspond to the options in this menu. Motion assigns an option based on an analysis of the object when it’s imported, but you can override the default if necessary, by choosing any of the following: None/Ignore: The default setting for objects with no alpha channel. This option also allows you to ignore an object’s alpha channel, so the entire object appears solid. Straight: These alpha channels are kept separate from the red, green, and blue channels of an image. Media files using straight alpha channels appear fine when used in a composition, but they may look odd when viewed in another application. Translucent effects such as volumetric lighting or lens flares in a computer-generated image can appear distorted until the clip is used in a composition. If Straight is chosen but you see a black, white, or colored fringe around the object, this parameter is incorrectly set and should be changed to a Premultiplied option, depending on the color of the fringe. Premultiplied–Black: This type of alpha channel is multiplied with the clip’s red, green, and blue channels. As a result, objects with premultiplied alpha channels look correct, even with translucent lighting effects, because the entire image is precomposited against a solid color. This option interprets alpha channels that are precomposited against black. Premultiplied–White: This option interprets alpha channels that are precomposited against white. Guess Alpha Type: This option forces Motion to analyze the file in an attempt to figure out what kind of alpha channel is used. If you’re unsure, use this setting. Invert Alpha: A checkbox that, when selected, inverts an alpha channel that is incorrectly generated in reverse. Ordinarily, an alpha channel is a grayscale channel, where white represents areas of 100 percent opacity (solid), gray regions represent translucent areas, and black represents 0 percent opacity (transparent). Pixel Aspect Ratio: A pop-up menu to set the type of pixel relevant to the project, square or nonsquare. In general, objects created for computer display, film, and high-definition video use square pixels, while objects created for some video formats (such as DV, HDV, DVCPRO HD, and others) use nonsquare pixels. A value field to the right of this pop-up menu displays the numeric aspect ratio, in case you need a custom ratio. By correctly identifying each object you add to your project, you can mix and match both kinds of media. Field Order: A pop-up menu to choose a field order that matches the field order of the device used to capture an interlaced clip. There are two choices: Upper (Odd) or Lower (Even). If you choose incorrectly, you’ll notice that the video stutters during playback. When this happens, choose the opposite field order. Clips shot on film or with a progressive scan video camera have no interlacing; therefore Field Order should be set to None. By correctly identifying each object in your project, you can mix and match clips with a different field order. For more information, see Field order. Frame Rate: A pop-up menu to choose a frame rate in frames per second (fps) that matches a clip’s native rate. For example, film is 24 fps, PAL video is 25 fps, and NTSC video is 29.97 fps. Additional frame rates are available for other video formats. If the frame rate you require is not listed, enter a number in the text field to the right of the pop-up menu. If you modify a QuickTime file’s frame rate but need to change it back to the file’s original rate, choose “From file” at the bottom of the Frame Rate pop-up menu. Although you can mix clips using different frame rates, clips playing at a frame rate different from that of the project might not play smoothly. Note: Project frame rates are determined by the project preset. To edit a preset or to create a preset, choose Motion > Preferences and use the options in the Presets pane. Fixed Width and Fixed Height: Sliders (available for still images) to change the resolution of source media. When the Large Stills control (in Motion Preferences) is set to Scale to Canvas Size, these values display the resolution of the original file. For more information, see Set the import size of large still images. When a PDF is selected in the Media list, these controls set the maximum resolution to which a PDF object can be smoothly scaled. For more information, see About PDF files. Crop: Four sliders, visible when you click the disclosure triangle, that define the number of pixels to be cropped from each of the source media’s four sides, relative to the outer edge of the bounding box that surrounds that source media. Cropping an item in the Media list also crops all instances of that item in layers of the project. A similar Crop parameter appears in the Properties Inspector when you select a layer in the Layers list. For more information, see Properties Inspector controls. Timing: Three value sliders to set the start, end, and duration of the source media: Start: Sets the In point of the source media, in constant and variable speed modes. Adjusting this parameter moves the In point to the specified frame without affecting the duration of the media. End: Sets the Out point of the source media, in constant and variable speed modes. Adjusting this parameter moves the Out point to the specified frame without affecting the duration of the media. Duration: Sets the total duration of the source media. If Time Remap is set to Constant Speed, adjusting Duration also affects the Speed and Out point. If Time Remap is set to Variable Speed (in the Timing controls of the Properties Inspector), adjusting Duration does not affect variable speed playback. Linked Objects: A list of all objects in the Layers list that are linked to the selected source media in the Media list. The first column shows the name of the group containing an instance of the source media; the second column shows the layer name. Changing the layer name in the Layers list updates the name appearing in this list. Replace Media File: A button to relink media in your project to Replace Media File: A button to relink media in your project to a source file on disk. This feature is primarily useful for relinking offline media, but can also be used to change source media (changing all layers that are linked to that source media). Metadata: An information pane displaying properties of the external media file on your computer or networked device that’s linked to the item selected in the Media list. About duplicating and deleting media files When you delete a layer in the Layer’s list, by default Motion deletes the corresponding media item in the Media list (but does not delete the source media on your computer or connected storage device). If you want to delete a layer, but retain its source media item in the Media list for future use, open Motion Preferences and, in the General pane, deselect the “Automatically manage unused media” checkbox. For more information, see General preferences. When you duplicate a layer in the Layers list, a new instance of the source media is created in the Layers list—however, no new source item is created in the Media list. In a project with duplicated layers, you can adjust the attributes of all duplicates simultaneously by adjusting the source media’s parameters in the Media Inspector (see Display the Media Inspector). If you’ve duplicated layers and want to delete them all at the same time, delete the corresponding media item in the Media list. Exchange media in a project You can overwrite an image layer with media from a different file in the File Browser or Library. This process, called exchanging media, replaces the layer’s original source media link with a new source media link. When you exchange a layer’s source media, the layer retains its Property Inspector parameter values (including Position, Scale, and Opacity, and Blend Mode), as well as applied filters, behaviors, masks, or keyframes. The exchange operation lets you replace layers in your project even after you’ve modified and animated them. If you’re unhappy with an element of your composition, exchange it with a new one. Important: You can only exchange layers that are linked to source media files on your computer or networked device. You cannot exchange Motion-generated objects such as particle systems, generators, shapes, or text objects. Exchange media in a layer 1. Drag a media file from the File Browser onto a layer in the Layers list. 2. When a curved pointer appears, release the mouse button. The layer’s original source media is replaced by the new source media. Exchange source media via the Media Inspector 1. In the Media list, select the object to replace. 2. Open the Media Inspector or HUD (heads-up display). Note: For information about opening the Media Inspector, see Display the Media Inspector. To open the HUD, press F7. 3. Click Replace Media File. 4. In the dialog that appears, navigate to the file that will replace the current source media. 5. Click Open. The original source media is replaced by new source media in the Media list and in any layers in the project linked to the source media. Reconnect offline media Reconnect offline media files Adding a media file to a Motion project creates a link between the resulting image layer in Motion and its corresponding source media file on your computer or connected storage device. If you move, delete, or rename media files on your computer or connected device, the linked layers in Motion go “offline.” Media can also go offline if you give someone a project file without also providing the source media it uses. Offline layers appear as checkered rectangles that occupy the entire bounding box of the missing image. When a layer goes offline, a question mark icon appears beside the empty preview thumbnail in the Layers list. In the Media list, a question mark icon replaces the missing preview thumbnail. When you open a project file with offline media, a dialog appears listing all files that can’t be found. If the media files were moved to another folder or disk instead of being deleted, you might be able to locate them on your computer using the offline media Search feature. If you know the location of the missing media files, you can display a manual reconnection dialog and navigate to the files without searching. If the file was renamed, you must locate it manually. Manually reconnect an offline media file 1. In the alert dialog, click Reconnect. In the manual reconnection dialog that appears, navigate to the location of the missing file. 2. Select the file, then click Open. The file is reconnected. If more than one missing media file appears in the same folder, all files are reconnected. Search for and reconnect offline media files If you can’t find the file manually, use the offline media Search feature. 1. In the alert dialog, click Search. Motion attempts to find the first missing file in the list. If the search is successful, a dialog shows the missing media file. 2. Select the file, then click Open to reconnect it. If the search is unsuccessful, use the manual reconnection dialog to navigate to the file. When you locate it, select the file, then click Open. Cancel an active search for offline media 1. Click Cancel. The manual reconnection dialog appears. 2. In the dialog, navigate to the file’s location, select the file, then click Open. The file is reconnected. Reconnect offline media via the Media Inspector If you do not immediately reconnect an offline layer, you can still save changes to the project and even close it again, then reconnect the offline layers later, via the Reconnect Media File button in the Media Inspector. 1. Open the Media list. 2. Select the offline layer to reconnect. 3. Open the Media Inspector, then click the Reconnect Media File button under the Linked Objects list. Motion attempts to find the first missing file in the list. If the search is successful, a file browser dialog appears with the missing media file selected. If the search is unsuccessful, you must navigate manually to file’s location, then select the file. 4. Click Open to reconnect the file. Note: You can also use the File > Reconnect Media command. If more than one missing media file appears in the same folder, clicking Open reconnects all files. About networked devices and removable media Be careful when adding media files from a remote server to your project. Although the File Browser can access the contents of other computers on your network, dragging remote media to your project does not copy the source file to your computer. The media source file remains on the remote device. As a result, when that remote device becomes unavailable, the corresponding item in your project goes offline. Further, depending on the speed of your network, you may experience performance issues when using media files on other computers. Ideally, copy all media files used in your project onto a device that’s physically connected to your computer. If you must use media from a networked storage device, ensure that the device is always mounted on your system and that you have a highperformance network. This is especially true for media from removable devices, such as flash drives, DVDs, and removable hard disks that are frequently disconnected from your computer. Always copy media files from such media to your local computer. Play back projects Project playback overview After you create a project, Motion provides easy ways to control and optimize playback. You can: Play back a project using simple transport controls Adjust project timing Define a play range For information about graphics cards and performance, see About project playback performance. View and play back a project View and play back a project overview The easiest way to play a project and see your animated sequence in real time is to use the transport controls under the Canvas. In addition to starting and stopping your project’s playback, you can use the transport controls to jump to the beginning or end of your project, advance your project frame by frame, and so on. To customize playback, you can also: Optimize playback performance by manually rendering a portion or your entire project to random access memory (RAM) Play your project in full-screen player mode View the Canvas (or Timing pane) on a second display Play back a project After you add content to your project, use the transport controls at the bottom of the Canvas to play your sequence back in real time, to jump to the beginning or end of your project, to advance your project frame by frame, and more. Note: Most of the transport controls have a keyboard shortcut. The transport controls contain the following buttons: Go to start of project: Returns the playhead to the beginning of the project. (Keyboard shortcut: Home) Go to end of project: Moves the playhead to the end of the project. (Keyboard shortcut: End) Play from start (of a play range): Plays from the In point to the Play from start (of a play range): Plays from the In point to the Out point of the play range. To learn how to set a play range, see Define the play range. Play/Pause: Starts and stops playback. (Keyboard shortcut: Space bar) Record: Turns on and turns off animation recording. When recording is turned on, the values for animatable parameters appear red in the Inspector, indicating that any change you make to a parameter (such as moving an object in the Canvas or adjusting a slider) creates a keyframe. (Keyboard shortcut: A) Go to previous frame: Moves the playhead backward by one frame. (Keyboard shortcut: Left Arrow or Page Up) Go to next frame: Advances the playhead by one frame. (Keyboard shortcut: Right Arrow or Page Down) There are two buttons to the right of the transport controls that also affect playback: Player Mode: Hides or shows the File Browser, Library, Inspector, Project pane, and Timing pane to maximize Canvas space. For more information, see Expand the Canvas to fullscreen player mode. Loop playback: Controls whether playback loops indefinitely, or whether playback stops when the end of the play range is reached. For more information, see Define the play range. (Keyboard shortcut: Shift-L) And to the left of the playback controls is another button that also can affect playback: Play/Mute audio: Turns audio playback on or off. Turning audio off can improve playback performance. Optimize playback using RAM Preview Each time you play a project in the Canvas, Motion performs complex rendering calculations to represent the objects and effects that appear in each frame. The project plays back as quickly as possible up to the frame rate specified in the Properties Inspector. However, with a very complex project, playback quality can be hampered by the limitations of your computer hardware. To improve real-time playback, you can manually render parts of your project and store the frames in your computer’s random access memory using RAM Preview. With RAM Preview, you can render the play range, a selection, or the entire project. RAM Preview your entire project Choose Mark > RAM Preview > All. The RAM Preview dialog appears, displaying a progress bar that shows which frame is being rendered, how many more frames remain, and an approximation of the time remaining. When RAM Preview is completed, the dialog closes. Note: Because some sections of a project may be more complex than others, the “Time remaining” value may be somewhat inaccurate. Interrupt the RAM Preview Click the Stop button in the RAM Preview dialog. The section that has been rendered is stored in RAM. When a section of your project is stored in RAM, a green glow appears along the bottom of the Timeline ruler and the mini-Timeline. Clear RAM Preview You can manually delete RAM Preview to make room for a new RAM Preview or to free up RAM for other operations. Choose Mark > RAM Preview > Clear RAM Preview. RAM Preview the play range You can restrict which frames are rendered by choosing to preview the play range or a selection. Using RAM Preview on a selection renders all visible layers in the project from the first frame of the selection until the last. 1. Set a play range in your project. For more information, see Define the play range. 2. Choose Mark > RAM Preview > Play Range. The RAM Preview dialog appears and displays a progress bar. When RAM Preview is completed, the dialog closes. RAM Preview a selection 1. Holding down the Command and Option keys, drag In the Timeline to select a region to preview. A highlight appears over the selected frames. For more information on regions, see Make changes to a region (range of frames). 2. Choose Mark > RAM Preview > Selection. The RAM Preview dialog appears. When RAM Preview is completed, the dialog closes. Expand the Canvas to full-screen player mode When you click the Player Mode button below the Canvas, the Canvas expands to fill the Motion workspace. This is helpful for watching project playback without the distraction of the software interface. In this mode, the menus, toolbar, and timing display remain active. The Show/Hide Timeline, Show/Hide Audio Timeline, and Show/Hide Keyframe Editor buttons at the lowerright corner of the workspace also remain available, as does the Show/Hide File Browser/Library/Inspector button at the lower-left corner of the workspace. Switch to full-screen player mode Do one of the following: Choose Window > Player Mode. Click the Player Mode button above the toolbar. Press F8. Return to normal view Do one of the following: Choose Window > Player Mode again. Click the Player Mode button again. Press F8 again. View the Canvas or Timing pane on a second display If you have two displays connected to your computer, you can show the Canvas or Timing pane on the second display. Note: You can also drag Motion project windows to the second display, allowing you to view more than one project at a time Show the Canvas on a second display Choose Window > Show Canvas on Second Display. The Canvas and Project pane (Layers, Media, and Audio lists) appear on the second display. Drag the right edge of the Project pane left or right to resize the Canvas and Project pane. Show the Canvas in the main window Do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Canvas in the Main Window. Choose Window > Revert to Original Layout. Show the Timing pane on a second display Choose Window > Show Timing Pane on Second Display. The Timing pane (Timeline, Audio Timeline, and Keyframe Editor) appears on the second display. Drag the right edge of the Timeline layers list left or right to resize the Timing pane and layers list. Note: Click the Show/Hide Timeline button, Show/Hide Audio Timeline button, and Show/Hide Keyframe Editor button in the lower-right corner of the Timing pane to show or hide the Timing pane interface elements. Show the Timing pane in the main window Do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Timing Pane in the Main Window. Choose Window > Revert to Original Layout. View and adjust project timing Timing display overview The timing display, located in the center of the toolbar, lets you view the current frame (or timecode number) of the playhead, or the total duration of the project. In the timing display, you can also modify the duration of the project, navigate to a specific frame, move forward or backward in small or large increments, and scrub frames. For details, see: View or change timing information Navigate a project Change the duration of a project View project timing information You can set the timing display to show either the current playhead position or the total project duration. You can also set the timing display show this information in different units—frames or timecode. Switch between display of playhead position and project duration Do one of the following: Click the clock icon on the left side of the timing display. When set to project duration, the clock icon looks like this: When set to playhead position (known as current time), the clock icon looks like this: Click the downward arrow on the right side of the timing display, then choose Show Project Duration or Show Current Time. When set to show project duration, the timing display shows the running time or number of frames in your project (depending on the unit of measure you choose to display). When set to show the current time, the timing display shows the frame number or timecode number of the current playhead position (depending on the unit of measure you choose to display). Switch between display of frame numbers and timecode The timing display offers two ways of measuring time in your project: frames or timecode. Frames are incremental still images starting at 1 or 0 and continuing for the duration of your project. Timecode is the standard eight-digit numeric system used in video production. Timecode runs like a clock from 00:00:00:00 to 23:59:59:29. The first two digits represent hours; the second two digits represent minutes; the third two digits represent seconds; and the final two digits represent frames, as in HH:MM:SS:FF. Click the downward arrow on the right side of the timing display, then choose Show Frames or Show Timecode from the pop-up menu. Frames and timecode counters have specific advantages, depending on the video format in which you’re originating and finishing. For example, if you’re designing a title sequence for a 35mm film that must be exactly 720 frames, set the timing display to show frames. If you’re building a television spot for broadcast (which uses the timecode standard), set the timing display to show timecode. Navigate a project using the timing display You can also use the timing display to move the Timeline playhead. Move the playhead to a specific frame or time Do one of the following: With the timing display pop-up menu set to Show Frames and Show Current Time, double-click the number display, type the desired frame number, then press Return. With the timing display pop-up menu set to Show Timecode and Show Current Time, double-click the number display, type the desired timecode (in HH:MM:SS:FF format), then press Return. Increase or decrease the current time one frame at a time With the timing display pop-up menu set to Show Current Time, press the Left Arrow key (or Page Up key) to move the playhead backward or the Right Arrow key (or Page Down key) to move the playhead forward. Move ahead or back in seconds, minutes, or hours 1. Ensure that the timing display pop-up menu is set to Show Current Time. 2. Double-click the timing display, then do one of the following: To move forward in seconds, enter a plus sign (+), enter the number of seconds to move forward, enter a period, then press Return. For example, to move 2 seconds ahead, enter “+2.” (with a period after the numeral 2), then press Return. To move ahead in minutes, enter two periods after the numeral, then press Return. To move ahead in hours, enter three periods after the numeral, then press Return. To move backward in seconds, enter a minus sign (–), then enter the number of seconds to move backward, enter a period, then press Return. For example, to move 2 seconds backward, enter “–2.” (with a period after the numeral 2), then press Return. To move backward in minutes, enter two periods after the numeral, then press Return. To move backward in hours, enter three periods after the numeral, then press Return. Move forward or backward a specific number of frames With the timing display pop-up menu set to Show Current Time, enter a plus sign (+) followed by the number of frames to move forward, then press Return. With the timing display pop-up menu set to Show Current Time, enter a minus sign (–) followed by the number of frames to move backward, then press Return. Change the duration of a project By default, a new Motion project has a duration of ten seconds. You can change this duration to match the needs of your project. The project duration is displayed at the bottom of the Motion window. You can also display the duration in the timing display in the toolbar. Display project duration in the timing display Do one of the following: In the timing display, click the downward arrow, then choose Show Project Duration from the pop-up menu. in the timing display, click the clock icon to switch between project duration display and current time display. Change the project duration Do one of the following: With the timing display set to Show Project Duration, doubleclick the number, type a duration value, then press Return. When the timing display is set to Show Timecode, you can type a precise timecode value in the HH:MM:SS:FF format (hours:minutes:seconds:frames). With the timing display set to Show Project Duration, drag left or right over the number to decrease or increase the duration. Choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J), then change the value of the Duration field in the Properties Inspector. Note: Click the downward arrow to the right of the numbers in the timing display and choose Show Frames or Show Timecode to switch between viewing the project duration in frames or timecode. Change the default project duration Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma), then enter a project length in the Project Duration field. Note: The duration of any open project is not changed. This setting only takes effect in projects created after the preferences are set and Motion is quit and reopened. Change the duration in seconds, minutes, or hours 1. Click the downward arrow in the timing display, and make sure that the pop-up menu is set to Show Timecode and Show Project Duration. 2. Double-click the timing display, then do any of the following: Set the duration to an exact timecode value: Enter a specific timecode value in the HH:MM:SS:FF format (hours:minutes:seconds:frames), including a colon between each double-digit number. Set the duration in total seconds: Enter the number of seconds followed by a period, then press Return. Set a duration in total minutes: Enter the number of minutes followed by two periods, then press Return. Set a duration in total hours: Enter the number of hours followed by three periods, then press Return. Define the play range Ordinarily, clicking the Play button plays your project from the first frame until the last. However, you can change the play range of your project by modifying the In and Out points in the Timeline ruler or by using Menu commands. You might do this to focus on a specific section as you fine-tune your project or make other changes to it. When you finish, reset the In and Out points to the beginning and end of your project. Customize the playback In point Do one of the following: In the ruler, drag the In point marker from the left edge of the ruler to the frame where you want to set the In point. As you drag, the playhead moves with your pointer. When you release the mouse button, the playhead snaps back to its previous position. In the ruler, move the playhead to the frame where you want to set the In point, then choose Mark > Mark Play Range In. In the ruler, move the playhead to the frame where you want to set the In point, then press Option-Command-I. Customize the playback Out point Do one of the following: In the ruler, drag the Out point marker from the right edge of the ruler to the frame where you want to set the Out point. In the ruler, move the playhead to the frame where you want to set the Out point, then choose Mark > Mark Play Range Out. In the ruler, move the playhead to the frame where you want to set the Out point, then press Option-Command-O. Reset playback In and Out points Do one of the following: Choose Mark > Reset Play Range. Press Option-X. The In and Out points reset themselves to the beginning and end of the project. Navigate to playback In and Out points Do any of the following: Navigate to an In point: Choose Mark > Go to > Play Range Start (or press Shift-Home). Navigate to an Out point: Choose Mark > Go to > Play Range End (or press Shift-End). About project playback performance When you play back a project, Motion attempts to display your sequence in real time. However, if your computer has an older graphics card, or if have more than one monitor connected to your graphics card, playback performance may be negatively affected. Your graphics card also determines the maximum file size you can import into Motion. For most recommended cards, the image size limit is 4K or 8K. For the best results, resize very large images to the largest size required in the project, but no larger. Computers with graphics cards containing minimum amounts of video RAM (VRAM) may experience poor performance (or other issues) when creating 4K projects. For more information, visit the Motion website at http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/motion. Note: Because of hardware limitations and differences, the appearance of projects shared between computers with different installed graphics cards may vary. Work in a basic project Basic compositing overview After you create a project and add content, you can begin to edit and arrange the image layers in your composition. This process is known as compositing, the art of combining at least two images to produce an integrated final result. Motion graphics artists use various compositing techniques to create animated visual effects —transforming the physical properties of image layers (such as scale), adjusting opacity, applying filters, creating text and shapes, and so on. Compositing also includes special effects techniques such as keying, masking, color correction, and the creation of animated particle systems. Most basic compositing tasks are performed in four areas of the Motion workspace: Layers list: Select image layers and effects objects in this hierarchical list. You can also rearrange the stacking order of image layers so that certain images appear above other images in the Canvas. See Layers list overview. Canvas: View and manipulate image layers in this visual workspace. Select onscreen editing tools in the toolbar below the Canvas to perform basic layout tasks in the Canvas— selecting, moving, rotating, scaling, distorting, and so on. The onscreen tools let you adjust all of these properties by dragging in the Canvas. See Transform layers in the Canvas overview. Tip: Although you can select layers in the Canvas, when multiple layers are stacked one atop another, it’s often easier to select specific layers in the Layers list. Properties Inspector: You can also adjust layer properties using numeric controls—sliders, dials, value fields, and so on. These controls in the Properties Inspector let you make the same adjustments afforded by the onscreen editing tools, but with more precision. Adjustments made in the Canvas are simultaneously updated in the Inspector, and vice versa. For example, if you change a layer’s scale by dragging its corner handles in the Canvas, the layer’s Scale parameter is updated in the Properties Inspector. See Transform layers in the Properties Inspector. HUD: Many of the numeric controls in the Properties Inspector are also available in the HUD (heads-up display), a floating window that you can show or hide. See Transform layers in the HUD. Select and organize layers Layers list overview When you add media content, the resulting element is represented in your Motion project as a layer. Think of layers as a series of visual overlays stacked on top of each other. These image layers combine to create the composition displayed in the Canvas. Motion provides a graphical representation of this layer hierarchy in the Layers list of the Project pane. In a 2D project, the stacking order of layers in the Layers list determines which layers appear in front of others in the Canvas. You can modify layers by applying effects objects to them. Effects objects also appear in the Layer’s list, under the group or layer to which they are applied. The Layers list contains the following objects: Layers: The basic image objects—movie clips, still images, shapes, text, particle systems, and so on—in your project that combine to create a composition. Effects objects: Nonimage objects that modify image layers or groups. Effects objects include filters, behaviors, lights, cameras, and rigs. Effects objects appear in the Layers list indented under the layer or group that they modify. Groups: Containers that enclose layers and effects objects. When you create a layer, it’s placed inside a group. All image layers and effects objects—except for cameras, lights, rigs, and the Project object—must reside in groups. Masks, behaviors, and effects can be applied to groups or to layers. A group can also contain other groups nested inside it. In this way, you can construct complex hierarchies of nested groups, with each nested group subordinate to the group that contains it. Project object: An icon at the top of the Layers list that, when selected, makes the Project Inspector available. The Project Inspector displays parameters that are set to be published in a template for use in Final Cut Pro X. For more information, see Publish parameter controls to Final Cut Pro and Add multiple display aspect ratios to a template. Additional icons and controls in each row of the Layers list provide information about the status of applied effects, allow you to lock layers, and let you turn applied effects on or off. For more information, see Layers list controls. Note: In Motion, any element that appears stacked in the Layers list is considered an object. That includes image layers, which are a special class of object defined as any image-based element—a movie clip, a still image, a shape, text, a particle system, a replicator, and so on—that is visible in the Canvas. For example, a rotating a triangle shape is a layer, but the behavior object that animates it is not; a sepia-tone video clip is a layer, but the Sepia filter that makes it so warmly old-timey is not. In Motion help, the term object is often used to describe the superset of all elements (layers, groups, and effects objects) that act upon and form a composition. Layer, however, always refers to the image-based elements acted upon. Select layers and groups To reorganize layers and groups in a project, you must select objects to move or modify. You can select layers and groups in the Layers list or Canvas. Note: You can also select, organize, and manipulate layers in the Timeline layers list. Changes made in the Timeline layers list are mirrored in the Layers list, and vice versa. See Timeline overview. Select layers or groups in the Layers list Do any of the following: Select a single layer or group: Click a layer or group in the Layers list or Canvas. All other selected objects are deselected. Note: Selecting a group does not select the layers nested underneath it. However, operations performed on a selected group also affect layers nested in the group. Select multiple contiguous layers or groups: Click the first layer or group, hold down the Shift key, then click the last layer or group in the contiguous list. Select multiple noncontiguous layers or groups: Hold down the Command key while clicking multiple layers in the Layers list. Select layers in the Canvas Do any of the following: Select a single layer: Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar (if it’s not already selected), then click an image in the Canvas. Select multiple layers: Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar (if it’s not already selected), then drag a selection rectangle around multiple images in the Canvas, or hold down the Shift key while clicking multiple images. Add or remove selections when there are multiple selected layers Do any of the following: Add to selected groups or layers: Command-click any unselected layer or group in the Layers list, or Shift-click any unselected layer in the Canvas. Deselect a layer from multiple selected layers: Command-click any selected layer in the Layers list, or Shift-click any selected layer in the Canvas. Select all layers and groups Do one of the following: Choose Edit > Select All (or press Command-A). Click the first group or layer in the Layers list then Shift-click the last group or layer in the list. Deselect all layers or groups Choose Edit > Deselect All (or press Shift-Command-A). SEE ALSO Transform layer properties in the Canvas Show and hide the Layers list The Layers list is located in the Project pane, to the right of the Canvas. You can show, hide, or resize the Project pane and Layers list to customize your workspace. Collapse or expand the Project pane Do one of the following: Choose Window > Show/Hide Project Pane (or press F5). Click the Show/Hide Project Pane button in the bottom of the Canvas. Display the Layers list Do one of the following: If the Project pane is visible, click Layers at the top of the pane. Choose Window > Layers (or press Command-4). Resize the Project pane Do any of the following: Resize horizontally: Drag the right edge of the pane left or right. Resize vertically: Drag the top edge of the Timing pane up or down. Note: You can also choose Window > Hide Timing Pane. The Timing pane is hidden and the Project pane is expanded vertically. Expose layers in the Canvas Motion’s expose commands provide a way of viewing multiple layers at once, exploding and rescaling them. The expose commands allow you to access all layers in a project in the Canvas without having to drill down into the Layers list. Expose commands also let you select inactive layers at the playhead’s current position or jump to a selected layer’s In point. Expose layers that are active at the playhead position 1. Click anywhere in the Canvas. 2. Press X. Layers active at the current position of the playhead temporarily scale down and spread out over the Canvas. Each active layer is represented by a white frame in the Canvas. Moving the pointer over a frame reveals the layer’s name. 3. Select the layer to work on. The elements move and rescale back to their original positions; the element is selected in the Canvas; and the playhead moves to the first frame of the selected layer. Expose all layers in your project 1. Click anywhere in the Canvas. 2. Press Shift-X. Layers in the project temporarily scale down and spread out over the Canvas. Each layer in the project is represented by a white frame in the Canvas. Moving the pointer over a frame shows the layer’s name. 3. Select the layer to work on. The layers move and rescale back to their original positions; the element is selected in the Canvas; and the playhead moves to the middle frame of the selected layer. Add and remove layers and groups You can add and remove layers or groups in the Layers list. You can also add or remove layers (but not groups) in the Canvas. Add a layer to your project Do one of the following: Drag an item from the File Browser or Library to a group in the Layers list. Drag an item from the File Browser or Library to the Canvas. For more information about adding content from the File Browser or Library, see Add and manage content overview. Create a group in the Layers list Do one of the following: Click the Add button (+) in the lower-left corner of the Project pane. Control-click an empty area of the Canvas (in the gray area outside the composition) and choose New Group from the shortcut menu. An empty group is added above the existing groups in the Layers list. Choose Object > New Group (or press Shift-Command-N). An empty group is added above the currently selected object. (If no object is selected, the empty group is added at the top of the Layers list). Note: You can also create groups when dragging files to the Layers list from the File Browser or Library. For more information, see Add and manage content overview. Duplicate a layer Do one of the following: Option-drag the layer to the position you want in the Layers list, or Option drag a layer in the Canvas. Note: You can also Option-drag layers between different open Motion projects (to the Canvas or Layers list). Control-click a layer in the Layers list or Canvas, then choose Duplicate from the shortcut menu. Clone a layer When you duplicate a layer, subsequent changes made to the original (source) layer are not inherited by the duplicated layers. However, when you use the Make Clone Layer command, changes made to filters and masks in the source layer propagate to the clones. Creating clone layers improves project playback and rendering performance. Important: Behaviors don’t propagate to clone layers unless the behavior affects a filter or mask in the source layer. Do one of the following: Select the layer to clone, then choose Object > Make Clone Layer (or press K). Control-click a layer in the Layers list, then choose Make Clone Layer from the shortcut menu. A clone layer is created and appears in the Canvas on top of the original layer. In the Layers list, the clone layer appears with the default name “Clone Layer.” A clone layer icon appears next to the name. Note: You can modify clone layers independently of their source layer. However, you cannot modify the Frame Blending parameter of a clone layer created from a retimed source layer. Remove a layer or group Do one of the following: Control-click a layer or group in the Layers list, then choose Cut or Delete from the shortcut menu. Select a layer or group in the Layers list, then choose Edit > Delete (or press Delete) or Edit > Cut. The layer or group is removed. This action removes the object from the Canvas as well. Note: If you delete a media file (an imported image, image sequence, audio file, or QuickTime movie) from the project, the file is also removed from the Media list unless the “Automatically manage unused media” checkbox is deselected in the General pane of Motion Preferences. When this setting is deselected, media files are deleted from the Layers list (and Canvas) but remain in the project in the Media list. Drag an item from the Media list into the Canvas to add it back to the Layers list. For more information, see Display, sort, and search the Media list. Reorganize layers and groups The order in which layers and groups appear in the Layers list determines which layers appear in front of other layers in the Canvas. You can change the ordering of layers in the Layers list or in the Canvas. However, it’s easiest to select layers and change their stacking order in the Layers list. Additionally, you can change layer order using commands in the Object menu. These commands can be used with layers, effects objects, groups, or groups nested in another group. Reordering a group reorders all objects nested in that group. Note: When using 3D groups, you can rearrange the depth order in 3D space to override the layer order in the Layers list. For more information about depth and layer hierarchy in 3D groups, see Create 3D intersection. Move a layer or group forward or backward in your composition Do one of the following: Drag a layer or group up or down in the Layers list. A position indicator shows the new position the selection occupies when you release the mouse button. Select a layer or group in the Layers list (or select a layer in the Canvas), click the Object menu, then choose Bring to Front, Send to Back, Bring Forward, or Send Backward. Note: You cannot use the Object menu reorder commands to move image layers out of the group they’re nested in. The selected layer or group is reordered in the Layers list and Canvas. Note: Using the Bring and Send commands in the Object menu to move layers up and down in the nested hierarchy in any group is especially useful when working with selected objects in the Canvas. For more information, see Object menu. Move multiple layers or groups forward or backward in the composition Do one of the following In the Layers list, Shift-click to select multiple contiguous layers or groups or Command-click to select multiple noncontiguous layers or groups, then drag the items up or down in the Layers list. A position indicator shows the new position the items occupy when you release the mouse button. In the Layers list, Shift-click to select multiple contiguous layers or groups or Command-click to select multiple noncontiguous layers or groups, click the Object menu, then choose Bring to Front, Send to Back, Bring Forward, or Send Backward. Note: When you apply the Bring Forward or Send Backward arrangement command to noncontiguous selected layers, the layers move up or down the object hierarchy together, and any space between the layers remains. Move a layer from one group to another When you have more than one group, you can move layers back and forth between groups, changing their nested relationship in your project. 1. Select one or more layers. 2. Do one of the following: Drag the selected layers to a position underneath another group. A position indicator appears, showing where the layer is placed when you release the mouse button. Choose Edit > Cut (or press Command-X), then select the group to paste into, and choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). Copy a layer from one group to another Do one of the following: Option-drag selected layers from one group to another. Select layers, choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C), then select the group to paste into, and choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). Select layers, choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C), select the group to paste into, then Control-click an empty area of the Canvas (in the gray area outside your composition) and choose Paste from the shortcut menu. Copy a layer or group from one project to another When you have more than one project open, you can copy layers or groups back and forth between projects. 1. Select one or more layers in the active project window. 2. Do one of the following: Drag the selected object to a position in the target project’s Layers list. A position indicator appears to show where the object is placed when you release the mouse button. Choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C), select a group in the target project, then choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). Option-drag a layer in the Canvas to the Canvas or Layers list of the target project. Rename a layer or group Renaming groups and layers in the Layers list helps organize your project. When you rename a layer, the original name of the source media file on disk remains unchanged. Likewise, renaming a layer in the Layers list does not change the name of the layer’s corresponding source media in the Media list. For more information, see Source media overview or Display, sort, and search the Media list. 1. In the Layers list, double-click the name of a group or layer, then enter a new name. 2. To confirm the name, press Return, or click in another layer or group. Show, hide, solo, or lock layers and groups In the Layers list, you can disable layers and groups to make them invisible in the Canvas without removing them from your composition. For example, if a large image layer obstructs other layers you want to adjust in the Canvas, you can temporarily disable the offending layer. Similarly, you can disable effects objects—filters, behaviors, masks, and so on—to temporarily remove their effect on layers and groups. If you disable a group, you also hide all layers and groups nested in it. Hidden layers and groups are not included when your project is exported. In the Layers list, you can also solo or lock groups or layers to prevent accidental modification. Enable or disable objects When you disable an image layer or group, it becomes invisible in the Canvas. When you disable an effects object (such as a behavior or filter), its effect is disabled. Do one of the following: Deselect the activation checkbox to the left of an object in the Layers list. Select an object, then choose Object > Active (or press Control-T). Control-click an object, then choose Active from the shortcut menu. When disabled, objects are dimmed in the Layers list. Disabled layers are hidden in the Canvas; disabled effects objects no longer modify the group or layer they’re applied to. Note: If you disable layers in a group, the enclosing group’s checkbox displays a dash instead of a checkmark, indicating that some layers are not visible. Solo a layer or group Solo a layer or group You can “solo” a layer or group to hide all other layers and groups in the project. This technique can be useful to isolate a single layer or group in the Canvas to animate or manipulate it without interfering with other objects in your composition. 1. In the Layers list, select layers or groups to solo. 2. Choose Object > Solo (or press Control-S). Note: You can also Control-click an object in the Layers list, then choose Solo from the shortcut menu. All other layers or groups are deactivated, and only the soloed object is visible in the Canvas. When the selected item is soloed, the solo menu item displays a checkmark. Lock an object Locked objects cannot be modified or moved, and their parameters cannot be altered or animated. However, animation and behaviors previously applied to a layer or group still play. Locking a group also locks all layers and groups nested in it. Note: You cannot lock objects that contain published parameters (for use in Final Cut Pro X). Such objects display a dimmed lock control. For more information about publishing parameters, see Add parameter controls overview. Do one of the following: Click the lock icon to the right of the object in the Layers list. In the Layers list, select a layer, group, or effects object, then choose Object > Lock (or press Control-L). In the Canvas, the bounding box of a disabled layer (or a disabled group of layers) turns white to indicate the item is locked. Nest layers and groups Nest layers and groups overview Groups and layers in the Layers list appear in a hierarchy that shows which layers are nested inside which groups. Nested layers and groups appear underneath and indented to the right of their parent group. It’s a good idea to group layers that work together as a unit. By nesting related layers you want to animate inside a group, you can save time by animating the enclosing group, instead of animating each layer. For example, when you select a group that has three layers nested in it, the entire group is selected as a single unit. Transforming the selected group in the Canvas moves all three layers simultaneously. Regardless of how they’re nested, layers can always be modified independently. Subordinate groups can also be modified independently. In the following example, a filter is applied to a layer in a group containing three fish layers. All other layers in the group remain unaffected. However, If you apply the same filter to the group, all layers in that group are affected by the filter, as if they were a single layer. Many filters produce different results when applied to a group, rather than individual layers in a group, as shown in the images below. You can also nest groups inside other groups. You might do this if you’re creating a layer hierarchy to control the relationship of one group of layers to another, or if you’re grouping layers to which you want to apply a single set of behaviors and filters. Note: You cannot group groups that appear at different hierarchical levels in the Layers list. Collapse and expand group hierarchies To make the Layers list easier to manage, you can collapse layers nested in a group. Collapsed groups appear as a single row in the Layers list, and can be moved or nested like any other layer. Each group’s thumbnail displays a preview of its composite, making it easy to see what’s nested inside when the group is collapsed. Open or collapse a single group Do one of the following: In the Layers list, click the disclosure triangle to the left of a group’s name and icon. Press the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to navigate up and down the Layers list, then press Option–Right Arrow to open a group or Option–Left Arrow to collapse a group. Group, ungroup, and nest layers Nesting layers and groups in the Layers list helps you apply animation and other effects to specific elements of your composition. For more information, see Nest layers and groups overview. Nest selected layers into a new group 1. Select all layers or groups you want to group together. 2. Choose Object > Group (or press Shift-Command-G). The selected layers or groups are nested in a new group. Ungroup nested layers You can also delete a containing group and move and “unnest” its contents. 1. In the Layers list, select a group containing the nested layers or groups. 2. Choose Object > Ungroup (or press Option-Command-G). The layers or groups are moved up in the Layers list hierarchy. Note: You cannot ungroup groups that are at the root (project level) of the Layers list hierarchy. Move a group inside another group 1. In the Layers list, select one or more groups. 2. Do one of the following: Drag the groups onto another group. Drag the groups to a position at the bottom of another group. Choose Edit > Cut (or press Command-X) to cut the groups, then select another group and choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). Constrain group size By default, the size of a group is determined by the layers in that group. Because animated objects often grow in size, the active height and width of a group (its resolution) can become large. You can constrain the resolution of a group to a specific width and height. The project in the following image contains a particle system. The animated particles, although not visible when they move off the Canvas, make the group containing them large. If a project contains growing objects that move or expand beyond the edges of the Canvas, use the Fixed Resolution checkbox to decrease your computer processing time. Note: The Group pane of the Inspector (which contains the Fixed Resolution parameter) is only accessible when a group is selected in the project. Fix the resolution of a group 1. In the Layers list, select a group. 2. In the Group Inspector, select the Fixed Resolution checkbox. By default, the group’s resolution is set to the project size; objects in the group but outside the Canvas are cropped. An “R” indicator appears to the right of the Fixed Resolution checkbox, informing you that the group is rasterized. For more information on rasterization, see Groups and rasterization. 3. To set a resolution other than that of the project, adjust the Fixed Width and Fixed Height sliders. If the group’s anchor point is offset, the cropping might not occur around the edges of the Canvas, and objects may be cut off. Note: When you select a layer in a fixed-resolution group, the bounding box around the layer appears at its original size, unaffected by the containing group’s resolution. Layers list controls In each row of the Layers list, icons offer additional information about groups, layers, and effects objects. Clicking these icons modifies or turns effects, visibility, and locking on or off. The Layers list contains the following controls: Activation checkbox: Turns the visibility of the group, layer, or effects object on or off. When an object’s visibility is off, you can still modify the object’s parameters and manipulate its onscreen controls (in the Canvas). Preview: Displays a thumbnail of a layer or group. The group thumbnail represents the cumulative result of the composite up to that point in the project. (You can turn the display of the preview on or off in the Layers Columns section of the View menu.) Name field: Identifies the object by name. To edit the name, double-click the text area of a selected object, enter a new name, then press Return. In projects containing a camera, the Isolate button appears in the Name column. Isolate button: Appears for a selected layer, group, or camera object in a project that contains a camera. (For information about cameras, see Add a camera.) The Isolate button has an active and inactive state. Clicking the Isolate button for a layer or group sets that object to its original face-forward orientation (so you can apply a mask, for example). Clicking the button again returns to the previous view. Clicking the Isolate button for a camera takes you to that camera’s view. Note: When a group or layer is isolated, the name of the item replaces the current camera listing in the Camera menu (in the upper-left corner of the Canvas). Link icon: Appears when the layer has a corresponding audio element, such as a multichannel QuickTime file. To unlink the video and audio (to edit them separately), click the link icon. When they are unlinked, a red slash appears through the icon. 2D/3D icon: Switches a group between 2D or 3D mode. The same icon appears at the left of the group name and indicates the 2D/3D status of the group. Layers cannot be 2D or 3D— they are always 2D elements in a 2D or 3D group. Lock icon: Locks an object to prevent changes from affecting that object. Locking a group prevents changes to layers and effects in that group. When the lock is disabled, its icon appears open. Mask, behavior, and filter icons: Appear when a mask, behavior, or filter is applied to the layer or group. To turn off the effect of the mask, behavior, or filter, click the icon so that it’s marked with a red slash. Opacity slider: Displays the opacity (transparency) of the group or layer. You can adjust the slider to change the item’s opacity. This slider is not displayed by default. To display the Opacity slider in the Layers list, choose View > Layers Columns > Opacity. Blend Mode pop-up menu: Displays the blend mode of the layer or group. Click the pop-up menu to choose a blend mode. This pop-up menu is not displayed by default. To display the Blend Mode pop-up menu in the Layers list, choose View > Layers Columns > Blend Modes. For more information on blend modes, see How do blend modes work?. Layers list shortcut menu The Layers list shortcut menu gives you access to additional commands to help organize and manipulate layers. Control-click a layer in the Layers list, then choose a command from the shortcut menu. The command is applied to the layer you Control-clicked. The menu contains the following commands: Cut: Removes the layer and places it on the Clipboard. Copy: Copies the layer to the Clipboard. Paste: Places the contents of the Clipboard in the selected location. Duplicate: Creates a layer identical to the selection. Delete: Removes the selected layer. Group: Places the selected layer or layers into a new group. (For more information, see Nest layers and groups overview.) Ungroup: Deletes a containing group, and moves its contents up one level in the Layers list hierarchy. Active: Enables or disables a layer, group, or effects object— the equivalent to clicking an object’s activation checkbox. Solo: Hides other layers and groups in the project (so that they are not visible in the Canvas). When a layer or group is soloed, activation checkboxes for other layers and groups are dimmed. You can solo multiple layers and groups at a time. Isolate: Hides all other groups and layers, and restores the selected layer or group to a face-forward orientation for easier adjustment (such as the application of a mask, for example). This command becomes available only after you add a camera to your project. Choosing Isolate for a camera object activates that camera’s view. 3D Group: Switches the group from 2D mode to 3D mode. For more information about 3D groups, see Create 3D intersection. Blend Mode: Sets the blend mode for the selected layer. This is equivalent to setting a value using the Blend Mode pop-up menu (when activated in View > Layers Columns). Add Image Mask: Adds an image mask to the selected layer. An image mask creates transparency by deriving an alpha channel from another layer, such as a shape, text, movie, or still image. For more information, see Image masks overview. Make Clone Layer: Clones the selected layer. Like the Duplicate command, Make Clone Layer lets you make copies of a selected layer. However, copies created by the Make Clone Layer command are automatically modified to match changes made to the original layer. For more information, see Add and remove layers and groups. Reveal Source Media: Opens the Media list and highlights the media file associated with the selected clip. When no items are selected in the Layers list, the shortcut menu provides this set of commands: New Group: Adds a group to the project above existing groups in the Layers list. Import: Opens the Import Files dialog, used to import files from the Finder. Paste: Pastes any item copied to the Clipboard into the topmost group in the Layers list. Project Properties: Opens the Properties Inspector for the project, where you can modify the project’s background color, aspect ratio, field rendering, motion blur, reflections, and so on. For more information, see Project properties overview. Customize the Layers list You can modify the display of the Layers list to suit your needs. Adjust row height Do one of the following: Position the pointer over a horizontal line and drag up or down to decrease or increase the height of all rows. Icons and thumbnails resize themselves as you make the adjustment. Click the Scale button at the bottom of the Layers list, then drag the slider left to decrease row height or right to increase row height. Filter the Layers list Click the Search button, then enter the name of the objects to view in the Search field. When you begin typing in the Search field, the Layers list hides objects that do not contain the text you type. Hidden objects continue to appear in the Canvas. Stop filtering and return to the complete Layers list Click the Clear button at the right of the Search field. The Search field is cleared, and the Layers list returns to the unfiltered view. Show or hide mask, behavior, or filter objects You can hide effects objects in the Layers list to simplify your view of layers and groups in your project. Click the Show/Hide Masks, Show/Hide Behaviors, or Show/Hide Filters button in the lower-left corner of the Layers list. When a button is dimmed, the effects object is hidden from view in the Layers list. However, the effect remains active in the Canvas. Transform layers Transform layers overview The Motion interface provides three areas where you can transform the basic spatial properties of layers and groups— resizing, repositioning, rotating, cropping, and distorting them: In the Canvas, where you can drag onscreen transform handles In the Properties Inspector, where you can adjust numeric controls (sliders, dials, value fields, and so on) In the HUD, where you can adjust a subset of the controls found in the Properties Inspector When you transform a layer in any of these areas, the layer’s parameters are also updated in the other two sections of the Motion workspace. Transform layers in the Canvas Transform layers in the Canvas overview You can transform image layers in the Canvas using onscreen controls (transform handles) to drag, resize, rotate, and more. Although you can perform the same modifications with more precision by adjusting parameter controls in the Properties Inspector, onscreen controls give you a more hands-on method of working. Before transforming layers, you must make a selection in the Layers list or Canvas. After you select a layer, a bounding box with transform handles appears in the Canvas. You can move selected layers anywhere in the frame shown in the Canvas, and you can also drag layers past the edge of the frame. By default, when you move a layer past the edge of the frame, it becomes invisible; however, you can still manipulate the layer using its bounding box. You can perform different adjustments in the Canvas by choosing different 2D transform tools in the toolbar. The default tool— Select/Transform—lets you reposition, resize, and rotate a selected layer or group. Other 2D transform tools let you distort or crop objects, create drop shadows, and more. SEE ALSO Transform layer properties in the Canvas 2D transform tools Align layers in the Canvas Transform layer properties in the Canvas After you select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas, you can choose a 2D transform tool (from the pop-up menu in the toolbar) to activate transform handles in the Canvas. Drag the handles to transform basic image properties such as position, rotation, scale, and so on. For a list of transform tools and their functions, see 2D transform tools. Activate the Select/Transform tool The Select/Transform tool (the arrow) is the default 2D transform tool. Use it to resize, reposition, or rotate layers in the Canvas. Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar, or press the S key. Note: If a different 2D transform tool is showing in the toolbar, click and hold down the tool to open a pop-up menu, then choose the Select/Transform tool (the arrow). The Select/Transform tool is selected in the toolbar, and transform handles appear in the Canvas for each selected layer or group. Choose a different 2D transform tool When you choose a 2D transform tool from the pop-up menu in the toolbar, transform handles appear in the Canvas for each selected layer or group. Do any of the following: In the toolbar: Click and hold down the Select/Transform tool, then choose a different tool from the pop-up menu. For a list of transform tools and their functions, see 2D transform tools. In the Canvas: Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar, then Control-click any layer in the Canvas and choose a tool from the shortcut menu. The options in the shortcut menu vary depending on the type of layer selected. For example, a shape layer contains shapespecific options such as Stroke, Edit Gradient, and Edit Points. With the Tab key: In the Layers list or Canvas, select a layer, then press Tab. Pressing Tab repeatedly cycles through the 2D transform tools in order. Pressing Shift-Tab cycles through the tools in reverse. Note: When pressing Tab, the 3D Transform tool is activated between the 2D Select/Transform tool and the Anchor Point tool. For more information about 3D transforms, see Transform layers in 3D space. Transform layers 1. Select one or more layers in the Layers list or Canvas. 2. Choose a 2D transform tool from the pop-up menu in the toolbar, as described in the previous task. 3. Drag a transform handle in the Canvas. If you selected a single layer, only that layer is modified: If you selected multiple layers, each is transformed. Each transform occurs around each layer’s own anchor point, so the effect is the same as if you applied the transform to each layer’s handle, one at a time: Transform a group If you select and then transform an entire group, all layers and groups nested in it are treated as a single layer. 1. Select a group in the Layers list. In the Canvas, a single set of transform handles appears on a bounding box that encompasses all layers in the group. 2. Choose a 2D transform tool from the pop-up menu in the toolbar, as described above. 3. Drag a transform handle in the Canvas. All layer transforms occur around a single anchor point belonging to the group: If you select a layer and its parent group (but not the other layers in the group), the following occurs: The scale handles of the parent group remain available, and the scale handles of the individual layers within the group are dimmed. Dragging the group’s scale handles scales the group, not its nested objects. The rotation handles of the individual layers remain available. Dragging an object’s rotation handle rotates that object independently of the other objects in the group. SEE ALSO Select layers and groups 2D transform tools 2D transform tools Use the 2D transform tools to adjust and manipulate objects in the Canvas. To select a tool, click the 2D transform tools control in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose a different tool from the pop-up menu. When you choose a 2D transform tool and then select a layer or group, handles appear in the Canvas. Drag the handles to move or transform an object in the Canvas. Tip: Press S to select the Select/Transform tool. To quickly cycle through tools, press Tab. Press Shift-Tab to cycle through the tools in reverse. Some of the tools are activated automatically when specific layers are selected. For example, the Edit Points tool is selected after you create a complex shape or mask layer, so you can immediately adjust the Bezier or B-Spline control points. Icon Tool Description Select/Transfor m tool (arrow) Activates selection and transform controls in the Canvas for the selected object. Scale objects by dragging a corner point; rotate objects by dragging the center point. This is the default tool in the 2D transform tools pop-up menu. See Change a layer’s position, scale, or rotation. Anchor Point tool Activates an anchor point control (the point around which an object scales or rotates) in the Canvas for the selected object. Modify the anchor point by dragging it to a new position. See Move a layer’s anchor point. Drop Shadow tool Activates a drop shadow control in the Canvas for the selected object. Drag a corner handle to change the direction and offset of an object’s drop shadow. (This control doesn’t move the object.) See Add a drop shadow to a layer. Distort tool Activates shear and distortion handles in the Canvas for the selected object. Drag a midpoint handle to shear two adjacent corners at the same time, leaving the other two corners locked into place; drag a corner handle to distort a corner, leaving the other three corners locked into place. See Distort or shear a layer. Crop tool Activates crop handles in the Canvas for the selected object. Drag the edge or corner of the object to crop (hide) a portion of the object. See Crop a layer. Edit Points tool Activates points and Bezier handles in the Canvas for complex masks, shapes, and motion paths. See Modify the control points of a shape or mask. Edit Shape tool Activates points and curvature handles in the Canvas for simple shapes. See Draw simple shapes. Transform Glyph tool Activates handles in the Canvas for selected text characters (glyphs). See Transform text glyphs and other object attributes. Adjust Item tool Activates handles in the Canvas that modify specific parameters such as the amount or angle of a Directional Blur, the shape of a particle emitter, or the start and end points of a gradient. See Transform text glyphs and other object attributes. Change a layer’s position, scale, or rotation The Select/Transform tool is the default tool in Motion. Clicking the Select/Transform tool activates Canvas controls to adjust a layer’s position, scale, and rotation. Change a layer’s position in the Canvas 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar (if it’s not already selected). By default, the Select/Transform tool is the active tool. If you have another tool selected, such as a Mask or Shape tool, pressing the S key returns you to the 2D transform tools. 3. Drag anywhere inside the selected layer’s bounding box in the Canvas. The image is moved to a new position in the Canvas, and the values are updated in the Position parameter of the Properties Inspector. Resize a layer in the Canvas 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar (if it’s not already selected). By default, the Select/Transform tool is the active tool. If you have another tool selected, such as a Mask or Shape tool, pressing the S key returns you to the 2D transform tools. 3. Do any of the following: Resize width and height at the same time: Drag a corner handle in the Canvas. The width and height are resized independently, which may change the aspect ratio (ratio of width to height) of the image. Resize width and height proportionally: Hold down the Shift key while dragging a corner handle in the Canvas. The aspect ratio (ratio of width to height) of the image remains the same. Resize either width or height: Drag the top or bottom Resize either width or height: Drag the top or bottom handle to modify height; drag the left or right handle to modify width. The width or height is resized independently of the other. Resize around the anchor point: Hold down the Option key while dragging any scale handle in the Canvas. The layer rescales, but the anchor point of the layer remains pinned to its position in the Canvas. As you drag the scale handles, the new width and height percentages appear in the status bar above the Canvas and are updated in the Scale parameter of the Properties Inspector. Note: Scaling the width or height of a layer by a negative value reverses the image, flipping its direction. Rotate a layer in the Canvas The Select/Transform tool also activates a handle used to rotate the image around its anchor point. For animation purposes, Motion keeps track of the number of times you’ve rotated the layer and stores this value in that layer’s Rotation parameter in the Properties Inspector. 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar (if it’s not already selected). By default, the Select/Transform tool is the active tool. If you have another tool selected, such as a Mask or Shape tool, pressing the S key returns you to the 2D transform tools. 3. Do one of the following: Drag the rotation handle to rotate the layer. Press Shift while you drag the rotation handle to constrain the angle of the selected layer to 45-degree increments. As you drag the rotation handle, the original angle of the layer is indicated by a small circle that appears on a larger circle surrounding the layer’s anchor point. Additionally, the status bar shows you the new angle of rotation, and the value of the Rotation parameter is updated in the Properties Inspector. Move a layer’s anchor point Selecting the Anchor Point tool activates Canvas controls to adjust the point in a layer around which geometric transforms are performed. Layers rotate around the anchor point, but the anchor point also affects resizing operations. For example, the default anchor point for any layer is the center of the bounding box that defines the layer’s edges. If you rotate a layer, it spins around this central anchor point. If you offset the anchor point, however, the layer no longer rotates around its own center, but instead rotates around the new anchor point. Change the anchor point of a layer in the Canvas 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Anchor Point tool. In the Canvas, the selected layer’s anchor point appears as a round target surrounded with three colored arrows representing the X, Y, and Z coordinate axes. For more information on coordinate axes, see Transform layers in 3D space. 3. Do one of the following: Drag the white circle to move the anchor point vertically or horizontally. Drag an arrow to move the anchor point along the corresponding axis. As you drag the anchor point, a line stretches from the default position of the anchor point to its new position. Additionally, the status bar shows you the anchor point’s new coordinates and the delta (amount of change) between the anchor point’s new and old positions, and the Anchor Point parameter is updated in the Properties Inspector. Note: If the anchor point is close to the center or edges of the layer, and both Snapping and Dynamic Guides are turned on, the anchor point snaps to that location. Add a drop shadow to a layer Selecting the Drop Shadow tool enables Canvas controls to create a drop shadow and modify its blur, angle, and distance from a layer. A drop shadow, by default, is a dark, translucent, offset shape that falls behind a layer, as if a light were shining on the layer. Drop shadows are the same size as the layer to which they’re applied, although blurring a drop shadow might enlarge it somewhat. Drop shadows create the illusion of depth, so the foreground layer seems to pop out at the viewer. For this reason, drop shadows are frequently used to create the impression of space between two overlapping layers. Add a drop shadow to a layer in the Canvas 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Drop Shadow tool. In the Canvas, a drop shadow bounding box appears around the selected layer. By default, the drop shadow is hidden behind the layer. 3. Drag inside the bounding box to set the distance and angle of the shadow. A shadow appears behind the layer, and the Drop Shadow parameters are updated in the Properties Inspector. Alternatively, you can add a drop shadow by selecting a layer, then selecting the Drop Shadow activation checkbox in the Properties Inspector. For more information, see Properties Inspector controls. Adjust the blur of a drop shadow in the Canvas 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Drop Shadow tool. In the Canvas, a drop shadow bounding box appears around the selected layer. 3. Drag a corner handle on the bounding box to adjust the blur of the drop shadow. The Drop Shadow parameters are updated in the Properties Inspector. Distort or shear a layer Selecting the Distort tool activates Canvas controls to reposition a layer’s corner points independently, and to shear (slant) its midsection points horizontally or vertically. Distort a layer in the Canvas 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Distort tool. In the Canvas, a bounding box with eight handles appears around the selected layer. 3. In the Canvas, drag any of the four corner handles to stretch the layer into an irregular shape. The Four Corner parameters are updated in the Properties Inspector. After you distort a layer, you can revert to the layer’s original shape by deselecting the layer’s Four Corner checkbox in the Properties Inspector. Doing so resets the shape of the layer without resetting the shape you defined by dragging in the Canvas. Shear a layer in the Canvas 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Distort tool. In the Canvas, a bounding box with eight handles appears around the selected layer. 3. Drag any of the side handles or top and bottom handles to shear (slant) the layer. The top and bottom handles shear the layer horizontally. The left and right handles shear the layer vertically. The Four Corner parameters are updated in the Properties Inspector. Note: Shearing a layer using the Distort tool does not affect the Shear parameter in the Transform area of the Properties Inspector. Instead, the Distort tool modifies the Four Corner parameters to simulate a Shear effect. You can still modify the Shear parameter, effectively shearing the shear simulation for interesting results. Crop a layer Selecting the Crop tool activates Canvas controls to resize the borders of a layer. Cropping lets you chop off any of the four edges of a layer to eliminate parts you don’t want to see in your composition. Common examples of layers you’d want to crop are video clips with a black line or unwanted vignetting around the edges. The crop operation can remove these undesirable artifacts. A layer might also be cropped to isolate a single element of the image. When you crop an imported image using the Crop tool (which yields the same result as using the Crop controls in the layer’s Properties Inspector), only the instance of that file is cropped. The source image in the Media list is not cropped. To crop the source image, you must select the layer in the Media list, then use the Crop tools in the Media Inspector. For more information, see Source media controls in the Media Inspector. Note: If you must isolate a more irregularly shaped layer, or you want to create a border of a specific shape, see Shapes, masks, and paint strokes overview. Crop a layer in the Canvas 1. Select a layer in the Layers list or Canvas. A bounding box appears around the selected layer in the Canvas. 2. Click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Crop tool. In the Canvas, a bounding box with eight crop handles appears around the selected layer. 3. Do any of the following: Crop one edge: Drag the top, left, right, or bottom handle. Crop two adjacent edges: Drag a corner handle. Maintain the same aspect ratio while cropping: Hold down the Shift key and drag a handle. The ratio between the layer’s width and height is preserved. Note: If a layer is modified with the Distort tool, the Crop tool and its onscreen controls become disabled. However, you can still crop a distorted layer by adjusting its Crop parameter settings in the Properties Inspector. The Crop parameters are updated in the Properties Inspector. Move the crop area while keeping the underlying image in place Drag inside the crop area. The crop area moves, allowing you to adjust the crop to a new location without changing its size or shape. Move the image while keeping the crop area in place Hold down the Command key while dragging inside the crop area. The crop area remains static, but the image underneath it moves, allowing you to change the visible area of the layer. Modify the control points of a shape or mask Selecting the Edit Shape tool activates Canvas controls for adjusting simple shapes and masks. Selecting the Edit Points tool activates control points in the Canvas for adjusting complex shapes and masks. Modify a simple shape in the Canvas 1. After you create the simple shape or mask, click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Edit Rectangle or Edit Ellipse tool. The shape or mask layer’s onscreen control points become active. 2. In the Canvas, drag the control points to modify the shape of the layer. For information on creating and adjusting simple masks and shapes, see Draw simple shapes and Draw simple masks. Modify a complex shape’s control points in the Canvas 1. After you create the complex shape or mask, click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Edit Points tool. Note: You can also double-click the shape or Control-click the layer, then choose Edit Points from the shortcut menu. The layer’s control points become active. 2. In the Canvas, drag the control points (or the tangent handles attached to each control point) to modify the shape. For information on creating complex shapes, see Complex shapes and masks overview. For information on adjusting complex shapes, see Edit control points overview. Transform text glyphs and other object attributes Selecting the Transform Glyph tool activates Canvas controls (available only when a text layer is selected) to modify the position and X, Y, or Z rotation for individual characters (glyphs) in a text layer. For information on using the Transform Glyph tool, see Text glyphs overview. Selecting the Adjust Item tool enables Canvas controls that allow you to manipulate filters, replicators, generators, and other objects. For example, you can use the Adjust Item tool to adjust the center point of a blur filter, the shape of a particle emitter, or the settings of a gradient. For examples, see Use onscreen gradient controls or Adjust a replicator using onscreen controls. Align layers in the Canvas The Alignment submenu in the Object menu contains commands that let you reposition any number of simultaneously selected layers to align with one another in various ways. These commands make it easy to organize a jumble of layers into an even layout. In each operation, the left, right, top, and bottom of the selected layers are defined by the bounding box that surrounds each layer. The position of the anchor point is ignored. Align layers in the Canvas with the Object menu Select the layers or groups you want to align, choose Object > Alignment, then choose any of the following: Align Left Edges: Layers are moved horizontally so their left edges line up with the leftmost layer in the selection. Align Right Edges: Layers are moved horizontally so their Align Right Edges: Layers are moved horizontally so their right edges line up with the rightmost layer in the selection. Align Top Edges: Layers are moved vertically so their tops line up with the topmost layer in the selection. Align Bottom Edges: Layers are moved vertically so their bottoms line up with the bottommost layer in the selection. Align Far Edges: Layers are moved in Z space so their far edges line up with the farthest layer in the selection. Align Near Edges: Layers are moved in Z space so their near edges line up with the closest layer in the selection. Align Horizontal Centers: Layers are moved horizontally so their centers line up along the center point between the leftmost and rightmost layers in the selection. Align Vertical Centers: Layers are moved vertically so their centers line up along the center point between the topmost and bottommost layers in the selection. Align Depth Centers: Layers are moved in Z space so their centers line up along the center point between the farthest and nearest layers in the selection. Distribute Lefts: Layers are moved horizontally so the left sides of all layers are evenly distributed, from right to left, between the leftmost and rightmost layers in the selection. Distribute Rights: Layers are moved horizontally so the right sides of all layers are evenly distributed, from right to left, between the leftmost and rightmost layers in the selection. Distribute Tops: Layers are moved vertically so the tops of all layers are evenly distributed, from top to bottom, between the topmost and bottommost layers in the selection. Distribute Bottoms: Layers are moved vertically so the bottoms of all layers are evenly distributed, from top to bottom, between the topmost and bottommost layers in the selection. Distribute Far: Layers are moved in Z space so the far edges of all layers are evenly distributed along the Z axis, from closest to farthest, between the closest and farthest layers in the selection. Distribute Near: Layers are moved in Z space so the near edges of all layers are evenly distributed along the Z axis, from closest to farthest, between the closest and farthest layers in the selection. Distribute Horizontal Centers: Layers are moved horizontally so the centers of all layers are evenly distributed, from left to right, between the leftmost and rightmost layers in the selection. Distribute Vertical Centers: Layers are moved vertically so the centers of all layers are evenly distributed, from top to bottom, between the topmost and bottommost layers in the selection. Distribute Depth Centers: Layers are moved in Z space so the centers of all layers are evenly distributed, from closest to farthest, between the closest and farthest layers in the selection. Each of the above commands affects the Position parameter of each layer. Transform layers in the Inspector Transform layers in the Properties Inspector You can adjust layer properties using numeric controls in the Properties Inspector. These controls let you make the same adjustments afforded by the 2D transform tools, but with more precision. Adjustments made in the Canvas are simultaneously updated in the Inspector, and vice versa. The available controls vary depending on the type of layer you select in the Layers list or Canvas. When the Project object (located at the top of the Layers list) is selected, controls become available in the Properties Inspector that allow you to modify the project’s background color, aspect ratio, field rendering, motion blur, reflections, and other global settings. For more information on project properties, see Project properties overview. Open the Properties Inspector Do one of the following: Click Inspector in the top-left corner of the Motion workspace, then click Properties. Choose Window > Inspector (or press F1), then click Properties. The Inspector opens. The preview area contains a visual preview of the object and can show the multiple frames of moving footage. The Inspector preview area is similar to the File Browser and Library preview areas, but it has no Apply or Import button. Collapse or expand the pane containing the Properties Inspector Do one of the following: Choose Window > Inspector (or press F1). Click the “i” button in the lower-left corner of the Motion workspace. Show or hide a group of controls in the Properties Inspector Do one of the following: Position the pointer over a row that contains a section name (Transform or Blending, for example), then click Show or Hide. Double-click the empty space in a row that contains a section name. Modify layer values in the Properties Inspector Do any of the following: 1. In the Layers list or Canvas, select a layer. 2. In the Properties Inspector, drag a slider or dial, choose an item from a pop-up menu, select a checkbox, or enter a new number in a value field. Reset a layer value to its default state In the Properties Inspector, do one of the following: Click the Reset button beside a parameter category. Click the Animation menu in a parameter row (the downward arrow that appears when you move the pointer over the right side of the row), then choose Reset Parameter. For more information on how to use the parameter controls, see User color and gradient controls overview. For a description of the controls in the Properties Inspector, see Properties Inspector controls. Properties Inspector controls The Properties Inspector displays the following adjustable parameters for most layers and groups: Transform parameters Position: Value sliders that define the X (horizontal), Y (vertical), and Z (depth) positions of each layer. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Position parameter to reveal dials that adjust position around all three axes (X, Y, and Z). The coordinate system used by Motion specifies the center of the Canvas as 0, 0, 0 regardless of the frame size of the project. Moving a layer to the left subtracts from the X value, while moving it to the right adds to the X value. Moving a layer up adds to the Y value, and moving a layer down subtracts from the Y value. Moving a layer closer adds to the Z value, while moving a layer farther away subtracts from the Z value. Each layer’s position is centered on its anchor point. Offsetting the anchor point also offsets the position of the layer relative to the X, Y, and Z position values you’ve set. Rotation: A dial that controls a one-dimensional value representing the number of degrees of rotation around the Z axis. A positive value rotates the layer counterclockwise. A negative value rotates the layer clockwise. Rotating a layer beyond 360 degrees results in multiple rotations when the Rotation parameter is animated. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Rotation parameter to reveal dials that adjust rotation around all three axes (X, Y, and Z), as well as the Animate pop-up menu. Animate: A pop-up menu that sets the interpolation for animated 3D rotation channels to one of two options: Use Rotation: The default interpolation method. Layer rotates from its start angle to its final angle. Depending on the animation, the layer might twist before reaching its final orientation (the last keyframed value). For example, if the X, Y, and Z Angle parameters are animated from 0 degrees to 180 degrees in a project, the layer rotates on all axes before reaching its final orientation. Use Orientation: This alternate interpolation method Use Orientation: This alternate interpolation method provides smoother interpolation but does not allow multiple revolutions. Use Orientation interpolates between the layer’s start orientation (first keyframe) to its end orientation (second keyframe). Note: The Rotation parameter must be keyframed for its Animate parameter options to have any effect. For information about keyframing, see Keyframing overview. For information about 3D rotation, see Transform layers in 3D space. Scale: A slider that controls the layer’s scale, relative to its original size. By default, the horizontal and vertical scale of a layer is locked to the layer’s original aspect ratio—represented by a single percentage. Click the disclosure triangle to display independent percentages for the X, Y, and Z scales of the layer. Note: Setting a layer’s scale to a negative value flips the layer. Shear: Value sliders that define the X and Y shear of the layer. A layer with no shear has X and Y shear values of 0. Positive values shear in one direction, while negative values shear in the other. Anchor Point: Value sliders that define the X and Y position of the anchor point relative to the center of the layer. Coordinates of 0, 0 center the anchor point in the bounding box defining the outer edge of the layer. Click the disclosure triangle to expose an additional value slider defining the Z position. Blending parameters Opacity: A slider that sets the transparency of the layer. For more information, see Modify layer opacity. Blend Mode: A pop-up menu that sets the Blend Mode of the layer. For more information, see Layer blending overview. Preserve Opacity: A checkbox that, when selected, renders the layer visible only where another layer is visible behind it in the composite. The front layer uses the opacity value of the layer behind it. For more information, see Modify layer opacity. Casts Reflections: A pop-up menu that determines whether a layer casts a reflection. Choose from three options: Yes: The layer is seen reflected in nearby reflective layers. No: The layer is ignored by reflective surfaces. Reflection Only: The layer becomes invisible, but appears in reflective surfaces around it. Note: Reflections are only visible when layers are in a 3D group. For more information on 3D groups, see About 2D and 3D group properties. Drop Shadow parameters An activation checkbox to turn the drop shadow of a layer on and off. When selected, additional controls become available: Color: Color controls that set the drop shadow’s color. The default color is black. Opacity: A slider that sets the drop shadow’s transparency. Blur: A slider that specifies the drop shadow’s softness. Blur: A slider that specifies the drop shadow’s softness. Distance: A slider that sets how close or far a layer’s drop shadow is to the layer. The farther away a drop shadow is, the more distance there appears to be between the layer and anything behind it in the composition. Angle: A dial that lets you change the direction of the drop shadow. Changing the Angle of the drop shadow changes the apparent direction of the light casting the shadow. Fixed Source: A checkbox that, when selected, renders the drop shadow as if cast by a fixed light source, regardless of camera or text movement. Four Corner parameters An activation checkbox to turn distorting on and off. If a layer is distorted and this checkbox is deselected, the layer resumes its original shape, although the distorted coordinates are maintained. Reselecting the checkbox reenables the distort effect specified by the Four Corner coordinate parameters. When the Four Corner checkbox is selected, value sliders to modify the X and Y coordinates of the layer’s four corner points (Bottom Left, Bottom Right, Top Right, and Top Left) become available. You can also control these parameters visually in the Canvas using the Distort tool. For more information, see 2D transform tools. Crop parameters An activation checkbox to turn cropping on and off. If a layer is cropped and this checkbox is deselected, the layer resumes its original size, although the cropping values are maintained. Reselecting the checkbox reenables the cropping effect specified by the crop parameters. Timing parameters Value sliders to control all aspects of clip retiming. For more information, see Retime media overview. Lighting parameters The Lighting parameter controls appear only when the parent group is set to 3D. Shading: A pop-up menu that sets how a layer responds to lights in the scene. There are three options: Inherited: The layer uses the shading value of its parent. On: The layer can be lit. Off: The layer ignores lights. Highlights: A checkbox that, when selected, causes lit layers to show highlights. This parameter has no effect if Shading is set to Off. Click the disclosure triangle to reveal an additional Shininess parameter. Shininess: A slider that sets the strength of a layer’s highlights. Higher values create a glossier appearance. This parameter is disabled when the Highlights checkbox is deselected. For more information, see Add lights. Shadows parameters The Shadows parameter controls appear only when the parent group is set to 3D. Cast Shadows: A checkbox that sets whether a shadow is cast when a layer lies between a light source and another layer. Note: This parameter does not affect drop shadows. Receive Shadows: A checkbox that controls whether neighboring layers’ shadows affect the current layer. When this checkbox is deselected, light affects the layer as if the shadow-casting layer did not exist. Shadows Only: A checkbox that, when selected, specifies that a layer blocks light and casts a shadow, while the layer itself does not appear in the scene. For more information, see Shadows overview. Reflection parameters The Reflection parameter controls appear only when the parent group is set to 3D. The Reflection parameter controls are not available for 3D particle emitters, 3D replicators, or normal text layers. However, the Reflection parameters are available for flattened text, which is activated by the Flatten checkbox in the Layout pane of the Text Inspector. Reflectivity: A slider that controls the shininess of the layer’s surface. When set to 0%, there’s no reflectivity. When set to 100%, the layer is totally reflective, like a mirror. Blur Amount: A slider that controls how blurry the reflection appears, creating the appearance of soft focus due to the surface quality of the reflecting layer. Falloff: A checkbox that controls whether the reflection fades with distance from the layer, producing a more realistic result. Click the disclosure triangle to show additional controls that adjust the falloff effect: Begin Distance, End Distance, and Exponent. The Exponent slider adjusts how quickly the reflection becomes fainter as reflected layers move away from the reflecting layer. Blend Mode: A pop-up menu that determines the blend mode used for the reflection. For more information, see Reflection controls. Media parameters The Media parameters (available when an image layer is selected) contain a thumbnail of the current layer and the “To” pop-up menu. To: A pop-up menu that lets you choose another image layer in your project to replace the current layer. The replaced media remains in your project in the Media pane. Timing parameters Use the Timing controls to set the selected object’s In and Out points, as well as the duration of the object. SEE ALSO Transform layers in the Properties Inspector Transform layers in the HUD Like the Inspector, the HUD (heads-up display) is contextual and changes its controls based on the selected object. For example, when you select an image layer, its HUD contains opacity, blend mode, and drop shadow controls. When you select a shape layer, its HUD contains additional controls for adjusting fill, outline, width, feathering, and so on. When you apply an effects object to a layer or group (a filter, behavior, particle emitter, and so on), HUDs for effects also become available. For more information, see the chapters in Motion help covering those subjects. Display a HUD Do one of the following: Select a layer or group, then choose Window > Show HUD (or press F7). Select a layer or group, then click the Show/Hide HUD button in the toolbar (to the right of the timing display). Press D. Switch between HUDs of a selected layer Do one of the following: Click the downward arrow in the HUD title bar to list all possible HUDs that can be displayed for the selected object, then choose the HUD to view from the pop-up menu. Press D to cycle through all HUDs for the selected object. To cycle the HUDs in reverse, press Shift-D. The HUDs are cycled in the order in which the effects were applied. When you select multiple objects of the same type, a combined HUD appears (with “Multiple Selection” displayed in its title bar). Jump to the Inspector from the HUD Most of the time, the HUD displays a subset of the parameters visible in the Inspector for the selected object. If you’re working in the HUD, you can jump to the Inspector to access the remainder of the controls for that object. Click the Inspector icon (the “i”) in the upper-right corner of the HUD. The Inspector corresponding to the HUD appears. Edit multiple objects at the same time in the HUD For simultaneous adjustment to work, the objects must be the same (such as two Throw behaviors or two shapes). 1. In the Layers list or Canvas, select the objects (of the same type) to modify. 2. In the HUD titled “Multiple Selected,” adjust the parameters. Adjust opacity and blending Modify layer opacity The opacity and blending controls for each layer appear in the Properties Inspector and in the default HUD for any selected layer. By stacking layers with varying opacities, you can merge images together in ways not otherwise possible. For example, if you have two full-screen background images you want to use together, you can set the opacity of the layer in front to 50%, allowing the layer in back to show through. You can overlap as many layers as you want, and by varying their opacities, selectively reveal layers in the back. Change a layer’s opacity Do one of the following: 1. In the Layers list or Canvas, select a layer. 2. Do one of the following: In the Properties Inspector, adjust the Opacity slider (in the Blending section). In the HUD, adjust the Opacity slider. Note: Some layers, such as text and shapes, have additional opacity parameters in their respective panes in the Inspector. For example, setting a shape’s Opacity value in the Properties Inspector and setting its Opacity value in the Style Inspector require separate controls that have multiplicative effects. In other words, if Opacity is set to 50% in the Properties Inspector, then set to 50% in the Style pane of the Shape Inspector, the resulting opacity for the text is 25%. Limit the visibility of overlapping layers The Preserve Opacity checkbox in the Properties Inspector lets you limit a layer’s visibility to areas of the Canvas where the layer overlaps nontransparent regions of other layers. With a layer (the dolphin image in this example) selected in the Canvas or Layers list, select the Preserve Opacity checkbox in the Properties Inspector. The only area of the layer visible is the area that overlaps the layer behind it. At first, this might not appear to be very exciting, but the Preserve Opacity checkbox can be used in combination with the Opacity and Blend Mode controls to create some very interesting effects. Note: The layer with the enabled Preserve Opacity parameter takes the opacity value of the layer beneath it in the composite stack. Preserve Opacity is an easy way to selectively reveal part of a layer. In this example, by setting the blend mode of the top color wash layer to Exclusion, you get the resulting image: By selecting the Preserve Opacity checkbox for the color wash layer on top, only the overlapping parts are displayed, and the superimposed image only affects the Dolphin layer. Layer blending Layer blending overview While the Opacity parameter defines a uniform level of transparency for a layer, the blend modes allow you many more creative options to control how the overlapping images interact, based on the colors in each layer. By default, each layer’s blend mode is set to Normal, so changes to a layer’s opacity uniformly affect every part of the image equally. Blend modes can create transparency in a layer regardless of the setting of its Opacity parameter. This is because the pixels of an image with a selected blend mode are combined with the pixels of any layers lying immediately below in the Canvas. For example, if you overlap two layers, then set the blend mode of the top one to Screen, the darker areas of the screened image become transparent, while the lighter areas remain more solid, resulting in the following image: Important: The transparency created by most of the available blend modes only affects how a layer combines with overlapping layers underneath. These blend modes do nothing to affect a layer’s alpha channel. For information about blend modes that do affect a layer’s alpha channel, see Blend modes that manipulate alpha channels. Each blend mode combines layers in different ways. For example, setting the top layer’s blend mode to Multiply yields a result opposite to that of the Screen blend mode, as the darker areas of the image remain solid, and the lighter areas become transparent. Blend modes only affect the combination of a layer with the layers below it. Any layers appearing above have no effect on this interaction, even if the layer is transparent. In the following example, the text layers on the top level have no effect on the blended images below. For overlapping layers with different blend modes, the bottommost pair of layers is combined first, and that combination then interacts with the next layer up, and so on until all overlapping layers are combined for the final image. In this case, each layer with a specified blend mode only interacts with the image below it, whether that image is a single layer or a pair of layers blended together. Each of Motion’s blend modes works in conjunction with the Opacity parameter to alter the interaction between the foreground and background layers. Adjusting a layer’s opacity lessens the blending effect assigned to it, even as it reduces that layer’s visibility, allowing you to customize any blend mode to better suit your needs. Blend modes only affect overlapping layers, and have no interaction with your project’s background color (unless the background is set to Environment). If you specify a blend mode for a layer that doesn’t overlap anything, that layer remains as it was before. SEE ALSO Change a layer’s blend mode How do blend modes work? How do blend modes affect groups? Types of blend modes Blend modes that manipulate alpha channels Change a layer’s blend mode You can change a layer’s blend mode in several ways. Modify a layer’s blend mode With a layer selected, do one of the following: In the HUD, click the Blend Mode pop-up menu, then choose a different mode. In the Properties Inspector, click the Blend Mode pop-up menu, then choose a different mode. Choose Object > Blend Mode, then choose a different mode from the submenu. Control-click a layer in the Canvas, Layers list or Timeline, then choose Blend Mode and a different mode from the shortcut menu. In the Layers list, display the Blend Mode column (choose View > Layers Columns > Blend Mode), then click a layer’s Blend Mode pop-up menu and choose a different mode. How do blend modes work? Each blend mode presents a different method of combining (compositing) two or more images. Blend modes work in addition to a layer’s alpha channel and opacity parameter. To understand the descriptions of each blend mode in this chapter, it’s important to understand that blend modes mix colors from overlapping images based on the brightness values in each color channel in an image. Every image consists of a red, green, and blue channel, and sometimes an additional alpha channel. Each channel contains a range of brightness values that define the intensity of each pixel in the image that uses some of the channel’s color. The effect that each blend mode has on overlapping layers depends on the range of color values in each layer. The red, green, and blue channels in each overlapping pixel are mathematically combined to yield the final image. These value ranges can be described as blacks, midrange values, or whites. These regions are loosely illustrated by the chart below. For example, the Multiply blend mode renders white color values in an image transparent, while black values are left alone. All midrange color values become translucent, with colors in the lighter end of the scale becoming more transparent than the colors in the darker end of the scale. How do blend modes affect groups? Blend modes work differently depending on whether they’re used with groups or layers. One blend mode—Pass Through—is available only for groups. Pass Through When a group is set to Pass Through (the default blend mode for groups), each layer in the group is blended with all layers and groups that appear underneath it in the Layers list—including layers in other groups. In the following example, the Swirls layer is set to Stencil Luma, and the Fishes layer is set to Add. With the enclosing group set to Pass Through, the Swirls layer stencils all other layers underneath it, including the Gradient layer in the bottom group. The result is that all layers are stenciled against the background color. The Fishes layer is likewise added to the combined stack of layers. Normal When a group is set to Normal, the layers nested in that group are blended with layers underneath them in the same Group. Layers nested in the group do not blend with layers in other groups beneath them in the Layers list. In the following example, the Fishes and Swirls layers in the topmost group are blended only with themselves when the topmost group is set to Normal. The Gradient layer in the bottom group is left unaffected, although the transparency in the top group caused by the combination of the Add and Stencil Luma blend modes reveals the gradient in the background. Other blend modes When you set a group to any other available blend mode, the following happens: The layers in that group are blended according their own blend modes. The resulting composite of all layers in that group is then blended with other groups lower in the Layers list, according to the selected blend mode for the original group. In the example cited above, when the topmost group is set to Multiply, the composite of the Added Fishes and the Stenciled Swirls layers is multiplied with the Gradient layer in the bottommost group. Types of blend modes The following section describes how blend modes cause layers to combine to create different results. The blend modes are presented in the order in which they appear in the Blend Mode pop-up menu, arranged into groups of modes that create similar results. Most of the examples in this section are created by combining the following two reference images: The resulting image illustrates how differently the color values from each image interact under each blend mode. When examining the results, pay attention to the white and black areas of the colored squares, as well as to the highlights and shadows in the chimpanzee image. These show you how each blend mode treats the whites and blacks in an image. The other brighter and darker colors serve to illustrate each blend mode’s handling of overlapping midrange color values. The yellow, red, pink, and blue squares, in particular, all have very different color and luminance values that contrast sharply from example to example. Important: Depending on the blend mode, layer and group ordering may or may not be important. Some blend modes behave differently depending on which image is on top. Normal blend mode The default blend mode for layers. In a layer set to Normal, any transparency is caused by the Opacity parameter or by an alpha channel. Darkening blend modes The following blend modes tend to create a result darker than either of the original images: Subtract: Darkens all overlapping colors. Whites in the foreground image go black, while whites in the background image invert overlapping color values in the foreground image, creating a negative effect. Blacks in the foreground image become transparent, while blacks in the background image are preserved. Overlapping midrange color values are darkened based on the color of the background image. In areas where the background is lighter than the foreground, the background image is darkened. In areas where the background is darker than the foreground, the colors are inverted. The order of two layers affected by the Subtract blend mode is important. Darken: Emphasizes the darkest parts of each overlapping image. Whites in either image allow the overlapping image to show through completely. Lighter midrange color values become increasingly translucent in favor of the overlapping image, while darker midrange color values below that threshold remain solid, retaining more detail. The order of two layers affected by the Darken blend mode does not matter. The Darken blend mode is useful for using one image to texturize another selectively, based on its darker areas. You can also use Screen, Color Burn, and Linear Burn for variations on this effect. Multiply: Like Darken, Multiply emphasizes the darkest parts of each overlapping image, except that midrange color values from both images are mixed together more evenly. Progressively lighter regions of overlapping images become increasingly translucent, allowing whichever image is darker to show through. Whites in either image allow the overlapping image to show through completely. Blacks from both images are preserved in the resulting image. The order of layers affected by the Multiply blend mode does not matter. The Multiply blend mode is useful in situations where you want to knock out the white areas of a foreground image and blend the rest of the image with the colors in the background. For example, if you superimpose a scanned sheet of handwritten text over a background image using the Multiply blend mode, the resulting image becomes textured with the darker parts of the foreground. Color Burn: Intensifies the dark areas in each image. Whites in the background image replace the foreground image, while whites in the foreground image become transparent. Midrange color values in the background image allow midrange color values in the foreground image to show through. Lighter midrange color values in the background image allow more of the foreground image to show through. Darker midrange values in all visible overlapping areas are then mixed together, resulting in intensified color effects. The order of two layers affected by the Color Burn blend mode is important. Linear Burn: Similar to Multiply, except that darker overlapping midrange color values are intensified, as with Color Burn. Progressively lighter color values in overlapping images become increasingly translucent, allowing darker colors to show through. Whites in either image allow the overlapping image to show through completely. The order of two layers affected by the Linear Burn blend mode does not matter. Lightening blend modes The following blend modes tend to create a lighter result than either of the original images. Add: Emphasizes the whites in each overlapping image and lightens all other overlapping colors. The color values in every overlapping pixel are added together. The result is that all overlapping midrange color values are lightened. Blacks from either image are transparent, while whites in either image are preserved. The order of two layers affected by the Add blend mode does not matter. The Add blend mode is useful for using one image to selectively texturize another, based on its lighter areas such as highlights. You can also use Lighten, Screen, Color Dodge, and Linear Dodge to create variations of this effect. Lighten: Emphasizes the lightest parts of each overlapping image. Every pixel in each image is compared, and the lightest pixel from either image is preserved, so the final image consists of a dithered combination of the lightest pixels from each image. Whites in both images show through in the resulting image. The order of two layers affected by the Lighten blend mode does not matter. Screen: Like Lighten, Screen emphasizes the lightest parts of each overlapping image, except that the midrange color values of both images are mixed together more evenly. Blacks in either image allow the overlapping image to show through completely. Darker midrange values underneath a specific threshold allow more of the overlapping image to show. Whites from both images show through in the resulting image. The order of two layers affected by the Screen blend mode does not matter. The Screen blend mode is useful for knocking out the blacks behind a foreground subject, instead of using a Luma Key. It’s mainly useful when you want the rest of the foreground subject to be mixed with the background image, based on its brightness. It’s good for glow and lighting effects and for simulating reflections. You can also use the Add, Lighten, and Color Dodge blend modes to create variations of this effect. Color Dodge: Preserves whites in either the foreground or background image. Blacks in the background image replace the foreground image, while blacks in the foreground image become transparent. Midrange color values in the background image allow midrange color values in the foreground image to show through. Darker values in the background image allow more of the foreground image to show through. All overlapping midrange color values are mixed together, resulting in interesting color mixes. Reversing the two overlapping images results in subtle differences in how the overlapping midrange color values are mixed together. Linear Dodge: Similar to Screen, except that lighter midrange color values in overlapping regions become intensified. Blacks in either image allow the overlapping image to show through completely. Whites from both images show through in the resulting image. The order of two layers affected by the Linear Dodge blend mode does not matter. Complex blend modes The following blend modes create results by applying a combination of effects, based on the original images. Each mode can create a variety of results depending on the specific values of the images being mixed together. Some of these modes are designed to simulate the effect of shining a light through the top layer, effectively projecting upon the layers beneath it. Overlay: Causes whites and blacks in the foreground image to become translucent and interact with the color values of the background image, causing intensified contrast. Whites and blacks in the background image replace the foreground image. Overlapping midrange values are mixed together differently depending on the brightness of the background color values. Lighter background midrange values are mixed by screening. Darker background midrange values are mixed by multiplying. The visible result is that darker color values in the background image intensify the foreground image, while lighter color values in the background image wash out overlapping areas in the foreground image. The order of two layers affected by the Overlay blend mode is important. The Overlay blend mode is useful for combining areas of vivid color in two images. Soft Light: Similar to the Overlay blend mode, makes whites and blacks in the foreground image translucent. However, the translucent whites and blacks continue to interact with the color values of the background image. Whites and blacks in the background image replace the foreground image. All overlapping midrange color values are mixed together, creating a more even tinting effect than the Overlay blend mode. The order of two layers affected by the Soft Light blend mode is important. The Soft Light blend mode is useful for softly tinting a background image by mixing it with the colors in a foreground image. Hard Light: Causes whites and blacks in the foreground image to block the background image. Whites and blacks in the background image interact with overlapping midrange color values in the foreground image. Overlapping midrange color values are mixed together differently depending on the brightness of the background color values. Lighter background midrange values are mixed by screening. Darker background midrange values are mixed together by multiplying. The visible result is that darker color values in the background image intensify the foreground image, while lighter color values in the background image wash out overlapping areas in the foreground image. The order of two layers affected by the Hard Light blend mode is important. Vivid Light: Similar to the Hard Light blend mode, with two exceptions: Vivid Light mixes midrange color values together more intensely, and preserves whites and blacks from either overlapping image in the end result. (Dithering can cause overlapping areas of solid white and solid black.) Overlapping midrange color values are mixed together differently depending on the brightness of the background color values. Lighter midrange values become washed out, while the contrast of darker midrange color values is increased. The overall effect is more pronounced than with the Hard Light blend mode. Reversing the two overlapping images results in subtle differences in how the overlapping midrange color values are mixed together. Linear Light: Similar to the Hard Light blend mode, except that overlapping midrange color values are mixed together with higher contrast. Whites and blacks in the foreground image block the background image. Whites and blacks in the background image interact with overlapping midrange color values in the foreground image. Overlapping midrange color values are mixed together. Lighter background colors brighten the foreground image, while darker colors darken it. The order of two layers affected by the Linear Light blend mode is important. Pin Light: Similar to the Hard Light blend mode, except that overlapping midrange color values are mixed together differently based on their color value. Whites and blacks in the foreground image block the background image. Whites and blacks in the background image interact with overlapping midrange color values in the foreground image. The methods used by the Pin Light blend mode to mix two images are somewhat complex. Overlapping midrange color values are treated differently depending on which of the four regions of the luminance chart they fall into: Lighter and darker areas of the foreground image falling close to the whites and blacks are preserved. Areas of the foreground image falling near the center of the midrange are tinted by the background color. Darker areas of the foreground image between the blacks and center of the midrange are lightened. Lighter areas of the foreground image between the whites and the center of the midrange are darkened. The result might appear alternately tinted or solarized, depending on the lightness or darkness of the overlapping values. This blend mode lends itself to more abstract effects. The order of two layers affected by the Pin Light blend mode is important. Hard Mix: Similar to the Hard Light blend mode, except that the saturation of overlapping midrange color values is intensified, resulting in extremely high-contrast images. Whites and blacks are preserved. Although the order of two layers doesn’t affect the overall look of two images blended using the Hard Mix blend mode, there might be subtle differences. Inversion blend modes The following two blend modes create results that often appear to resemble aspects of a photographic negative of the selected layer. Difference: Similar to the Subtract blend mode (in the Darkening category), except that areas of the image that would be severely darkened by the Subtract blend mode are colorized differently. The order of two layers affected by the Difference blend mode does not matter. Exclusion: Similar to the Difference blend mode, except that the resulting image is lighter overall. Overlapping areas with lighter color values are lightened, while darker overlapping color values become transparent. The order of two layers affected by the Exclusion blend mode does not matter. Blend modes that manipulate alpha channels The Stencil and Silhouette blend modes let you use a single layer’s alpha channel or luma values to isolate regions of background layers and groups. (Similar effects can be accomplished using shape and image masks. In addition, masks might provide you with a greater degree of control, depending on your needs. For more information, see Shapes, masks, and paint strokes overview.) Stencil modes crop out all non-overlapping parts of layers underneath the layer used as the stencil. Silhouette modes do the opposite, punching holes in overlapping layers underneath in the shape of the layer used as the silhouette. When working in a 3D group, changes in depth order affect the Stencil and Silhouette blend modes differently. For example, if you have two layers in a 3D group and the upper layer is set to Stencil Alpha or Stencil Luma, the blend mode remains in effect when the upper layer is moved behind the lower layer in Z space. If you have two layers in a 3D group and the upper layer is set to Silhouette Alpha or Silhouette Luma, the blend mode does not remain in effect when the upper layer is moved behind the lower layer in Z space. When you use the Stencil or Silhouette blend modes in a group set to the Pass Through blend mode, the resulting effect carries down through every layer in every group that lies underneath it in the Layers list, unless the group that contains it is rasterized. This is a powerful, but not always desired effect, because it prevents you from placing a background group to fill the transparent area. You can limit the Stencil or Silhouette blend mode to affect only those layers in the same enclosing group by setting the group’s blend mode to anything other than Pass Through. For example, if you set the enclosing group of the two layers in the Silhouette Alpha example to Normal, then add a group underneath containing additional layers, those layers show through the transparent areas created by the silhouetted group. The following blend modes modify the alpha channel of the layer to which the blend mode is applied: Stencil Alpha: Uses the alpha channel of the affected layer to crop out all non-overlapping parts of layers and groups underneath it in the Layers list. Stencil Luma: Does the same thing as the Stencil Alpha blend mode, but uses the affected layer’s luma value to define transparency. Stencil Luma is useful if the layer you want to use for cropping has no alpha channel of its own. Silhouette Alpha: The reverse of the Stencil Alpha blend mode, useful for cutting holes in underlying layers. Silhouette Luma: The reverse of Stencil Luma. Behind: Forces the layer to appear behind all other layers and groups, regardless of its position in the Layers list and Timeline. If multiple layers or groups are set to Behind, they appear behind all other groups not set to Behind, in the order in which they appear in the Layers list. Alpha Add: Works similarly to the Add blend mode, but instead of adding the color channels of overlapping layers, it adds their alpha channels together. Try using this blend mode instead of Motion’s default method of alpha channel compositing for a different treatment of overlapping areas of translucency. Light Wrap: Takes bright areas from the background layer at the edge of the matte and blurs them into the foreground layer. This is intended to create a more organic, seamless composite, where light from the background appears to bleed onto the foreground layer as would occur in a natural, noncomposited image. To adjust the parameters that affect the Light Wrap, such as Amount, Intensity, Opacity, and Mode, apply the Keyer filter and make those adjustments in the Filters Inspector. For more information, see Keyer filter controls. Note: Motion applies the Light Wrap effect at the end of the rendering process. When you add other filters to the layer, such as color correction effects, they are rendered before the Light Wrap. View and navigate in the Canvas Zoom or pan the Canvas You can zoom in on the Canvas to allow precision alignment and placement of objects, and you can zoom out to get a sense of the big picture or to see the path of a moving object. You can also pan the Canvas to modify your view of a composition. Zooming and panning does not change the size or layout of the images in your project. It only changes your working view of the entire composition. Zoom using the Zoom tool 1. In the toolbar, click the view tools pop-up menu, then choose the Zoom tool. Zoom mode is activated in the Canvas. 2. Do one of the following: Click in the Canvas to zoom in. Press Option and click in the Canvas to zoom out. Drag right or left in the Canvas to smoothly zoom in or out. Zoom using other methods Do any of the following: Click the Zoom Level pop-up menu at the top-right side of the Canvas, then choose a zoom percentage. Holding down the Space bar and Command key (in that order), drag the pointer horizontally in the Canvas. The zoom occurs around the spot clicked in the Canvas. On a Multi-touch device, Pinch closed to zoom out or pinch open to zoom in. After you zoom in, use a two-finger swipe in any direction to scroll around. Zoom a specific area of the Canvas Zoom a specific area of the Canvas Zoom in: Holding down the Space bar and Command key (in that order), drag the pointer over an area in the Canvas; while still holding down the keys, click in the Canvas to zoom in 50 percent increments of the current zoom level. Zoom out: Holding down the Space bar, Command key, and Option key (in that order), click in the Canvas to zoom out in 50 percent increments of the current zoom level. Note: To pan the Canvas without selecting the Pan tool, hold down the Space bar and drag in the Canvas. Zoom to make the project fill the Canvas Click the Zoom Level pop-up menu, then choose Fit. Pan using the Pan tool 1. In the toolbar, click the view tools pop-up menu, then choose the Pan tool. Pan mode is activated in the Canvas. 2. Drag in the Canvas to move your composition in different directions. Pan using a keyboard shortcut Holding down the Space bar, drag the pointer in the Canvas. Reset the Canvas Zoom level or Pan Do one of the following: Click the Zoom Level pop-up menu at the top-right side of the Canvas, then choose 100%. In the toolbar, double-click the Zoom tool. Note: Double-clicking the Pan tool resets pan, but not zoom. View dynamic Canvas feedback The status bar at the top-left side of the Canvas shows information about layer transforms, color, coordinates, and playback frame rate—dynamically, as you modify layers. Turn display of the status bar on or off 1. Type Command-Comma to open Motion Preferences. 2. In the Appearance pane of Motion Preferences, select or deselect the Dynamic Tool Info checkbox. When you select Dynamic Tool Info, the status bar appears above the Canvas whenever you adjust a layer by dragging in the Canvas. For example, when you scale an object in the Canvas, the width and height values are displayed in the status bar. Display pixel color Some motion graphics projects require you to match or align colors in your project. The status bar can provide visual and numeric information about the color of the pixel under the pointer, as well as the value of the alpha channel. No clicking is necessary —as you move the pointer over the Canvas, the status bar updates. 1. In the Appearance pane of Motion Preferences, select the Color checkbox. 2. Choose a color format from the Display Color As pop-up menu: RGB: The red, green, blue, and alpha components of the color are represented in values from 0–1. Super-white values can exceed the 0–1 value range. RGB (percent): The red, green, blue, and alpha components of the color are represented in values from 1– 100. HSV: The hue is represented in values from 1–360, and the saturation and value (luminance) are represented in values from 1–100. 3. Move the pointer over the Canvas. The color information displayed in the status bar updates as you move the pointer. Display the current pointer position For precise placement of objects in the Canvas, it can be helpful to know the exact pixel position of the pointer. The status bar can display this information in an X and Y coordinate system (Cartesian). The center point of the Canvas is 0, 0. In the Appearance pane of Motion Preferences, select the Coordinates checkbox. When you move the pointer in the Canvas, the coordinate information updates in the status bar. Display playback frame rate Part of the way Motion plays back a project in real time is by lowering the frame rate when a sequence is too complex to render at full speed. You can monitor the current frame rate—in frames per second (fps)—in the status bar. Note: The frame rate appears in the status bar only while a project is playing. In the Appearance pane of Motion Preferences, select the “Frame rate (only during playback)” checkbox. When you play the project, the frame rate appears in the upper-left corner of the status bar. Custom Canvas view options The pop-up menus in the top-right side of the Canvas let you customize various view settings, including zoom level, color channels, rendering options, overlay options, and 3D view layouts. Zoom Level pop-up menu Choose any of several default zoom levels. Zooming the Canvas changes the current view of the window, not the size of the images in your project. For more information, see Zoom or pan the Canvas. Channels pop-up menu Choose which color channels are displayed in the Canvas: Color: Shows the image as it would appear on a video monitor. Visible layers appear in natural color and transparent areas reveal the background color as set in the Properties Inspector for the project. The background color is black by default. To change it, press Command-J, then choose a color from the Background Color control in the Properties Inspector. Note: The Background pop-up menu in the Properties Inspector must be set to Solid to export the background color with the project. This option creates a solid alpha channel on export (when exporting using a codec that supports alpha channels). When the Background pop-up menu is set to Transparent, the color is visible in the Canvas, but does not render as part of the alpha channel. Transparent: Shows the background area of the Canvas as transparent. A checkerboard pattern appears by default where no images block the background. Alpha Overlay: Displays the image in normal color, but adds a red highlight over transparent areas of the image. RGB Only: Displays the normal mix of red, green, and blue channels but displays transparent areas (including semitransparent areas) as opaque. Red: Displays only the red channel as a range of black to white. Green: Displays only the green channel as a range of black to white. Blue: Displays only the blue channel as a range of black to white. Alpha: Displays the alpha (transparency) channel of the layers in the Canvas. Inverted Alpha: Displays an inverted view of the alpha (transparency) channel. Overexposure: Displays the overexposed areas of the composition. Luminosity values above 1.0 (out of gamut) are indicated by a red-and-white crosshatch pattern. Values above 2.0 appear solid red. You can use the Broadcast Safe filter to limit the range of luminance or chrominance in an image to the broadcast legal limit. Render menu Render menu Choose the render quality and resolution of the Canvas display, and enable or disable features that can impact playback performance. When an option is active, a checkmark appears beside the menu item. If a complex project is causing your computer to play at a very low frame rate, you can make changes in this menu to reduce the strain on the processor. This frees you from waiting for the image to be rendered at full resolution each time you make an adjustment, allowing you to watch complex projects at high frame rates while you work. The Render pop-up menu displays the following items: Dynamic: Reduces the quality of the image displayed in the Canvas during playback or scrubbing in the Timeline or miniTimeline, allowing for faster feedback. Also reduces the quality of an image as it is modified in the Canvas. When playback or scrubbing is stopped, or the modification is completed in the Canvas, the image quality is restored (based on the Quality and Resolution settings for the project). Full: Displays the Canvas at full resolution (Shift-Q). Half: Displays the Canvas at half resolution. Quarter: Displays the Canvas at one-quarter resolution. Draft: Renders objects in the Canvas at a lower quality to allow optimal project interactivity. There’s no anti-aliasing. Normal: Renders objects in the Canvas at a medium quality. Shapes are anti-aliased, but 3D intersections are not. Floatingpoint (32-bit) footage is truncated to 16-bit. This is the default setting. Best: Renders objects in the Canvas at best quality, which includes higher-quality image resampling, anti-aliased intersections, anti-aliased particle edges, and sharper text. Custom: Allows you to set additional controls to customize rendering quality. Choosing Custom opens the Advanced Quality Options dialog. For more information, see Advanced Quality settings. Lighting: Turns the effect of lights in a project on or off. This setting does not turn off lights in the Layers list (or light scene icons), but it disables light shading effects in the Canvas. Shadows: Turns the effect of shadows in a project on or off. Reflections: Turns the effect of reflections in a project on or off. Depth of Field: Turns the effect of depth of field in a project on or off. Motion Blur: Enables/disables the preview of motion blur in the Canvas. Disabling motion blur may improve performance. Note: When creating an effect, title, transition, or generator template for use in Final Cut Pro X, the Motion Blur item in the View pop-up menu controls whether motion blur is turned on when the project is applied in Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Final Cut Pro templates overview. Field Rendering: Enables/disables field rendering. Field rendering is required for smooth motion playback on many TV monitors. Field rendering nearly doubles rendering time, so disabling this item may improve performance. Note: When creating an effect, title, transition, or generator template for use in Final Cut Pro, the Field Rendering setting in the View pop-up menu does not control whether field rendering is applied in Final Cut Pro. Rather, field rendering is controlled in the Properties Inspector for the project. (Press Command-J to open the Properties Inspector.) When Field Order is set to anything other than None, field rendering is used in Final Cut Pro, regardless of the Field Rendering status in the View pop-up menu. Frame Blending: Enables/disables frame blending in the Canvas. Frame blending can smooth the appearance of video frames by interpolating the pixels between adjacent frames to create a smoother transition. View and Overlay pop-up menu Choose layout guides and controls that can be viewed in the Canvas. When an option is active, a checkmark appears beside the menu item. (Many of these menu options are also available in the View menu in the menu bar.) The View and Overlay pop-up menu displays the following items: Show Overlays: Enables or disables the display of rulers, grids, guides, and other layout overlays in the Canvas. This setting must be on to view any other overlay items. To turn the camera overlays on or off, use Show 3D Overlays. Note: You can also press Command-Slash (/). Rulers: Turns display of the rulers along the edge of the Canvas on or off. You can specify where the rulers appear in the Canvas pane (Alignment section) of Motion Preferences. For more information, see Manage layout with rulers and guides. Note: You can also press Shift-Command-R. Grid: Turns a grid display on and off over the Canvas. You can set the spacing and color of the grid in the Canvas pane (Alignment section) of Motion Preferences. Note: You can also press Command-Apostrophe (‘). Guides: Turns display of manually created guides on and off. Guides can only be created if rulers are displayed. You can change the color of the guides in the Canvas pane (Alignment section) of Motion Preferences. Note: You can also press Command-Semicolon (;). Dynamic Guides: Turns display of automatic dynamic guides on and off. These guides appear when dragging a layer past edges of other layers when snapping is enabled (choose View > Snap). You can change the color of dynamic guides in the Canvas pane (Alignment section) of Motion Preferences. Note: You can also press Shift-Command-Colon (:). Safe Zones: Turns display of the title safe and action safe guides on and off. By default, these guides are set at 80% and 90%. You can change these settings and the color of the guides in the Canvas pane (Zones section) of Motion Preferences. Note: You can also press the Apostrophe key (‘). Film Zone: Turns display of film aspect ratio guides on and off. This can be helpful if you are creating a project for videotape to be transferred to film. You can change the size of the guides as well as their color in the Canvas pane (Zones section) of Motion Preferences. Note: You can also press Shift-Quotation Mark (”). Note: You can also press Shift-Quotation Mark (”). Handles: Turns display of object handles in the Canvas on and off. Some onscreen transformations, such as resizing, require visible object handles. Handles appear only on selected objects. Lines: Turns display of lines that outline an object on and off. Lines appear only on selected objects. Animation Path: Turns animation paths on and off. These editable paths indicate the route along which animated objects travel. If the selected object is not positionally animated, this command does not appear to have any effect. If handles are not displayed, the path curves cannot be adjusted in the Canvas. Except for the Motion Path behavior, animation paths created by behaviors are for display only and are not editable. Show 3D Overlays: Turns 3D overlays in the Canvas on and off, including Camera overlays, 3D view tools, 3D compass, inset view, 3D grid, and 3D scene icons. (3D overlays appear in projects that contain 3D groups. See View 3D overlays.) Note: You can also press Option-Command-Slash (/). 3D View Tools: Turns the Camera menu and 3D view tools in the Canvas on and off. See 3D view tools. Compass: Turns the 3D compass in the Canvas on and off. Using red, green, and blue axes, the compass shows your current orientation in 3D space. The red axis is X (horizontal), the green axis is Y (vertical), and the blue axis is Z (depth). See About cameras and views. Inset View: Turns the inset view in the Canvas on and off. When enabled, a temporary window appears in the lower-right corner of the Canvas displaying an active camera or Perspective view of the project, helping you stay oriented as you move objects in 3D space. In the 3D pane of Motion Preferences, you can change the size of the inset view, as well as control whether the inset view appears on transform changes, on all changes, or manually. See Inset view. 3D Grid: Turns the grid in the Canvas on and off. The 3D grid helps you stay oriented and can be used to guide the placement of objects in your project. The 3D grid appears when you are in a 3D workspace. See 3D grid. 3D Scene Icons: Turns the display of cameras and lights in the Canvas on or off. Scene icons appear in the Canvas as wireframe icons. Lights appear with red (X), green (Y), and blue (Z) adjust 3D handles that let you transform and rotate them. The handles are still displayed when the 3D scene icons command is turned off. See 3D scene icons. Correct for Aspect Ratio: Applies an artificial distortion of the Canvas in projects with nonsquare pixels. When the setting is on, the computer monitor simulates what a TV monitor displays. When the setting is off, projects with nonsquare pixels appear stretched. This is because computer monitors have square pixels. This setting does not modify the output of the project. Show Full View Area: When enabled, this setting lets you see the portion of a layer that extends beyond the edge of the Canvas. This setting is disabled by default, because it slows your project’s interactivity. Use Drop Zones: Turns drop zones on and off. When Use Drop Zones is enabled, a checkmark appears next to the menu item, and drop zones accept objects dragged to them. When this command is turned off, drop zones ignore objects dropped onto them. For more information, see Drop zones overview. Save View Defaults: Saves the current state of all settings in this menu as the default state for new projects. View Layouts pop-up menu Choose a preferred view your project in the Canvas. You can view the Canvas as a single workspace or choose from available window arrangements in the menu. (Although the workspace views are available for 2D projects, they are most useful when working in 3D space.) The View Layouts pop-up menu displays the following items: Single: The default value, displays a single window in the Canvas. Two-up, side by side: Displays two windows in the Canvas, one next to the other. Two-up, top and bottom: Displays two windows in the Canvas, one on top of the other. Three-up, large window below: Displays three windows, two next to each other on top and a larger window below. Three-up, large window right: Displays three windows, two stacked on the left side and a larger window spanning the right side. Four-up, large window right: Displays four windows, three stacked on the left side and one larger window on the right side. Four-up: Displays four windows, all the same size. Advanced Quality settings When you choose Custom in the Quality section of the Render pop-up menu (or in the View > Quality menu), the Advanced Quality Options dialog appears. The Advanced Quality Options dialog provides additional controls to fine-tune rendering performance and quality. It contains the following items: Quality: A pop-up menu that sets rendering quality. These settings are identical to the Quality settings in the Render popup menu. (For more information on the Render popup menu, see Custom Canvas view options.) Choose one of four settings from this pop-up menu (each setting activates different options in the dialog): Draft: None of the quality options are selected, and the Text Quality parameter is set to Low. This option allows optimal project interactivity. Normal: “Shape anti-aliasing” is selected, and the Text Quality parameter is set to Medium. This option allows project interactivity that is slower than Draft, but much faster than Best. Best: “High-quality resampling,” “Shape anti-aliasing,” and “Anti-alias 3D intersections” are selected. Text render quality is set to High. This option slows down project interactivity. Custom: Lets you set your own combination of render settings. High Quality Resampling: Turns on high-quality resampling (increasing or reducing the number of pixels in an image). Text Quality: A pop-up menu that sets text-rendering quality to Low, Medium, or High. When High is selected, project interactivity may slow. Shape anti-aliasing: Renders shapes at a higher resolution, Shape anti-aliasing: Renders shapes at a higher resolution, then scales objects back to regular resolution to ensure smooth edges. Anti-alias 3D intersections: Renders objects intersecting in 3D space at a higher resolution, then scales objects back to regular resolution to ensure smooth edges. Manage layout with rulers and guides Using rulers and guides (line overlays) in the Canvas can help you compose or align elements of your project, as well as snap objects to rulers. Turn on rulers Click the View pop-up menu at the top-right side of the Canvas, then choose Rulers (or press Shift-Command-R). When Canvas rulers are enabled, a checkmark appears next to the item in the pop-up menu. By default, rulers appear along the left and top sides of the Canvas. Change the location of the rulers 1. Choose Motion > Preferences. 2. In the Canvas pane, click Alignment, then choose a ruler layout from the Ruler Location pop-up menu. Add a horizontal or vertical guide to the Canvas 1. Click in the gray area of the horizontal or vertical ruler, then drag into the Canvas. As you drag, the position of the guide is displayed in the Canvas. Note: Guides must be enabled in the View pop-up menu (or by pressing Command-Semicolon). The ruler units are in pixels, with the 0, 0 point in the center of the Canvas. 2. When the guide is in the location you want, release the mouse button. Simultaneously add a horizontal and vertical guide to the Canvas 1. Drag from the corner where the rulers meet into the Canvas. 2. When the guides are in the location you want, release the mouse button. Remove a guide from the Canvas Drag the guide off the Canvas. To delete the guide, drag into the Project pane or Timing pane areas of the Motion workspace, then release the mouse button. Change the color of the guides 1. Choose Motion > Preferences. 2. In the Canvas pane, click Alignment, click or Control-click the Guide Color well, then select a color. Work in a 3D project 3D compositing overview Motion includes a robust set of tools for creating threedimensional layers that intersect and interact with one another. The 3D features in Motion are powerful, yet flexible, allowing to you combine 2D elements and 3D elements to create different effects. You can: Rotate or reposition 2D layers in 3D space Create intersecting 3D layers Add a 3D camera and convert your entire project to 3D to take advantage of advanced 3D features such as: Camera animation Lighting Shadows Reflections Tip: Before you begin creating 3D environments, learn the basics of the 3D coordinate system in Motion. See 3D coordinates overview. You can also create 3D text in Motion. For more information see 3D text overview. About 3D coordinates 3D coordinates overview In a standard 2D Motion project, coordinates are measured in two dimensions, along two axes: X (side to side) and Y (up and down). A 3D Motion project contains an additional dimension (depth), which is measured along the Z axis (front to back). All three axes (X, Y, and Z) meet in the center of the Canvas, at a point called the origin, where X=0, Y=0, and Z=0. Moving an object to the left subtracts from the X value, while moving it to the right adds to the X value. Moving an object up adds to the Y value, while moving it down subtracts from the Y value. Moving an object “closer” adds to the Z value, while moving it farther away subtracts from the Z value. In a 2D project, the X and Y axes remain static: X always runs horizontally, and Y always runs vertically. However, in a 3D project, you can change your point of view, which reorients (from your perspective) the direction of the 3 axes. As a result, moving an object up (from your perspective) doesn’t always mean increasing its Y position value. Note: In a new project, the Canvas is oriented with the Z axis pointing straight at you. This orientation preserves the traditional two-dimensional orientation of the X and Y axes. Motion uses the following conventions for 3D coordinates: Object movement is along an axis. Object rotation is around an axis. Each axis is color-coded: X is red; Y is green; and Z is blue. Positive rotation is counterclockwise around an axis. The coordinates of an object (as shown in the Inspector) are relative to the coordinates of the group in which the object resides. For more information, see About relative coordinates. About relative coordinates In Motion, the coordinates of an object are relative to the coordinates of the group that the object resides in. For example, if you position an empty group at X, Y, and Z coordinates of 100, 100, 100, then add a layer (a porcupine image in the example shown below) to the group, the layer’s coordinates are shown in the Properties Inspector as 0, 0, 0. However, in the Canvas the image layer appears offset (100 pixels right of center, 100 pixels above center, and 100 pixels “closer” to you). The layer’s absolute coordinates in the Canvas may be the same as those of its parent group (100, 100, 100), but the Properties Inspector displays the layer’s relative coordinates (0, 0, 0—the center of the layer’s parent group). Rotation values are also relative to an object’s parent. For example, rotating the group 45° also rotates the porcupine layer 45° in the Canvas; however, in the porcupine layer’s Properties Inspector, the Rotation value remains 0°—the rotation value of the porcupine relative to its parent group. Transform layers in 3D space In Motion, 2D layers and groups can exist in the same project as 3D layers and groups. You can manipulate any 2D layer in 3D space by using the 3D transform tool. Move a layer in 3D space 1. Select the 3D Transform tool in the toolbar (or press Q). 2. Select a layer or group in the Layers list or Canvas. 3D handles appear on the selected object in the Canvas. 3. Do any of the following: Move the object horizontally: Drag the red arrow to move the object along its X axis. Move the object vertically: Drag the green arrow to move the object along its Y axis. Move the object forward or backward: Drag the blue handle to move the object along its Z axis. Tip: If the blue handle is facing forward, drag left or right to move the object forward or backward. As you drag, the active arrow turns yellow, and the status bar above the Canvas displays the current coordinates of the object as well as the distance the object has moved (delta). Coordinates are given in the form of X, Y, and Z. Rotate a layer in 3D space 1. Select the 3D Transform tool in the toolbar (or press Q). 2. Select a layer or group in the Layers list or Canvas. 3D handles appear on the selected object in the Canvas. 3. Move the pointer over one of the rotation handles (small circles surrounding the arrows) until a colored rotation ring appears, then drag the ring. The red ring rotates the object around its X axis. The green ring rotates the object around its Y axis. The blue ring rotates the object around its Z axis. As you drag, the status bar above the Canvas displays the absolute rotation values as well as the amount of rotation change (delta). Rotate a layer around all axes simultaneously 1. Select the 3D Transform tool in the toolbar (or press Q). 2. Select a layer or group in the Layers list or Canvas. 3D handles appear on the selected object in the Canvas. 3. Holding down the Command key, move the pointer over one of the rotation handles (small circles surrounding the arrows) until all three rotation rings appear, then drag over the object (but not over the rotation handle). The object rotates around all three axes simultaneously, and the status bar above the Canvas displays the absolute rotation values as well as the amount of rotation change (delta). Display a subset of the 3D transform handles Do any of the following: Display the axis arrows only: Press the Comma key (,). Display the rotation handles only: Press the Period key (.). Display the scale handles only: Press the Slash key (/). When you press any key a second time, the display switches back to the default, with all three of the onscreen controls visible. Transform a layer in 3D space using the HUD As an alternative to dragging in the Canvas, you can transform layers and groups in 3D space using graphic controls in the HUD. 1. Select the 3D Transform tool in the toolbar (or press Q). 2. Select a layer or group in the Layers list or Canvas. 3. Choose Window > Show HUD or press D. 4. In the HUD, do any of the following: Move a layer: Drag in any of the three Move squares to reposition the object along its Z axis, X and Y axes, or X and Z axes. Hold down the Command key while dragging to simultaneously scale the object as it’s moved, preserving its size relative to the camera. Rotate a layer: Drag in the Rotate square to rotate the object around the X and Y axes. To rotate around the Z axis, hold down the Command key while dragging. Resize a layer: Drag in the Scale square to uniformly resize the selected object in the Canvas. To constrain scaling to the axis corresponding to the initial direction of the drag, hold down the Command key while dragging. Choose an axis type: Click the Adjust Around pop-up menu, then choose an item. Local Axis (the default) orients 3D transforms to the object’s local coordinates. World Axis orients 3D transforms to the coordinates of the 3D grid in the Canvas. View Axis orients 3D transforms to the view space of the current view, with the Z axis aligned along the view’s line of sight. For more information on views, see About cameras and views. 3D intersection Create 3D intersection By default in Motion, the order of layers in the Layers list determines the stacking order of layers in the Canvas. In other words, layers higher up in the Layers list appear in the Canvas on top of layers that are lower in the Layers list. This hierarchy of layer organization is called layer order. Even when you move a layer forward in Z space using 3D transform handles, that layer does not pass through or move in front of layers that are higher in the Layers list. Layer order prevents intersection and interaction of layers. Important: 3D text objects only intersect with other 3D text objects. Additionally, 3D text uses only layer order: For 3D text to appear above other non-3D text layers, the 3D text must be positioned above the other layers in the Layers list; the text’s Z position in the Canvas has no effect. For more information, see About 3D text intersection and layer order. In the image below, groups Red A and Blue B are positioned at the same point in 3D space. But because they are layer-ordered, Red A does not intersect with Blue B. To have objects intersect in the Canvas, you must convert groups in your project to depth order. You do this by converting 2D groups to 3D groups. In the image below, because the parent group has been converted to 3D, groups Red A and Blue B now intersect. To summarize: Groups and layers nested in 2D groups are composited in layer order. Groups and layers nested in 3D groups are composited in depth order. A Motion project can contain both 2D and 3D groups, and both groups can be parents or nested children of one another. And you can convert a group from 2D to 3D, and vice versa, at any time. Convert a group from 2D to 3D to enable intersection In the Layers list, select a 2D group, then do one of the following: Click the 2D icon to the right of the group in the Layers list. Choose Object > 3D Group (or press Control-D). In the Group Inspector, click the Type pop-up menu, then choose 3D. The 2D group icon is replaced by a 3D group icon, and layers and groups nested in the parent group are converted to depth order, allowing intersection with other depth-ordered layers and groups. To change a group from 3D to 2D, use the same method described above. Important: Some operations, as well as the application of some filters or a mask, cause a group to be rasterized. When a group is rasterized, it’s converted into a bitmap image. Rasterization affects 2D and 3D groups in different ways, sometimes preventing 3D intersection. For more information, see Groups and rasterization. About 2D and 3D group properties 2D groups and 3D groups behave in different ways. And in the Group Inspector, 2D groups and 3D groups have different parameters. The Group Inspector for 3D groups contains Flatten and Layer Order parameters. Selecting the Flatten checkbox places layers and groups inside the 3D group into a two-dimensional plane. Selecting the Layer Order checkbox composites layers and groups inside the 3D group according to their position in the Layers list rather than by depth order (position in the Canvas along the Z axis). For more information, see Create 3D intersection. The Group Inspector for 2D groups contains the Fixed Resolution parameter. Selecting the Fixed Resolution checkbox lets you manually set the size of a group, using sliders. By default, Fixed Resolution is disabled and the size of the group is determined by the layers in that group. For more information, see Constrain group size. 2D group properties Nested layers and groups are composited in the Canvas in layer order (hierarchical order in the Layers list). However, adjacent 3D groups that are not nested in 2D groups can intersect based on depth order. In the example above, the two gray balls in the 2D Foreground group are composited on top of the rest of the scene. Group A and Group B intersect because they are 3D groups, but neither of them can intersect with the 2D root-level groups. A 2D group can be nested in a 3D group. A 2D group not nested in a 3D group is locked to the camera, even if the camera is animated. (For more information about cameras, see About cameras and views. Filters are applied to a 2D group in local space—that is, flat to the image. When lights are used, the group is lit as a single object; nested layers and groups are not lit individually. Note: 2D groups not nested inside 3D groups are not affected by lights. Because it is flat, a 2D group has Drop Shadow, Four Corner, and Crop parameters in the Properties Inspector. 2D groups can have a fixed resolution. 3D group properties Nested layers and groups are composited in depth order (according to their position along the Z axis). When a 3D group is nested in a 2D group, the 3D group is flattened. This means that the nested 3D group acts like a flat card and ignores the camera. In addition, the flattened group does not intersect with layers of the 2D group or other groups in the project. Filters are applied to a 3D group in view space. In other words, the filter affects the group as if it were applied to the lens of the camera viewing the group. When lights are used on a 3D group, its nested layers and groups are lit individually. Only a 3D group with the Flatten parameter enabled has Crop, Drop Shadow, and Four Corner parameters in the Properties Inspector. Add cameras to create 3D environments 3D cameras overview By default, newly created Motion projects are 2D, planar environments. When you add a scene camera and convert your project to a 3D environment, the following occurs: A third dimension (depth) is activated in the Canvas, represented by the Z axis. A camera object is added to the Layers list and to the Canvas (as a wireframe icon that you can drag like any other object in Motion). Like a real-world camera, a Motion scene camera lets you frame a custom point of view during your sequence. And like a real camera, a Motion scene camera can be static or set into motion to create elaborate tracking shots. Controls become available in the Inspector for adjusting your camera’s angle of view and other properties. See Controls in the Camera Inspector. 3D overlays become available in the Canvas to help you view and arrange your 3D elements. See View 3D overlays. Additional reference views (called reference cameras) become a available so that you can see your 3D project from various angles (from the front, back, sides, and so on). See About cameras and views. A group of camera behaviors becomes available, allowing you to apply sophisticated animated camera moves. See Add Camera behaviors. SEE ALSO Add a camera About cameras and views Add a camera In 3D mode, anything you see in the Canvas represents the viewpoint of a camera, either a default reference camera or a scene camera that you create. You can create cameras to look at your scene from different points of view. You can place cameras, animate them, and apply behaviors to them. Creating multiple cameras lets you make different cameras active at different times, allowing you to “cut to” different views over the course of the project. Note: When building a 3D project, it can be useful to position cameras to examine your project’s layout from different viewpoints. Rather than repeatedly moving the Perspective camera, you can add scene cameras to use as spatial bookmarks. You won’t want to use these cameras during export, so be sure to disable them before rendering. The scene cameras you create are used for rendering output. Scene cameras appear in the Canvas as wireframe camera icons and as objects in the Layers list. Add a scene camera to a Motion project 1. Click the New Camera button in the toolbar, or choose Object > New Camera. If your project contains no existing 3D groups, the following dialog appears: If your project is empty or already contains at least one 3D group, go to step 3. 2. Do one of the following: To add a camera without converting 2D groups in your To add a camera without converting 2D groups in your project to 3D groups, click Keep as 2D. To add a camera and convert 2D groups in your project to 3D groups, click Switch to 3D. The following happens: A camera object is added to the Layers list and Canvas (represented there by a wireframe icon). The 3D Transform tool in the toolbar is selected. The Camera HUD becomes available (if it isn’t visible, press F7). The Camera Inspector becomes available. The Camera pop-up menu (set to Active Camera) becomes available in the upper-left corner of the Canvas. 3. Click the Camera pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas, then choose a camera view. For more information, see Camera pop-up menu and About cameras and views. About cameras and views In a 3D workspace, everything is seen from the viewpoint of a camera. If you want to export your project specifically from a camera view, you must add a scene camera. When you add a scene camera to a project, additional reference cameras become available to help you see your composition from various angles, such as top, bottom, left, and right. Scene cameras are used for rendering output when you export your project; what you see through the scene camera represents your final render. Reference cameras are not used for rendering. Scene cameras There are two types of scene cameras to choose from in the Camera Inspector: Framing: Sets the camera origin (or anchor point) at the focal plane (a plane perpendicular to the camera’s local Z axis—in other words, perpendicular to your line of sight as you look at the Canvas). The position of a Framing camera’s origin makes it useful for orbiting moves—rotating the camera causes it to orbit. Viewpoint: Sets the camera origin (or anchor point) at the center of projection, “inside” the virtual camera. Rotating a Viewpoint camera causes it to pivot—also known as panning (horizontal) or tilting (vertical). For more information, see Controls in the Camera Inspector. You set the scene camera type (Framing or Viewpoint) in the Camera Inspector. Scene cameras appear in the Layers list and Canvas (as wireframe objects that you can move and rotate to change your point of view). Reference cameras There are two types of views provided by the reference cameras: Orthogonal: Views the scene by looking straight down one of the world axes: X, Y, or Z. The Front and Back cameras look straight down the Z axis. The Top and Bottom cameras look straight down the Y axis. The Left and Right cameras look straight down the X axis. Orthogonal views do not show perspective. Perspective: Views the scene with perspective distortion, the way a real-world camera would. (Scene cameras also view the scene in perspective.) Reference camera views are selected in the Canvas, via the Camera pop-up menu or the 3D compass. Reference cameras do not appear as objects in the Layers list or Canvas, nor can they be manipulated like a scene camera. SEE ALSO Add a camera View 3D overlays Scale, position, and animate cameras Controls in the Camera Inspector Work with camera views and overlays View 3D overlays After you add a camera to your project, there are six 3D overlays available in the Canvas to help you view and arrange your 3D elements: Camera pop-up menu: Sets the camera view. 3D view tools: Control reference and scene cameras. Inset view: Displays the scene from a different camera’s perspective. 3D grid: Shows the ground plane of the 3D world. 3D compass: Changes the Canvas view in 3D space. 3D scene icons: Display onscreen representations of cameras, lights, and edge-on lines. Show or hide 3D overlays Do one of the following: Choose View > 3D Overlays, then choose an overlay type. Click the View pop-up menu above the Canvas, then choose an overlay type. A checkmark next to an overlay type in the pop-up menu indicates that the overlay is enabled in the Canvas. Camera pop-up menu The Camera pop-up menu, located in the upper-left corner of the Canvas, lists the active camera view. Choose from a list of scene cameras and reference cameras. This menu also contains several view-related commands. The Camera pop-up menu is divided into three sections: The top section lets you select the active scene camera as well as any other scene cameras you’ve added to your project. For more information on scene cameras, see Add a camera. Active Camera/Camera: When you choose Active Camera from the pop-up menu, the topmost camera in the Layers list at the current playhead position (in the Timeline) becomes the active camera. The active camera is the camera through which you view your project in the Canvas. It’s also the camera view that’s rendered when you export your project. If a project contains only one scene camera (as shown above), two items appear at the top of this pop-up menu: Active Camera and Camera, which represent the same camera. If a project contains more than one scene camera (as shown below), all scene cameras appear at the top of the Camera pop-up menu, under the Active Camera item. To make a different scene camera the active camera, choose a different camera from the top section of the pop-up menu. (Scene cameras listed in this section of the Camera pop-up menu appear in the same order as they do in the Layers list.) For more information, see Work with multiple cameras. The middle section of the Camera pop-up menu lets you choose a reference camera to help you see your composition from various angles. Choose any of the following to activate a reference camera view: Perspective: Like a real-world camera, views the scene with perspective distortion. For example, layers farther away from the camera appear smaller than layers closer to the camera. The perspective view defaults to a view from the front center. Front: This orthogonal camera looks straight down the Z axis and shows a perpendicular view from the front of the scene. Back: This orthogonal camera looks straight down the Z axis and shows a perpendicular view from the back of the scene. Left: This orthogonal camera looks straight down the X axis and shows a perpendicular view from the left of the scene. Right: This orthogonal camera looks straight down the X axis and shows a perpendicular view from the right of the scene. Top: This orthogonal camera looks straight down the Y axis and shows a perpendicular view from the top of the scene. Bottom: This orthogonal camera looks straight down the Y axis and shows a perpendicular view from the bottom of the scene. Note: The orthogonal camera views (Front, Back, Left, Right, Top, and Bottom) ignore perspective. The reference camera views cannot be exported. However, you can still animate a scene camera when a reference camera view is selected. Note: Because project objects are 2D (flat), they may not visible in the Canvas when you choose an orthogonal camera view (Front, Back, Left, Right, Top, and Bottom). This is because orthogonal views are at right angles (perpendicular) to 2D elements in your project. When you select an object that’s invisible to an orthogonal references camera, a thin white line represents the object in the Canvas. For more information, see 3D scene icons. The bottom section of the Camera pop-up menu allows access to five frequently used commands: Reset View: Resets the camera view to its default orientation. (Control-R) Select Active Camera: Selects the active camera in the project—the topmost camera in the Layers list that is visible at the current frame (when there are multiple cameras existing at the same frame in time). (ControlOption-C) Fit Objects Into View: Reframes the current camera to fit the selected objects into the Canvas. (F) Frame Object: Frames the selected objects in the active view. If no objects are selected, Frame Object resets the reference camera to view all objects in the scene. (ShiftCommand-F) Focus On Object: Used when a camera has depth of field turned on. Adjusts the camera’s Focus Offset to the selected object. (Control-F) After you choose a camera view (scene camera or reference camera), use the 3D view tools to pan, orbit, or dolly the camera. 3D view tools The 3D view tools in the upper-right corner of the Canvas become available after you add a camera to your project. Use these tools to modify the position and orientation of reference and scene cameras, thereby changing your view of objects in 3D space. A scene camera indicator (a gray camera icon) appears at the left of the 3D view tools when a scene camera is the active camera. This icon is a reminder (not a button or control) that when you use the 3D view tools, you are moving the scene camera, which affects your project’s output. Pan, orbit, or dolly using the 3D view tools Do one of the following: Pan: Drag over the leftmost control to move the camera along the X and Y axes relative to the current view. Orbit: Drag over the middle control to orbit the camera around the selected scene object. If nothing is selected, the camera orbits around its focal plane. For more information on the camera focal plane, see Controls in the Camera Inspector. Orbit can affect X, Y, and Z Position values, as well as X and Y Rotation values. Note: If you use the orbit control to change an orthogonal reference camera, an asterisk appears next to the view’s name in the Camera pop-up menu, indicating that the view is no longer a true orthogonal view. Dolly: Drag over the rightmost control to dolly the camera, moving it along the Z axis relative to the current view. Tip: Double-clicking a 3D view tool resets all parameters that can be affected by the tool. Pan, orbit, or dolly in small or large increments Do one of the following: Hold down the Shift key while dragging in the Pan, Orbit, or Dolly controls to adjust the camera in increments of 10. Hold down the Option key while dragging in the Pan, Orbit, or Dolly controls to adjust the camera in increments of .01. Pan, orbit, or dolly using keyboard commands and a two-button or threebutton mouse Do one of the following: Pan: Drag in the Canvas while holding down the Option key and the right mouse button. Orbit: Drag in the Canvas while holding down the Command key and the right mouse button. Dolly: Drag in the Canvas while holding down the Command key, the Option key, and the right mouse button. Reset your camera Do one of the following: Double-click the Pan, Orbit, or Dolly tool. Click the pop-up Camera pop-up menu (in the upper-left corner of the Canvas), then choose Reset View. In the Properties Inspector for the camera, click the reset button for the Transform parameters. 3D compass Located in the lower-left corner of the Canvas, the 3D compass acts as an orientation and shortcut device. It has active and passive states, depending on whether the pointer is positioned over it. In its passive state, it displays the orientation of the three world axes (X, Y, and Z). In its active state, the compass presents color-coded shortcuts to activate the reference (orthogonal and perspective) cameras. Show or hide the 3D compass Click the View pop-up menu above the Canvas, then choose Show 3D Overlays and 3D Compass. A checkmark next to an overlay type in the pop-up menu indicates that the overlay is enabled in the Canvas. Select a reference camera view using the 3D compass 1. Position the pointer over the compass. The compass changes to its active state, displaying a labeled icon for each reference camera view. 2. Click the icon representing the camera to activate. The view in the Canvas updates to the selected reference camera view. Select a camera view using the 3D compass 1. Position the pointer over the 3D compass. The compass changes to its active state. 2. Control-click the 3D compass, then choose a scene camera or reference camera view from the shortcut menu. The view in the Canvas changes to the selected camera view. Inset view When you move an object (a layer, group, camera, or light) in a 3D project, an inset view appears in the lower-right corner of the Canvas, showing the scene from a different camera’s point of view. If you’re viewing the scene through the active camera, the inset view shows the Perspective camera’s point of view. If you’re viewing the scene through any other camera, the inset view shows the active camera. Use the inset view to see the results of changes that you make in orthogonal views. Show the inset view Click the View pop-up menu above the Canvas, then choose Show 3D Overlays and Inset View. A checkmark next to an overlay type in the pop-up menu indicates that the overlay is enabled in the Canvas. You can set the inset view’s size and when it appears in the Canvas by opening Motion Preferences (press CommandComma), then adjusting the settings in the 3D pane. 3D grid The 3D grid shows the ground plane of the 3D world. The ground plane is, as the name states, a plane attached to the ground of the scene, where Y equals 0. The ground plane represents the dividing line between up and down, that is, between positive Y values and negative Y values. It is centered on 0, 0, 0. Show the 3D grid Click the View pop-up menu above the Canvas, then choose Show 3D Overlays and 3D Grid. A checkmark next to an overlay type in the pop-up menu indicates that the overlay is enabled in the Canvas. 3D scene icons 3D scene icons are onscreen wireframe representations of cameras and lights in your project. (When a scene camera is active, its 3D scene icon is not visible because you’re viewing the scene through that camera. To see the camera’s scene icon, click the Camera pop-up menu and choose a different camera view.) When you rotate a flat layer (a shape or image) so that its plane is perpendicular to the screen, another type of 3D scene icon becomes visible: an edge-on line that lets you see and manipulate an object that would otherwise be invisible. Note: No 3D scene icons appear in exported images or movie clips. Tip: Double-click a camera scene icon to select it and change the current view to that camera. Show the 3D scene icons Click the View pop-up menu above the Canvas, then choose Show 3D Overlays and 3D Scene Icons. A checkmark next to an overlay type in the pop-up menu indicates that the overlay is enabled in the Canvas. Viewport layouts Viewports are window divisions in the Canvas that display multiple camera views at the same time. Viewports can help you animate and position objects in 3D space. The default viewport is a single camera view. You can add more viewports by clicking the gray box in the top-right corner of the Canvas, then choosing an arrangement: Single: The default value, displays a single viewport window in the Canvas. Two-up, side by side: Displays two viewport windows in the Canvas, one next to the other. Two-up, top and bottom: Displays two viewport windows in the Canvas, one on top of the other. Three-up, large window below: Displays three viewport windows, two next to each other on top and a larger window below. Three-up, large window right: Displays three viewport windows, two stacked on the left side and a larger window spanning the right side. Four-up, large window right: Displays four viewport windows, three stacked on the left side and one larger window on the right side. Four-up: Displays four viewport windows, all the same size. When working with multiple viewports, the most recent view clicked in is the active view. The active viewport is highlighted with a yellow border. Only the active viewport displays transform handles. Note: The active viewport in the Canvas is not the same as the active camera. For more information, see About cameras and views. Work with multiple cameras If a scene contains more than one camera, you can set the topmost camera in the Layers list and Timeline to be the active camera at the current frame. Although the active camera is the default camera used for export, you can select any scene camera to export. (The active camera is not the same as the active view. The active view is the last viewport you clicked in when working with multiple viewports.) Note: Dragging and dropping an object onto the Canvas adds the object to the scene at the focal plane of the current camera. Dragging an object into the Layers list or clicking the Apply button in the preview area of the File Browser positions the object at 0, 0, 0 in the Canvas. Make a camera active based on its layer order In the Canvas, click the Camera pop-up menu, then choose Active Camera. The topmost camera in the Layers list at the current frame becomes the active camera (Camera 2 in the example above). Make a specific camera the active camera In the Canvas, click the Camera pop-up menu, then choose a scene camera. SEE ALSO Timeline overview Scale, position, and animate cameras Motion gives you various ways to scale, position, “walk,” and animate cameras. After you position cameras in a project, you can select a single camera view using the Isolate command. For more information, see Isolate an object in the Canvas. Scale a camera Use the Scale parameter in the Properties pane of the Inspector to scale what a scene camera sees. For example, when the camera “shrinks,” the scene it views seems to become larger. 1. Select a camera in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. In the Properties Inspector, drag the Scale slider. Note: Changing the Scale value does not affect a camera’s Angle of View parameter. Additionally, changing the Scale value only affects framing cameras. For more information about framing cameras, see About cameras and views and Controls in the Camera Inspector. Position a camera in the Canvas Do one of the following: Drag a camera or its onscreen controls in the Canvas. For more information, see Transform layers in 3D space. Select a camera in Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then adjust the Position or Rotation controls in the Properties Inspector. Select a camera in Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then adjust the 3D transform controls in the HUD. For more information, see Transform layers in 3D space. Select a camera in Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then adjust the 3D view tools in the upper-right corner of the Canvas. For more information, see 3D view tools. Position a camera using the Walk 3D View tool The Walk 3D View tool lets you position a camera in 3D space as you would in a computer game, using a keyboard-and-mouse navigation method. 1. Select a camera, then click the view tools control in the toolbar and, holding down the mouse button, choose the Walk 3D View tool. The pointer changes to indicate that the Walk 3D View tool is active. 2. Use the Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Right Arrow, and Left Arrow keys to move the camera in 3D space; hold down the Option key while using the arrow keys to move the camera more slowly. You can also drag in the Canvas to orient the camera. If you’re using a scene camera, you can also record the movement you create using the Walk 3D View tool, by creating keyframes. For more information on keyframing, see Add keyframes. Note: The Walk 3D View tool is available only when Active Camera, Camera, or Perspective is selected from the Camera pop-up menu. For more information on the Camera pop-up menu, see Camera pop-up menu. Animate a camera Do one of the following: Add keyframes to a camera parameter in the Camera Inspector or Properties Inspector. For more information on animating with keyframes, see Keyframing overview. Apply a basic behavior or a Camera behavior to a camera. For more information on Camera behaviors, see Add Camera behaviors. Apply a Parameter behavior to camera parameter in the Camera Inspector or Properties Inspector. For more information on Parameter behaviors, see Add, remove, and disable a Parameter behavior. Isolate an object in the Canvas The Isolate command (and Isolate button) temporarily aligns the current view with the selected object and hides all other objects in the scene, facilitating access to distant or obscured objects. The Isolate command is not intended for creating a camera view to be rendered or exported, but rather to temporarily restrict your view to a single object so you can modify or manipulate that object more effectively. Isolate an object 1. Select the object to isolate in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Object > Isolate (or press Control-I). In the Layers list or Timeline, click the Isolate button. The current view changes to align itself with the selected object, and all other objects in the scene are hidden. When an object is isolated, a temporary camera is created and listed in the Camera pop-up menu. The camera shares its name with that of the isolated object. Exit the isolated view Do one of the following: Choose Object > Isolate (or press Control-I). In the Layers list or Timeline, click the Isolate button. Choose a different camera from the Camera pop-up menu. Note: You can isolate as many objects as you have viewports. It’s a common workflow to edit an object in an isolated view while looking at the results through a scene camera in another viewport. After an object is isolated in a view, you can activate another viewport and isolate a different object. For more information, see Viewport layouts. Controls in the Camera Inspector You can modify a scene camera’s properties in the Camera Inspector (and in the Camera HUD). To open the Camera Inspector, select a camera in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then click Camera in the Inspector. The Camera Inspector contains the following parameter controls: Camera Type: A pop-up menu to set the type of camera used. There are two options: Framing: Sets the camera origin at the focal plane. The focal plane of a camera is a plane located at a distance equal to the camera’s focal distance along its local Z axis (or line of sight) and oriented perpendicular to the camera’s local Z axis. Viewpoint: Sets the camera origin at the center of projection, “inside” the virtual camera. Angle of View: A slider to set the number of degrees in which the camera sees. Values range from 0 to 180 degrees. Note: When you animate the Angle of View parameter on a Framing camera, the result is an opposing dolly effect. An opposing dolly zooms in the opposite direction that the camera moves. When you animate the Angle of View parameter on a Viewpoint camera, the result is a regular camera zoom. Near Plane: A slider to set the distance where the camera begins to see objects. Objects closer to the camera than this distance are not rendered from this camera’s point of view. Far Plane: A slider to set the distance where the camera ceases to see objects. Objects farther from the camera than this distance are not rendered from this camera’s point of view. Near Fade: A slider to set the softness factor for the near plane. The softness factor sets a boundary range over which near objects fade in. Far Fade: A slider to set the softness factor for the far plane. The softness factor sets a boundary range over which far objects fade out. Note: Camera depth of field parameters are also contained in this window. For a complete description of these controls see Depth of field overview. The Camera HUD contains the Camera Type, Angle of View, Focal Length, and DOF Blur Amount parameters, which are also available in the Inspector. The Camera HUD also contains 3D transform controls. For more information, see Transform layers in 3D space. Depth of field Depth of field overview In the real world, cameras have a limited range of focus. Objects within that range appear sharp, and the farther outside that range an object is, the blurrier it appears. This effect is used by camera operators to help limit which part of a scene the viewer pays attention to. Motion lets you simulate that phenomenon, thereby increasing the sense of depth in a 3D scene. Every camera in Motion has a focus offset that determines the precise location of perfect focus. Stretching away from that point in either direction are near and far focus points, which determine the range of the depth of field. Note: Some complex objects, such as local 3D text and paint strokes with enabled Dynamics, are not affected by depth-of-field settings. Render depth of field effects When depth of field is employed, playback performance may be significantly impacted. To alleviate this issue, you can disable the effects of depth of field settings while working on other aspects of your project. Enable or disable depth of field effects Click the Render pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Canvas, then choose Depth of Field (or press Control-OptionD). When a check mark is visible next to the menu item, the effects are rendered. When no check mark is visible, all objects remain in focus. Turn off depth of field in the Inspector Select a camera in the Layers list or Timeline, then, in the Camera Inspector, set the DOF Blur Amount value (in the Depth of Field section) to 0. Depth of Field controls in the Camera Inspector You can modify a camera’s depth of field parameters in the Camera Inspector: DOF Blur Amount: A slider to control the maximum amount of blur applied to out-of-focus objects. Focus Offset: A slider to set the distance from the camera where objects are in perfect focus. Near Focus: A slider to set the nearest point of focus, measured in pixels as an offset from the focal distance. Far Focus: A slider to set the farthest point of focus, measured in pixels as an offset from the focal distance. Infinite Focus: A checkbox that sets the far focus to infinity, overriding the setting chosen in the Far Focus slider. Filter: A pop-up menu to set the type of blur algorithm used to render the out-of-focus areas. Choices include Gaussian or Defocus. The Defocus setting renders a more realistic effect, but may impact performance. Tip: For best results, use Gaussian when setting up a scene, and Defocus for final output. Filter Shape: When the Filter pop-up menu is set to Defocus, this pop-up menu lets you choose between a disk-shaped, or polygon-shaped render kernel. Different shapes produce subtly different blur patterns simulating different types of camera lenses. Sides: When the Filter Shape pop-up menu is set to Polygon, this slider sets the number of sides in the polygon. Depth: A pop-up menu to set the depth to Radial or Planar. Although Radial typically exhibits more realistic results, there are some cases where it may look artificial. These include cases where the camera is set to a high DOF Blur Amount, or if the image layer is close to the edge of the frame, is very large, is rotated, and so on. In these cases, switching to Planar may improve results. Camera behaviors Add Camera behaviors Although most types of behaviors in Motion can be applied to cameras, there is an additional set of behaviors specifically designed to be applied to cameras in a 3D project. These Camera behaviors create common camera moves such as dollying, panning, and zooming without keyframing. There are six camera-specific behaviors: Dolly, Focus, Framing, Sweep, Zoom In/Out, and Zoom Layer. Add a Camera behavior 1. Select a scene camera in the Layers list, Canvas, or Timeline. 2. In the toolbar, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu, choose Camera, then choose an item from the submenu. The behavior is applied to the camera object and appears under it in the Layers list and Timeline. SEE ALSO Behaviors overview Dolly The Dolly behavior moves the camera a specified distance along the camera’s Z axis. After you apply this behavior, the Dolly section of the Behaviors Inspector contains the following parameter controls: Distance: A slider to set the distance of the dolly movement. Speed: A pop-up menu to set the type of interpolation used for the movement. The value can be set to Constant, Ease In, Ease Out, Ease Both, Accelerate, or Decelerate. The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector. Focus The Focus behavior animates the camera’s Focus Offset parameter to focus on a target object. For more information on camera focus settings, see Depth of field overview. Tip: Use this behavior to perform a rack-focus effect during a scene. After you apply this behavior, the Focus section of the Behaviors Inspector contains the following parameter controls: Target: An image well to specify the object upon which the camera will focus. Drag an object from the Layers list into the well. Transition: A slider to set how long it takes for the camera to reach the focus position, measured as a percentage of the behavior’s duration. Speed: A pop-up menu to set the type of interpolation used for the movement. Values include Constant, Ease In, Ease Out, Ease Both, Accelerate, or Decelerate. The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector. Framing The Framing behavior animates the camera along a path to position it in front of a selected layer. You can control how the layer fits into the frame at the ending position, and you can control the shape of the path to affect the amount of bend or curvature, as well as the apex of such a curved path. Other parameters allow you to customize the camera’s orientation along the path, the speed at which it travels, and at what point it begins orienting towards the target object. The Framing behavior has handles to allow you to manipulate the path and ending position in the Canvas. For more information on using the Framing behavior’s handles, see Use Framing behavior onscreen controls. Tip: Multiple framing behaviors can be arranged consecutively to move a camera from one object to another over the course of a scene. WARNING: Applying a Framing behavior before or after a Basic Motion behavior, such as Motion Path or Throw, can create unexpected results. These behaviors can continue to affect the object even after the behavior ends. For example, if a Framing behavior is applied after a Motion Path behavior is applied, the residual effect of the Motion Path is combined with the path generated by the Framing behavior, resulting in the target object being framed improperly. After you apply this behavior, the Framing section of the Behaviors Inspector contains the following parameter controls: Target: An image well to specify the object upon which the camera is framed. Drag an object from the Layers list into the well. Target Face: A pop-up menu to specify which side (face) of the target layer the camera points to at the end of the framing behavior. For example, when you choose “Bottom (-y),” the camera swoops in from its original position to frame the bottom of the object, pointing up along the Y axis. Up Vector: A pop-up menu that provides a constraint for the camera to keep it the right way up. By default, the camera is upright along the Y axis. When you choose “Target +X,” the camera moves from its original position and rotates so that it’s perpendicular to the X axis of the target object, making its upright axis +X (the right side of the X axis, based on the 0, 0, 0 coordinate system). When you choose “World +X,” the camera moves from its original position and rotates so that it is perpendicular to the +X axis of the 3D space (rather than the axis of the target layer). When you choose “Auto,” Motion tries to guess the upright axis. For more information on coordinates, see 3D compositing overview. Framing: A pop-up menu to specify how the target should be framed. The menu choices include the following: Fit Horizontally: Positions the camera so the full width of the target fits in the width of the frame. Fit Vertically: Positions the camera so the full height of the target fits in the height of the frame. Fit Both: Positions the camera so both width and height of the target fit in the frame. Simple Fit: Positions the camera so both width and height of the project fit in the frame. If the target object is larger or smaller than the project dimensions, it may not properly fill the frame. Custom Fit: This option appears when you modify the Framing Offset parameter (described below). Framing Offset: Three value sliders (X, Y, and, when expanded, Z) to offset (in pixels) the point on the target that is centered, relative to the camera. By adjusting Framing Offset, you can target a point other than the center of the object. The Z slider moves the camera nearer to or farther from the target. Offset Path Apex: A slider to set the position along the path Offset Path Apex: A slider to set the position along the path (from the original position to the framing position) where the bend (if any) occurs if the user chooses to offset the path. Offset Path Apex is expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (0 being at the start of the path, 1 being the end, and 0.5 being halfway along the path). Path Offset: Three value sliders (X, Y, and, when expanded, Z) to offset the camera’s position from the path, measured in pixels. Orientation: A pop-up menu to set whether the camera is oriented towards the target at every frame (Orient to Current) or oriented towards the target at its final position (Orient to Final). Position Transition Time: A slider to set how long it takes the camera to reach the framing position, measured as a percentage of the behavior’s duration. Rotation Transition Time: A slider to set how long it takes the camera to reach the framing orientation, measured as a percentage of the behavior’s duration. Transition: A pop-up menu to set the speed of the transition. Choices include Constant, Ease In, Ease Out, Ease Both, Accelerate, or Decelerate. Ease Out Time: A slider to set the percentage of the behavior’s duration when the ease-out effect starts. The ease out ramps down the behavior’s effect until the end of the behavior. Ease Out Curve: A slider that sets the rate of the ease-out effect. The HUD contains a subset of the controls in the Inspector. Use Framing behavior onscreen controls When you select a Framing behavior in the Layers list, onscreen controls become available in the Canvas, allowing you to create a custom framing size and shape, and to visually adjust the Framing Offset and Offset Path Apex parameters. Note: To use the Framing behavior onscreen controls, you must first assign a layer to the Target image well in the Behaviors Inspector. Target a point other than the center of the layer By default, the Framing behavior targets the center of the layer. You can instruct the camera to frame another area of the target layer using the Framing Offset parameter’s onscreen controls. 1. Click the Camera pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas, then choose Perspective. 2. Select a framing behavior in the Layers list or Timeline. In the Canvas, a white rectangle with four corner handles appears. This rectangle is the Framing Offset parameter onscreen control. 3. Do one of the following: Drag any of the four corner handles to adjust the Z value. Note: Because the onscreen controls may be imprecise, use the value sliders in the Behavior Inspector to limit value changes to the Z axis alone. Drag inside the white rectangle to adjust the X or Y values. Set the location of the camera motion path apex If the Framing behavior settings create a curved camera motion path, you can adjust the vertex (the highest point of the curve) using the Offset Path Apex parameter’s onscreen control. 1. Click the Camera pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas, then choose Perspective. 2. With the Framing behavior selected, drag the Offset Path Apex (the small white box) along the white line that connects the red curved motion path to reposition the apex. Tip: If you don’t see the small white box, drag over the dolly tool (in the top-left corner of the Canvas) to zoom out a bit. Offset the camera motion path You can offset the camera’s motion path that is created by the Framing behavior using the Path Offset parameter’s onscreen controls. 1. Click the Camera pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas, then choose Perspective. 2. With the Framing behavior selected, do one of the following: Drag the green arrow to adjust the path along the Y axis. Drag the red arrow to adjust the path along the X axis. Drag the blue arrow to adjust the path along the Z axis. Drag inside the white circle (where the colored circles meet) to adjust the path along all three axes simultaneously. Note: If the transform controls (colored arrows) appear within the framing onscreen controls in the Canvas, the framing is adjusted rather than the camera motion path. If this occurs, orbit the camera view so that the transform controls are offset from the framing control. For more information on the 3D transform controls, see Transform layers in 3D space Sweep The Sweep behavior pivots the camera across a specified arc. After you apply this behavior, the Sweep section of the Behaviors Inspector contains the following parameter controls: Start: A dial to set the camera’s starting angle relative to its current orientation. A nonzero value causes the camera to jump to this value at the start of the behavior. End: A dial to set the camera’s final angle relative to its Start parameter value. Speed: A pop-up menu to set the type of interpolation used for the rotation. The value can be set to Constant, Ease In, Ease Out, Ease Both, Accelerate, or Decelerate. Axis: A pop-up menu to set the axis around which the sweep occurs. Value can be set to Tilt X, Swivel Y, or Roll Z. The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector. Zoom In/Out The Zoom In/Out behavior animates the camera’s Angle of View parameter. After you apply this behavior, the Zoom In/Out section of the Behaviors Inspector contains the following parameter controls: Zoom: A slider to set a proportional value to modify the camera’s Angle of View parameter. For more information about the Angle of View parameter, see Controls in the Camera Inspector. Speed: A pop-up menu to set the type of interpolation for the movement. The value can be set to Constant, Ease In, Ease Out, Ease Both, Accelerate, or Decelerate. The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector. Zoom Layer The Zoom Layer behavior moves a camera to the position of a target object’s anchor point. When the camera reaches the object’s anchor point, the angle of view changes while offsetting the camera’s position based on the Zoom parameter. (This parameter is set to 0 by default so no animation of the Angle of View occurs.) This behavior also lets you animate the camera’s Angle of View during the camera’s movement, based on the behavior’s Transition value. For more information about the Angle of View parameter, see Controls in the Camera Inspector. After you apply this behavior, the Zoom Layer section of the Behaviors Inspector contains the following parameter controls: Object: An image well to set the target of the camera’s movement. Drag an object from the Layers list into the well. Transition: A slider to specify how far into the behavior the camera stops moving and the camera’s Angle of View parameter begins to animate instead. If Transition is set to 50% in a Zoom Layer behavior that has a length of 300 frames, the camera move takes 150 frames to arrive at the position of the target object and then stops moving for the duration of the behavior, and the camera’s Angle of View parameter animates over the rest of the duration. If Transition is set to 100%, the camera move takes the full 300 frames to arrive at the position of the target object, and the camera’s angle of view does not animate. If the Zoom Layer behavior’s duration is 100 frames and Transition is set to 50%, the camera move takes 50 frames to arrive at the position of the target object. Speed: A pop-up menu to set the type of interpolation used for the rotation. The value can be set to Constant, Ease In, Ease Out, Ease Both, Accelerate, or Decelerate. Zoom: A slider to set a proportional value to modify the camera’s Angle of View parameter. A nonzero value determines how much the angle of view (and thus perspective) changes relative to the camera’s initial angle of view. A zero value for Zoom leaves the Angle of View parameter unchanged. The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector. Lighting Lighting overview You can apply lighting to a motion graphics project to enhance the depth and scope of compositions, and to help create realistic environments for composites. Although light sources are not visible, you can simulate a visible light source by combining a point light with an image or shape, as shown in the example below. Tip: Use the Match Move behavior to move a simulated light source with a light in a movie clip. For more information on the Match Move behavior, see Match move an object. Motion’s lighting system works only on 3D groups (and the layers and groups nested within them). When you add lights to a scene, two groups of properties contribute to the appearance of lights: Light properties: You can adjust the quality of a light itself by selecting a light object in your project, then modifying its parameters in the Light Inspector. Object lighting properties: You can adjust how an image layer in your project (a still image, movie clip, shape, and so on) receives light cast by light objects by selecting the layer, then adjusting Lighting parameters in the Properties Inspector. You can manipulate any of the following light properties: type of light, intensity, and color. A light bulb, the sun, and lighting in a dance club have different appearances. You can use lighting properties to simulate these differences. You can use multiple lights to mix color. If one red and one blue spot light are pointed at a white object, they mix to make magenta. Each type of light has its own attributes. It may take a combination of light types to achieve a specific effect. For example, you might want to combine a dim ambient light with a spot light to add depth or prevent total darkness where the spot light’s effect drops off. SEE ALSO Add lights Light Inspector controls Lighting controls in the Properties Inspector Add lights You can add a lights to your project one at a time, or you can add sets of lights that have been predesigned to create specific lighting styles. Add a light to a project 1. Click the New Light button in the toolbar, or choose Object > New Light. If your project contains no existing 3D groups, the following dialog appears: If your project already contains at least one 3D group, go to step 3. If you select Keep as 2D, a light will have no effect until you create at least one 3D group at the root level (not nested in a 2D group). 2. Click Switch to 3D. A light object is added to the Layers list, Canvas (represented there by a wireframe icon), and Timeline; the 3D Transform tool in the toolbar becomes active; and the Light Inspector opens. 3. Make adjustments to the light in the Light Inspector. Add a preset lighting style You can add a group of lights all at once by selecting one of Motion’s preset lighting styles. 1. Choose Object > New Light Setup and choose one of the preset lighting styles. 2. If a dialog appears stating that you have no 3D groups in the project, click Switch to 3D. A new group containing lights is added to the project. The number and types of lights varies depending on the preset style you chose. 3. Make any adjustments to the newly added lights to customize them for your scene. Note: Choosing a new light setup does not remove or replace any lights that are already in the project. Tip: If you’re using 3D text, turn off any lighting effects before adding scene lights to avoid unexpected or conflicting results. See Adjust 3D text lighting. Disable rendering of lighting Lighting effects can significantly impact playback performance. You can temporarily disable lighting to improve playback speed while working on other aspects of your project. Click the Render pop-up menu in the top-right corner of the Canvas, then choose Lighting (or press Option-L). Light Inspector controls Light Inspector controls When you create a light, or select a light object in the Layers list, the Light Inspector opens. In the Light Inspector, you can adjust the following parameters: Light Type: A pop-up menu to specify any of four light types: Ambient: Emits light in all directions, illuminating all objects in the scene from all directions equally. This type of light has no position and no representation in the Canvas. The most common use for ambient lights is to add an overall fill effect or color cast. Note: There’s no global ambience property in Motion, so you may have to add an ambient light to prevent total blackness. Directional: Emits parallel rays of light in a specified direction from a source located at an infinite distance. Rotate the directional light icon (a wireframe cylinder with one end removed) in the Canvas to change the direction in which the light is cast. The circle represents the back of the light, and the lines indicate the direction the light is traveling. Point: Emits light outward from a single point in 3D space in all directions. Optionally, you can add falloff based on an object’s proximity to the light. This is the default light in Motion, and it produces results similar to that of an incandescent light bulb. Spot: Emits light from a conical light source and casts an elliptical pattern on objects hit by the light. Using a spot light allows for a high degree of accuracy when you need to limit the area affected by the light. Color: A standard set of controls to select the color of the light. Intensity: A slider that acts as a dimmer switch for lighting. If you use a Directional light at 100% intensity pointed straight at a red object, the object looks red. If you lower the intensity, the object and scene get darker. However, if you increase the intensity above 100% you may begin to overexpose your scene, eventually causing the object to appear white. The Intensity value slider ranges from 0 and 400, but there’s no upper limit for Intensity (use the adjacent value slider to set a value above 400). Note: Multiple lights interacting with an object combine to increase the object’s apparent brightness as they would in the real world. If you have two spot lights overlapping in space and pointing in the same direction with Intensity set to 100%, you see the same result as having a single spot light with its Intensity set to 200%. Falloff Start: A slider to adjust where the falloff point of a light begins. In the real world, light falls off—or has less of an effect —as the distance from the light source increases. Usually falloff starts at the center of the light object. Setting Falloff Start adds additional control to your lighting. This parameter applies to light types that use a Position parameter (Point and Spot). In the example below, a light is positioned slightly above the origin of the scene. There are three rings of cards at a distance of 200, 500, and 1000 units from the light. (In this example, a visible light source—the bulb at the center of the rings of cards—is simulated for illustrative purposes.) The light’s Intensity is set to 100% and Falloff is set to 10%. When Falloff Start is set to 0 (left, below), the light begins to fall off by the time it hits the innermost ring. When Falloff Start is set to 200 (right, below), the inner ring is lit at 100% intensity and the outer rings are slightly brighter than before. When Falloff Start is increased to 500 (left, below), the inner and middle rings are lit at 100% intensity, and the outer ring is brighter than before. Finally, when Falloff Start is set to 1000 (right, below), all rings are lit at 100% intensity. In the next example, the image on the left contains a light with Intensity set to 100%, while the image on the right has a light Intensity of 500%. In the image on the right, the outer rings are slightly brighter, but the innermost ring is overexposed. If the Falloff Start of the light in the image on the right is increased to 1000, the rings are overexposed. Falloff: A slider to control the rate of falloff for a point or spot light based on the Falloff Start setting. At low values, light falls off over a long distance from the light source; therefore, the light travels farther in the image. At high values, the falloff occurs more rapidly. Cone Angle: A dial that becomes available only when Light Type is set to Spot. The Cone Angle is measured from the center of the light outward and can be set to a value between 0 and 90 degrees. The distance of the light from its target affects the result of this parameter. If the light is close, a wider spot cone angle may be needed to light more of the object. If the light is farther away, a lower Cone Angle may be needed to isolate objects. Soft Edge: A dial that becomes available only when Light Type is set to Spot. Like Cone Angle, this parameter can be set to a value between 0 and 90 degrees. Its starting point begins at the outer edge of the Cone Angle. If set to 0, spot lights have a hard edge. Low values produce a slight softening effect to the boundary of the lit area. Higher values produce a wide, more natural fade. Adding softness expands the area of your light, so you might need to adjust the angle to achieve a specific effect. Note: Point lights, directional lights, and spot lights also contain a set of parameters to control how they cast shadows. For more information on these parameters, see Shadows overview. The Light HUD contains the Light Type, Color, Intensity, Falloff Start, and Falloff parameters, which are also available in the Inspector. The Light HUD also contains 3D transform controls. For more information, see Transform layers in 3D space. Lighting controls in the Properties Inspector Layers and groups have properties that control how they react to lights in a scene. When layer or group is selected, you can adjust these parameters in the Lighting section of the Properties Inspector. Groups have a single Shading parameter. Layers have Shading, Highlights, Shininess, and Diameter parameters. Shading: A pop-up menu to set how an object responds to lights in the scene. If set to On, the object can be lit. If set to Off, the object ignores scene lights. If set to Inherited (the default), the object uses the Shading value of its parent. Note: When a layer or group is nested in one or more parent groups, setting its Shading parameter to On overrides any Shading parameter settings applied to the parent groups. Highlights: A checkbox to control whether lit objects show highlights. This parameter has no effect if Shading is set to Off. Click the disclosure triangle to reveal an additional Shininess parameter. Shininess: A slider to set how strong an object’s highlights appear. Higher values create a glossier appearance. This Shininess parameter is disabled when the Highlights parameter is deselected. Diameter: A slider that becomes available when Light Type is set to Directional, Point, or Spot. Diameter affects how lights are reflected as highlights in 3D Text objects. Shadows Shadows overview Motion projects that include point lights or spot lights can create more natural, realistic effects by casting shadows. Shadows are created when an opaque or semi-opaque object (a layer or group) blocks light from hitting another object. To see a shadow in Motion, you need at least three things: A shadow-casting light source, an object to cast a shadow, and another object upon which the shadow is cast. Multiple lights cast multiple shadows that may or may not be visible depending on the relative positions and settings of the objects in the scene. Note: Ambient lights do not cast shadows. In Motion, you can control whether a light source creates shadows and whether each object in the scene receives shadows or casts shadows (or both). You can even have an invisible object cast a shadow. The strength, sharpness, shape, and position of the shadow depends on the type and positions of the lights and relative position of all three objects. WARNING: Some changes you make to 3D objects cause shadows to disappear. This occurs when the change causes rasterization of the 3D object—adjusting the opacity of a group or turning on the glow attributes for a text layer, for example. Flattening the 3D group allows it to cast shadows again. For more information about disappearing shadows, see Shadows and rasterization. Cast shadows versus drop shadows There are two common types of shadow effects used in motion graphics work: drop shadows and cast shadows. Motion can create both effects, but because they have different purposes and applications, it may be helpful to consider the differences between them. Cast and drop shadows simulate the effect of light blocked by an opaque object. But a cast shadow is a 3D effect requiring a light source and an object for the shadow to fall upon, whereas a drop shadow is a 2D effect simulating a cast shadow without a light source and therefore is limited to a very small range of settings. Drop shadows are commonly used to simulate depth and separate foreground objects from the background in 2D projects. The classic drop shadow effect is used on light-colored titles so the text is legible against dark and light backgrounds. In a drop shadow effect, the imaginary light source does not create any shading effect on the surface of the object, and the shadow’s position is set at a fixed direction. A drop shadow is rendered as a part of the foreground object, so it doesn’t interact with background objects. However, because it is an effect, its appearance can be customized. The softness, opacity, position, and color can be adjusted and animated without having to manipulate a light source. Cast shadows are true 3D effects, and their appearance is determined by the light source and the other objects in the scene. Multiple cast shadows interact with each other and take their shapes based on the surfaces and positions of the objects upon which they are cast. This section addresses cast shadow effects. For information on drop shadows, see Add a drop shadow to a layer. SEE ALSO Cast a shadow Shadow controls in the Inspector About shadows and complex 3D layers Shadows without lights Cast a shadow Shadows are controlled in the Light Inspector. To improve performance, you can temporarily turn off the rendering of shadows in the Canvas. Cast a shadow In the Layers list or Canvas, select the light, then select the Shadows activation checkbox in the Light Inspector. Note: To cast a shadow, the light must be offset from the object casting the shadow, and the object casting the shadow needs to be offset from the layer receiving its shadow. Disable rendering of shadows Rendering shadows can significantly impact playback performance. You can temporarily disable shadows to improve playback speed while working on other aspects of your project. Click the Render pop-up menu above the Canvas, then choose Shadows (or press Control-Option-S). Shadow controls in the Inspector Shadows are controlled by adjusting settings in two places: Shadows section in the Light Inspector: Use these parameter controls to set the shadow properties of point lights and spot lights. Shadows section in the Properties Inspector: Use these Shadows section in the Properties Inspector: Use these parameter controls to set the casting and receiving properties of layers. Note: 2D groups at the root level of the project (not nested in other groups) do not have lighting or shadow controls. To enable shadows on such a group, convert it to 3D or embed it in another 3D group. Shadows controls in the Light Inspector Shadows: A checkbox to turn on Shadows controls. (When activated, the checkbox is blue.) The Shadows checkbox lets you set some lights to cast shadows, and others not to cast shadows. Selecting this checkbox causes the light to cast shadows on objects in front of it if the objects also have shadow controls enabled. Deselecting it prevents the light from generating shadows, regardless of settings of individual objects. Opacity: A slider to control the apparent opacity of the shadow. Softness: A slider to specify how blurry a shadow will appear. Note: The appearance of a shadow depends on the rendering quality of the object casting it. Because a shadow may be larger than the original object, you may see some jagged edges or aliasing on the shadow. If you see such artifacts, check how your image looks when the project is set to Best quality, rather than Draft or Normal. For more information about Canvas display quality, see Custom Canvas view options. Uniform Softness: A checkbox to constrain the results of the softness slider to a uniform amount of blur on the shadow regardless of distance between the light, the object casting the shadow, and the object receiving the shadow. By deselecting the checkbox, you enable nonuniform softness, so that when objects are farther from each other, more blur is applied. Note: Enabling nonuniform softness can impact playback performance. Note: Intersecting objects reveal an unnatural effect of using uniform softness. Because an equal amount of blur is applied to the entire shadow, the blur appears to spill out in front of the intersecting object, creating a strange appearance. This effect can be eliminated in two ways: by deselecting the Uniform Softness checkbox or by setting the object to not receive shadows (by deselecting the Receive Shadows checkbox in the Properties Inspector). Color: Standard color controls to set the color of the shadow. Although semitransparent objects cast lighter shadows than opaque objects, you cannot create light transmission effects wherein a semitransparent object projects some of its own color onto another object, as stained glass does. For more information on using the color controls, see Basic color controls. Note: When Shadows are enabled for point lights, spot lights, and directional lights, Motion uses the multiply compositing mode to blend shadows with the objects upon which they’re cast. This means that the result is a darkening effect, regardless of the color of the shadow. If you select a shadow color lighter than the background upon which it is cast, the shadow may not be visible. So, for example, when Shadows are enabled for a light, it’s not possible to cast a white shadow on a dark surface. To override this effect, you must disable the Shadows parameter for the light. For more details, see Shadows without lights. Shadows controls in the Properties Inspector Every layer in a 3D group has Shadows controls in its Properties Inspector. This includes shapes, video clips, particles, and so on. Lights, Cameras, and 2D groups at the root level of the project (not nested in another group) do not have Shadows controls. Cast Shadows: A checkbox to set whether a layer casts a shadow if it lies between a light source and another layer. Receive Shadows: A checkbox to control whether other layers cast shadows on the currently selected layer. The following image depicts an object (the white ring) with the Receive Shadow checkbox selected and the Casts Shadow checkbox deselected. Shadows Only: A checkbox that allows an object to block light and cast a shadow, while the object itself does not appear in the scene. You can select both Receive Shadows and Shadows Only, which makes the object invisible except for the regions where a shadow is cast upon it. About shadows and complex 3D layers When using shadows with layers such as particle systems, text objects, or replicators that are set to 3D, shadows are cast from one part of the object onto another part. This is called selfshadowing. Modifying the object in a way that causes rasterization prevents shadows from displaying. In some cases you may be able to find another way to perform the effect that does not require rasterization. For example, in the following images, rather than modifying the opacity of the particle emitter, which causes rasterization, you can modify the opacity of the particle cells and maintain the shadows. In the second figure above, rasterization interferes with the depth order of the particle system, and particles appear in front of the letter A. In the third figure, no rasterization occurs, and particles appear in their proper depth order, in front of and behind the letter A. For more information about how rasterization affects shadows, see Shadows and rasterization. SEE ALSO Particles overview Replicator overview Basic text overview Shadows without lights Lighting and shadows can each be disabled independently. You can keep shadows visible, even when lighting is disabled, allowing you to keep the original unshaded look of the scene. Turning off lighting also changes the way shadows are rendered. When shading (the visible effect of lighting) is disabled, shadows behave differently. Rather than being multiplied with the object upon which they are cast, the shadow’s color and opacity are controlled only by the Shadows settings in the Light Inspector. This allows you to create shadows of any color or opacity, from traditional dark shadows to brightly colored or even white shadows. You can disable shading globally in the View pulldown menu (choose View > Render Options > Lighting to remove the checkmark from the menu item) or in the Render pop-up menu above the Canvas (choose Lighting to remove the checkmark from the menu item). You can also disable shading for a specific layer by setting the Shading parameter in the Properties Inspector to Off. With spot lights, enabling Shadows but disabling shading can create a seemingly strange result where the shadow is suddenly cut off because it has exceeded the scope of the light cone. Because the shading effect of the light cone is turned off, the shadow edge looks unnatural. To correct such an occurrence, increase the Cone Angle in the Light Inspector. Reflections Cast a reflection In the real world, all objects exhibit some degree of reflectivity based on surface shine, brightness, angle of view, and proximity to reflected objects. Motion simulates this natural effect, equipping every object with a set of parameters to create and control realistic-looking reflections. When reflections are enabled for a layer, all other layers in the project are reflected but may only be visible from specific angles and distances. In Motion, reflections are controlled in the Properties Inspector. To improve performance, you can temporarily turn off the rendering of reflections in the Canvas. Cast a reflection Select the layer to receive the reflection, then select the Reflection activation checkbox in the Properties Inspector. Note: To cast reflections, layers must be offset from each other (for example, X rotation or Z position). Disable rendering of reflections Rendering reflections can significantly impact playback performance. You can temporarily disable reflections to improve playback speed while working on other aspects of your project. Click the Render pop-up menu above the Canvas, then choose Reflections (or press Control-Option-R). SEE ALSO Reflection controls About reflections and groups Limit recursive reflections Reflection controls Reflections are controlled by adjusting settings in the Reflection section and Blending sections of Properties Inspector: Reflection section controls Reflection: An activation checkbox that enables reflections based on the settings of the parameters in the object (a layer or group). (When selected, the checkbox is highlighted blue.) Reflectivity: A slider that controls how shiny the object’s surface appears. 0% indicates no reflectivity, while 100% is perfectly reflective, like a mirror. Blur Amount: A slider that controls whether real reflections appear in sharp focus or quite blurry, depending on the surface quality of the reflecting object. Falloff: A checkbox that determines whether the reflection fades with distance from the object, producing a more realistic result. When the Falloff checkbox is selected, additional controls become available. Click the disclosure triangle beside the Falloff checkbox to reveal these controls: Begin Distance: A slider that determines the distance (inside the reflection) where the falloff begins. When the slider is set to 0, falloff starts at the reflection plane. End Distance: A slider that determines the distance where the falloff ends, beyond which the reflection isn’t visible. Adjusting this slider moves the falloff point closer to the reflection plane, which causes less of the reflected image to appear. Exponent: A slider that controls how quickly a reflection gets fainter as the reflected object gets farther from the reflective surface. Blend Mode: A pop-up menu that sets the blend mode used for the reflection. Blend modes other than Add are useful for achieving different looks, even if they aren’t physically intuitive. For more information about blend modes, see Layer blending overview. Blending section controls Casts Reflection: The Properties Inspector of every layer or group also contains a Casts Reflection pop-up menu (in the Blending section) that controls whether an object is reflective. There are three options: Yes: The object is reflected in nearby reflective objects. No: The object is ignored by reflective surfaces. Reflection Only: The object becomes invisible, but appears in reflective surfaces around it. About reflections and groups In addition to choosing reflection settings for individual layers, you can adjust settings for an entire group. Reflection settings (in the Properties Inspector) for a group override the settings of individual layers in the group. For example, if a layer in a group is not set to receive reflections, turning that setting on for the whole group forces the individual layer to receive them. Turning off the setting for the group allows the layer’s settings to act as expected. Cast Reflection settings (in the Properties Inspector) work differently. If the group is set to cast reflections, individual objects’ reflections can still be turned off (or set to Reflection Only). However, if the group is set to not cast reflections at all, individual objects never cast a reflection, regardless of their setting. For more information about the Reflection settings and Cast Reflection settings in the Properties Inspector, see Reflection controls. Limit recursive reflections When a reflective object (layer or group) is reflected in another object, the first object can be seen in the reflection, potentially causing an endless repetition of reflections. Motion limits the number of reflective bounces that can occur in a scene, preserving performance and preventing the viewer from getting lost in infinity. The number of allowed reflections is set per project. Limit the number of recursive reflections in a project 1. Choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J). The Properties Inspector for the project opens. 2. In the Reflections section, adjust the Maximum Bounces slider. Manage timing Timeline overview The Timeline is where you control all timing aspects of a project. You can set the frames where objects begin and end, align multiple effects so they occur simultaneously, control object duration, and even perform common trim operations to edit the objects as you would in a nonlinear video editing application. The Timeline is located under the toolbar, in the Timing pane. The Timeline consists of three areas: Timeline layers list: On the left side of the Timing pane, this area displays a hierarchical list of objects (layers, groups, effects objects) in your project, mirroring the contents of the Layers list in the Project pane. As you can in the Layers list, you can add media to your project by dragging it into the Timeline layers list. Timeline track area: On the right side of the Timing pane, this area displays colored bars (timebars) that correspond to the objects in the Timeline layers list; the length of each timebar represents the duration of each object over the course of your project. You can adjust timing and synchronization by edit by moving, trimming, or slipping timebars in the track area Timeline ruler: Above the track area, this numbered strip measures the timing of objects in frames. Here, you can drag the playhead to navigate through your project as well as perform various timing tasks. In addition to the Timeline, the Timing pane contains two related partitions that can be shown or hidden: the Audio Timeline and the Keyframe Editor. Display of the Timing pane is controlled by three buttons in the lower-right corner of the Motion project window: An abbreviated mini-Timeline, located at the bottom of the Canvas, provides controls to perform quick edits such as moving, trimming, and slipping without opening the Timing pane. For more information, see Edit in the mini-Timeline. Tip: You can show the Timeline on a second display, providing a larger workspace for manipulating the timing of objects. For more information, see View the Canvas or Timing pane on a second display. SEE ALSO Show, hide, or resize the Timing pane Add objects to the Timeline overview Manage Timeline layers and tracks overview Display and modify keyframes in the Timeline Retime media overview Show, hide, or resize the Timing pane Show or hide the Timing pane Do one of the following: Choose Window > Video Timeline (or press Command-7). Click the Show/Hide Timeline button in the lower-right corner of the Motion project window. Note: To collapse the entire Timing pane (Timeline, Audio Timeline, and Keyframe Editor), make sure that all three buttons in the lower-right corner of the Motion project window are dimmed. Resize the Timing pane Do one of the following: Drag the toolbar up or down. Drag the boundary (the gray line) between the File Browser, Library, or Inspector and the Timing pane to the left or right. Deselect the “i” button in the lower-left corner of the Motion Project window to widen the Timing pane (and hide the File Browser, Library, and Inspector). Add objects to the Timeline Add objects to the Timeline overview Just as you can drag objects (media and effects) to the Layers list or Canvas, you can drag objects to the Timeline. There are two ways to do this: Add media to the Timeline layers list. This method is identical to the workflow for dragging media to the Layers list in Project pane. Add media and effects objects to the Timeline track area. With this method, you can control how media is added to the project—inserted, exchanged with existing media, and so on —with a series of drop menu commands. Additionally, you can set drag-and-drop preferences to customize how and where objects are placed the Timeline. Add layers to the Timeline layers list Just as you can add media to the Layers list, you can drag media into the Timeline layers list. When you do so, a layer is added to the Timeline layers list (and also to the Layers list, and Canvas), and a corresponding timebar appears in the track area. Library effects (behaviors, filters, and so on) can also be dragged into the Timeline layers list. However, because effects objects are applied to media layers (images, video, audio, and so on), they cannot be grouped by themselves. Note: You can also drag images and clips to the Timeline track area. See Add layers to the Timeline track area. Add a layer to a group 1. Drag an item from the File Browser, Library, or Media list, then position the pointer over the Timeline layers list. 2. Do any of the following: Add the item as the topmost layer in a group: Position the Add the item as the topmost layer in a group: Position the pointer over a group, and when a white border appears, release the mouse button. Add the item between two existing layers: Position the pointer between two layers, and when a blue position indicator appears, release the mouse button. Replace an existing image layer: Position the pointer over an existing layer, and when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. The new layer is added to the Timeline layers list, Layers list and Canvas. Note: If the media item is a clip with multiple audio tracks, a drop menu will appear, allowing you to choose between mixing down the multiple tracks to stereo or importing audio tracks individually. For more information, see Add audio files. Add a layer to a new group between existing groups 1. Drag an item from the File Browser, Library, or Media list into the Timeline layers list between two existing groups. 2. When the position indicator appears, release the mouse button. A new group containing the new layer is created between the existing groups. Create a group above existing groups Create a group above existing groups 1. Drag an item from the File Browser, Library, or Media list into the Timeline layers list, below the lower edge of the bottom layer. 2. Release the mouse button. A new group is created above the other existing groups in the hierarchy of groups and layers. SEE ALSO Import standard media files Add Library content to a project Display, sort, and search the Media list Add layers to the Timeline track area When you drag a media item from the File Browser, Library, or Media list into the Timeline track area, a drop menu appears with options for how the new layer should be incorporated. Depending on where in the track area you drop the item, the menu displays different options: Composite, Insert, Overwrite, or Exchange. You can also drag library effects objects (behaviors, filters, and so on) into the Timeline track area. However, because effects objects are applied to media layers (images, video clips, audio clips, and so on), they can’t be added as standalone objects. Note: If you release the mouse button before the drop menu appears, the item is added as a composite edit—above the other tracks in the Timeline and on top of other layers in the Canvas. Add a layer to a new Timeline track To add a layer to a new Timeline track without modifying any other layer in your project, use the Composite edit. The Composite edit places the layer in the track above the one you drag to. 1. Drag an item from the File Browser, Library, or Media list into the Timeline track area. As you drag, a tooltip appears at the pointer, indicating the current frame number. 2. When you reach the frame where you want the new layer to start, position the pointer over the layer you want as a background, holding down the mouse button until the drop menu appears. 3. Choose Composite from the drop menu. The new layer is composited into the project above the layer you dragged to. Insert a layer, splitting an existing layer To insert a layer into a new Timeline track and split an existing layer at the insertion point, moving it forward in time to make room for the new layer, use the Insert command. For example, if you insert a 100-frame movie into a group containing an existing layer, the new movie is added to the Timeline at the frame where you drop it, pushing the remaining frames of the original movie out 100 frames. If you insert a new item midway through an existing layer, the existing layer is split into two layers, each on its own track. 1. Drag an item from the File Browser, Library, or Media list over an existing bar in the Timeline track area. As you drag, a tooltip appears at the pointer, indicating the current frame number. 2. Drag to the frame where you want the new layer to start, holding down the mouse button until the drop menu appears. 3. Choose Insert from the drop menu. The new layer is inserted into the track, breaking the original bar into two, and pushing the frames after the insertion farther out in time. Replace an existing layer with a new layer To replace an existing layer with a new layer in the Timeline, use the Overwrite command. If the new layer is shorter than the one currently in the group, the Overwrite option splits the duration of the existing layer and deletes only the frames where the new layer appears. 1. Drag an item from the File Browser, Library, or Media list onto a bar the Timeline track area. As you drag, a tooltip appears, indicating the frame number where you are located. 2. Drag to the frame where you want the new layer to start, holding down the mouse button until the drop menu appears. 3. Choose Overwrite from the drop menu. The frames of the new layer replace the frames of the original layer. If the original layer contained more frames than the new one, the old layer is split into two layers and the additional frames remain. Replace an existing layer with a layer of the same duration To replace an existing layer with a layer of the same duration, use the Exchange command. The Exchange command is a variant of the Overwrite option, but instead of dropping the entire duration of the new layer into the project, the duration of the existing layer is used. For example, if you drag a 30-second clip over a 5-second clip, choosing Exchange swaps the existing 5 seconds with the first 5 seconds of the longer clip. If you exchange a longer clip with a shorter one—for example, swapping a 10-second clip with one that lasts only 5 seconds—the first 5 seconds are replaced, and the final 5 seconds of the original remain. The exchange edit transfers any filters, behaviors, and keyframes from the original layer onto the new layer. Note: You cannot use the Exchange command with audio files. 1. Drag an item from the File Browser, Library, or Media list onto a bar in the Timeline track area. As you drag, a tooltip appears, indicating the frame number where you are located. 2. Drag to the frame where you want the new layer to start, holding down the mouse button until the drop menu appears. 3. Choose Exchange from the drop menu. The old layer is replaced by the new layer. Add multiple layers When you drag more than one item to the Timeline, the new layers appear in their own tracks above any existing layers. This is equivalent to performing a composite edit with a single object. A drop menu lets you choose whether the additional layers should be stacked up as a composite, or whether they should appear one after another (sequentially). 1. Shift-click or Command-click to select multiple items in the File Browser, Library, or Media list, then drag them to the Timeline track area. 2. Drag to the frame where you want the new layers to start, holding down the mouse button until the drop menu appears. 3. Do any of the following: Stack the layers at the same start point: Choose Composite from the drop menu. Multiple layers are added to the project at the same point in time, each new layer on its own track. Stack the layers in sequential order: Choose Sequential from the drop menu. Multiple layers are added into the project, each in its own track, one after another in the Timeline. If you release the mouse button in the Timeline track area before the drop menu appears, a composite edit is applied by default. Alternatively, you can drop the multiple layers into the Timeline layers list. Doing so results in a composite edit. SEE ALSO Import standard media files Add Library content to a project Display, sort, and search the Media list Set Timeline drag-and-drop preferences You can set preferences that specify where an item is dropped when you add it to the Timeline Layers list: at the start of the project or at the current playhead position. You can also set the delay time before a drop menu appears when you drag a media item to the Timeline track area. Specify where new objects appear in the Timeline layers list 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma). 2. Click the Project icon. 3. In the Still Images & Layers section, click the appropriate button to create layers at “Current frame” or “Start of project.” Note: The Create Layers At preference applies only when you drag items to the Timeline layers list, the Layers list, or Canvas. Clips dropped on a specific frame in the Timeline track area appear at that exact location. Set the drop menu delay preference for items added to the Timeline track area You can modify the time it takes for the drop menu to open when you drag items into the Timeline track area. 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma). The Preferences window appears. 2. Click the General. 3. In the Interface section, adjust the Drop Menu Delay slider to set the delay pause for drop menus in Motion. Manage Timeline layers and tracks Manage Timeline layers and tracks overview The Timeline layers list (on the left side of the Timing pane) mirrors the Layers list in the Project pane and displays your project objects (groups, layers, filters, behaviors, masks, and so on) and their stacking order. When you reorder in the Timeline Layers list, the change is immediately reflected in the Layers list in the Project pane. The Timeline layers list contains many of the same controls as the Layers list in the Project pane. For more information, see Layers list controls. The Timeline track area (on the right side of the Timing pane) displays each object in a project as a colored bar (known as a timebar). Different colors represent different types of objects. The Timeline track area can contain the following timebars and other icons: Group: A double blue bar. For groups with multiple layers, the lower bar displays three lines and a value indicating the number of objects in the group. Objects (video clips, stills, shapes, text, particles, replicators, cameras, lights): A blue bar Masks: A gray bar Behaviors and Filters: A thin purple bar Keyframes: Red diamonds beneath the keyframed object. Selected keyframes appear white. Audio: A green bar displaying the audio waveform. Audio tracks are not displayed by default. For more information on displaying audio tracks see Adjust audio tracks. Select and organize Timeline layers The Timeline layers list, on the left side of the Timing pane, mirrors the Layers list in the Project pane. You can select, reorganize, show, hide, and lock layers in the Timeline layers list the same way you do in the Layers list. Changes made to one list are reflected in the other. For more information, see the following topics: Select layers and groups Add or remove layers and groups Reorganize layers and groups Show, hide, solo, or lock objects Nest layers and groups Layers list controls Layers list controls Layers list shortcut menu Unlink video and audio tracks Ordinarily, objects that contain both audio and video are linked so they remain in sync. This link is represented by an icon in the Timeline layers list. Note: To display the Audio Timeline, click the Show/Hide Audio Timeline button, located in the lower-right corner of the Motion project window. Objects that are linked are always edited together in the Timeline. Operations such as cut, copy, paste, and split affect both audio and video. However, if you ever want to break that relationship so you can move or edit the audio or video without the other tagging along, you can disable that link and move either object freely. Beware that this might result in your audio and video playing out of sync. Manipulate audio and video elements separately 1. In the Timeline layers list, click the link icon to the right of the object name for the video or audio element. A red slash appears over the link icon in all previously linked layers. 2. Move, trim, or slip the audio bar or video bar. The link icon also appears in the Layers list and the Audio list of the Project pane. SEE ALSO Edit in the Timeline track area Adjust audio tracks Customize the Timeline You can customize the display of the Timeline layers list and track area to suit your needs. Show or hide mask, filter, or behavior objects You can hide effects objects in the Timeline Layers list and track area to simplify your view of layers in your project. Click the Show/Hide Masks, Show/Hide Filters, or Show/Hide Behaviors button at the top of the Timeline layers list. When a button is dimmed, the effects object and its corresponding bar are hidden from view in the Timeline layers list and track area. However, the effect remains active in the Canvas. Modify the track display You can display your timebars in the Timeline track area in any of several different ways to suit your preferred working style. 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma), then click Appearance. 2. In the Timeline section of the Appearance pane, choose an item from the Timebar Display pop-up menu: Name: Displays the name of the object on the timebar. Name Plus Thumbnail: Displays the name of the object and a single thumbnail on the timebar. Filmstrip: Displays frames of the object on the timebar. Regardless of the Timebar Display setting, timebars for cameras, lights, behaviors, and filters are labeled with names only. When Timebar Display is set to Filmstrip, computer processing time is increased. Adjust Timeline track height You can adjust the height of tracks displayed in the track area. Audio and object tracks can be resized separately. However, some tracks, including filters and behaviors, cannot be resized. Do one of the following: Drag a row separator between two layers in the Timeline layers list up or down to modify the vertical size of the tracks. Click the Timeline pop-up menu at the bottom of the Timeline layers list, then choose a new size. Options include Mini, Small, Medium, and Large. Scroll the track area You can scroll horizontally in the track area to see portions of your timebars that extend beyond the immediate workspace. Drag the scroller under the track area left or right. Zoom the track area Do one of the following: Drag the handle at either end of the scroller, inward to zoom in, or outward to zoom out. To zoom from the center of the visible area, hold down the Shift key while you drag a handle. Drag the zoom slider left to zoom out or right to zoom in at the position of the playhead. Press Option–Command–Equal Sign (=) to zoom in. Note: If your whole desktop zooms, open OS X System Preferences, click Accessibility, click Zoom, then deselect the “Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom” checkbox. Press Option–Command–Minus Sign (–) to zoom out. Note: If your whole desktop zooms, open OS X System Preferences, click Accessibility, click Zoom, then deselect the “Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom” checkbox. On a Multi-Touch trackpad, pinch open to zoom in and pinch closed to zoom out. Zoom the track area to fit the entire project or play range Do one of the following: Click the Zoom Time View button in the upper-right corner of the Timeline. With the Timeline active, press Shift-Z or Option-Command-0. Choose View > Zoom Time View > To Project or View > Zoom Time View > To Play Range. Edit objects in the Timeline Edit in the Timeline track area As you design your project, you arrange layers spatially in the Canvas and temporally in the Timeline. When you select a layer, group, or effects object in the Layers list or Timeline layers list, its timebar is selected in the Timeline track area. Drag a bar forward or backward in time, or trim it to correspond with the timing of other bars. Motion uses the terms move, trim, slip, and split to describe the different ways of editing timebars: Move: Changes the location of an object in the Timeline without affecting its content or duration. See Move objects in the Timeline track area. Trim: Changes the duration of an object in the Timeline without affecting its location or content. See Trim objects in the Timeline track area. Slip: Changes the content of an object in the Timeline without affecting its location or duration. See Slip video layers in the Timeline track area. Split: Divides an object into multiple objects that you can manipulate in separate tracks. See Split objects in the Timeline track area. As you can with objects in the Layers list, you can delete objects in the Timeline, as well as cut, copy, or paste them. You can also modify all timebars in a group by editing the group timebar. Move objects in the Timeline track area Move an object when you want it to begin and end at a different point in the Timeline. Move an object in the Timeline In the Timeline track area, drag a bar left or right to move it in time. A tooltip appears, identifying the new In and Out points as you drag the bar. A delta symbol (triangle) indicates the amount of change in frames or timecode. Move an object and snap it to neighboring objects Do one of the following: Click to select the Snapping button in the upper-right corner of the Timeline, then drag a bar in the track area. Press Shift as you drag the item in the Timeline. Vertical lines appear in the track, corresponding to the In and Out points of other timebars. The active bar snaps to these lines as you drag. Move an object to the playhead position You can move a timebar to a new location in its track by using the Move Selected In Point or Move Selected Out Point command. This command shifts the position of the selected object to the current playhead position. You can also use this command to move and align multiple objects in one operation. 1. Select the object to move. Shift-click to select multiple objects, if desired. 2. Place the playhead at the point in the Timeline where you want to move the object. 3. Choose Mark > Move Selected In Point (or press Shift-Left Bracket) to align the object’s beginning to the playhead, or choose Mark > Move Selected Out Point (or press Shift-Right Bracket) to align the end of the object to the playhead position. Move an object to a specific frame 1. In the Timeline, select the object (or objects) to move, then type the number of the frame (or timecode) where you want to move the object. A value field appears, displaying the number you typed. 2. Press Return. The object’s In point moves to the specified frame number. If you selected more than one object, they all move to the specified frame number. Move an object a specific number of frames Do one of the following: To move an object forward a specific number of frames, select the object, type a plus sign (+) followed by the number of the frames you want to move, then press Return. To move an object backward a specific number of frames, select the object, type a minus sign (–) followed by the number of the frames you want to move, then press Return. Trim objects in the Timeline track area Trim an object’s timebar when you want to shorten or lengthen its duration in the Timeline. You can trim the beginning or end of the object by dragging from the left or right edge of the bar (the In and Out points). You can also trim an object by using menu commands and corresponding keyboard shortcuts. You can trim multiple objects simultaneously, and you can trim on the fly while your project is playing back. Note: Video and audio objects cannot be trimmed to be longer than the duration of their source media. To extend a video or audio object beyond the duration of its source media, you must change the object’s End Condition to Loop, Ping Pong, or Hold in the object’s Properties Inspector. This limitation does not apply to other objects, such as still images, cameras, text, and shapes, all of which you can extend without restriction. You can also change the effective duration of a clip without adding or removing frames, by changing the clip’s playback speed. For more information on the Timing controls, see Retime media overview. When you trim a video object in the track area, Motion provides a visual representation of how much additional footage is available in the object’s source clip: a dimmed extension on either end of the bar indicating that unused frames exist in the source video clip. If you see no dimmed extensions when you trim a bar, there are no unused frames in the source clip. Consequently, you cannot lengthen the object (unless you change the object’s End Condition in the Properties Inspector for the clip). Trim an object in the timeline 1. In the Timeline track area, move the pointer to one end of the bar you want to trim. The pointer changes to a trim pointer. 2. Drag the end of the bar until it reaches the frame where you want the object to start or end. As you drag, a tooltip indicates the new In or Out point, and the new duration of the object. Trim an object and snap its In or Out point to neighboring objects Press Shift as you drag the edge of a bar in the track area. Vertical lines appear in the track, corresponding to the In and Out points of other bars. The active bar snaps to these lines as you drag. Trim one or more objects via the Mark menu 1. Select one or more objects to trim. 2. Place the playhead at the frame where you want the new In or Out point. 3. Choose Mark > Mark In (or press I) or Mark > Mark Out (or press O) to set a new In point or Out point. All selected objects are trimmed to the new point. Trim an image or video layer without trimming its applied effects objects You can trim a layer without affecting the duration of its applied effects objects (masks, filters, and so on). Hold down the Command key while you drag the edge of the image or video clip. The object is trimmed independently of its applied effects objects. Slip video layers in the Timeline track area Slip a video layer when you want to use a different section of your source clip without changing the layer’s duration or where it appears in the Timeline. Important: Slipping is only possible after you’ve trimmed a video layer’s timebar. For example, if you have a shot of a door opening that is three seconds long and you want to trim it by one second, you can use the Slip function to select which one-second section to use: the first second as the door leaves the jamb, the next second where the door swings open, or the last second where it bangs against the wall. As with trimming, when you slip a video layer in the track area, Motion provides a visual representation of how much additional footage is available in the object’s source clip: a dimmed extension on either end of the bar indicates that unused frames exist in the source video clip. You can only slip a bar as far as the existing unused frames in the source media. Slip a video layer in the Timeline 1. With the pointer over the video layer’s timebar, press and hold down the Option key. The pointer turns into the slip pointer. 2. Still holding down the Option key, drag the middle part of the bar left or right. Dragging to the left replaces the frames with a section from later in the source material; dragging to the right uses frames from earlier in the clip. Split objects in the Timeline track area You can divide a single object into multiple objects, each in its own Timeline track. Splitting lets you turn one object into multiple pieces and then manipulate each segment of the object on its own track. For example, you can split an object into multiple tracks over time if want to apply an effect to the object over a specific, finite segment of time. Or you might split an object into multiple tracks to create the illusion that the object is moving in 3D space, passing in front of other objects. When working in 3D, you can even split camera tracks. Split an object in the Timeline 1. Select the object to split. 2. Drag the playhead to the frame where you want the split to occur. 3. Choose Edit > Split. The object is broken into two pieces, each positioned on its own track. Delete objects in the Timeline track area Motion provides three ways to remove an object from the Timeline track area: Delete: Removes the object, leaving a gap in the track. Ripple Delete: Removes the object and closes up the gap left behind. Cut: Deletes the object, leaving a gap in the Timeline, and copies the object to the Clipboard for later pasting. Delete an object 1. Select the object to delete. 2. Choose Edit > Delete (or press Delete). You can also Control-click the object, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Ripple delete an object 1. Select the object to delete. 2. Choose Edit > Ripple Delete (or press Shift-Delete). Cut an object 1. Select an object to delete. 2. Choose Edit > Cut (or press Command-X). You can also Control-click the object, then choose Cut from the shortcut menu. Copy and paste objects in the Timeline As in other applications, in Motion you can copy and paste objects. Copying leaves an object in place and copies it to the Clipboard for later pasting. When you paste an object, it’s placed at either the position of the playhead or at the beginning of the project (see If it’s your first import). For the purposes of simplicity, the remainder of this section assumes pasted objects are placed at the playhead position. Objects with applied filters, behaviors, keyframes, and other effects retain those effects when cut, copied, and pasted. You can also copy or cut filter and behavior objects from one media layer and then paste them into another media layer, effectively transferring the effect to a different media item. In addition to ordinary pasting, Motion lets you paste as an insert, overwrite, or exchange edit. These three commands appear in the Paste Special dialog: Insert into time region: Pastes the Clipboard contents into the project, pushing existing objects farther down in time. Overwrite into time region: Pastes the Clipboard contents into the project, deleting any existing objects at the same point in time. Exchange media with existing object: Replaces the selected object in the project with the Clipboard contents. Note: Paste Special can also be used with selected regions in the Timeline to perform a special type of paste. For more information, see Make changes to a region (range of frames). Copy an object to the Clipboard 1. In the Timeline, select an object to copy. 2. Choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). Paste an object into the Timeline 1. In the Timeline, select a group to paste into. 2. Position the playhead at the desired time position. 3. Choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). The pasted object is placed in a new track at the top of the other layers in the active group. If no group is selected, the object is pasted into the group it was copied from. If it was copied from outside the current project, a new group is created. Pasting multiple objects retains the relative object and layer order of the Clipboard contents. Paste an object, pushing other objects farther ahead in the Timeline 1. In the Timeline, select a group to paste into. 2. Position the playhead at the desired time position. 3. Choose Edit > Paste Special (or press Option-Command-V). The Paste Special dialog appears. 4. Select “Insert into time region.” 5. Click OK to confirm your edit. The object is inserted at the selected position, splitting other objects in the same time region and pushing them to the right in the Timeline. Paste an object, deleting other objects in the same time region 1. In the Timeline, select a group to paste into. 2. Position the playhead at the desired time position. 3. Choose Edit > Paste Special (or press Option-Command-V). The Paste Special dialog appears. 4. Select “Overwrite into time region.” 5. Click OK to confirm your edit. The object is pasted at the selected position, overwriting other objects in the same time region. Paste an object, replacing another object 1. In the File Browser, select an item, then choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). Note: This task works only for items copied from the File Browser. 2. In the Timeline, select an object to replace. 3. Position the playhead at the desired time position. 4. Choose Edit > Paste Special (or press Option-Command-V). The Paste Special dialog appears. 5. Select “Exchange media with existing object.” 6. Click OK to confirm your edit. The object is pasted at the selected position, replacing the other object. About group tracks You can edit in the group track, even if the group is collapsed and its nested objects are not visible in the Timeline track area. Group tracks contain two colored bars. The narrow, dark-blue upper bar edits all objects in the group as a single unit. It’s labeled with the name of the group (“Group” by default). The lower group bar—taller and a lighter shade of blue—edits individual objects in the group. The lower group bar displays information about the names of individual objects in the group, as well as the number of objects that overlap in composited areas of the Timeline. Motion lets you move objects in the Timeline via the group track. Depending on where you drag in the group track, you can move all objects, individual objects, or just those objects that overlap in time (composited objects). Trimming the edges of the upper group bar trims the edges of the objects in the group. If there’s only one object, trimming the upper group bar trims that object. If there’s more than one object lined up with the edge of the group, trimming the group trims all those objects. You cannot trim overlapping objects via the group track. You can modify the upper group bar to be longer or shorter than the contents of the group (the lower group bar). For example, you might shorten the upper group bar to hide a section of the objects in it. Objects that extend beyond the ends of the upper group bar are not displayed in the Canvas. In addition to moving and trimming, you can slip video layers in the group track. Any portion of the lower group bar that contains only one video layer can be slipped in this manner. Areas where more than one layer overlap can be slipped by Control-clicking the group bar and choosing a video layer from the shortcut menu. For more information, see Edit in the group track. Edit in the group track There are a variety of editing tasks you can perform directly in the group track. This is equivalent to making similar edits to the various tracks contained within the group, but it’s sometimes more efficient to make such changes in the group track instead. Move all objects in a group at once Drag the upper group bar left or right. All objects in the group move in time. Move a single object in a group 1. Click an area of the lower group bar where a single object is visible. That object is highlighted in the group track. 2. Drag the section left or right to move the object in the group forward or backward in time. The selected object moves in time. Move overlapping (composited) objects in a group Drag an area of the lower group bar where multiple objects overlap. The composited objects move in time. Trim objects in a group Drag an end of the upper group bar right or left in the track area. Objects in the group that share the same In and Out point with the group are trimmed along with the group. Change the duration of the group independently of the objects in it Holding down the Command key, drag either end of the upper group bar left or right. Only the group is trimmed. Note: After you manually change the length of the upper group bar, it’s no longer updated when you add or modify the objects to the group. To restore automatic updating, realign the edges of the upper group bar with the edges of the first and last clips in the group. Slip a video layer via the group track Holding down the Option key, drag an area in the lower group bar where the video layer is located. If there are overlapping (composited) layers, before performing this operation Control-click the overlapping region, then choose the desired video layer from the shortcut menu. Note: You can only slip a layer if it has been trimmed first. For more information on slipping, see Slip video layers in the Timeline track area. Dragging right slips the video clip to an earlier portion of the source media. Dragging left slips the video clip to a later portion of the source media. Either way, the position of the clip in the Timeline and its duration are unchanged. Navigate in the Timeline Motion provides many controls for navigating the Timeline. You can drag the playhead to “scrub” through your project as quickly or slowly as you want, or immediately jump to a specific frame. Additionally, you can jump to object boundaries, markers, and other important indicators in the Timeline. Many navigation tasks are also accessible via the timing display in the toolbar. Note: The timing display can be set to show frames or timecode. To set the timing display duration to frames, choose Show Frames from the pop-up menu on the right side of the timing display (the downward arrow). In addition to moving to new positions in time, you can navigate directly to objects in the Timeline, such as objects, markers, and keyframes. Play back your project Do one of the following: Click the Play button in the transport controls (under the Canvas). Press the Space bar. Move the playhead to a new point in time Do one of the following: Double-click the current frame number in the timing display, enter a new frame number, then press Return. Drag left or right over the current frame number in the timing display to rewind or advance. Drag the playhead in the Timeline ruler to the frame you want. Click the Timeline ruler at the frame number where you want to move the playhead. With the Canvas or Project pane active, type a new frame number, then press Return to jump to that frame. With the Timeline active (and no objects selected), type a new frame number, then press Return to jump to that frame. Navigate by frame To make it easier to find specific frames in your project, you can step through the Timeline frame by frame, rather than skimming it. Do any of the following: To move forward a specific number of frames: Type a plus sign (+), then type the number of frames to move forward. To move backward a specific number of frames: Type a minus sign (–), then type the number of frames to move backward. To move forward or backward one frame at a time: Click the “Go to next frame” or “Go to previous frame” button in the transport controls (to the right of the Play button), or press the Left Arrow key to move backward or the Right Arrow key to move forward. You can also choose Mark > Go to > Previous Frame or Mark > Go to > Next Frame. To move forward or backward ten frames at a time: Choose Mark > Go to > 10 Frames Back or Mark > Go to > 10 Frames Forward. Move ahead or back in seconds, minutes, or hours 1. Make sure the timing display is set to show timecode. If the timing display is showing frames, click the downward arrow, then choose Show Timecode from the pop-up menu. 2. Double-click in the timing display. 3. Do any of the following: Move forward in seconds: Enter a plus sign (+), enter the number of seconds to move forward, then enter a period. For example, to move 2 seconds ahead, enter “+2.” (with a period after the number), then press Return. Move forward in minutes: Enter a plus sign (+), enter the number of seconds to move forward, then enter two periods after the number. (To move ahead in hours, enter three periods after the number.) Move backward in seconds: Enter a minus sign (–), enter the number of seconds to move backward, then enter a period. For example, to move 2 seconds backward, enter “–2.” (with a period after the number), then press Return. To move backward in minutes: Enter a minus sign (–), enter the number of seconds to move backward, then enter two periods after the number. (To move backward in hours, enter three periods after the number.) Navigate by jumping To move the playhead quickly from point to point in the Timeline, do one of the following: To jump to the beginning of the project: Click the “Go to start of project” button in the transport controls (under the Canvas), or choose Mark > Go to > Project Start, or press Home. To jump to the end of the project: Click the “Go to end of project” button in the transport controls, or choose Mark > Go to > Project End, or press End. To jump to the next keyframe: With an animated object selected, choose Mark > Go to > Next Keyframe, or press Shift-K. To jump to the previous keyframe: With the animated object selected, choose Mark > Go to > Previous Keyframe. Jump to the beginning or end of an object in the Timeline 1. Select the object to navigate to. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Mark > Go to > Selection In Point or Mark > Go to > Selection Out Point. Press Shift-I (for the In point) or Shift-O (for the Out point). SEE ALSO Work with markers overview Display and modify keyframes in the Timeline Display and modify keyframes in the Timeline You can move or delete keyframes that are displayed in the Timeline. You can also display the animation curve for a selected keyframe, using the Keyframe Editor. For more information on the Keyframe Editor, see Keyframing overview. Display keyframes in the Timeline track area In the upper-right corner of the Timeline, click the Show/Hide Keyframes button. When the Show/Hide Keyframes button is highlighted blue, keyframes appear below the objects in the track area. Note: Don’t confuse the Show/Hide Keyframes button with the Show/Hide Keyframe Editor button, located in the bottom-right corner of the Motion project window. The former turns the display of keyframes in the Timeline track area on and off; the latter expands and collapses the Keyframe Editor in the Timing pane. Move a keyframe’s position in time Moving a keyframe in the Timeline modifies the keyframe’s position in time (but not its value). Drag the keyframe to the left or right. When selected, the keyframe appears white. Change a keyframe’s value To change a keyframe’s value (as opposed to its position in time), do one of the following: Control-click the keyframe, choose the parameter to adjust from the shortcut menu, enter a new value, then press Return. Use the Keyframe Editor, which lets you change both the value and interpolation of the keyframe. Copy and paste keyframes 1. In the Timeline, select the object that contains the keyframes you want to copy. 2. In the Timeline track area, select or Shift-select keyframes, then choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). 3. In the Timeline track area, select the target object for the copied keyframes, then choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). Delete a keyframe or group of selected keyframes In the Timeline track area, select the keyframe or keyframes to delete, then do one of the following: Press Delete. Control-click a selected keyframe, then choose Delete Keyframes from the shortcut menu. Delete all keyframes In the Timeline track area, Control-click a keyframe, then choose Delete All Keyframes from the shortcut menu. Display an animation curve in the Keyframe Editor Control-click a keyframe on a track, then choose Show in Keyframe Editor from the shortcut menu. The Keyframe Editor appears underneath the Timeline, showing the animation curve and a new, untitled curve set. SEE ALSO Keyframing overview Display the Keyframe Editor Work in the ruler Work in the ruler overview You can perform several timing tasks in the ruler above the Timeline track area: Drag the playhead to a specific frame to view the project at a specific time. Drag the In and Out points of your project so playback occurs only within the specified frames. See Define the play range. Select a range of frames, so you can delete, cut, or paste into them. See Make changes to a region (range of frames). Add or edit project markers, which can be added to your project to identify an important frame or range of frames. See Work with markers overview. Make changes to a region (range of frames) You can make changes to a range of frames, known as a region. Selecting a region allows you to make changes to multiple objects in a specific range of time in the Timeline. For example, you can cut or copy a section of time to remove it from your project completely, or just move it to a new position in Timeline. Regions need not align with object edges in the Timeline—you can create a region that begins midway through an object. Note: Pasting a region does not paste it at the current playhead location. To move a pasted region to the playhead location, press the Shift key while you drag the pasted object. As you approach the current playhead location, the object snaps into place. You can also paste objects into a defined region using the Paste Special command, which lets you insert, overwrite, or exchange objects in the Timeline. Additionally, you select a region and insert blank frames, creating an empty placeholder for a clip you don’t yet have. Select a region (a range of frames) Holding down the Command and Option keys, drag in the Timeline ruler. A light highlighted band appears over the selected frames. Move a region Position the pointer over the region, then drag to move the region. Note: This operation does not move objects within the region. Deselect tracks from a region Command-click a track in a region to deselect the track. Paste into a region 1. Select an object. 2. Press Command-C to copy or Command-X to cut your selection. 3. Holding down the Command and Option keys, drag in the ruler to select a region. 4. Choose Edit > Paste Special. The Paste Special dialog appears. 5. Select “Insert into time region” or “Overwrite into time region,” then click OK. The Clipboard contents are pasted into the region using the method you specified. For more information on the different editing types, see Add layers to the Timeline track area. Insert time into a project 1. Holding down the Command and Option keys, drag in the ruler to select a region. Drag as wide an area as you want to insert. 2. Choose Edit > Insert Time. The number of frames in the region is added to the project, beginning at the end of the selected region, pushing any existing objects farther forward in time. If time is inserted in a region that contains a video clip, the clip is split onto two tracks, and objects beyond the split point are placed in a new group. Work with markers Work with markers overview A marker is a visual reference point in the Timeline that identifies a specific frame. You can add as many markers as you want in the Timeline ruler while playing the project, or when the playhead is stopped. Use markers to: Add a visual reference to an object at a specific point in time. See Add, move, and delete markers. Quickly navigate to specific points in a sequence. See Navigate with markers. Align other objects or keyframes to an important point in time. Add notes about a specific area in your project. See Edit marker information. Customize effects templates for use in Final Cut Pro X. For more information about template markers, see What are template markers? You can assign different colors to different types or markers and create marker groups. There are two types of markers: project markers and object markers. Project markers are fixed to a specific frame or timecode value in the ruler. Object markers are attached to an object and move around as you move the object in the Timeline. Add, move, and delete markers Add, move, and delete markers You can add, delete, or move Timeline markers. Add a project marker 1. Place the playhead at the frame where you want the marker. 2. Ensure that no objects are selected, then do any of the following: Add a project marker at the playhead: Choose Mark > Markers > Add Marker, or press M. Add a project marker a specific frame: Shift-click at the desired point in the Timeline ruler, or Control-click at the desired point in the Timeline ruler, then choose Add Marker from the shortcut menu. A green marker is added to the Timeline ruler. Note: You can also press Shift-M to add a project marker at the playhead position, even if an object is selected. Add an object marker 1. Place the playhead at the frame where you want the marker. 2. Select the object to add the marker to, then do one of the following: Choose Mark > Markers > Add Marker. Press M. A red marker is added to the bar for the selected object. In this way, you can add object markers at specific frames while you play back your project. Move a marker Drag the marker left or right to a new location. Delete a marker Do one of the following: Drag the marker vertically out of the area where it resides, then release the mouse button. The marker disappears with a “poof” animation. Double-click the marker, then click Delete Marker in the Edit Marker dialog. For project markers, position the playhead over the marker, then choose Mark > Markers > Delete Marker. For object markers, position the playhead over the marker, select the group or object, then choose Mark > Markers > Delete Marker.) Control-click the marker, then choose Delete Marker from the shortcut menu. Delete all project markers In addition to deleting a single marker, you can delete all markers from your project in one step. 1. Make sure no objects are selected in your project (choose Edit > Deselect All (or press Shift-Command-A). 2. Choose Mark > Markers > Delete All Markers. Delete all markers in a specific object Do one of the following: Select the object containing the markers you want to delete, then choose Mark > Markers > Delete All Markers. Edit marker information You can edit the information for a marker, including its name, starting frame, duration, and color. You can also add comments to the marker. Comments appear in a tooltip when the pointer is placed over the marker. Edit marker information 1. Open the Edit Marker dialog by doing one of the following: Double-click a marker. Control-click a Marker, then choose Edit Marker from the shortcut menu. Move the playhead to a marker, then choose Mark > Markers > Edit Marker (or press Option-Command-M). 2. Enter a name in the Name field. Text added to the Name and Comment fields for project markers appears in a small window when you place the pointer over the marker. 3. Enter text in the Comment field. This comment appears as a tooltip when you place the pointer over project markers. 4. Enter a Start value or drag in the Start field. The marker moves to the frame number you enter (or timecode number, if the timing display is set to show timecode). 5. Enter a Duration value or drag in the Duration field to specify the range of frames (or timecode) for the marker. 6. Click a Color button to set the marker color. 7. Click OK to accept your changes. Navigate with markers You can jump from your current playhead position to a nearby project marker forward or backward. Jump to the next marker Control-click the Timeline ruler, then choose Next Marker from the shortcut menu. The playhead jumps to the starting position of the next project marker. Alternatively, you can choose Mark > Go To > Next Marker or press Option–Command–Right Arrow. Jump to the previous marker Control-click the Timeline ruler, then choose Previous Marker from the shortcut menu. The playhead jumps to the starting position of the previous project marker. Alternatively, you can choose Mark > Go To > Previous Marker or press Option–Command–Left Arrow. Jump to the next or previous marker using the Edit Marker dialog You can also navigate to adjacent markers via the Edit Marker dialog. Double-click a marker, then use the arrow buttons in the Edit Marker dialog. The dialog remains open and the contents are replaced with the information for the next marker. Edit in the mini-Timeline The mini-Timeline lies just above the transport controls and below the Canvas, providing an at-a-glance look at where selected objects fit into your overall project. The mini-Timeline also has a playhead to indicate which frame you are viewing as well as In point and Out point markers to identify the play range. The length of the mini-Timeline represents the duration of the entire project. You can drag the playhead through the mini-Timeline to scrub your project, or to jump to a specific point in time. In the mini- Timeline, you can also change the play range of the entire project as well as move, trim, or slip a selected object. You can also perform many nonlinear editing functions in the miniTimeline. You can drag clips or images from the File Browser, or objects from the Library (such as replicators or shapes), to the mini-Timeline. You can also move, trim, and slip objects to change which portion of the object appears at which point in time. For more information on editing functions such as Move, Trim, and Slip, see Edit in the Timeline track area. Add an object to the mini-Timeline 1. Drag an item from the File Browser to the mini-Timeline. As you drag, a tooltip appears to indicate the frame where the item will be placed. 2. When you reach the desired frame, release the mouse button. The object is added to the project beginning at that frame. Add multiple objects to the mini-Timeline You can add multiple objects to the mini-Timeline at once. You can choose to add the objects sequentially (one after another) or as a composite (all at the same point in time). 1. Shift-click to select multiple items in the File Browser, then drag them onto the mini-Timeline. As you drag, a tooltip appears to indicate the frame where the items will be placed. 2. Continuing to hold down the mouse button, drag to the desired frame. A drop menu appears. 3. Choose an edit type from the drop menu, then release the mouse button. Depending on the item dragged to the Timeline, up to four drop options are available. For more information on the Timeline drop menu, see Add layers to the Timeline track area. Move an object in time 1. In the Layers list, Timeline layers list, or Canvas, select the object you want to move. The object appears in the mini-Timeline. 2. In the mini-Timeline, drag the object left or right to reposition it in time. A tooltip appears, indicating the new In and Out point of the object, as well as the amount of change from the previous position. 3. When you reach the position you want, release the mouse button. Shorten or lengthen (trim) an object 1. Select the object to display it in the mini-Timeline. 2. Position the pointer over the beginning or ending edge of the blue bar in the mini-Timeline. The pointer changes to a trim pointer. 3. Drag the edge of the bar to change its duration. A tooltip appears, indicating the new In or Out point and the amount of change that your edit is causing. You cannot trim a layer to be longer than the amount of frames available in the corresponding media file unless its End Condition is set to Hold, Loop, or Ping Pong in the Timing controls in the Properties Inspector. Slip a video clip (or other multiframe object) Slip a video clip (or other multiframe object) in the mini-Timeline 1. Select the multiframe object you want to modify. 2. Position the pointer over the body of the clip in the miniTimeline and hold down the Option key. The pointer changes to a slip pointer. 3. Continuing to hold down the Option key, drag left or right in the mini-Timeline to use a later or earlier part of the clip. A tooltip appears, indicating the new In and Out points. Note: You cannot slip a clip if it has not been trimmed first. For more information, see Slip video layers in the Timeline track area. Snap the playhead to a project marker in the mini-Timeline Press Shift and drag the playhead in the mini-Timeline. The playhead snaps to the frame that contains a project marker. Retime media Retime media overview Your motion graphics projects may require you to perform special timing tricks on media: speeding up a clip, slowing it down, or playing it back at different speeds. There are several ways to apply retiming to a clip: Manipulate clip timing in the Timeline with the help of modifier keys. Indicators in the Timeline help you visualize loops and other retiming conditions. For more information, see Retime in the Timeline. Adjust the Timing controls in the Properties Inspector to modify speed and playback attributes of media clips. For more information, see Timing controls in the Properties Inspector. Apply a Retiming behavior designed for commonly applied retiming tasks, including hold frames, strobing, looping, and so on. Take some time to look over the Retiming behaviors in the Library before spending a lot of time in the Inspector creating your own custom retiming from scratch. For more information, see Retiming behaviors overview. Retime in the Timeline You can modify the duration and playback speed of video tracks in the Timeline using the retime pointer or loop pointer. Speed and duration are interdependent; that is, if you increase a clip’s playback speed, its duration decreases, and vice versa. For example, a 60-frame video clip played back at 30 frames per second takes two seconds to display its 60 frames. If its In point is frame 1, its Out point is frame 60. Playing back the same clip at 15 frames per second would take twice as long; the clip’s In point remains the same, but its Out point becomes 120. Shorten the video clip’s duration and speed up its playback speed 1. With the pointer positioned over the end of a video clip (the Out point), press and hold down the Option key. The pointer turns into the retime pointer. 2. Drag the Out point of the clip’s bar to the left. As you drag, the tooltip displays the clip’s speed and duration. Note: The retime pointer is available only when the Time Remap pop-up menu is set to Constant Speed in the Timing controls in the Properties Inspector. When Time Remap is set to Variable Speed, the retime pointer has no effect. You cannot retime images, effects, and other nonvideo objects. Lengthen a video object’s duration and slow down its playback speed 1. With the pointer positioned over the end of a video clip (the Out point), press and hold down the Option key. The pointer turns into the retime pointer. 2. Drag the Out point of the clip’s bar to the right. As you drag, the tooltip displays the clip’s speed and duration. Loop a clip Another way to extend a video clip’s duration is to loop it. When a looped clip reaches its last frame, it starts playing again from its first frame. You can easily loop a clip by adjusting it in the Timeline. 1. With the pointer positioned over the end of a video clip (the Out point), press and hold down the Option and Shift keys. The pointer turns into the loop pointer. 2. Continuing to hold down the Option and Shift keys, drag the Out point of the bar to the right. As you drag, the tooltip displays the clip’s Out point, total Duration, and Loop Duration. A looped object displays barriers to indicate where loops begin and end in the Timeline. Change the loop point of a clip Moving the first loop barrier in a layer’s bar changes the point where the clip loops. Drag the first loop barrier left or right. The end point of the clip’s loop moves as you drag. Timing controls in the Properties Inspector Media layers (movie clips and still images) have timing parameters in the Properties Inspector. Click Show on the right side of the Timing category to reveal the timing controls for a selected object. When multiple objects of the same type are selected, parameters with common values are editable. When different types of objects are selected, such as a clip and text, the Timing controls are not available. Note: Still images and other layers without an inherent time dimension have a reduced set of Timing controls (In point, Out point, and Duration). The Properties Inspector contains the following timing controls: Time Remap: A pop-up menu that sets how time is remapped in the clip. There are two menu choices: Constant Speed: Retimes the entire clip using the same value. Variable Speed: Animates the speed of the clip over time. Speed: A value slider that sets the speed of the clip as a percentage. The default is 100%. Values lower than 100 play back the clip more slowly than its original speed and also extend the duration of the clip. Values higher than 100 play back the clip faster than its original speed and shorten the duration of the clip. This parameter appears only when Time Remap is set to Constant Speed. Retime Value: A value slider used to adjust the time value of the clip at a given frame. When you set Time Remap to Variable Speed, two keyframes are generated at the first and last frame of the clip. The two default keyframes represent 100% constant speed. Adding keyframes to this parameter and assigning them different Retime Values makes the speed of the clip ramp from one speed to another. This parameter appears only when Time Remap is set to Variable Speed. In: A value slider that sets the In point of the layer, in both constant and variable speed modes. Adjusting this parameter moves the layer In point to the specified frame without affecting the duration of the layer. Out: A value slider that sets the Out point of the layer, in both constant and variable speed modes. Adjusting this parameter moves the layer Out point to the specified frame without affecting the duration of the layer. Duration: A value slider that sets the total duration of the layer. If Time Remap is set to Constant Speed, adjusting Duration will also affect the Speed and the Out point. If Time Remap is set to Variable Speed, adjusting Duration does not affect variable speed playback. Reverse: A checkbox that controls whether the clip is played back in reverse. Frame Blending: A pop-up menu that sets the method used to determine how the image is blended during each frame of playback. The Frame Blending pop-up menu contains the following items: None: Displays the frame from the original clip nearest the source frame. Blending: The default setting. Displays a blend of the individual pixels of adjacent frames. Motion-Blur Blending: Applies a motion blur algorithm to the blended frames. Optical Flow: Uses an optical flow algorithm to blend the two frames surrounding the desired frame. Using this method affects playback performance most significantly. To display frames properly, Motion analyzes the clip to determine the directional movement of pixels. Only the portion of the clip used in the project (the clip between the In and Out points) is analyzed. When you choose Optical Flow, an analysis indicator appears in the lower-left corner of the Canvas. If you play back the project before the analysis is complete, the clip will appear as if Frame Blending is set to None. When the analysis is complete, the indicator disappears, and the clip will play back properly. You can perform optical flow analysis on multiple clips simultaneously. The clips are processed in the order—the first clip you apply optical flow to is processed first, and so on. Note: The more motion contained in a clip, the longer the analysis takes. For information on pausing, reordering, or stopping a clip analysis, see Manage retiming analysis. Important: When importing interlaced footage and using the Optical Flow method for frame blending, be sure the Field Order parameter (in the Media Inspector) is assigned to the correct value. Otherwise, artifacts may appear in the retimed layer. End Condition: A pop-up menu to set how playback continues when the end of the clip is reached. There are four options: None: The default setting. The layer’s duration in your project is equal to the duration of its source media file. Loop: When the last frame of the clip is reached, the clip loops back to the first frame and plays again. This can cause a jump in the clip’s apparent playback unless the clip was designed to loop seamlessly. Ping-Pong: When the last frame of the clip is reached, the next iteration of clip playback is reversed. If you set a clip of a ball rolling on the floor to loop with the Ping-Pong option, it would appear to roll forward, then backward, then forward again for the duration of the layer. The PingPong option lets you extend the duration of some video clips more smoothly than the Loop option. Hold: This option freezes the last frame of the clip for the amount set in the End Duration slider. Note: When using the Hold option with interlaced footage, ensure that field order is properly set in the Media Inspector. To modify a clip’s field order, select the clip in the Media list, then choose an option from the Field Order pop-up menu in the Media Inspector. End Duration: A slider to set the number of frames by which the clip is extended at the end of its duration. This value can be adjusted only if End Condition is set to a value other than None. Manage retiming analysis You can display processing information and modify analysis when retiming a clip. Display more information about ongoing clip analysis Do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Task List (or press F9). Click the analysis indicator (in the lower-left corner of the Canvas, beside the Play/Mute audio button). The Background Task List window appears. The Background Task List shows all processes Motion is working on in the background. Each task is labeled, has a progress bar, and displays text describing how far along the task is. You can interrupt current and pending operations by pressing the pause button next to the progress bar. Pause clip analysis In the Background Task List window, click the Pause button. A message appears detailing how many frames have been processed. Note: When analysis is paused, projects play back at a much improved speed. Restart clip analysis In the Background Task List window, click the Restart button. Reorder clip analysis In the Background Task List window, drag the clip to analyze to the top of the list. Analysis begins on the repositioned clip, and the clip previously being processed is paused. Close the Background Task List window when analysis is complete In the Background Task List dialog, select the “Close when tasks are complete” checkbox. Animate with behaviors Behaviors overview Behaviors are animation and simulation effects that you can apply to image layers, cameras, and lights to build sophisticated motion effects without keyframes. Some behaviors even adjust individual parameters of objects in your project, allowing you to customize animated effects with extreme precision. Behaviors are designed to be flexible and can be combined with one another to create all kinds of effects. There are 11 kinds of behaviors in Motion: Audio behaviors: Create simple audio effects, such as fadeins and fade-outs, pans, and fly-bys. See Audio behaviors overview. Basic Motion behaviors: Create common animation effects such as rotation, scaling, motion paths, fade-ins, fade-outs, and more. See Basic Motion behaviors overview. Camera behaviors: Animate points of view by creating basic camera moves such as dollies, pans, and zooms. See Add Camera behaviors. Motion Tracking behaviors: Analyze the motion present in video clips to stabilize camera shake or pin moving objects to one another (match move). See Motion tracking overview. Parameter behaviors: Animate a specific parameter of any Parameter behaviors: Animate a specific parameter of any object, including filters, behaviors, cameras, and lights. For example, you can apply the Oscillate behavior to text opacity to make letters fade in and out. See Parameter behaviors overview. Particles behaviors: Animate individual particles in a particle system. See Apply behaviors to particle systems. Replicator behaviors: Animate replicator patterns to build stunning kaleidoscopic effects. See Apply the Sequence Replicator behavior. Retiming behaviors: Change the playback speed of footage to create slow-motion and fast-motion effects, freeze frames, reverse playback, or strobe and stutter frames. See Retiming behaviors overview. Shape behaviors: Animate the vertices of shapes or masks to create morphing polygons and other effects. See Shape behaviors overview. Simulation behaviors: Apply real-world simulation animations, such as gravity, orbital attraction, repelling force, and edge collision to create sophisticated interactions among multiple objects in your project. See Simulation behaviors overview. Text behaviors: Set your text in motion to create advanced titling effects. See Animated text overview and Apply the Sequence Text behavior. For an introduction to using and applying behaviors, see Apply behaviors overview. For information about adjusting applied behaviors, see Adjust behaviors overview. Note: Audio, Camera, Motion Tracking, Particles, Replicator, Shape, and Text behaviors are discussed in their respective chapters. Behaviors versus keyframes When you apply a behavior to an object (or to a specific object parameter) in your project, no keyframes are added. Rather, behaviors automatically generate a range of values that are then applied to an object’s parameters, creating animation over the duration of the behavior. Changing the parameters of a behavior alters the animation. Traditional keyframes, on the other hand, apply specific values to a parameter. When you apply two or more keyframes with different values to a parameter, you animate that parameter from the first keyframed value to the last. By design, behaviors are most useful for creating generalized, ongoing motion effects. They’re also extremely useful for creating animated effects that might be too complex or time-consuming to keyframe manually. Keyframing, in turn, might be more useful for creating specific animated effects where the parameter you’re adjusting is required to hit a specific value at a specific time. For more information about using keyframes in Motion, see Keyframing overview. The animation created by behaviors can be converted into keyframes. See Convert behaviors to keyframes. Browse and apply behaviors Browse for behaviors All available behaviors appear in the Library and in the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar. Select the Behaviors category in the left pane of the Library to reveal the behavior subcategories in the right pane. Selecting a subcategory reveals all behaviors of that type in the Library stack (below the category and subcategory panes). When you select a behavior in the Library stack, a short description and preview of the behavior appear in the preview area. The animated previews help you understand how each behavior works. Although most previews are self-explanatory, the Parameter category previews show before/after examples of the behavior’s effect on an animated object, with the gear graphic turning red to show the object after the behavior takes effect. For Simulation behaviors, the red gear graphic identifies the object to which the selected behavior is applied. You can apply behaviors from the Library or from the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar. See Apply behaviors overview. Apply behaviors Apply behaviors overview Most behaviors are applied to objects in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. However, the Parameter category of behaviors are applied in the Inspector to a specific parameter you want to animate. Important: Text, Particles, Replicator, Audio, Shape, and Camera behaviors should only be applied to their namesake objects. When you apply a behavior to an object, the object parameters affected by that behavior are animated based on the behavior’s default settings. For example, if you apply the Gravity behavior to an object in the Canvas, that object’s position is animated and it moves down, according to the Gravity behavior’s default setting. In most cases, a behavior’s duration is the Timeline duration of the object to which it is applied (the length of the bar in the Timeline track area). For example, if you apply a Spin behavior to an object that begins at frame 20 and ends at frame 300, the Spin behavior’s duration is also frame 20 to frame 300. Not all behaviors automatically apply motion to an object. Some behaviors, such as Throw, require you to set the throw velocity before the object is “thrown.” Other behaviors, such as Orbit Around, require a source object to act as the central object for other objects to move around. In addition to applying behaviors to objects, you can apply behaviors to groups in the Layers list or Timeline. Depending on the applied behavior, all objects nested in that group are affected in one of two ways: as if they were a single object or as individual elements. SEE ALSO Add, remove, and disable standard behaviors Add, remove, and disable a Parameter behavior Add, remove, and disable standard behaviors Applying a behavior to an object instantly animates specific parameters of that object. Because behaviors don’t add keyframes, removing a behavior instantly eliminates the animated effect. All types of behaviors are removed in the same way. Apply a behavior to an object Do one of the following: Drag a behavior from the Library stack to an appropriate object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. An advantage to applying behaviors from the Library is the ability to preview the animation created by the behavior in the Library preview area. Note: When applying a behavior to a camera or light, it’s usually easier to drag the behavior to a camera or light in the Layers list or Timeline than to its wireframe object in the Canvas. Select an object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then select a behavior from the Library stack and click Apply in the preview area. Select an object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, then choose a behavior from the menu. Apply a behavior to multiple objects 1. Select all objects to apply the behavior to. In the Layers list, Canvas, or Timeline, Shift-click to select a contiguous set of objects, or Command-click to select noncontiguous objects. 2. Do one of the following: In the toolbar, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu, then choose a behavior. Select a behavior in the Library stack, then click Apply in the preview area. Remove a behavior from an object Remove a behavior from an object 1. Select a behavior in the Layers list, Timeline, Behaviors Inspector, or pop-up menu in the title bar of the HUD. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Edit > Delete. Press Delete. Note: You can also Control-click a behavior in the Layers list or Timeline, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu. SEE ALSO Where applied behaviors appear Where applied behaviors appear When you apply a behavior to a layer or group, it appears nested underneath that layer or group in the Layers list and in the Timeline. A behavior icon (a gear) also appears to the right of the object (layer or group) name in the Layers list and Timeline. Clicking this icon enables and disables all behaviors applied to that object. The actual parameters that let you adjust the attributes of a behavior appear in the Behaviors Inspector. New behaviors you apply to an object appear above behaviors applied previously. When you apply a behavior to an object (or parameter) in your project, a behavior icon (a gear) appears in the row of the affected parameter in the Properties, Behaviors, or Filters Inspector. This icon shows you that a behavior is influencing that parameter. When you apply a behavior to a parameter that has been animated with keyframes, a behavior icon (a gear) appears within a keyframe (diamond) icon. Animation paths When some behaviors are applied to an object, an animation path appears in the Canvas displaying the projected path of the object over time. Consider this path a “preview” of the animation created by the behavior. Unlike animation paths created using keyframes or the path created by the Motion Path behavior, animation paths for behaviors cannot be edited. To show or hide all types of paths, click the View pop-up menu above the Canvas, then choose Animation Path (when the checkmark beside the menu command disappears, animation paths are hidden in the Canvas). Behavior effects in the keyframe editor If you open the Keyframe Editor and look at a parameter affected by a behavior, you see a noneditable curve that represents the behavior’s effect on that parameter. The noneditable curve (in this example, opacity channel animation that corresponds to the Fade In/Fade Out behavior) appears in addition to that parameter’s editable curve, which can be used in combination to keyframe that parameter. For more information about the Keyframe Editor, see Display the Keyframe Editor. Note: Use the pop-up menu above the Keyframe Editor to select which parameters are displayed and to create curve sets. For more information on curve sets, see Create a custom curve view. Add, remove, and disable a Parameter behavior A standard behavior is applied to an object and typically affects multiple parameters of that object. However, the special class of behavior known as the Parameter behavior is applied to a specific parameter of your choosing. In this way, you can modify a single parameter belonging to a filter, particle system, shape, text, or any other object in your project. You can even apply a Parameter behavior to a parameter of another behavior. A Parameter behavior’s effect on an object depends on the parameter to which it is applied. For example, if you apply the Randomize parameter behavior to a particle emitter’s Position parameter, the emitter drifts randomly around the screen when the project plays. Applying the Randomize parameter behavior to a shape’s Scale parameter makes the shape randomly grow and shrink. Important: Although you can apply a Parameter behavior to an object, the applied behavior does not affect the object until you select a specific parameter to apply the Parameter behavior to. A more direct way to apply a Parameter behavior is by using the shortcut menu in the Inspector. Apply a Parameter behavior to a specific parameter of an object 1. Select the object to apply the Parameter behavior to. 2. Do one of the following: Control-click a parameter’s name in the Inspector, choose Add Parameter Behavior, then choose an item from the submenu. Click the parameter’s Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you move the pointer over the right side of a parameter row), choose Add Parameter Behavior, then choose an item from the submenu. Control-click a parameter in the HUD, choose Add Parameter Behavior from the shortcut menu, then choose an item from the submenu. Control-click a parameter in the Keyframe Editor parameter list, then choose a Parameter behavior from the shortcut menu. Use the pop-up menu above the Keyframe Editor to choose the parameters you want displayed in the Keyframe Editor. For more information, see Choose a curve view. When you apply a Parameter behavior, the Behaviors Inspector opens. Apply a Parameter behavior to an object 1. Do one of the following: Drag a Parameter behavior from the Library stack to an appropriate object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. Note: When applying a behavior to a camera or light, it’s usually easier to drag the behavior to a camera or light in the Layers list or Timeline than to the wireframe object in the Canvas. Select an object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, then choose an item from the Parameter submenu. The behavior is applied to the object, but no parameter is assigned to the behavior. 2. To assign a specific parameter to the Parameter behavior, do one of the following: Select the Parameter behavior in the Layers list, click the Apply To pop-up menu in the HUD, then choose a parameter from the submenu. Select the Parameter behavior in the Layers list, click the Apply To pop-up menu in the Behaviors Inspector, then choose a Parameter behavior from the submenu. The parameter you chose appears in the Apply To text field. Apply a Parameter behavior to a parameter of another behavior Parameter behaviors can be applied to the parameters of other behaviors. For example, you can apply the Oscillate parameter behavior to the Drag parameter of the Orbit Around behavior. As a result, the orbital drag fluctuates, causing the object to fall toward the center of its orbit. 1. Select a behavior that you’ve already applied to an object. 2. Do one of the following: Control-click a parameter’s name in the Inspector, choose Add Parameter Behavior, then choose an item from the submenu. Click the parameter’s Animation menu in the Inspector (the downward arrow that appears when you move the pointer over the right side of a parameter row), choose Add Parameter Behavior from the shortcut menu, then choose an item from the submenu. Control-click a parameter in the HUD, choose Add Parameter Behavior from the shortcut menu, then choose an item from the submenu. Control-click a parameter in the Keyframe Editor parameter list, then choose a Parameter behavior from the shortcut menu. Use the pop-up menu above the Keyframe Editor to choose the parameters you want displayed in the Keyframe Editor. For more information, see Choose a curve view. Remove a Parameter behavior 1. Select a Parameter behavior in the Layers list, Timeline, Behaviors Inspector, or pop-up menu in the title bar of the HUD. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Edit > Delete. Press Delete. Note: You can also Control-click the behavior in the Layers list or Timeline, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Note: If you save a Parameter behavior as a favorite, the parameter assignment is saved with the rest of that behavior’s settings. As a result, the saved behavior will affect the same parameters of any object it’s applied to. SEE ALSO Reassign a Parameter behavior to another parameter Where applied Parameter behaviors appear Reassign a Parameter behavior to another parameter After you apply a Parameter behavior, it remains assigned to that parameter unless you reassign it via the Apply To pop-up menu. The Apply To pop-up menu displays all parameters available for the object to which the behavior is applied. If an object has other behaviors or filters applied to it, those parameters also appear in submenus of the Apply To pop-up menu. 1. In the Layers list, Timeline, or Behaviors Inspector, select the Parameter behavior to reassign. 2. In the Behaviors Inspector or HUD, choose a new parameter from the Apply To pop-up menu. The Parameter behavior is applied to the newly chosen parameter and the Apply To field is updated to reflect the new assignment. In the Inspector, a behavior icon (a gear) appears next to the new parameter. Where applied Parameter behaviors appear Like other behaviors, Parameter behaviors appear nested underneath the objects they’re applied to in the Layers list and Timeline, along with any other behaviors applied to that object. Note: Although Parameter behaviors appear nested under objects in the Layers list, each Parameter behavior is applied to a single parameter of an object, and not to the object itself. Whereas standard behaviors display a simple gear icon in the Layers list, Parameter behavior icons contain a funnel-shaped image at the center of the gear. The funnel represents the “channeling” of individual parameters. The same icon appears in the Timeline. Control-clicking a parameter’s name in the Inspector, or clicking the downward arrow at the right of a parameter (visible when you move the pointer over it) opens the Animation menu, which displays the names of behaviors applied to that parameter. Choosing a behavior opens the Behaviors Inspector. As with all other behaviors, when a Parameter behavior is applied to an object in your project, a behavior icon (a gear) appears over the Keyframe button of the affected parameter in the Properties, Behaviors, or Filters Inspector where it is applied. Manage behaviors and behavior timing Disable, lock, hide, and rename behaviors When you apply a behavior to an object, the behavior appears in three places: the Layers list, the Timeline, and the Behaviors Inspector. The Behaviors Inspector contains all editable parameters for a behavior that’s been applied to an object. The Layers list and Timeline have several controls for each behavior: Note: In the Layers list and Timeline, Control-clicking an object’s behavior icon (the small gear) opens a shortcut menu that displays behaviors applied to that object. Choose a behavior from this menu to display its parameter controls in the Inspector. Disable the effect of a single behavior Deselect the behavior’s activation checkbox in the Layers list, Timeline, or Behaviors Inspector. Behaviors that are disabled have no effect on the object to which they’re applied. Disable the effect of all behaviors applied to an object or layer Click the behavior icon that appears to the right of the object name in the Layers list and Timeline. A red slash appears through a disabled behavior’s icon, the behavior names are dimmed, and their effect disabled. Lock a behavior Click the lock icon in the Layers list or Timeline. You cannot modify the parameters of a locked behavior. Show or hide all behaviors Click the Show/Hide Behaviors button at the bottom of the Layers list (or at the top of the Timeline layers list). This button neither enables nor disables behaviors applied to objects in your project; it merely controls their visibility as objects in the Layers list and Timeline. Rename a behavior In the Layers list or Timeline, double-click a behavior name, enter a new name, then press Return. Copy, paste, move, and reorder behaviors After you add behaviors to an object, there are a number of ways to copy and move them among the other items in the Timeline or Layers list. Behaviors can be cut, copied, pasted, or duplicated like any other item in Motion. When you cut or copy a behavior in the Timeline or Layers list, you also copy the current states of that behavior’s parameters. When you duplicate an object, you duplicate all behaviors applied to it. This way, if you’re creating a project with a number of objects that use the same behavior, you can apply that behavior to the first instance of that object, and then duplicate that object as many times as necessary. Cut or copy a behavior 1. Select a behavior in the Layers list or Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Edit > Cut (or press Command-X) to remove the behavior and place it on the Clipboard. Choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C) to copy the behavior to the Clipboard. Paste a behavior 1. Select an object in the Layers list or Timeline. 2. Choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). The cut or copied behavior is applied to the selected object, with all its parameter settings intact. Transfer a behavior from one object to Transfer a behavior from one object to another You can also move a behavior from one object to another in the Layers list or Timeline by dragging it to a new position. In the Layers list or Timeline, drag a behavior from one object and drop it on top of another. Note: If you move a Parameter behavior to another object, it is applied to the same parameter it affected in the previous object— as long as the corresponding parameter exists. If the parameter does not exist, the parameter assignment (Apply To field) is set to None. Duplicate a behavior You can also duplicate a behavior in place. 1. Select a behavior in the Layers list or Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Edit > Duplicate (or press Command-D). Control-click the behavior to duplicate, then choose Duplicate from the shortcut menu. Note: You can also use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands from the shortcut menu to duplicate a behavior. Drag a duplicate of a behavior to another object You can also duplicate a behavior and apply the duplicate to another object in the Layers list or Timeline. In the Layers list or Timeline, Option-drag a behavior to another object. The behavior is duplicated and applied to the second object, and the original behavior is left in its original location. Reorder behaviors 1. In the Layers list or Timeline, drag the behavior up or down in the list of nested behaviors applied to the same object. A position indicator appears. 2. When the position indicator is in the correct row, release the mouse button. All behaviors combine according to a predetermined order of operations (see About behavior order of operations) regardless of their order in the Layers list. Therefore, reordering the behaviors has no effect on the resulting animations, with a few exceptions: The Stop behavior suspends the activity of all behaviors beneath it in the Layers list that affect the same parameter. The Stop behavior has no effect on behaviors above it in the Layers list. Parameter behaviors are applied in the order that they are added, from the bottom to the top in the Layers list, so you need to think about how you are building the operation. For example, imagine a circle shape with an X Position of 50 in the Canvas. If you apply a Rate Parameter behavior with a positive Rate value to the X Position of the circle, the circle will move to the right from its starting X Position of 50. If you then apply a Negate Parameter behavior to the circle’s X Position, the circle will start at –50 in the Canvas and move to the left. The effect you see in the Canvas is the result of each behavior acting upon the previously applied behavior: an X Position value of 50 is modified by the Rate behavior (in a positive direction), which is in turn modified by the Negate behavior, changing the X Position and rate to negative values. If you swap the order of Rate and Negate in the Layers list, Negate is processed first. The circle’s X Position value of 50 is turned into –50. This is then passed as the input to Rate, which moves the circle in a positive direction. Now the circle begins at the –50 X Position in the Canvas and moves to the right. Modify behavior timing Behavior timing overview You can change a behavior’s timing to control when it starts, how long it lasts, and when it stops. There are several ways to do this: Use the Stop parameter behavior to suspend a behavior’s effect on a single parameter. Trim the length of a behavior’s bar in the Timeline. Drag a behavior’s bar left or right in the Timeline. Change the Start Offset or End Offset parameter to stop a behavior before the end of its bar’s duration in the Timeline. Stop a behavior The easiest way to control behavior timing is to use the Stop behavior (in the Parameter category). The Stop behavior halts the animation occurring in a single parameter, whether the animation is based on keyframes in the Keyframe Editor or behaviors applied to that object. Stop a parameter from animating 1. Move the playhead to the frame where you want animation to stop. 2. Select the affected object, then open the Properties Inspector. 3. Control-click the parameter to stop, choose Add Parameter Behavior from the shortcut menu, then choose Stop. If the behavior was applied to one dimension of a multidimensional parameter, open that parameter’s disclosure triangle and Control-click the dimensional parameter to access the same shortcut menu, then choose Stop. The parameter is animated until the frame where the Stop behavior begins. Note: When applied in this manner, the Stop behavior takes effect at the current frame (regardless of the Create Layers At setting in Motion Preferences). 4. To assign the Stop behavior to a different parameter, choose a new parameter from the Apply To pop-up menu in the Stop section of the Behaviors Inspector. The Stop behavior halts the animation of all behaviors that affect the selected parameter of that object. For example, if the Gravity, Edge Collision, and Rotate behaviors are applied to a shape and you apply the Stop parameter to the shape layer’s Position parameter, the shape stops moving but continues rotating. To control when animation affecting that parameter is stopped, trim the Stop behavior in the Timeline. For more information on trimming behaviors, see Trim behaviors. Trim behaviors When you apply a behavior to an object, the duration of the behavior in the Timeline defaults to the duration of the object to which it’s applied. However, a behavior can be modified to limit the duration of its effect. For example, if you apply the Spin behavior to a replicator layer, by default that replicator spins for its entire duration. If you trim the Out point of the Spin behavior, the spinning stops at the new position of the Out point. As you trim the behavior bar in the Timeline, a tooltip appears, indicating the new location of the Out point as well as the new duration of the behavior. Important: The motion of a Simulation behavior cannot be stopped or changed by trimming its duration in the Timeline. For more information, see About controlling Simulation behaviors. Change the duration of a behavior in the Timeline 1. Move the pointer to the In or Out point of any behavior bar in the Timeline. 2. When the pointer changes to the trim pointer, do one of the following: Drag the In point to the right to delay the beginning of the behavior’s effect. Drag the Out point to the left to end the behavior’s effect before the end of the object it’s modifying. Trimming the Out point of a behavior often sets the object to its original state beyond the Out point behavior. For many behaviors, using the Stop behavior to pause the object’s animation is a more efficient method than trimming its Out point. Another way to stop a behavior’s effect and leave the affected object in the transformed state is to adjust a behavior’s Start and End Offset parameters. See Change the start or end offset of Parameter behaviors for more information. About controlling Simulation behaviors The ideal use for behaviors (with the exception of Motion Tracking behaviors) is creating fluid motion graphics that do not require specific timing. This is especially true with the Simulation behaviors, which let you create sophisticated interactions among multiple objects in your project with minimal editing. Unlike Basic Motion behaviors, you cannot stop or change the motion of a Simulation behavior in the Timeline. However, you can affect the rate of a Simulation behavior by modifying its duration in the Timeline. You can also change the starting frame of the behavior. Because the Simulation behaviors mimic natural effects, such as Gravity, the laws of inertia apply: an external force sets the object in motion, and that object stays in motion even after the active force is no longer present. Changing the duration of a Timeline bar for a Simulation behavior does stop the “active” force on the object but does not stop the motion of the object. You can, of course, control Simulation behaviors by modifying their parameters. In the following image, the Orbit Around behavior is applied to the small blue circle. The large orange circle is assigned as the object that the blue circle moves around. The red animation path represents the motion of the small blue circle over its duration. The Orbit Around behavior is the same duration (240 frames) as the large circle to which it is applied. In the next image, the Orbit Around behavior is trimmed in the Timeline to a shorter duration (140 frames) than the object to which it is applied. Notice the change in the shape of the animation path: At frame 140, where the Orbit Around behavior ends, the object (the small blue circle) stops moving around its target and continues moving off the Canvas. The Orbit Around behavior—the active force—is no longer present, but the motion of the blue circle does not stop. Move behaviors in time In addition to changing a behavior’s duration, you can also move its position in the Timeline relative to the object it’s applied to. This lets you set the frame where that behavior begins to take effect. Move a behavior in the Timeline 1. Click anywhere in the middle of a behavior’s bar in the Timeline. 2. Drag the behavior to the left or right to move it to another position in the Timeline. As you move the bar, a tooltip displays the new In and Out points for the behavior. The tooltip also displays the delta value, which shows the number of frames you’ve moved the bar. Change the start or end offset of Parameter behaviors Many Parameter behaviors have two additional parameters, Start Offset and End Offset, used to change the frame where a Parameter behavior’s effect begins and ends. Use the Start Offset slider to delay the beginning of the behavior’s effect, relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline. Adjust this parameter to make the Parameter behavior start later. Use the End Offset slider to extend the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline, lets you freeze the behavior’s effect on the object for its remaining duration. The following example shows how to use the Start Offset and End Offset parameter with the Ramp behavior (applied to the Scale parameter of a shape). Use the Start Offset and End Offset parameters 1. In the Layers list, Timeline, or Canvas, select an image layer, such as a shape. 2. In the Properties Inspector, Control-click the Scale parameter, then choose Add Parameter Behavior > Ramp from the shortcut menu. The Ramp behavior is applied to the Scale parameter of the layer, and the Behaviors Inspector opens. The Ramp behavior lets you create a gradual transition in any animatable parameter. 3. Set the Start Value to 0 and the End Value to 200, then play the project. The layer scales from its original size to twice its original size over the duration of the layer. 4. Set the Start Offset to 90 and the End Offset to 90. The layer does not begin scaling until frame 90, and stops scaling 90 frames from its last frame in the Timeline. About behavior order of operations There’s no limit to the number of behaviors you can add to an object. When multiple behaviors are applied to a single object, they work together to create a final animated effect. In general, each behavior applies a value to a specific parameter. The values generated by all behaviors that affect the same parameters are combined to create the end result. For example, if you apply the Throw, Spin, and Gravity behaviors to a single object, the Throw and Gravity behaviors combine to affect the position of the object. The Spin behavior affects the rotation of the object. When combining different behavior types (such as Parameter and Simulation behaviors), or combining behaviors and keyframes, it’s important to understand the behaviors’ order of operations. Motion evaluates behaviors and keyframes in the following order: Keyframes > Simulation behaviors > all other behaviors Parameter behaviors are applied in the order in which they are added, from the bottom of the Layers list up (like the order of filters and the compositing order of image layers). For more information, see Copy, paste, move, and reorder behaviors. Important: The order of operations is always in effect— regardless of the order in which the behaviors are applied or the keyframes added to a layer or group. Use the following guidelines for animating objects with multiple applied behaviors or keyframes: When you animate an object with keyframes and then apply a behavior, the effect of the keyframes is evaluated first. For example, if you animate the Rotation parameter of an object using keyframes and then apply a Rotational Drag (Simulation) behavior to the object, Motion evaluates the keyframed rotation, and then applies the drag (from the Simulation behavior) to the keyframed animation. When you animate an object with any behavior and then add keyframes, the effect of the keyframes is evaluated first. For example, if you animate an object so it rotates in a clockwise direction using the Spin behavior and then keyframe the Rotation parameter so the object rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the object rotates in the counterclockwise direction. Motion always evaluates keyframes first. When you animate an object with a behavior and then apply a Simulation behavior, the Simulation behavior is evaluated before the first behavior (and therefore may have no effect). For example, if you animate the Rotation parameter of an object using the Oscillate (Parameter) behavior and then apply a Rotational Drag (Simulation) behavior to the object, the object oscillates, but is not slowed by the Rotational Drag behavior. Motion evaluates the Simulation behavior (Rotational Drag) before the Parameter behavior (Oscillate), applying the drag to a 0 value. There is no data for the Simulation behavior to affect. Note: Although the Spin behavior appears in the Basic Motion category, Spin is treated as a Simulation behavior in the order of operations. For information on combining keyframes with behaviors, see About combining behaviors with keyframes. Behaviors and keyframes About combining behaviors with keyframes Any object can have behaviors and keyframes applied to it simultaneously. When this happens, the values generated by the behavior and the keyframed values applied to the parameter are combined to yield the final value for that parameter. This lets you combine the automatic convenience of behaviors with the direct control of keyframing to achieve your final result. Note: Motion has a specific order of operations for keyframes and behaviors. For more information, see About behavior order of operations. For example, if you create an animation path using keyframes, you can create a completely predictable and smooth movement. However, if you apply the Randomize parameter behavior to the same object, its effect combines with the keyframed motion path you created. As a result, the animation path follows the general direction you want, with random variation in it to make it interesting. Although this example shows how you can combine behaviors and keyframes to create animation paths, you can combine behaviors and keyframes for any parameter. SEE ALSO About behaviors and keyframes in the Keyframe Editor About keyframing specific parameters in behaviors Convert behaviors to keyframes About behaviors and keyframes in the About behaviors and keyframes in the Keyframe Editor When you keyframe a parameter that’s already affected by a behavior, the keyframes add to or subtract from the effect of the behavior. This effect is shown in the Keyframe Editor, which displays two curves for each parameter modified by both a behavior and one or more keyframes: A bold, editable curve displaying the effect of keyframes on the parameter An lighter, noneditable curve displaying the combined effect of the behavior and keyframes on the parameter at each frame. Dragging a keyframe on the bold curve also modifies the lighter curve, because the keyframe is modifying the values generated by the behavior. Important: The value displayed in the Inspector for the affected parameter reflects the combined result of keyframes and behaviors applied to that parameter. Editing a parameter’s values in the Inspector only results in changes made to the underlying parameter value, whether keyframed or not. This parameter value is then combined with the behavior’s effect, yielding a final value that might differ from the value you entered. When you combine keyframes with multiple behaviors, the results can appear to be unpredictable, depending on the combination of behaviors applied. SEE ALSO Keyframing overview Convert behaviors to keyframes About keyframing specific parameters in behaviors You can also apply keyframes to specific parameters of behaviors in your project. Doing so gives you more control when animating a behavior’s parameters. For example, you can keyframe the Speed parameter of the Oscillate parameter behavior to increase the rate of oscillation over time, creating a more complex animation path. For more information about keyframing the parameters of behaviors, see Apply keyframes to behaviors. Convert behaviors to keyframes Behaviors are best suited for fluid effects in which precise timing is not necessary. However, there might be projects in which you want finite control over the animated effects created with behaviors. If necessary, several of the behaviors can be baked into keyframes. This means that the animation curves created by the behaviors (which have no keyframes) can be converted into keyframed animation curves. You can then modify the keyframes in the Keyframe Editor to meet more precise timing requirements. Because many (though not all) behaviors affect shared object parameters, when you convert a behavior to keyframes, all other behaviors applied to the same object are also converted into keyframes. The keyframes are applied to the individual parameters that the behaviors originally affected. Additionally, when behaviors applied to other objects affect the object being converted (for example, the Attractor or Repel behavior), their effect is baked into the object’s resulting keyframes value. The original behaviors remain applied to the other objects, but the resulting effect is not doubled as a result of the keyframes combining with the behavior. Convert behaviors to keyframes 1. Do one of the following: Select an object that has behaviors to convert. In the Inspector, select a behavior to convert. 2. Choose Object > Convert to Keyframes (or press Command- K). A dialog prompts you to confirm the conversion to keyframes. 3. Click Convert. All behaviors are converted into keyframes, even if some of the behaviors fall outside of the object’s time range. Converting a behavior to keyframes can result in a very large amount of keyframes. You can simplify your keyframes using the Reduce Keyframes command. For more information, see Simplify a keyframe-heavy curve. Note: You cannot selectively convert individual behaviors. The Convert to Keyframes command converts all behaviors applied to an object. You cannot convert many of the Simulation, Replicator, Particle, or Text behaviors into keyframes. Simulation behaviors such as Vortex can affect the parameters of all objects in a project, and baking such a behavior would create an overwhelming amount of keyframes. Such behaviors are designed to create very complex motion that would be too time-consuming to keyframe manually. If a behavior (or an object with applied behaviors) can be baked, the Convert to Keyframes command appears in the Object menu when the behavior or object is selected. If the Convert to Keyframes command is dimmed, keyframes cannot be generated from the behavior. Adjust behaviors overview You edit behavior parameters in the Behaviors Inspector or in the HUD. All behavior parameters appear in the Behaviors Inspector. Each behavior has a subset (or sometimes a complete set) of parameters that appear in the HUD. The HUD and the Behaviors Inspector reference the same parameters, so changing a parameter in one changes the same parameter in the other. In general, the parameters that appear in the HUD are the most essential for modifying that behavior’s effect. Frequently, the controls available in a behavior’s HUD are more descriptive and easier to use than those in the Behaviors Inspector. For example, the Fade In/Fade Out behavior HUD contains a graphical control for adjusting a layer’s fade time. The Fade In/Fade Out behavior Inspector contains standard sliders for adjusting a layer’s fade time. Display the HUD for a behavior Do one of the following: Select the behavior to modify in the Layers list, Timeline, or Behaviors Inspector. Control-click an object in the Canvas, then choose a behavior from the Behaviors submenu in the shortcut menu. Note: If the HUD doesn’t appear, choose Window > Show HUD (or press F7 or D). Display the Behaviors Inspector 1. Select an object with an applied behavior. 2. Do one of the following: In the Inspector, click Behaviors (if that pane is not already showing). Click the “i” in the upper-right corner of the behavior’s HUD. If the File Browser or Library are displayed, press Command-3. Edit multiple behaviors at the same time If you’ve applied the same behavior to multiple objects, you can modify all instances of that behavior at the same time. 1. In the Layers list or the Behaviors Inspector, Command-click to select multiple behaviors of the same type. For example, you might select all Throw behaviors applied to different objects in your project. 2. Do one of the following: In the HUD titled “Multiple Selected,” adjust the parameter controls. In the Behaviors Inspector, adjust the parameter controls. Only behaviors that apply are available. When you adjust the parameters, all selected behaviors are modified. For detailed information about the adjustable parameter controls in each type of behavior, see the following: Basic Motion behaviors overview Parameter behaviors overview Retiming behaviors overview Simulation behaviors overview Additional behaviors Basic Motion behaviors Basic Motion behaviors overview Basic Motion behaviors animate specific parameters of the object to which they’re applied. Some affect position, while others affect scale, rotation, or opacity. WARNING: Building consecutive Basic Motion behaviors or placing such a behavior before or after the Camera Framing behavior can create unexpected results. These behaviors can continue to affect the object even after the behavior ends, thus influencing the subsequent behavior’s animation path. For example, if a Framing behavior is applied after a Motion Path behavior, the residual effect of the Motion Path behavior is combined with the animation path generated by the Framing behavior. Consequently, the target object might be framed improperly. For information about Camera behaviors, see Add Camera behaviors. There are eight Basic Motion behaviors: Fade In/Fade Out makes an object dissolve into view or fade away. Grow/Shrink makes an object enlarge or reduce its size over time. Motion Path creates a spline path for an object to move along. Move pulls an object to a target point in the Canvas. Point At causes an object to turn toward a target point. Snap Alignment to Motion points an object in the direction its moving along an animation path. Spin rotates an object around a single axis. Throw pushes an object in a single direction. Fade In/Fade Out The Fade In/Fade Out behavior lets you dissolve into and out of any object by ramping the opacity of the object from 0 percent to 100 percent at the start, and then back to 0 percent at the end. You can eliminate the fade-in or fade-out effect by setting the duration of the Fade In Time or Fade Out Time to 0 frames. Note: This behavior is multiplicative. This means that the Fade In and Fade Out parameters are multiplied by the object’s current opacity to produce the resulting level of transparency. The Fade In/Fade Out behavior is useful for introducing and removing animated elements. For example, you can apply the Fade In/Fade Out behavior to text that moves across the screen to make it fade into existence, and then fade away at the end of its duration. Note: The Fade In/Fade Out behavior cannot be applied to a camera or light. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Fade In Time: A slider defining the duration, in frames, over which the object fades in from 0 to 100 percent opacity from the first frame of the object. A duration of 0 frames results in a straight cut into the object, making it appear instantly. Fade Out Time: A slider defining the duration, in frames, over which the object fades out from 100 to 0 percent opacity at the last frame of the object. A duration of 0 frames results in a straight cut-away from the object, making it disappear instantly. Start Offset: A slider that lets you delay the beginning of the behavior’s effect relative to its first frame in the Timeline. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior start later. This parameter value is measured in frames. End Offset: A slider that lets you offset the end of the behavior’s effect relative to its last frame in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. The HUD lets you set the Fade In and Fade Out durations with a graphical control. Drag anywhere in the shaded area of the Fade In or the Fade Out ramp to adjust the duration of the effect. Note: Continue dragging beyond the limits of the graphical HUD control to extend the durations of the Fade In or Fade Out. Grow/Shrink The Grow/Shrink behavior lets you animate the scale of an object, enlarging or reducing its size over time. At the first frame of the behavior, the object appears at its original size; the settings of the behavior determine whether the object grows or shrinks over the duration of the effect. The vertical and horizontal growth rates can be set to independent values, for asymmetrical effects. Note: The Grow/Shrink behavior cannot be applied to cameras or lights. You can use the Grow/Shrink behavior with high-resolution graphics to zoom into an image, such as a map or photograph. You can combine this behavior with the Throw or Wind behavior to pan across the image while zooming into it. The Grow/Shrink behavior can also be used to emphasize or de-emphasize images in your project. For example, you can enlarge an object to make it the center of attention, or shrink the object while introducing another object to move the viewer’s eye to the new element. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Increment: A pop-up menu that sets how the behavior’s effect progresses over its duration in the Timeline. There are three options: Continuous Rate: Uses the Scale Rate parameter to grow or shrink the object by a steady number of pixels per second. Ramp to Final Value: Grows or shrinks the object from its original size to the specified percentage plus the original scale in the Scale To parameter. If the behavior is shortened in the Timeline, the Grow/Shrink effect occurs faster. Natural Scale: Uses an exponential curve so that the animation progresses slowly when the scale values are small, and speeds up when the values are large, creating the illusion of scaling at a constant speed. This is the default option. Scale Rate/Scale To: A slider that sets the speed and magnitude of the effect (depending on the command chosen in the Increment pop-up menu). Click the disclosure triangle to reveal X and Y sliders that adjust horizontal or vertical scale independently. Curvature: A slider that adjusts the acceleration from the original to the final size. Higher Curvature values ease into and out of the effect. Because Curvature is defined by the length of the behavior in the Timeline, minus the End Offset, this setting does not affect the overall duration of the effect. Note: The Curvature parameter is not available when the Increment parameter is set to Natural Scale. End Offset: A slider that offsets the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. The HUD consists of two rectangular regions. The first, a rectangle with a dotted line, represents the original size of the object. The second, a solid rectangle, represents the relative growth rate. Drag a border of the sold rectangle to grow or shrink the object. Drag the slider to adjust the scale of the HUD controls, increasing or decreasing their effect. Motion Path The Motion Path behavior lets you create a 2D or 3D motion path for an object to follow. When you apply this behavior, the motion path defaults to an open spline: a straight line defined by two points at the beginning and end of the path. You can also choose from preset path shapes, such as a closed spline, loop, rectangle, or wave, or use a shape to define a path. A shape used as the source for a motion path can be animated. For more information on customizing the Motion Path behavior, see Work with the Motion Path behavior. The first point on the path is the position of the object in the Canvas at the first frame of the behavior. Option-click anywhere on the path to add Bezier points, which allow you to reshape the motion path by creating curves. When you play the project, the object moves along the assigned path. (To show or hide the motion path, choose Show Overlays from the View pop-up menu above the Canvas.) The speed at which the target object travels is defined by the duration of the behavior. Speed is also affected by the Speed parameter, which lets you modify the object’s velocity—adding acceleration and deceleration at the beginning and end of the behavior, for example. You can also create a custom preset defining how the object travels along the path. Note: When you switch between the Path Shape options, the Inspector and the HUD display parameters specific to the selected option. The Motion Path behavior is an easy way to create predictable motion without using the Keyframe Editor. It’s also a great way to create reusable motion paths that you can save in the Library for future use. When the Motion Path behavior is added to an object, the Adjust Item tool is selected, allowing you to modify the default path in the Canvas by adding points and using the Bezier (or B-Spline) controls attached to each point to adjust each curve. You can also move and resize preset motion path shapes, such as a rectangle or wave, in the Canvas. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Path Shape: A pop-up menu that defines the shape of the path on which the object travels. Choose one of the following path shapes: Open Spline: The default shape, a straight path defined by two points at the beginning and end of the path. You can choose to work with Bezier or B-Spline control points. Option-click (or double-click) anywhere on the path to add points. Note: You cannot add points to a motion path when Circle or Rectangle are selected from the Path Shape pop-up menu. To change the shape of a path when Geometry is selected from the Path Shape pop-up menu, edit the source shape. Closed Spline: A closed path with the last point in the same location as the first point. You can choose to work with Bezier or B-Spline control points. Option-click (or double-click) anywhere on the path to add points. Circle: A simplified version of Closed Spline, in which the X radius or Y radius can be adjusted to create a circle or an ellipse. Use the outer control points to resize the circle (or rectangle) motion path’s shape. Rectangle: A closed path in which the width and the height can be adjusted to create a square or a rectangle. Wave: A wavy path (a sine wave) defined by two points, one at the beginning and one at the end of the path, and controlled by the End Point, Amplitude, Frequency, Phase, and Damping parameters. Geometry: A path based on a shape or mask. The object travels along the edge of the shape or mask. In the following figure, the outline of the shape on the left is used as the motion path in the composition shown on the right. Note: The Path Shape parameters work similarly to text on a path. For more information about working with text on a path, see Create and modify text on a path. Shape Type: A pop-up menu (available when Path Shape is set to Open Spline or Closed Spline) that sets how the path is manipulated, via Bezier or B-Spline control points. Bezier: Lets you manipulate the path manually by dragging Bezier handles. Note: For more information about creating and adjusting Bezier curves, see Edit Bezier control points. B-Spline: Lets you manipulate the path by dragging B- Spline control points. The points themselves do not lie on the surface of the shape. Instead, each B-Spline control point is offset from the shape’s surface, “magnetically” pulling that section of the shape toward itself to create a curve. B-Splines are extremely smooth—by default, there are no sharp angles in B-Spline shapes, although you can create sharper curves, if necessary. Note: For more information about working with B-Spline curves, see Edit B-Spline control points. Radius: A slider (available when Circle is the defined path shape) that sets the size of the circular path. Click the disclosure triangle to adjust the X radius and Y radius independently. Note: When the Motion Path behavior is selected, you can also drag the onscreen control points to resize the circle. Press Shift while dragging to resize the X and Y radii uniformly. Size: A slider (available when Rectangle is the defined path shape) that modifies the size of the rectangular path. Click the disclosure triangle to adjust the X scale and Y scale independently. Note: When the Motion Path behavior is selected, you can also drag the onscreen control points to resize the rectangle. Press Shift while dragging to resize the X and Y scales uniformly. Offset: A slider (available when Circle, Rectangle, or Geometry is the defined path shape) that sets where the object starts moving on the path. End Point: Value sliders (available when Wave is the defined path shape) that sets the location of two default points on the wave’s path. The end points can also be adjusted using the wave’s onscreen controls (active by default when the Motion Path behavior is selected). Moving the left end point moves the entire path; moving the right end point lengthens, shortens, or angles the path. Amplitude: A slider (available when Wave is the defined path shape) that defines half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave. Higher values result in more extreme waves. Frequency: A slider (available when Wave is the defined path shape) that sets the number of waves. Higher values result in more waves. Phase: A dial (available when Wave is the defined path shape) that defines the degree of the offset of waves from the start and end points of the path. When Phase is set to 0 degrees (default), the wave begins and ends at half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave. When Phase is set to 90 degrees, the wave begins and ends at the highest point in the wave. When set to –90 degrees, the wave begins at the lowest point in the wave. When set to 180 degrees, the waves are the same as 0 degrees, but inverted. Damping: A slider (available when Wave is the defined path shape) that progressively diminishes the oscillation of the wave. Positive values diminish the wave forward (from left to right); negative values diminish the wave backward (from right to left). The following illustration shows positive damping applied to the wave motion path. Attach to Shape: A checkbox (available when Geometry is the defined path shape) that, when selected, forces the motion path to follow the source shape at its original location. When disabled, the motion path can exist in a location other than its source shape. Note: When Attach to Shape is selected, you cannot move the object to another location. Tip: To align the rotation of an object to match all changes made to its position along an animation path, apply the Snap Alignment to Motion behavior. For more information, see Snap Alignment to Motion. Shape Source: An object well (available when Geometry is the defined path shape) that specifies the object (a shape or mask) used as the motion path source. Choose an available shape from the adjacent To pop-up menu, or drag a shape from the Layers list into the object well. Direction: A pop-up menu that defines the object’s direction along the path. There are two options: Forward: The object moves in a forward direction along the path (from the start point to the end point, depending upon the Offset parameter). Reverse: The object moves in a backward direction along Reverse: The object moves in a backward direction along the path (from the end point to the start point, depending upon the Offset parameter). Note: The Offset parameter is available when Path Shape is set to Circle or Rectangle. Speed: A pop-up menu that defines the object’s velocity from the first to the last point in the motion path. There are eight choices: Constant: The object moves at a steady speed from the first to the last point on the motion path. Ease In: The object starts at a slow speed, then reaches and maintains a steady speed through the last point on the motion path. Ease Out: The object starts at a steady speed, then gradually decelerates to a stop at the last point of the motion path. Ease Both: The object slowly accelerates from the first point on the motion path, then gradually decelerates to a stop at the last point of the motion path. Accelerate: The object moves along the path with increasing speed. Decelerate: The object moves along the path with decreasing speed. Natural: The speed at which the object moves over the path is determined by the shape of the path. For example, if the path is a U-shape curve, the object moves faster as it moves toward the low point of the U and slower as it moves up the edges. Custom: Object speed is defined by keyframes for the object’s speed from 0 to 100 percent. In other words, you determine the position of the object along the path in time. Custom Speed: A slider (available when Speed is set to Custom) that modifies the Custom Speed velocity curve in the Keyframe Editor. For example, you can keyframe custom values to make an object travel forward to a specific percentage of the path, then backward, then forward, and so on before reaching the end of the animation. Apply Speed: A pop-up menu that determines how the Speed parameter (velocity) is applied over the duration of the behavior. (Loops must be set to a value greater than 1 for the Apply Speed parameter to have any effect.) There are two choices: Once Per Loop: The velocity, as defined by the Speed parameter, is applied to each cycle. For example, if Loops is set to 3 and Speed is set to Accelerate, the object accelerates each time it travels over the path. The speed is applied to the entire duration, ignoring the Loops setting. Over Entire Duration: The velocity, as defined by the Speed parameter, is applied one time over the duration of the behavior. For example, if Loops is set to 3 and Speed is set to Accelerate, the object accelerates the first time it travels over the path, but not the second and third time. Loops: A slider that sets the number of times the object travels the motion path over the duration of the behavior. For an object to travel its path more than once, or to “ping-pong,” Loops must be set to a value greater than 1. End Condition: A pop-up menu that defines the behavior of the object after it reaches the end of its motion path. There are two options: Repeat: The object travels the motion path the number of times defined by the Loop parameter. Ping-Pong: The object moves along the path until it reaches the last point on the path, then moves backward to the first point on the path. The number of “ping-pongs” is defined by the Loops parameter. Control Points: Value sliders (available when the path shape is Open Spline or Closed Spline) that set the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the motion path control points. (Click the disclosure triangle to display the X, Y, and Z value sliders.) Note: You cannot apply Parameter behaviors to the control points. SEE ALSO Work with the Motion Path behavior Work with the Motion Path behavior The following tasks demonstrate how to customize the Motion Path behavior. Change the shape of the motion path With an applied Motion Path behavior selected in the Layers list, Timeline, or Behaviors Inspector, do any of the following: In the Behaviors Inspector, click the Path Shape pop-up menu, then choose a shape option. In the Canvas, double-click the motion path to add control point points, then edit the points. For more information, see Edit control points overview. Use geometry for a motion path shape You can use a shape animated with behaviors or keyframes as the source for a motion path. This includes animated transforms (a shape changing its location in the Canvas) and animated control points (a shape changing its shape due to keyframed control points). 1. Import (or draw) the shape to use as the path source. 2. With an applied Motion Path behavior selected, open the Behaviors Inspector, then choose Geometry from the Path Shape pop-up menu. The Shape Source well appears in the Inspector and HUD. 3. From the Layers list, drag the shape you created in step 1 into the Shape Source well. 4. When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. A thumbnail of the shape appears in the well and the shape is used as the source shape for the motion path. Note: You can disable the source shape in the Layers list (by deselecting its activation checkbox) so that the source shape is not visible in your project. Select another geometry source for a motion path shape With an applied Motion Path behavior selected, open the Behaviors Inspector, click the To pop-up menu (located next to the Shape Source object well), then choose the object to use as the motion path’s shape source. Note: To align the rotation of the object to the shape of its motion path, you can apply the Snap Alignment to Motion behavior (in the Basic Motion behaviors subcategory). Move the object and its motion path In the Layers list or Canvas, select the object (not the Motion Path behavior), then drag the object in the Canvas. Note: To move the object and its motion path when Path Shape is set to Geometry, select the source object, then move the object in the Canvas. Distance the object from the path By default, the object is locked to the motion path by its anchor point. Select the Anchor Point tool from the toolbar, then drag the anchor point in the Canvas. For more information on using the Anchor Point tool, see Move a layer’s anchor point. Note: A separate Offset parameter lets you offset the starting location of the object on the motion path (but does not offset the object from the path). Use the Custom Speed parameter 1. In the Layers list, select an applied Motion Path behavior. 2. In the Behaviors Inspector or HUD, click the Speed pop-up menu, then choose Custom. The Custom Speed parameter control becomes available. By default, a keyframe is set at the first and last points of the behavior to create an animation of 0 percent to 100 percent, where at 0 the object is at the beginning of the path, and at 100 the object is at the end of the path. This is the same velocity used with the Constant preset. 3. Press A to enable keyframe recording. Note: When keyframe recording is enabled, all keyframeable parameter value sliders are tinted red, to remind you that any value change entered creates a keyframe. 4. Move the playhead to the position where you want to create a keyframe, then enter a percentage value in the Custom Speed field. For example, a value of 90 moves the object 90 percent of the way through the motion path. 5. Continue moving the playhead and adding keyframes to obtain the result you want. Note: If you change the Speed parameter to a preset (such as Constant) after creating a custom speed, the custom velocity channel is ignored but remains intact. Adjust a motion path in 3D space The easiest way to modify a motion path in 3D space is to add a camera to your project and manipulate the path in a modified camera view. 1. If there’s no camera in your project, add a camera by doing one of the following: Click the New Camera button in the toolbar. Choose Object > New Camera (or press OptionCommand-C). Note: If none of your project groups are set to 3D, a dialog appears asking if you want to switch your 2D groups to 3D groups. Click Switch to 3D to allow the camera to affect the groups. 2. Do one of the following: Click the Camera pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas (the default option is Active Camera), then choose a camera view. This example uses the Top view. With the Active Camera (or other) view selected, use the Orbit tool (the center tool in 3D view tools in the upper-right corner of the Canvas) to rotate the camera. Note: If you use the 3D view tools with any camera selected, you are moving the camera, not just changing the camera view. Depending on the camera view, the object on the path might not be visible. For example, if the object has not been rotated in X or Y space and you are working in Top view, the camera is looking down perpendicularly (on the Y axis) on the object. The motion path and its points are still visible (as long as the Motion Path behavior is selected). In the following image, the motion path appears flat when viewed from above—the affected object only moves in X and Y space. 3. Drag a control point up or down to adjust the object in Z space. In the following image, the path is no longer flat—the affected object moves in X, Y, and Z space. To enter specific values for the control point locations, click the Control Points disclosure triangle in the Motion Path behavior parameters. The first value field is X, the second value field is Y, and the third value field is Z. 4. To reset the camera view, do one of the following: Double-click the 3D view tool that you previously adjusted. For example, if you dragged the Orbit tool to rotate the current camera, double-click the Orbit tool to reset the camera. If you chose (or modified) a default camera view (such as Top, Right, Left, and so on), choose Active Camera from the Camera menu, or choose View > 3D View > Active Camera. With the camera selected, click the reset button in the Properties Inspector. For more information about working with cameras in a 3D project, see 3D cameras overview. SEE ALSO Motion Path Move The Move behavior places a point in the Canvas that creates a specific location for an object or group to move toward or away from in a straight line. When used with other behaviors, Move can create complex motions. For example, in the following illustration, an Orbit Around behavior is applied to the airplane shape. In the next illustration, a Move behavior is added to the airplane shape. The destination point of the Move path is positioned in the center of the circle. While the airplane circles around (obeying the Orbit Around behavior), it is also drawn to the center of the target (obeying the Move behavior), creating a spiraling motion path. Tip: The Move behavior is useful in 3D mode because it lets you simulate camera movements without using a camera. For example, when you apply the Move behavior to a group that contains objects offset in Z space, you can create a dolly-like move. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Position: Value sliders to define the X, Y, and Z position of the target point. The target (the end of the Move path) is placed at the center of the Canvas by default. Note: You can also drag the target point in the Canvas using the Adjust Item tool. Strength: A slider defining the speed at which the object moves toward the target. With a value of 0, the object doesn’t move at all. The higher the value, the faster the object moves. Direction: A pop-up menu that sets whether the object moves toward the target point or away from the point. Speed: A pop-up menu that defines the object’s velocity from its position in the Canvas to the position of the target. There are six choices: Constant: The object moves at a steady speed from its position toward the target. Ease In: The object starts at a slow speed, then reaches and maintains a steady speed toward the target. Ease Out: The object starts at a steady speed, then gradually decelerates to a stop when it reaches the target. Ease Both: The object slowly accelerates, then decelerates to a stop when it reaches the target. Accelerate: The object moves toward the target with increasing speed. Decelerate: The object moves toward the target with decreasing speed. Note: To move the object more slowly toward its target, extend the duration of the Move To behavior in the Timeline or mini-Timeline. To move the object faster, shorten the duration of the behavior. Point At The Point At behavior causes an object or group to turn toward a target point. Use the Point At behavior with the Move To behavior to created animated objects that not only move toward a point (or each other), but that turn in the direction of the target. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Object: An object well that defines the target object. To set the target object, drag an object from the Layers list to this object well. You can also drag the target object from the Layers list onto the Point At behavior. Transition: A slider that determines how long it takes the object to go from its starting orientation to pointing at the center of the target object. This parameter is useful when the object is pointing at a moving target object. If Transition is set to 50% in a 300-frame project, and the target object is not moving, the point-at object takes 150 frames to point at (or orient to) the center of the target object and then stops moving for the duration of the behavior. If Transition is set to 100%, the point-at object takes the full 300 frames to point at the target object. If the Point At behavior’s duration is 100 frames, and Transition is set to 50%, the pointat object takes 50 frames to orient to the target object. If Transition is set to 50% in a 300-frame project, and the target object is animated, the point-at object takes 150 frames to point at (or orient to) the center of the target object and then continues following the animated target object for the duration of the behavior. If Transition is set to 100%, the point-at object takes the full 300 frames to point at the target object. Speed: A pop-up menu that defines the object’s velocity from its position in the Canvas to the position of the target. There are six choices: Constant: The object moves at a steady speed from its position toward the target. Ease In: The object starts at a slow speed, then reaches and maintains a steady speed toward the target. Ease Out: The object starts at a steady speed, then gradually decelerates to a stop when it reaches the target. Ease Both: The object slowly accelerates, then gradually decelerates to a stop when it reaches the target. Accelerate: The object moves toward the target with increasing speed. Decelerate: The object moves toward the target with decreasing speed. Axis: A pop-up menu that lets you align the rotation of the object to the X, Y, or Z axis. The default axis is Z. This parameter specifies which axis points at the target after the movement is complete. Invert Axis: A checkbox that flips the object so it faces the proper direction. Select the checkbox if the object is aligning on the correct axis, but appears backwards. Snap Alignment to Motion This behavior aligns the rotation of an object to match all changes made to its position along an animation path. Snap Alignment to Motion is meant to be combined with behaviors that animate the position of an object, or with a keyframed animation path you create yourself. In the following example, a graphic of an airplane is shown traveling a spiral motion path. On its own, the orientation of the graphic doesn’t change, because only the Position parameter is affected. If you add the Snap Alignment to Motion behavior to the airplane graphic, the Rotation parameter is affected so the graphic points in the direction of motion, without the need for additional keyframing. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Rotation Axis: A pop-up menu to rotate the object around the X, Y, or Z axis. You can also choose All to rotate the object around all three axes. The default rotation axis is Z. All uses the acceleration direction as “up,” like a roller coaster. Axis: A pop-up menu to specify whether the object aligns to its horizontal or vertical axis. Invert Axis: A checkbox that, when selected, flips the object so it faces the proper direction. Select this checkbox if the object is aligning on the correct axis, but appears backwards. End Offset: A slider that offsets the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. For example, if End Offset is set to 60, the object actively snaps to the direction of the path until 60 frames before the end of behavior in the Timeline. SEE ALSO Align to Motion Spin The Spin behavior animates the rotation of an object, spinning it around a single axis. Using the Custom axis controls, the rotation does not have to occur on a principle axis (X, Y, or Z). If you trim the end of the Spin behavior to be shorter than the duration of the object it’s applied to, it remains at the angle of the last frame of the behavior, as long as there are no other behaviors or keyframes affecting that object’s Rotation parameter. Uses for Spin are fairly obvious, but another way to use the Spin behavior is with objects that have an off-center anchor point. Because objects rotate around the anchor point, if you change an object’s anchor point before you apply a Spin behavior to it, you can change the look of the motion you create. For more information on changing an object’s anchor point, see Move a layer’s anchor point. Note: Although the Spin behavior appears in the Basic Motion category, Spin is treated as a Simulation behavior in the Motion application’s order of operations. For more information, see About behavior order of operations. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox (available when Spin is applied to an object that contains multiple objects—such as a group, particle emitter, or text) that, when selected, causes each object in the layer or group to rotate as an individual object. When this checkbox is deselected, the entire layer or group spins uniformly. Increment: A pop-up menu that sets how the behavior’s effect progresses over its duration in the Timeline. There are two choices: Continuous Rate: Uses the Spin Rate parameter to spin the object by a steady number of degrees per second. Ramp to Final Value: Spins the object for the number of degrees specified in the Spin To parameter over the behavior’s duration in the Timeline. Spin Rate/Spin To: A dial to set the speed at which the object spins. When Increment is set to Continuous Rate, Spin Rate defines a continuous rate of spin in degrees per second. When Increment is set to Ramp to Final Value, Spin To defines a number of degrees to spin over that object’s duration. Negative values result in clockwise motion; positive values result in counterclockwise motion. Axis: A pop-up menu that sets whether the object spins about the X, Y, or Z axis. You can also choose Custom, which yields additional Longitude and Latitude parameters. The following illustration shows the Spin behavior’s HUD control set to the Z axis. When Axis is set to Custom, additional Latitude and Longitude controls become available. These controls allow the object to spin at an angle (not locked to the X, Y, or Z axes). The following image shows how longitude and latitude relate to the Spin HUD control. Latitude/Longitude: A dial (available when Axis is set to Custom) that specifies the axis of rotation. The HUD controls include an outer ring and an inner control. Drag along the edge of the outer ring to manipulate an arrow that indicates the direction and speed the object spins. Adjust the length of the arrow to change the speed at which the spinning occurs—drag around multiple times to increase the rate of the spin. The inner arrow controls the axis about which the object or group spins. When you drag the inner controls, a globe control becomes available to adjust the object’s spin in degrees longitude and latitude. Note: You can spin the arrow around the ring multiple times to rotate the object more quickly. Throw The Throw behavior is the simplest way to set an object in motion. Controls let you adjust the speed and direction of a single force that’s exerted on the object at the first frame of the behavior. After this initial force is applied, the object continues drifting in a straight line at the same speed, for the duration of the Throw behavior. A simple example of using the Throw behavior is to send a series of offscreen objects moving across the screen. When used in conjunction with other behaviors such as Grow/Shrink and Fade In/Fade Out, you can create sophisticated moving elements without keyframing a single parameter. The Throw behavior is also useful when you’re moving an object through a simulation. For example, you might move the object past other objects that have Attractor or Repel behaviors applied to them. Because the Throw behavior only applies a single force to move the target object at the initial frame of the behavior, any other behaviors that interact with the target object have potentially greater influence over its motion. Important: The Throw behavior does not apply a continuous force, nor can you create changes in direction or speed, because Throw cannot be keyframed. To create keyframed changes in direction or speed, use the Wind behavior. To create a more complex animation path, use the Motion Path behavior. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple child objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Increment: A pop-up menu that sets how the behavior’s effect progresses over its duration in the Timeline. There are two choices: Continuous Rate: Sets the speed of the object at a steady number of pixels per second, specified in the Throw Velocity parameter. Note: When the Canvas displays a nonsquare pixel image, the vertical rate is in pixels per second, and the horizontal rate is the perceptual equivalent. Ramp to Final Value: Moves the object from its original position to the specified distance (in pixels) in the Throw Distance parameter. Throw Velocity/Throw Distance: A slider that sets either velocity or distance, depending on the setting in the Increment pop-up menu. When Increment is set to Continuous Rate, the Throw Velocity slider sets a continuous speed for the object to move in X, Y, or Z space. When Increment is set to Ramp to Final Value, the Throw Distance slider sets a total distance (in pixels) for the object to travel in X, Y, and Z space over its duration. The standard slider is limited to 100 pixels. Use the value slider to enter values greater than 100. The 2D HUD lets you specify the direction and speed of the Throw behavior by dragging an arrow in a circular region. The direction of the arrow defines the direction of movement in X and Y space, and the length of the arrow defines speed (velocity). A slider adjusts the scale of the HUD control, increasing or decreasing the effect of the direction/speed control. When you click the 3D button, additional 3D controls become available. The center arrow now defines the direction the object is thrown in 3D space (X, Y, and Z axes). The Speed slider lets you increase or decrease the velocity of the thrown object. In the 2D and 3D Throw HUDs, press the Shift key while dragging the arrow to constrain it to 45-degree angles. In the 2D HUD, press the Command key to change the arrow’s direction without affecting its length. Note: The maximum speed you can define with the HUD is not the maximum possible speed. Higher values can be entered into the Throw Velocity/Throw Distance parameter in the Behaviors Inspector. Parameter behaviors Parameter behaviors overview A Parameter behavior is applied to a specific object parameter, and the effect is limited to just that parameter. You can apply the same Parameter behavior to different parameters, resulting in different effects. For example, you can apply the Oscillate behavior to the opacity of an object to make the object fade in and out, or you can apply the Oscillate behavior to the rotation of an object to make the object rock back and forth. You can also apply Parameter behaviors to filter parameters, generator parameters, the parameters of particle systems, or even the parameters of other behaviors. There are 18 Parameter behaviors: Audio links any parameter to the dynamic sound properties of an audio file. Average smooths animation transitions. Clamp restricts an animated parameter to a minimum and maximum value. Custom lets you make your own behaviors. Exponential modifies the speed of animations to create more organic effects. Link synchronizes the value of one parameter to that of another parameter. Logarithmic modifies the speed of an animation to create more organic effects. MIDI lets you edit and animate parameters using a MIDI controller. Negate inverts a parameter value to its opposite. Oscillate animates a parameter by cycling it between two values. Quantize modifies an animation to make parameter values change in incremental steps. Ramp creates gradual changes in animations. Randomize creates jittery animations by applying a continuous sequence of randomly increasing and decreasing values. Rate increases a parameter over time. Reverse reverses the direction of an animated parameter. Stop abruptly suspends the animation of a parameter. Track applies motion-tracking data to a parameter of an effect (a filter, for example). Wriggle creates jittery animations, but with a slower effect than that of the Randomize behavior. Audio The Audio behavior lets you animate nearly any parameter based on properties of an audio file, such as bass frequency. For example, the Audio parameter behavior can be applied to the Scale parameter of an object, causing the object to scale up and down based on the amplitude of the bass. For more information, see Apply the Audio parameter behavior. Average The Average behavior smooths the transition from one value to another in animations that are keyframed and in behaviors that are applied to a parameter. Use the Average behavior to smooth out animated effects. Averaged motion moves more fluidly, while averaged changes to parameters such as Opacity and to filter parameters appear to happen more gradually. Use the Window Size parameter to adjust the amount of smoothing applied to the affected parameter. Tip: The Average behavior can be used to smooth out the sequence of values generated by a Randomize behavior. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Window Size: A slider that adjusts the amount of smoothing applied to the affected parameter, by specifying the number of adjacent frames to average together. Higher values apply more smoothing by averaging a wider range of values, resulting in more fluid animation. Lower values average a narrower range of values, resulting in less smoothing, with values closer to the original. Apply To: A pop-up menu that displays the parameter affected. You can also use this control to reassign the behavior to a different parameter. Clamp The Clamp behavior sets a minimum and maximum value for an animated parameter. In the following illustration, the center star has an applied Vortex behavior set to affect the two airplane shapes. As a result, the airplanes circle around the center star, as indicated by the red animation paths. In the following illustration, a Clamp behavior is applied to the X Position parameter of the outer airplane shape. The Max value is set to 230 and the Min value is set to 0. As a result, the animation path is “clamped”—the image can travel 230 pixels to the right but cannot move left past the 0 point, creating a half-circle animation. The circle motion path is essentially cut in half. If a negative value is entered in the Min value slider, the image moves past the 0 point. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Clamp At: A pop-up menu that sets whether the behavior restricts clamping to a minimum value, a maximum value, or both minimum and maximum values. Min: A value slider that lets you define the minimum amount of change for an animated parameter. Max: A value slider that lets you define the maximum amount of change for an animated parameter. The value is represented as a percentage, in pixels, or in degrees, depending on the parameter assignment. For example, if Clamp is applied to the Rotation parameter, the Min and Max values are degrees. If Clamp is applied to the X Position parameter, the values are in pixels. Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Custom The Custom behavior lets you make your own behaviors by creating a set of parameters, then keyframing them to create the type of animation you want to apply to an object. By saving custom behaviors you create in the Library, you can build your own collection of behaviors to suit your needs. The Custom behavior is not applied like the other Parameter behaviors described in this section. Rather, you apply the Custom behavior like any other non-Parameter behavior in Motion: by dragging it from the Library onto an object in the Canvas or Layers list, or by selecting an object in the Canvas or Layers list, then choosing Custom from the Add Behavior pop-up menu. Note: Although the Custom behavior is a Parameter behavior, it does not appear in the shortcut menu when you Control-click a parameter. Unlike other behaviors, the Custom behavior doesn’t apply default parameters in the Behaviors Inspector. Instead, a pair of pop-up menus lets you add and remove any parameters you want to use. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Add Parameter: A pop-up menu used to add parameters you want to keyframe to create custom animation. Choose a parameter from this menu to add it to the Custom parameter list for keyframing. Remove Parameter: A pop-up menu listing parameters you’ve added to the current Custom behavior. Choose a parameter from this menu to remove it from the Custom parameter list, along with any keyframes applied to that parameter. SEE ALSO Add a Custom behavior Add a Custom behavior Before adding custom parameters to a Custom behavior, you must apply the Custom behavior to an object in your project. Add a Custom behavior to an object 1. Do one of the following: Select the object you want to add a Custom behavior to, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, then choose Parameter > Custom. In the Library, select the Behaviors category, select the Parameter subcategory, then drag the Custom icon to the object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. The Custom behavior is applied to the object. The behavior has no effect until you add a parameter to the behavior. 2. In the Custom area of the Behaviors Inspector, click the Add Parameter pop-up menu, then choose a parameter to add. This menu contains every animatable parameter. The parameter you chose appears near the top of the Custom area in the Behaviors Inspector. After you add the parameters to animate in your Custom behavior, you can keyframe them in the Keyframe Editor to create whatever animated effect you require. For more information on keyframing parameters to create animation, see Apply keyframes to behaviors. After you animate the parameters you added, you can save the Custom behavior into the Library for future use. For more information about saving Custom behaviors to the Library, see Save custom behaviors. Remove a parameter from the Custom parameter list Click the Remove Parameter pop-up menu, then choose a parameter to remove. That parameter no longer appears in the Custom parameter pop-up menu. Any keyframes applied to that parameter are deleted. SEE ALSO Custom Exponential The Exponential behavior creates more natural animations when scaling objects, especially when using high values. For example, when an object scales from very small to very large, our eyes erroneously perceive the animation to slow down as the object reaches its upper scale values. The Exponential parameter behavior allows such an animation to speed up the scaling as the values increase to compensate for that illusion, and create a more uniform-looking scale effect. Tip: When applied to parameters other than Scale, the Exponential parameter behavior creates more organic animations than other interpolation modes. You can also change the interpolation modes of keyframes to Exponential. For more information, see Set curve interpolation. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Start Value: A slider to set the value that’s added to the parameter at the first frame of the Exponential behavior. End Value: A slider to set the value the Exponential behavior reaches at the last frame of the behavior. Over the life of the behavior, the parameter the Exponential behavior is applied to makes a transition from the Start Value to the End Value, plus the original value. Start Offset: A slider to delay the beginning of the behavior’s effect relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior start later. End Offset: A slider to offset the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline, freezes the end of the effect for the remaining duration of the object. Trimming the end of the behavior bar resets the object to its original parameter. Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Link The Link behavior forces the value of one parameter to match that of another “linked” parameter. The source parameter can be attached to the same object or to another object. The linked parameters must contain numerical data. Parameters controlled by checkboxes, menus, and other non-numeric values cannot be linked. The linked parameters also must contain the same number of attributes. You cannot link a compound parameter such as Scale X-Y-Z to a parameter such as Opacity, which has only one slider. You can however, link a compound parameter such as Scale X-Y-Z to Position X-Y-Z. The values of the source parameter can be scaled to more accurately apply to the destination parameter. For example, a source parameter with a range of 1–100 can be scaled when applied to a parameter with a range of 0–1. The values can also be offset from the source, and the effect can be mixed with the destination value to create different effects. The Link behavior can be applied to a parameter animated with behaviors or keyframes; however, the Link behavior does not affect the parameter when the Start Values or End Values are zero. When using the Link behavior to control an object’s position parameter, the linked coordinates are based on the center point of the current group. So when an object is linked to another object in the same group, it shares an identical position. However, if the source object is in a different group, the coordinates might appear offset in space. If your goal is to match an identical position across groups with different center points, you can create an invisible dummy object in the group containing the source, link it to the source object, then use the Match Move behavior to copy the dummy object’s position to that of the intended target. Match Move compensates for inter-group position offsets and provides the option to attach one object to another or to mimic the source object’s transformations. For more information about the Match Move behavior, see Match moving overview. You can also link to the group’s coordinates instead of the object’s, and use the Offset parameters in the Link behavior to obtain the position you want. However, if that group is subsequently added to another group, the linked object might not move as expected. Note: When a link behavior is added, it’s not enabled by default. To activate the behavior, click the activation checkbox beside the behavior name in the Behaviors Inspector. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Source Object: An object well that defines the source object in which the source parameter resides. Click the To pop-up menu to select a source object in the current project. Source Parameter: A pop-up menu showing the parameter that serves as the source for the Link behavior. Use this menu to select a new source parameter. Only parameters with the same value type and number of attributes as the parameter selected in the Apply To (Target Parameters) pop-up menu appear here. Note: When possible, Source Parameter defaults to the parameter chosen in the Apply To row (described below). Important: Changing the Apply To (Target Parameters) setting changes which parameters appear in the Source Parameter pop-up menu. If you cannot find the parameter you’re looking for, you might need to choose a Target Parameter to which you can link. Apply To: A pop-up menu showing the parameter affected. Use this menu to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Apply Mode: A pop-up menu that sets how the values from the source parameter affect the target parameter. The choices include: Add to source: Adds the source parameter value to the existing value of the target parameter. Multiply by source: Multiplies the source parameter value with the existing value of the target parameter. Replace with source: Replaces the existing value of the target parameter with that of the source parameter. Mix Over Time: A pop-up menu that sets how rapidly the source parameter values begin to affect the target parameter. Options include: Ease In, Ease Out, Ease In/Out, Accelerate, Decelerate, Accelerate/Decelerate, and Custom Mix. Mix Time Range: A slider (available when the Mix Over Time pop-up menu is set to an Ease or Acceleration option) that controls the number of frames over which the ease or acceleration occurs. Tip: Ease In and Accelerate begin at the In point of the Link behavior; Ease Out and Decelerate end at the Out point of the Link behavior. Therefore, you can trim the Link behavior in the Timeline to specify where the ease or acceleration begins or ends. Custom Mix: A slider (available when the Mix Over Time parameter is set to Custom Mix) that can be animated to create a user-determined mix between the source and target parameter values. Scale: A slider that specifies a value to be multiplied with the Source Parameter before it is applied to the target. Apply Link When: A pop-up menu that limits when values from the source are applied to the target. There are five choices: Any source value: No limits are placed on the source parameter values. An offset slider for each setting associated with the source parameter appears at the bottom of the Behaviors Inspector. If the source parameter has a single slider, such as Opacity, a single offset slider appears. If the source parameter has multiple sliders, such as Position X-Y-Z, offset sliders for each of those settings appear. Source value above minimum: The link applies only when the source value exceeds a defined minimum value. If the source value falls below the defined minimum, the link behavior stops. When selected, the Clamp Source Values Within Range checkbox as well as offset and minimum sliders for each setting associated with the source parameter appear at the bottom of the Behaviors Inspector. If the source parameter has a single slider, such as drop shadow Blur, an offset and a minimum slider appear for that setting. If the source parameter has multiple sliders, such as Scale X-Y-Z, offset and minimum sliders appear for each of those settings. Source value below maximum: The link applies only when the source value stays below a defined maximum value. If the source value exceeds the defined maximum, the link behavior stops. When selected, the Clamp Source Values Within Range checkbox as well as offset and maximum sliders for each setting associated with the source parameter appear at the bottom of the Behaviors Inspector. If the source parameter has a single slider, such as shape Roundness, an offset and a maximum slider appear for that setting. If the source parameter has multiple sliders, such as Rotation X-Y-Z, offset and maximum sliders appear for each of those settings. Source value between min and max: The link applies only when the source value stays within a defined range. If the source value falls below the defined minimum, or exceeds the defined maximum, the link behavior stops. When selected, the Clamp Source Values Within Range checkbox as well as offset, minimum, and maximum sliders for each setting associated with the source parameter appear at the bottom of the Behaviors Inspector. If the source parameter has a single slider, such as shape Feather, one set of three sliders (offset, minimum, and maximum) appears for that setting. If the source parameter has multiple sliders, such as Fill Color (red, green, blue), sets of three sliders appear for each of those settings. Source value outside min and max: The link applies only when the source value stays outside of a defined range. If the source value falls above the defined minimum, or below the defined maximum, the link behavior stops. When selected, the Clamp Source Values Within Range checkbox as well as offset, minimum, and maximum sliders for each setting associated with the source parameter appears at the bottom of the Behaviors Inspector. If the source parameter has a single slider, such as outline Width, one set of three sliders (offset, minimum, and maximum) appears for that setting. If the source parameter has multiple sliders, such as Shear X-Y, sets of three sliders appear for each of those settings. Clamp Source Value Within Range: A checkbox that becomes available when the Apply Link pop-up menu is set to a choice requiring a minimum or maximum value. When selected, values that exceed the defined range are pinned to the highest or lowest allowable setting. (Parameter) offset: A slider that lets you create a constant offset between the source parameter value and the value applied to the target parameter. (Parameter) min: One or more sliders that become available when the Apply Link When pop-up menu is set to “Source value above minimum,” “Source value between min and max,” or “Source value outside min and max.” A “min” slider appears for each component of the source parameter. Adjusting this slider defines a minimum value to limit when the link behavior is active. (Parameter) max: One or more sliders that become available when the Apply Link When pop-up menu is set to “Source value below maximum,” “Source value between min and max,” or “Source value outside min and max.” A “max” slider appears for each component of the source parameter. Adjusting this slider defines a maximum value to limit when the link behavior is active. Logarithmic The Logarithmic behavior is the inverse of the Exponential behavior. Like the Exponential behavior, it creates more natural animations when scaling objects, especially when using high values. The Logarithmic parameter behavior applies a mathematical function to create a logarithmic curve (rather than linear) between the two values—the effect ramps up quickly, and then the effect slows down. This allows the animation to progress slowly when the scale values are small and speed up when the scale values are large. When applied to parameters other than Scale, the Logarithmic parameter behavior creates more organic animations than other interpolation modes. The Logarithmic behavior can be applied to parameters animated with behaviors or keyframes; however, Logarithmic does not affect the parameter unless the Start Values or End Values are nonzero. Note: You can also change the interpolation modes of keyframes to Logarithmic. For more information, see Set curve interpolation. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Start Value: A slider that sets the value added to the parameter at the first frame of the Logarithmic behavior. End Value: A slider that sets the value of the Logarithmic behavior at the last frame. Over the life of the behavior, the parameter that the Logarithmic behavior is applied to makes a transition from the Start Value to the End Value, plus the original value. Start Offset: A slider that delays the beginning of the behavior’s effect relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior start later. End Offset: A slider that offsets the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline, freezes the end of the effect for the remaining duration of the object. Trimming the end of the behavior bar resets the object to its original parameter. Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. MIDI The MIDI behavior lets you edit and animate object parameters using standard MIDI devices, such as a synthesizer. For the true motion graphics mixmaster. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Control Type: A pop-up menu that sets the mode of the MIDI controller. There are three modes: Note: Use this mode when the control is a keyboard key on the MIDI device. Controller: Use this mode when the control is a knob, dial, key, slider, or foot pedal on the MIDI device. Learning: Use this mode to “teach” Motion which control (such as a knob, dial, or key) you want to use on the MIDI device to manipulate the parameter to which the MIDI behavior is applied. When in Learning mode, the first knob, dial, or key that you adjust on the MIDI device is set as the control. Note: When the MIDI behavior is first applied, Learning is the default control type. ID: A slider that displays the identification number of the MIDI control (such as a knob, dial, or key) that you are manipulating. Value: A slider that displays the standard MIDI value between Value: A slider that displays the standard MIDI value between 0 and 1 when you’re manipulating the MIDI control. Scale: A slider that multiplies the Value parameter in the MIDI behavior. This means that when Scale is increased, the MIDI control has a larger range of value and a greater effect on the parameter it’s controlling. For example, when you use a knob to adjust an object’s rotation, the default rotation value range (when Scale is set to 1) for a full turn of the knob might only be 30 percent. When the Scale value is increased to 13, the rotation value of a full turn of the knob is increased to 370 degrees. Apply To: A pop-up menu (parameter assignment control) that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. SEE ALSO Add a MIDI behavior Add a MIDI behavior You apply the MIDI behavior in the same way as all other Parameter behaviors. In the following examples, the MIDI behavior is used to adjust an object’s opacity and rotation. Note: This behavior can only be used if you have a MIDI device correctly connected to your computer. Use the MIDI behavior to adjust an object’s opacity 1. Select an object, then locate the Opacity parameter in the Properties Inspector. 2. Control-click the parameter, then choose Add Parameter Behavior > MIDI from the shortcut menu. The MIDI parameters are displayed in the Behaviors Inspector. By default, Control Type is set to Learning. Like all other Parameter behaviors, the Apply To field displays the parameter to which the behavior is applied. 3. On your MIDI device, tweak the control (such as the knob, dial, or key) you want to use as the controller for the Opacity parameter. The identification number of the MIDI control is displayed in the ID field. The value range of the control is 0 to 127, the default MIDI control value. Because an object’s opacity can only fall between 0 (completely transparent) to 100 (completely opaque), the default MIDI values are sufficient to adjust the parameter. Note: When in Learning mode, the first control adjusted on the MIDI device is set as the control. To reset the selected controller, choose Learning from the Control Type pop-up menu, then adjust another control on the MIDI device. Use the MIDI behavior to adjust an object’s rotation 1. Select an object, then locate the Rotation parameter in the Properties Inspector. 2. Control-click the parameter, then choose Add Parameter Behavior > MIDI from the shortcut menu. 3. On your MIDI device, tweak the control (knob, dial, key, and so on) you want to use as the controller for the Rotation parameter. As mentioned above, the default Value range is 0 to 1. Because the Rotation value of an object can be much larger, you can use the Scale parameter to multiply the Value range. 4. To give the control more sensitivity, increase the Scale value. SEE ALSO MIDI Negate The Negate behavior inverts the value of each keyframe and behavior effect in the parameter to which it’s applied by multiplying the parameter by –1. The Negate behavior basically flips each parameter value to its opposite. Animation paths are flipped, rotation is reversed, and any effect’s parameter is changed to its opposite. For example, applying the Negate behavior to the Position parameter of an object with an animation path results in the animation path moving to the opposite quadrant of the Canvas. Note: If you want to reverse the motion taking place on an animation path, rather than flipping the shape of the animation path itself, use the Reverse parameter behavior. Adjust this behavior using the control in the Behaviors Inspector: Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Oscillate The Oscillate behavior animates a parameter by cycling it between two values. You can customize how wide apart the high and low values are as well as the number of oscillations per minute. The Oscillate behavior can create all kinds of cyclical effects. For example, if you apply the Oscillate behavior to the rotation property of an object, it will rock back and forth. This happens because the rotation property cycles back and forth between the original rotation value plus and minus the Amplitude value that’s set in the Oscillate behavior. Applying the Oscillate behavior to the X value of the Scale parameter instead causes the width of the object to cycle, and it repeatedly stretches and compresses for the duration of the behavior. The Oscillate behavior is additive, meaning that the value generated by this behavior is added to the original value of the parameter to which it’s applied. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Wave Shape: A pop-up menu that sets the shape of the oscillation’s wave. There are four shapes: Sine: The default wave shape, creates a smooth animation between values. For example, if Oscillate is applied to an object’s Opacity parameter, and the Wave Shape is set to Sine, the object gracefully fades in and out. Square: Creates abrupt changes in values. For example, when Oscillate is applied to an object’s Opacity parameter, and the Wave Shape is set to Square, the object flashes on and off (like turning a light switch on and off). Sawtooth: Ramps upward over time and then drops sharply. For example, when Oscillate is applied to an object’s Opacity parameter, and the Wave Shape is set to Sawtooth, the object fades in slowly and fades out abruptly (like using a light dimmer to fade up a light, and then flicking the power switch off). Triangle: Similar to the sine wave, creates a smooth animation between values but with sharper changes at the transitions. For example, when Oscillate is applied to an object’s Opacity parameter, and the Wave Shape is set to Triangle, the object fades in and out more acutely than it does with the Sine Wave setting. Phase: A slider that sets the point of the specified oscillation where the behavior starts. This parameter lets you put multiple objects with identical Oscillate behaviors out of phase with one another so they don’t all look the same. Amplitude: A slider that sets the maximum values between which the parameter oscillates. The parameter swings between the amplitude value and the negative of the amplitude value. Higher values result in more extreme swings from the beginning to the ending of each oscillation. Speed: A slider that sets the speed at which the oscillation occurs, in oscillations per minute. Higher values result in faster oscillations. Half Range: A checkbox that, when selected, cuts the sine wave (or other wave shape) in half and prevents it from crossing the value of 0. For example, when Amplitude is set to 100, the parameter oscillates between 100 and –100. When Half Range is selected, however, the parameter oscillates between 100 and 0. When Amplitude is set to –100, the parameter oscillates between –100 and 0. Tip: When you’re oscillating position parameters, set Wave Shape to Sine and enable Half Range to create a bouncing effect. Start Offset: A slider that delays the beginning of the behavior’s effect relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior start later. The units of this parameter are in frames. End Offset: A slider that offsets the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline, freezes the end of the effect for the remaining duration of the object. Trimming the end of the behavior bar resets the object to its original parameters. Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. SEE ALSO Create a decaying oscillation Create a decaying oscillation When you apply the Oscillate behavior to an object’s rotation or position, a common effect is to “decay” or “dampen” the animation over time. This means that the animation gradually slows or comes to a stop. You can achieve this effect using keyframes to slow the amplitude of the oscillation. Decay an oscillating rotation using keyframes 1. Go to the frame where you want the animation to begin, then press A to enable keyframe recording. 2. In the Oscillate section of the Behaviors Inspector, set the Amplitude to the maximum value you want to use in your project. Note: When keyframe recording is enabled, any value change to a parameter using the Inspector, HUD, or Canvas creates a keyframe. 3. Go to the frame where you want the animation to come to a stop and set the Amplitude value to 0. When the object is selected, you can see the dampening of the animation—caused by the keyframed Amplitude parameter—in the Keyframe Editor (when Animated is chosen from the pop-up menu above the Keyframe Editor). The following illustration shows the keyframed Amplitude parameter of the Oscillate behavior superimposed over the resulting change to the Oscillate curve itself. For more information, see Display the Keyframe Editor and Keyframe Editor controls. Note: The Oscillate behavior must be selected for its curve to be visible in the Keyframe Editor. SEE ALSO Oscillate Quantize The Quantize behavior creates an incremental animation in any keyframed or behavior-influenced parameter. For example, if opacity is animated so an object gradually fades in over time, you can add the Quantize behavior to make the object become opaque in steps. Note: The Quantize behavior only works with animated parameters. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Step Size: A value slider that defines the size of the steps, based on the units of the parameter to which it’s applied. For example, when Quantize is applied to rotation, the steps are in degrees (even though this parameter is not a dial control). When applied to position, the steps are in pixels. The left image below shows the projected path (the red line) of a layer with an applied Throw behavior. The right image displays the same animation path after the Quantize behavior is added. In this example, the Step value is set to 90. Offset: A slider that offsets the steps. For example, when Quantize is applied to a Position parameter and Step Size is set to 100, an object “steps” in increments restricted to 100 pixels; thus, the step offset is 100, 200, 300, and so on. If Offset is set to 50, the step offset is restricted to 50, 150, 250, and so on. Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Ramp The Ramp behavior creates a gradual transition in any parameter that can be animated, from the Start Value to the End Value. The speed of the transition is defined by the length of the Ramp behavior in the Timeline, and by the behavior’s end value. Additional parameters allow you to define how the transition occurs; whether it’s at a single, continuous speed; or whether it accelerates over time. Ramp is a versatile behavior. If you apply it to the Scale property, it works like the Grow/Shrink behavior. If you apply it to the Opacity property, you can fade an object in or out in different ways. Although you can use the Ramp behavior to mimic other Motion behaviors, it can be applied to any parameter. It’s an additive behavior, meaning that the value it generates is added to the original value of the parameter to which it’s applied. For example, to animate different segments of a bar graph so each segment grows to a specific length, apply the Ramp behavior to the each bar’s Crop parameter. After you arrange the different bars with their starting Crop values, the Ramp behaviors move the Top Crop parameter up, giving the illusion that each bar is growing. Set the End Value parameter of each Ramp behavior to the length you want each bar to reach, and you’re done! Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Start Value: A slider to set the value that’s added to the parameter at the first frame of the Ramp behavior. End Value: A slider that sets the value the Ramp behavior reaches at the last frame of the behavior. Over the life of the behavior, the parameter that the Ramp behavior is applied to transitions from the Start Value to the End Value, plus the original value. Curvature: A slider that eases the acceleration at which the Ramp behavior transitions from the Start Value to the End Value. Higher Curvature values result in an ease in/ease out effect, where the transition begins slowly, gradually speeds up as the behavior continues, then gradually slows to a stop as it reaches the end. Because Curvature is defined by the length of the behavior in the Timeline, this parameter does not affect the overall duration of the effect. Start Offset: A slider that delays the beginning of the behavior’s effect relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior start later. End Offset: A slider that offsets the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline, freezes the end of the effect for the remaining duration of the object. Trimming the end of the behavior bar resets the object to its original parameter. Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Randomize The Randomize behavior creates a continuous sequence of randomly increasing and decreasing values, based on the parameters defining the range and type of values generated. Use Randomize to create jittery effects, such as twitchy rotation, flickering opacity, and other effects requiring rapid and varied changes over time that would be time-consuming to keyframe. Although the values created with this behavior appear to be random, they’re predetermined by the parameter settings you’ve chosen. As long as you don’t change the parameters, the frameby-frame values created by this behavior remain the same. If you don’t like the randomly generated values, click the Generate button in the Behaviors Inspector to pick a new random seed number. This number is used to generate a new sequence of values. The Apply Mode parameter determines how values generated by this behavior are combined with other behaviors and keyframes that affect the same parameter. This provides you with different ways of using a Randomize behavior to modify a parameter’s preexisting values. The Randomize behavior can be modified with other behaviors, such as Average and Negate, to exercise further control over the values generated. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Amount: A slider (available when the Apply Mode—described below—is set to Add, Subtract, or Add and Subtract) that defines the maximum value the Randomize behavior will generate. Multiplier: A slider (available when the Apply Mode—described below—is set to Multiply) that defines the maximum value the Randomize behavior will generate. Apply Mode: A pop-up menu that determines how values generated by this behavior are combined with other behaviors and keyframes that affect the same parameter. Choose Add, Subtract, Multiply, or Add and Subtract. Frequency: A slider that sets the amount of random variation per second. Higher values generate faster variations; lower values generate slower variations. Noisiness: A slider that adds an additional overlay of random variance to the Frequency you’ve set. Higher Noisiness values result in more erratic variations in the affected parameter. Link: A checkbox, available when you apply Randomize to a two-dimensional parameter (such as Scale) or to a threedimensional parameter (such as Position) that consists of X, Y, and/or Z values. Select this checkbox to keep the behavior’s effect on each value proportional. Affect Subobjects: A checkbox (available when you apply Randomize to a parameter of the Sequence Replicator behavior) that, when selected, gives each replicated cell in the Canvas a different random behavior. When Affect Subobjects is deselected, each object undergoes the same animation. Random Seed: A button that picks a new random seed number. This number is used to generate new sequences of values, based on the other parameters of this behavior. Start Offset: A slider that delays the beginning of the behavior’s effect relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior start later. The units of this parameter are in frames. End Offset: A slider that offsets the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline, freezes the last random value generated by this behavior for the remaining duration of the object. Trimming the end of the behavior bar resets the parameter to its original value. Apply To: A pop-up menu shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Rate The Rate behavior increases a parameter’s value over time, with the rate of increase determined by the Rate slider. Unlike the Ramp behavior, this behavior has no end value, but continues to increase or decrease the parameter it’s applied to until the end of the parameter. Note: To decrease a parameter over time, enter a negative value into the Rate parameter. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Rate: A slider that sets a rate of increase over time for the affected parameter, measured in percentage increase per second. Curvature: A slider that eases the acceleration at which the Rate behavior transitions from the Start Value to the End Value. Higher Curvature values result in an ease in/ease out effect, beginning slowly, gradually speeding up as the behavior continues, then gradually slowing to a stop as it reaches the end. Because Curvature is defined by the length of the behavior in the Timeline, this parameter does not affect the overall duration of the effect. End Offset: A slider that offsets the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline, freezes the last random value generated by this behavior for the remaining duration of the object. Trimming the end of the behavior bar resets the parameter to its original value. Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Reverse Unlike the Negate behavior, which inverts the value of the parameter to which it’s applied, the Reverse behavior reverses the direction of any animation that affects a parameter, whether it’s caused by behaviors or keyframes. For example, when you apply the Reverse behavior to path animation that begins at the left and moves to the right, the animation path won’t move, but the object instead begins at the right and moves to the left. The Reverse behavior basically switches the beginning and ending points of animated objects. Adjust this behavior using the control in the Behaviors Inspector: Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Stop The Stop behavior suspends parameter animation (created by keyframes or applied behaviors) of an object. For example, if you assign the Stop parameter behavior to the Position parameter of an object moving across the screen and rotating, the object ceases to move across the screen but continues to rotate. Each behavior’s effect on the object is frozen at the first frame of the Stop behavior in the Timeline. Keyframes applied to that parameter cease to have any effect for the duration of the Stop behavior in the Timeline. If the Stop behavior is shorter than the object to which it’s applied, all keyframes and behaviors affecting that channel immediately take effect after the last frame of the Stop behavior. For more information, see Stop a behavior. Adjust this behavior using the control in the Behaviors Inspector: Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter being stopped, and that can be used to reassign the Stop behavior to another parameter. Track The Track behavior applies tracking data to a parameter of an effect, such as the center point of the Light Rays filter. For more information on using the Track behavior, see Track a filter’s position parameter. Wriggle The Wriggle behavior works similarly to the Randomize behavior, but with a slower effect. Tip: A Wriggle behavior applied to an Opacity parameter set to 100% does not have much effect. This is because there isn’t much room to “wriggle.” For a better result, set the Opacity to 0, or change the Apply Mode to Subtract. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Amount/Multiplier: A slider that defines the maximum value that the Wriggle behavior generates. The Amount slider is available when the Apply Mode is set to Add, Subtract, or Add and Subtract. The Multiplier is available when the Apply Mode is set to Multiply. Apply Mode: A pop-up menu that determines how values generated by this behavior are combined with other behaviors and keyframes that affect the same parameter. This provides you with different ways of using a Wriggle behavior to modify a parameter’s preexisting values. The options are Add, Subtract, Multiply, or Add and Subtract. Frequency: A slider that sets the amount of random variation per second. Higher values generate faster variations, whereas lower values generate slower variations. Wriggle Offset: A slider that offsets the sequence of random values when you want to apply the same Wriggle behavior to multiple objects. By offsetting each object’s version of the Wriggle behavior, you can prevent objects from moving in sync. Noisiness: A slider that adds an additional overlay of random variance to the Frequency you’ve set. Higher Noisiness values result in more erratic variations in the affected parameter. Link: A checkbox, available when you apply the Wriggle behavior to a two-dimensional parameter (such as Scale) or three-dimensional parameter (such as Position) that consists of X, Y, and/or Z values. Select this checkbox to keep the behavior’s effect on each value proportional. Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when the Wriggle behavior is applied to a parameter of the Sequence Replicator behavior. When Affect Subobjects is selected, each object has a different wriggle behavior. When Affect Subobjects is deselected, each object undergoes the same animation. Random Seed: A button that picks a new random seed number. This number is used to generate new sequences of values, based on the other parameters of this behavior. Start Offset: A slider that delays the beginning of the behavior’s effect relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior start later. This parameter is measured in frames. End Offset: A slider that offsets the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior bar in the Timeline, freezes the last random value generated by this behavior for the remaining duration of the object. Trimming the end of the behavior bar resets the parameter to its original value. Apply To: A pop-up menu that shows the parameter affected, and that can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter. Retiming behaviors Retiming behaviors overview When you select a clip, a group of Timing parameters appears in the Properties Inspector. These controls adjust some of the same effects as the Retiming behaviors, such as slowing down or speeding up, looping, or reversing a clip. However, the Timing controls affect the entire clip. The Retiming behaviors, on the other hand, let you define which portion of the clip is modified by a timing change. Any timing changes made to a clip using the Inspector’s Timing controls are respected by the Retiming behaviors. For example, if you changed the speed of the clip to 50% in the Properties Inspector, a Retiming behavior uses that half-speed clip as its source. For more information on Timing controls in the Properties Inspector, see Retime media overview. There are 11 Retiming behaviors: Flash Frame inserts a range of random frames into the playback of a clip. Hold Frame freezes the frame at the behavior’s In point. Loop replays a segment of a clip. Ping Pong replays a segment of a clip backward and then forward. Replay triggers playback of a clip segment that begins at a different frame in your project. Reverse plays a clip or image sequence backwards. Reverse Loop replays a segment of a clip in reverse. Scrub moves a virtual playhead around a clip. Set Speed changes the playback rate of a clip. Strobe simulates the look of a strobe light or lower-frame-rate video. Stutter randomly inserts hold frames, of random durations, into the playback of a clip. Flash Frame The Flash Frame behavior inserts a user-defined range of random frames (adjacent to the current frame) into the playback of a clip. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Random Frames: A slider that sets the probability that a frame within the duration of the behavior is replaced with a random frame. When this value is set to 0, no random frames are inserted. When set to 100, every frame is random. The default value is 10%. Frame Range: A slider that defines the range from which the random frames are chosen, based around the current frame. The default value is 10 frames. Duration: A slider that sets the duration of the sequence of random frames. The default value is 1, which means one random frame is inserted at a time. When Duration is set to 30, for example, 30-frame sequences (chosen from the Frame Range) are randomly inserted. The Duration value overrides the Random Frame count (so a new random frame does not interrupt the sequence). Random Seed: A button that picks a new random seed number. This number is used to generate new values, based on the other parameters of this behavior. Hold Frame The Hold Frame behavior holds the frame at the behavior’s In point for the duration of the behavior. The clip continues playing normally after the behavior’s Out point. For example, if the Hold Frame behavior begins at frame 60 and ends at frame 300, the clip plays normally until frame 59, frame 60 is held for 240 frames, and then normal playback resumes—frame 61 of the clip—at frame 301. The Hold behavior is applied at the current frame, rather than at the start of the object. Adjust this behavior using the control in the Behaviors Inspector: Offset: A slider that sets the offset for the hold frame. When set to 0 (the default), the frame at the start of the behavior is the hold frame. When set to 60, however, the frame at the start of the behavior (the hold frame) is the start frame plus 60 frames. This parameter is measured in frames. Tip: Flickering may occur if the Hold Frame behavior is applied to interlaced footage. To avoid this, ensure that Field Order is properly set in the Inspector. To change field order, select the footage in the Media list, open the Media pane in the Inspector, then choose a field order option from the Field Order pop-up menu. See Source media controls in the Media Inspector. Loop The Loop behavior loops a segment of the clip within the duration of the behavior. The loop’s starting frame is derived from the start frame of the behavior. For example, if the behavior is applied at the start of a clip, and Loop Duration is set to 30, the first 30 frames of the clip loop repeatedly until the end of the behavior. At the end of the behavior, normal playback resumes from the frame at the end of the loop duration. Adjust this behavior using the control in the Behaviors Inspector: Loop Duration: A slider that sets the duration of the looped frames. The default value is 30 frames. Ping Pong The Ping Pong behavior “ping-pongs” playback of a segment of the clip within the duration of the behavior. The ping-pong effect’s starting frame is derived from the start frame of the behavior. For example, if the behavior is applied at the start of a clip, and Duration is set to 30, the first 30 frames of the clip play forward, then play in reverse, then forward, and so on until the end of the behavior. At the end of the behavior, normal playback resumes. Adjust this behavior using the control in the Behaviors Inspector: Duration: A slider that sets the duration of the ping-pong frames. The default value is 30 frames. Replay The Replay behavior resets the playhead at the beginning of the behavior to a specific frame, then plays the clip normally from that frame. The clip plays back normally after the end of the behavior. Use this behavior to trigger playback of the clip at different times, without making multiple copies of the movie object. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Start From: A pop-up menu that determines whether the replay starts from an absolute frame number or an offset from the frame at the start of the behavior. There are two menu items: Absolute Frame: Sets the replay to start at the frame specified in the Start Time parameter. For example, if the behavior starts at frame 60 of the clip and Start Frame is set to 30, when playback reaches frame 60, the clip starts playback over from frame 30. Offset Frame: Offsets the start frame of the replay. For example, if the behavior starts at frame 60 of the clip, and Start Frame is set to 30, when playback reaches frame 60, the clip starts playback at frame 90. If Start Frame is set to –30, the clip starts playback over from frame 30. Start Time: A slider that sets the start frame where the replay begins. The default is frame 1. Reverse The Reverse behavior plays the clip or image sequence backwards. There are no parameters for this behavior. Reverse Loop The Reverse Loop behavior loops a segment of the clip in reverse within the duration of the behavior. If Loop Duration is set to 30 and the behavior begins at frame 1, frames 1–30 are played in reverse, then frames 31–60 are played in reverse, frames 61–90 are played in reverse, and so on. Tip: To achieve a nice stutter effect, set Loop Duration to 2. Adjust this behavior using the control in the Behaviors Inspector: Loop Duration: A slider that sets the duration of the looped frames to be played in reverse. The default value is 30 frames. Scrub Like the Scrub filter, the Scrub behavior moves a virtual playhead around a clip, allowing you to change the timing of the clip without moving it in the Timeline. Additionally, the Scrub behavior lets you animate the offset parameter using keyframes or Parameter behaviors, often with interesting results. Try applying the Oscillate behavior to the Frame offset, with the Offset From parameter set to Current Frame. Scrub does not affect clip audio. Note: You can also apply Parameter behaviors to the Retime Value parameter in the Timing controls for the clip object. The Timing controls are located in the Properties Inspector. Time Remap must be set to Variable Speed to access the Retime Value parameter. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Frame Offset: A slider that sets the offset of the virtual playhead. Offset From: A pop-up menu that sets the position where the virtual playhead is offset. There are two menu items: First Frame or Current Frame. Set Speed The Set Speed behavior lets you change the speed (playback rate) of a clip. The speed specified in the behavior begins at the behavior’s In point and exists for the duration of the behavior. The clip continues playing at its default speed after the behavior’s Out point. For example, if the Set Speed behavior begins at frame 60 and ends at frame 300, the clip plays normally until frame 59, plays back at the rate specified in the behavior from frame 60 to frame 300, then resumes its default playback speed at frame 301. You can apply an ease-in or ease-out effect to the speed change. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Speed: A slider that sets the speed of the clip as a percentage. The default is 100% (the clip’s normal speed). A Speed setting of 50% plays the clip at half speed. Note: The Speed parameter can be keyframed to create Note: The Speed parameter can be keyframed to create variable playback rate changes. Ease In Time: A slider that sets the number of frames over which the ease-in speed change occurs (from the start of the behavior). The default value is 20 frames. Ease In Curve: A slider that defines the curvature of the ramp when easing into the speed change. A value of 0 creates a sharp transition to the new speed; a value of 100 creates the smoothest ease in to the new speed. The default is 50%. Ease Out Time: A slider that sets the number of frames over which the ease-out speed change occurs (from the end of the behavior). The default value is 20 frames. Ease Out Curve: A slider that defines the curvature of the ramp when easing out of the speed change. A value of 0 creates a sharp transition from the new speed to the original speed; a value of 100 creates the smoothest ease out. The default is 50%. Strobe The Strobe behavior simulates the look of a strobe light or lowerframe-rate video by holding a number of frames as defined by the Strobe Duration parameter over the playback of the clip. For example, when Strobe Duration is set to 10, frame 1 is held for 10 frames, frame 11 for 10 frames, frame 21 for 10 frames, and so on. The frames in between (2–10, 12–20, 22–30, and so on) do not appear. Adjust this behavior using the control in the Behaviors Inspector: Strobe Duration: A slider that sets the number of frames to hold. A value of 1 plays the clip at normal speed. The default value is 5 frames. Stutter The Stutter behavior randomly inserts hold frames, of random durations, into the playback of a clip. The effect is similar to a tape that sticks during play in a videocassette recorder. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Stutter Amount: A slider that sets the probability that a hold frame is generated at the given frame. When set to 0%, no hold frames are created; when set to 100%, every frame is a hold frame. Values between 0 and 100 indicate the probability of frames (within the duration of the behavior) that are replaced by hold frames. The default value is 10%. Duration Range: A slider that sets the maximum duration of hold frames. A value of 1 inserts single-frame hold frames at a frequency determined by the Stutter Amount parameter. Increasing the Duration Range increases the range of hold frames. For example, a value of 30 creates random hold frames with a minimum of 1 frame and a maximum of 30 frames. The default value is 3 frames. Random Seed: A button that picks a new random seed number. This number is used to generate new values, based on the other parameters of this behavior. Simulation behaviors Simulation behaviors overview Simulation behaviors perform one of two tasks. Some Simulation behaviors, such as Gravity, animate the parameters of an object in a way that simulates a real-world phenomenon. Other Simulation behaviors, such as Attractor and Repel, affect the parameters of objects surrounding the object to which they’re applied. These behaviors allow you to create sophisticated interactions among multiple objects in your project with minimal adjustments. Like the Basic Motion behaviors, Simulation behaviors also affect specific object parameters. Examples include Attractor, Gravity, and Repel. Important: Several Simulation behavior parameters contain object wells into which you drag target objects used as attractors, repellers, orbiters, and so on. Dragging an object to a well can be tricky—be sure to drag the object name (or thumbnail) from the Layers list to the object well in the Inspector (without releasing the mouse button). If you click the object in the Layers list and release the mouse button, that behavior object is deselected its parameters are no longer displayed in the Inspector. This applies to all wells, including mask source wells and image wells. There are 16 Simulation behaviors: Align to Motion changes the orientation of an object to match its direction along an animation path. Attracted To pulls an affected object toward a designated target. Attractor pulls objects toward the affected object. Drag simulates the force of friction on a moving object, Drag simulates the force of friction on a moving object, slowing it down over time. Drift Attracted To pulls an affected object toward a designated target, then makes the object come to rest, rather than overshooting the target and bouncing around. Drift Attractor pulls other objects toward the affected object, then makes those objects come to rest, rather than overshooting the affected object and bouncing around. Edge Collision causes an object to collide with and bounce off the edges of the Canvas frame. Gravity causes an object to fall over time. Orbit Around causes the affected object to circle around a designated target. Random Motion animates an object along a random path. Repel pushes objects away from the affected object. Repel From pushes the affected object away from a designated target. Rotational Drag simulates the force of friction on spinning objects. Spring causes the affected object to move back and forth around a designated target. Vortex causes objects to circle around the affected object. Wind “blows” an object in a specified direction. Align to Motion The Align to Motion behavior changes the rotation of an object to match changes made to its direction along an animation path. This behavior is meant to be combined with Simulation behaviors that animate the position of an object or with a keyframed animation path you create yourself. Note: The Align to Motion behavior does not work on objects animated using the Motion Path behavior. Instead, use the Snap Alignment to Motion behavior (in the Basic Motion subcategory). Unlike the Snap Alignment to Motion behavior, which produces absolute changes in rotation that precisely match changes in direction, Align to Motion has a springy reaction and creates a more lively effect. In the above example, the airplane travels along the keyframed animation path, but the plane isn’t aligned to the animation path (notice the rotation handle). Using the Align to Motion behavior, the airplane’s angle of rotation moves so it points in the direction of the animation path. By adjusting the Drag parameter, you can make the object careen wildly about its anchor point as it goes around curves in the animation path. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple child objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Rotation Axis: A pop-up menu that rotates the object around the X, Y, or Z axis. You can also select All to rotate the object around all three axes. The default rotation axis is Z. Axis: A pop-up menu that sets whether the object aligns to its horizontal or vertical axis. Invert Axis: A checkbox that flips the orientation with which the object aligns to the motion. Spring Tension: A slider that adjusts how quickly the object’s rotation changes to match a change in the object’s direction. Lower values create a delay between a change to an object’s position and its subsequent change in rotation. Higher values create more responsive changes in rotation. Drag: A slider that adjusts whether the change in rotation made by this behavior overshoots the new direction of the object. Low drag values result in springy changes in rotation, where the object rotates back and forth as it overshoots changes in direction. High drag values dampen this effect, making the object’s rotation stick more closely to the changes made in rotation. Higher values also cause the object’s rotation to lag behind the object’s change in position. SEE ALSO Snap Alignment to Motion Attracted To An object with the Attracted To behavior applied moves toward a single specified target, the object of attraction. Additional parameters allow you to adjust the area of influence that defines how close an object must be to move toward the object of attraction, and how strongly it is attracted. The Drag parameter lets you define whether attracted objects overshoot and bounce about the attracting object, or whether they eventually slow down and stop at the position of the target object. You can apply two or more Attracted To behaviors to a single object, each with a different object of attraction, to create tug-ofwar situations where the object bounces among all objects it’s attracted to. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple child objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Object: An object well that defines the object of attraction. To set the defined target object, drag the object from the Layers list to the Object well in the Attracted To HUD or Inspector. In the Layers list, you can also drag the target object onto the Attracted To behavior. Strength: A slider defining the speed at which the object moves toward the object of attraction. With a value of 0, the object doesn’t move at all. The higher the value, the faster the object moves. Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. There are two menu items: Linear: Object attraction falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is attracted, and the faster it moves toward the object of attraction. Falloff Rate: A slider that sets how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move toward the object of attraction. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence, in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction. Objects outside the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider that reduces the distance attracted objects overshoot the object of attraction. Lower Drag values result in the object overshooting the object of attraction, moving past and then careening back around toward the target object again and again. Higher Drag values result in the object coming to rest sooner. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the axes on which the affected object (or objects) moves around the object to which it is attracted. When Z is enabled, the object moves about its attractor object in Z space. Attractor The Attractor behavior, when applied to an object, causes other objects that lie within the area of influence move toward it. You can manipulate the strength with which other objects are attracted, as well as the distance required for attraction to begin. By default, objects overshoot the object of attraction and bounce around, never coming to rest. The Drag parameter lets you adjust this behavior, changing whether attracted objects overshoot and bounce around, or whether they eventually slow down and stop at the position of the target object. The Attractor behavior can affect all objects in the Canvas that fall within the area of attraction, or you can limit its effect to a specific list of objects by using the Affect parameter. The Attractor behavior can also be applied to objects in motion. If you animate the position of the target object to which you’ve applied the Attractor behavior, all other objects in the Canvas continue to be attracted to its new position. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect: A pop-up menu that limits which objects in your project are affected by the Attractor behavior. There are three options: All Objects: All objects in the Canvas are affected by the Attractor behavior. Related Objects: The default setting. Only other objects in the same group as the object of attraction are affected. Specific Objects: Only objects appearing in the Affected Objects list are affected by the Attractor behavior. Affected Objects: A list that appears when Specific Objects is chosen in the Affect pop-up menu. Drag objects from the Layers list into this list to have the objects affected by this behavior. To remove an item from the list, select the item and click Remove. The Affected Objects list contains the following columns: Layer: This column lists the name of the layer containing the object. Name: This column lists the name of the object. Strength: A slider that sets the speed at which attracted objects move toward the target object. With a value of 0, attracted objects don’t move at all. The higher the value, the faster attracted objects move. Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. There are two menu items: Linear: Object attraction falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is attracted, and the faster it moves toward the object of attraction. Falloff Rate: A slider that sets how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move toward the object of attraction. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction. Objects outside the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider that reduces the distance attracted objects overshoot the object of attraction. Lower Drag values result in the object overshooting the object of attraction, moving past and then careening back around toward the target object again and again. Higher Drag values result in the object coming to rest sooner. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which the object (or objects) moves toward the target object. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object moves in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object moves in the YZ plane. Drag The Drag behavior simulates the force of friction on a moving object, slowing it down over time. Applying the Drag behavior is an easy way to decelerate objects with multiple behaviors that create complex motion. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Amount: Sliders that slow down an object over time, causing it to eventually come to a stop. Higher Drag values result in the object coming to rest sooner. Click the Amount disclosure triangle to adjust the drag applied to the X, Y, and Z values separately. An example of this is to create a situation where an object’s vertical speed slows down faster than its horizontal speed. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space that Drag affects. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object drags in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object drags in the YZ plane. Drift Attracted To The Drift Attracted To behavior is similar to the Attracted To behavior, but by default an object moves toward the object of attraction and comes to rest, rather than overshooting the object of attraction and bouncing around. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Object: An object well that defines the object of attraction. To set the defined target object, drag the object from the Layers list to the Object well in the Drift Attracted To HUD or Inspector. In the Layers list, you can also drag the target object onto the Drift Attracted To behavior. Strength: A slider that sets the speed at which the object moves toward the object of attraction. With a value of 0, the object doesn’t move at all. The higher the value, the faster the object moves. Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. There are two menu items: Linear: Object attraction falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is attracted, and the faster it moves toward the object of attraction. Falloff Rate: A slider that sets how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move toward the object of attraction. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that sets the radius of the circle of influence, in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction. Objects outside the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider that reduces the distance attracted objects overshoot the object of attraction. Lower Drag values result in the object overshooting the object of attraction, moving past and then careening back around toward the target object again and again. Higher Drag values result in the object coming to rest sooner. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which the affected object (or objects) drifts toward the object to which it is attracted. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object drifts in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object drifts in the YZ plane. Drift Attractor The Drift Attractor behavior is similar to the Attractor behavior, but by default objects within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction and come to rest, rather than overshooting the object of attraction and bouncing around. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect: A pop-up menu that limits which objects in your project are affected by the Drift Attractor behavior. There are three options: All Objects: All objects in the Canvas are affected by the Drift Attractor behavior. Related Objects: The default setting. Only other objects in the same group as the object of attraction are affected. Specific Objects: Only objects appearing in the Affected Objects list are affected by the Drift Attractor behavior. Affected Objects: A list that appears when Specific Objects is chosen in the Affect pop-up menu. Drag objects from the Layers list into this list to have those objects affected by the behavior. To remove an item from the list, select the item and click Remove. There are two menu items: Layer: This column lists the name of the layer containing the object. Name: This column lists the name of the object. Strength: A slider that sets the speed at which attracted objects move toward the target object. With a value of 0, attracted objects don’t move at all. The higher the value, the faster attracted objects move. Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. There are two options: Linear: Object attraction falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is attracted, and the faster it moves toward the object of attraction. Falloff Rate: A slider that determines how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move toward the object of attraction. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When Falloff Type is set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that sets the radius of the circle of influence, in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction. Objects outside the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider that reduces the distance attracted objects overshoot the object of attraction. Lower Drag values result in the object overshooting the object of attraction, moving past and then careening back around toward the target object again and again. Higher Drag values result in the object coming to rest sooner. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which the object (or objects) drift toward the target object. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object drifts in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object drifts in the YZ plane. Edge Collision The Edge Collision behavior is ideal for setting up complex motion simulations with objects that do not exit the Canvas. Objects with the Edge Collision behavior applied come to a stop or bounce off after colliding with the edge of the Canvas frame. For example, if you apply the Throw behavior to an object and set the velocity to send the object toward the edge of the frame, then apply Edge Collision, the object will bounce off the edge of the frame according to the Bounce Strength parameter. Edge Collision has no effect on objects larger than the Canvas. The angle at which the object bounces depends on the angle at which it hits the edge of the frame; the speed it travels after bouncing is set by the Bounce Strength parameter. Important: By default, the Edge Collision behavior uses the size of the project and the bounding box to determine how the object collides with the edge of the Canvas. For example, in an NTSC Broadcast SD project (720 x 486 pixels), an object bounces off the right and left edges of the project at its bounding box. With groups (particles, text, and objects), only the object’s center is used. You can make the object travel farther off the Canvas before it bounces by adjusting the Width and Height parameters. If you’re using this behavior with an object that has an alpha channel that’s smaller than its bounding box, adjust the Crop parameter in the object’s Properties Inspector to fit the bounding box as closely as possible to the edge of the image. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Bounce Strength: A slider that sets the speed at which objects travel after colliding with an edge. A value of 0 causes objects to come to a complete stop when colliding with an edge that’s perpendicular to the direction of motion. Higher values cause an object to move faster after bouncing. This parameter only slows the object in the direction perpendicular to the bounced edge. Active Edges: Six checkboxes that define which collision box edges are detected by the Edge Collision behavior. You can turn edges on and off in any combination. Left Face: Defines the left edge for the collision. Right Face: Defines the right edge for the collision. Top Face: Defines the top edge for the collision. Bottom Face: Defines the bottom edge for the collision. Back Face: Defines the back edge (in Z space) for the collision. Front Face: Defines the front edge (in Z space) for the collision. Width: A slider that sets a width (the right and left edges of the Canvas) other than the size of project. By default, Width is set to the project size. Height: A slider that sets a height (the top and bottom edges) other than the size of project. By default, Height is set to the project size. Depth: A slider that sets a depth (the back and front faces, in Z space) for the edge collision. By default, Depth is set to 100 pixels. Gravity The Gravity behavior causes an object, or the objects in a group (when Affect Subobjects is selected), to fall over time. The gravitational acceleration can be increased or decreased, resulting in a change to the rate of fall. Objects affected by the Gravity behavior continue to fall past the bottom edge of the Canvas (unless the Edge Collision behavior has been applied). The following illustration shows an object affected by the Throw, Snap Alignment to Motion, and Gravity behaviors all at once. As you can see, the Gravity behavior can be used in conjunction with other behaviors that animate the position of objects to create natural-looking arcs and animation paths that simulate thrown objects falling to the ground. For example, apply the Throw behavior to an object to send it flying through the air, and then apply the Gravity behavior to it to make the object arc up and then fall down past the bottom of the Canvas. You can also set the Acceleration parameter to a negative value, effectively applying “antigravity” to the object and making it fly up. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Acceleration: A slider that sets the strength of gravity affecting the target object. The higher this value, the faster the target object falls. Orbit Around Similar to the Attracted To behavior, the Orbit Around behavior’s default parameter settings give the object sufficient initial velocity to orbit around another object in a perfect circle. Note: Behaviors such as Attractor and Repel applied to nearby objects might disrupt an object with the Orbit Around behavior applied to it. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox, available when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Object: An object well that defines the object to orbit around. To set the defined target object, drag the object from the Layers list to the Object well in the Orbit Around HUD or Inspector. In the Layers list, you can also drag the target object onto the Orbit Around behavior. Strength: A slider that sets the speed of the object. Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. The default is Linear. Linear: Object attraction falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is attracted, and the faster it moves toward the object of attraction. Falloff Rate: A slider that sets how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move toward the object of attraction. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction. Objects outside the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider that causes the orbit to decay. The default value for Orbit Around is 0, which results in a stable orbit. Any other value causes the orbit to decay and the object to spiral into the object of attraction. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which the orbit occurs. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object orbits in the XY plane. In the illustration below, X and Y are selected in the Include parameter. The red motion paths represent the motion of the white airplanes around the target object (the circle). The light gray box represents the boundary of the group. In the illustration below, Y and Z are turned on in the Include parameter. The white airplanes move around the target object in the YZ plane. Pole Axis: A pop-up menu that becomes available when the X, Y, and Z axes are enabled in the Include parameter. Because all points are at a fixed distance from the target or attractor object (the Pole Axis), the object can be visualized on a sphere of all possible orbits, with the target object at the center of the sphere. The Pole Axis defines the two points on the sphere that the orbit must pass through. There are four menu items: X: Aligns the Pole Axis set to the X plane. Y: Aligns the Pole Axis to the Y plane. Z: Aligns the Pole Axis to the Z plane. Random: When Random is selected, the axes shift to a different random position. Direction: A pop-up menu that sets whether objects move around in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Random Motion The Random Motion behavior animates the position of an object and makes that object move around the Canvas along a random path. The Random Motion behavior is useful for creating varied animation paths for large numbers of objects you want to move at the same time. For example, you can create an arrangement of ten objects in the Canvas and apply the Random Motion behavior to them all. Although the motion created with this behavior appears to be random, it is predetermined by the group of parameters you’ve chosen. As long as you don’t change the parameters, the animation path created by this behavior remains the same. If you don’t like the path that was randomly generated, click the Generate button in the HUD or the Behaviors Inspector to pick a new random seed number. This number is used to generate a new path. You can also use the Random Motion behavior to add variation to the animation paths created by other behaviors that affect an object’s position. In the following example, adding Random Motion to an object with the Orbit Around behavior results in a more erratic animation path from orbit to orbit, although it still moves around the center as before. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox that appears when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Amount: A slider that determines the speed the object moves by changing the length of the animation path. Higher values result in faster motion and longer animation paths. Frequency: A slider that determines the number of twists and turns in the animation path, which can be seen by the crookedness of the resulting animation path. Higher values create more turns in the animation path. Lower values result in straighter animation paths. Noisiness: A slider that determines an additional level of jaggedness along the animation path shape defined by the Amount parameter. Higher values result in a more jaggedlooking animation path. Drag: A slider that controls the speed the object moves along the animation path. While the Amount parameter controls the length of the animation path, the Drag parameter shrinks or enlarges the animation path as a whole. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which random motion is in effect. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the motion occurs in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the motion occurs in the YZ plane. Random Seed: A button that picks a new random seed number. This number is used to generate new animation paths, based on the values you’ve picked in the other parameters of this behavior. Repel If you apply the Repel behavior to an object, that object pushes away all other objects within the area of influence in the Canvas. The strength with which objects are pushed away can be increased or decreased, as can the distance repelled objects travel. You can also specify which objects are affected by this behavior, creating an effect where only specific objects are moved, while others remain still. The Repel behavior is the opposite of the Attractor behavior, and is part of a group of simulation behaviors that create complex animated relationships between two or more objects. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect: A pop-up menu that limits which objects in your project are affected by the Repel behavior. There are three options: All Objects: All objects in the Canvas are affected by the Repel behavior. Related Objects: The default setting. Only other objects in the same group as the repelling object are affected. Specific Objects: Only objects appearing in the Affected Objects list are affected by the Repel behavior. Affected Objects: A list that appears when Specific Objects is chosen in the Affect pop-up menu. Drag objects from the Layers list into this list to be affected by the Attractor behavior when the Specific Objects option is selected in the Affect pop- up menu. To remove an item from the list, select the item and click Remove. The Affected Objects list contains the following columns: Layer: This column lists the name of the layer containing the object. Name: This column lists the name of the object. Strength: A slider that defines the speed at which repelled objects move away from the object. With a value of 0, repelled objects don’t move at all. The higher the value, the faster repelled objects move. Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. Linear: Repulsion between objects falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is repelled, and the faster it moves away from the object doing the repelling. Falloff Rate: A slider that sets how quickly the force of repulsion between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move away from the object of repulsion. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move away from the object of repulsion. Objects outside the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider that reduces the distance repelled objects travel away from the repelling object. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which the objects move away from the object with the applied Repel behavior. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object moves away in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object moves away in the YZ plane. Repel From Whereas the Repel behavior pushes other objects away, the Repel From behavior has the converse effect, making the object it’s applied to move away from a selected object in the Canvas. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox that appears when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Object: An object well that defines the object to be repelled from. Strength: A slider that sets the speed at which the object is repelled. With a value of 0, the object is not repelled at all. The higher the value, the faster the object is repelled. Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. Linear: Repulsion between objects falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is repelled, and the faster it moves away from the object doing the repelling. Falloff Rate: A slider that sets how quickly the force of repulsion between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move away from the object of repulsion. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move away from the object of repulsion. Objects outside the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider used to reduce the distance the object or objects travel away from the repelling object. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which the object moves away from the selected object. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object moves in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object moves in the YZ plane. Rotational Drag Rotational Drag is similar to the Drag behavior, except that it affects Rotation instead of position. Rotational Drag simulates friction affecting objects that are spinning due to keyframed or behavior-driven changes to the Rotation parameter. By setting higher Drag values, you can slow rotational changes to an eventual stop. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox that appears when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Amount: A slider used to slow down an object’s rotation over time, causing it to eventually come to a stop. Higher Amount values result in the rotation ending sooner. Spring The Spring behavior creates a relationship between two objects, so that an object with the Spring behavior applied to it moves back and forth around a second object. The Attract To parameter defines the object that serves as the target and center of the Spring behavior. Additional parameters let you adjust the speed of the behavior (Spring Tension) and the acceleration of the object at each change in direction (Relaxed Length). If the Attract To object is at rest, the resulting motion is fairly simple and the springing object moves back and forth in a straight line. If the Attract To object is in motion, the springing object’s motion is much more complex, changing direction according to the velocity of the Attract To object. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox that appears when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Attract To: An object well that defines the object of attraction. To set the defined target object, drag the object from the Layers list to the Attract To well in the Spring HUD or Inspector. In the Layers list, you can also drag the target object onto the Spring behavior. Spring Tension: A slider that determines how fast the object is pulled toward the object of attraction. Relaxed Length: A slider that sets the distance from the target object where object attraction diminishes to zero. As the springing object’s distance increases past this point, the force of attraction increases proportionally, to bring it back toward the target object. Repel: A checkbox that, when selected, pushes objects apart as the target object gets closer to the object of attraction than the Relaxed Length value. When this checkbox is deselected, no repelling force is applied. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which the affected object moves back and forth around the assigned object. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object moves back and forth in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object moves back and forth in the YZ plane. Vortex The opposite of the Orbit Around behavior, the Vortex behavior exerts a force on all objects surrounding the object to which the Vortex behavior is applied. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect: A pop-up menu that limits which objects in your project are affected by the Vortex behavior. There are three options: All Objects: All objects in the Canvas are affected by the Vortex behavior. Related Objects: The default setting. Only other objects in the same group as the object of attraction are affected. Specific Objects: Only objects appearing in the Affected Objects list are affected by the Vortex behavior. Affected Objects: A list that appears when Specific Objects is chosen in the Affect pop-up menu. Objects you drag from the Layers list into this list are affected by the Attractor behavior when the Specific Objects option is selected in the Affect popup menu. To remove an item from the list, select the item and click Remove. The Affected Objects lists contains the following columns: Layer: This column lists the name of the layer containing the object. Name: This column lists the name of the object. Strength: A slider that sets the speed at which the affected objects move about the object of attraction. Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. The default is Linear. Linear: Object attraction falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is attracted, and the faster it moves toward the object of attraction. Falloff Rate: A slider that sets how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move toward the object of attraction. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence, in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction. Objects outside the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider that causes the vortex to decay. The default value for Vortex is 0, which results in a stable vortex. Any other value causes the vortex to decay and the object to spiral into the object of attraction. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that specify the space in which the objects vortex around the target object. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object circles around in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object circles around in the YZ plane. Pole Axis: A pop-up menu that becomes available when the X, Y, and Z axes are enabled in the Include parameter. Because all points are at a fixed distance from the target or attractor object (the Pole Axis), the object can be visualized on a sphere of all possible orbits, with the target object at the center of the sphere. The Pole Axis defines the two points on the sphere that the orbit must pass through. For more information, see this parameter’s discussion in Orbit Around. Direction: A pop-up menu that sets whether objects move around in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Wind Apply the Wind behavior to an object to animate its position and move it in a specified direction. Unlike the Throw behavior, the velocity specified by the Wind behavior is a continuous force, and its parameters can be keyframed to achieve gradual changes in speed and direction. The Wind behavior is better than the Throw behavior when you want to vary the speed of the affected object. You can apply another behavior (such as Randomize or Ramp) or keyframe the Velocity parameter of the Wind behavior to vary the speed and direction of the object. You cannot make gradual changes in speed or direction with the Throw behavior. Adjust this behavior using the controls in the Behaviors Inspector: Affect Subobjects: A checkbox that appears when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is selected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is deselected, all objects enclosed in the parent object are affected by the behavior together. Air Thickness: A slider and value slider that adjust how fast the object accelerates on the X, Y, or Z axis when the speed is changed. Lower values (simulating thinner air) have less effect when pushing the object, so it takes longer to get up to speed. Higher values (thicker air) have more effect and push the object up to speed more quickly. Velocity: A slider and value slider that adjust the speed on the X, Y, or Z axis where the simulated air is blowing the object. Higher values result in faster motion. The HUD lets you specify the direction and speed of the Wind behavior by dragging an arrow in a circular region. The direction of the arrow defines the direction of movement in X and Y space, and the length of the arrow defines speed (velocity). A slider lets you adjust the scale of the HUD control, increasing or decreasing the effect the control has over the object. Press the Shift key while dragging the arrow to constrain it to 45degree angles. Press the Command key to change the arrow’s direction without affecting its length. When you click the 3D button, a center arrow control defines the direction the object is “blown” by the wind in 3D. The Speed slider increases or decreases the velocity of the blown object. Note: The maximum speed you can define with the HUD is not the maximum speed possible. Higher values can be entered into the Velocity parameter in the Behaviors Inspector. Additional behaviors Audio, Camera, Motion Tracking, Particles, Replicator, Shape, and Text behaviors are designed specifically to be applied to their respective objects: Audio files, cameras, particle emitters or cells, replicators or replicator cells, shapes, and text. SEE ALSO Audio behaviors overview Add Camera behaviors Apply behaviors to particle systems Apply the Sequence Replicator behavior Shape behaviors overview Motion tracking overview Animated text overview Save and share custom behaviors Save custom behaviors You can save customized behaviors to the Library in any of several organizational categories for future use. Behaviors saved in the Library appear with a custom icon. You can also save multiple behaviors to the Library as a single file or as multiple files. For example, if you create an animation that uses multiple behaviors and you want to save the cumulative effect of those behaviors, you can save them all as one item in the Library. Alternatively, you can create new folders in existing categories. You can create a folder in the Favorites or Behaviors category. Folders created in the Behaviors category appear in the Library sidebar. Folders created in the subcategories, such as the Basic Motion subcategory, appear in the Library stack and not the sidebar. Save a behavior to the Library 1. Open the Library and select the Favorites, Favorites Menu, or Behaviors category. For organizational purposes, it’s best to save custom behaviors to the Favorites or Favorites menu category. 2. Drag the customized behavior to save from the Layers list, Timeline, or Inspector into the stack at the bottom of the Library. Note: If a custom behavior is dragged to another subcategory, such as the Glow (Filters) subcategory, it is placed in the Behaviors category and the Behaviors category becomes active. Save multiple behaviors to the Library 1. Open the Library and select the Favorites, Favorites Menu, or Behaviors category. 2. In the Layers list, select all behaviors to save and drag them to the stack, holding down the mouse button until a drop menu appears. 3. Choose “All in one file” or “Multiple files” from the drop menu, then release the mouse button. “All in one file” saves behaviors together. They are listed as one item in the Library. “Multiple files” saves the behaviors as individual objects in the Library. For information on naming items saved to the Library, saving multiple items of different types to the Library, as well as creating and organizing folders in the Library, see Save custom objects to the Library. Delete custom behaviors You can delete custom behaviors from the Library, if necessary. Delete a custom behavior In the Library stack, Control-click the custom behavior, then choose Move to Trash from the shortcut menu. Delete a custom folder from a subcategory in the Library stack Control-click the folder in the Library stack, then choose Move to Trash from the shortcut menu. You can also delete the folder from the OS X Finder. The folder is stored in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/ folder. If the Library folder is hidden in the OS X Finder, hold down the Option key, then choose Go > Library. Important: Deleting a custom object or folder cannot be undone. Move behaviors to another computer Each customized behavior you drag into the Motion Library is saved as a separate file in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/ folder on your computer. For example, a saved custom behavior named My Motion Path in the Favorites folder of the Library appears in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/Favorites/ folder. Items saved to the Library appear in the OS X Finder with a .molo extension (“Motion Library object”). These items cannot be opened from the Finder. You can move saved behaviors to other computers that have Motion installed. Copy a custom behavior to another computer Copy Motion custom behaviors from your computer’s /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/ folder to the same folder on another computer that has Motion installed. Animate with keyframes Keyframing overview Keyframing is the process of assigning different parameter values to an object at specific points in time to animate some aspect of the object. Although behaviors are ideal for quickly adding complex motion or effects to an object, keyframes provide additional precision, ensuring that a specific event happens at the exact frame you choose. For example, if you want to time a movement or effect to match a musical beat or a word in the soundtrack, a keyframe is the best tool for the job. When you set more than one keyframe for a parameter, Motion interpolates the in-between frames, generating a smooth change over time. For example, if you want a title to change from green to blue over time, you can set two keyframes at two points in time. The first keyframe defines the text’s color as green, and the second keyframe sets the color to blue. Motion makes the frames between those points change smoothly from green to blue. Motion lets you keyframe color values, position, rotation, opacity, and almost every other parameter in the application—for both image layers and effects objects (cameras, lights, behaviors, filters, and so on). For example, keyframes allow you to animate static filters and modify behaviors, resulting in complex, precisely timed animations. There are two basic ways to add keyframes to your project. And you can edit keyframes in several areas of the Motion workspace: in the Inspector, HUD, Timeline track area, and Keyframe Editor. SEE ALSO Behaviors overview Add keyframes Motion provides two basic ways to apply keyframes to animate your project: Record button method: Turn on the Record button to create a new keyframe whenever you adjust any parameter. This method is useful when you want to create keyframes for multiple parameters in your project. Initial-keyframe method: Manually add a keyframe to a parameter to have any further adjustment of that parameter create additional keyframes at the current playhead position. This method is useful when you want to create keyframes for a single parameter of a specific object in your project. Add keyframes to one or more parameters using the Record button 1. Do one of one following: Click the Record button in the transport controls under the Canvas. Press A. Choose Mark > Record Animation. The Record button is highlighted. 2. Select an object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 3. Drag the playhead to a new position in time. 4. Modify one or more parameters by doing any of the following: Use the onscreen controls to move, scale, or manipulate objects. Use the controls in the Inspector or HUD to move, scale or manipulate objects. Keyframes are added at the current playhead position for any parameters you modified. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to add additional keyframes. As long as the Record button is enabled, any parameter modifications your make in your project are recorded as new keyframes. In the Inspector, all modifiable parameters are highlighted red to remind you that parameter changes are being recorded as keyframes. Turn off the Record button If keyframe recording is enabled, you can turn it off the same way you turned it on. Do one of the following: Click the Record button in the transport controls under the Canvas. Press A. Choose Mark > Record Animation. Add keyframes to a single parameter using the initial-keyframe method 1. Select an object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. Modify a parameter by doing any of the following: Use the onscreen controls to move, scale, or manipulate the object. Use the controls in the Inspector or HUD to move, scale or manipulate the object. 3. Create an initial keyframe by doing one of the following: Press Control-K. Pressing Control-K adds a keyframe to the last parameter you modified (in step 2 above). For example, if you scale a layer using its onscreen handles and then press Control-K, a keyframe is added to the Scale parameter. In the Transform section of the Properties Inspector, click the Add/Delete Keyframe button for the parameter you want to keyframe. Note: The Add/Delete Keyframe button (a plus sign in a gray diamond) is hidden until you position the pointer over the far-right side of the parameter row you want to add a keyframe to. In the Transform section of the Properties Inspector, click the Animation menu on the far right side of a parameter, then choose Add. Note: The Animation menu (a downward arrow) is hidden until you position the pointer over the far-right side of the parameter row you want to add a keyframe to. In the Inspector, Control-click a parameter’s name, then choose Add from the shortcut menu. A keyframe for the parameter you modified is added at the current frame, and the parameter you modified appears red in the Inspector, indicating that keyframing is now turned on for that parameter. 4. Move the playhead to a new time position. 5. Modify the same parameter again, as described in step 2. Another keyframe is added at the current frame. Note: When you animate parameters using the initialkeyframe method, you cannot turn off or suspend keyframe recording. Animate in the Canvas Add an animation path in the Canvas The easiest way to apply keyframes is to manipulate objects directly in the Canvas while the Record button is enabled. Using this method, you can animate changes to basic parameters such as scale, rotation, position, distort, and so on. When the Record button is enabled and you move the playhead to a new frame, any change you make to any object generates new keyframes. When animating an object’s position, an animation path is created—a red line in the Canvas showing the direction of motion (a small white arrow at the beginning of the path) and the location of keyframe points (small white diamonds along that path). Note: To view the animation paths of keyframed objects, ensure that Animation Path is selected in the View pop-up menu (in the upper-right corner of the Canvas). If the playhead is positioned on a previously set keyframe, changes you make modify that keyframe rather than the curve, regardless of whether the Record button is on or off. Move an object across the screen 1. Click the Record button (or press A) to turn on keyframe recording. 2. Place the playhead at the starting frame. 3. Place the object in a starting position. 4. Move the playhead forward. 5. Drag the object to the ending position. 6. Click the Record button (or press A) to turn off keyframe recording. A red animation path shows the route the object will take when you play back your project, flying from position one to position two over the interval you set. Note: If you can’t see the animation path, click the View popup menu above the Canvas, then choose Animation Path. When this setting is active, a checkmark appears next to it in the View pop-up menu. SEE ALSO Manipulate animation paths Manipulate animation paths You can modify an animation path by adding keyframes to or deleting keyframes from the path, by dragging keyframes on the path, or by dragging a path segment between two adjacent keyframes. Additionally, you can set the keyframe type to curved or angled, changing the shape of the path. When you drag a keyframe in the Canvas, the frame number corresponding to that keyframe and its X, Y, and Z position values are displayed in the status bar (above the Canvas). Add keyframe points to an animation path Double-click or Option-click the animation path. A new keyframe point is added. By default, keyframe points are curved Bezier points. Reposition a keyframe point After you add keyframe to an animation path, you can change its location in Canvas, thereby changing the shape of the path. Drag a keyframe point to a new position in the Canvas. The shape of the animation path changes, based on the new position of the keyframe point. Reposition a segment of the animation path Drag the path segment between the two selected keyframe points. Note: You can also Shift-select the keyframe points that bound the path segment or segments you want to move, then drag one of the selected keyframe points (or the segment between two adjacent keyframe points). Reposition the entire animation path Do one of the following: Holding down the Option and Command keys, drag a keyframe point on the animation path. Holding down the Option and Command keys, drag a portion of the animation path between two keyframe points. Holding down the Option and Command keys, drag the object’s center onscreen control. The animation path and the object are moved to a new position in the Canvas, and no new keyframes are created. Reposition an object on an animation path When you move an object on an animation path to a new position in the Canvas, a portion of the animation path is repositioned along with the object. Do any of the following: Reposition an object without adding a new keyframe: Drag the center onscreen control of the object. If the object is on a keyframe point, the object and the keyframe point are moved to a new position in the Canvas. If the object is between two keyframe points, the object and the two adjacent keyframe points are moved to a new position in the Canvas. Reposition an object and add a new keyframe: Make sure the object is positioned on the animation path between two keyframe points, then drag the object (but not its center onscreen control). The object is moved to a new position in the Canvas, and a new keyframe point is created at that position. Note: If the object is on a keyframe point, dragging the object does not create a new keyframe; rather, the current keyframe point is moved along with the object to a new position in the Canvas. Change the angle of a keyframe point By default, keyframe points on an animation path use Bezier curves. You can modify the curve angle by dragging tangent handles or by converting Bezier keyframe points to linear points. Do any of the following: Change the angle of a Bezier keyframe point: Select a Bezier keyframe point in the Canvas, then drag its tangent handles. Convert a smooth Bezier keyframe point to a sharp linear point: Control-click a keyframe point in the Canvas, then choose Linear from the shortcut menu. The tangent handles of the keyframe point disappear, leaving a sharply angled linear keyframe. To quickly convert the keyframe point back to a curved Bezier point with tangent handles, Command-drag the keyframe. Convert a sharp linear keyframe point to a smooth Bezier point: Control-click the keyframe point and choose Smooth from the shortcut menu. Tangent handles appear on the Smooth keyframe point, and the animation path becomes curved. To quickly convert a curved Bezier point back to a sharply angled linear point, Command-click the keyframe. Note: The Very Smooth option is not available for animation paths and remains dimmed in the shortcut menu. For more information on manipulating Bezier points, see Complex shapes and masks overview. Delete, disable, or lock a keyframe point Deleting a keyframe point modifies the shape of the animation path; disabling a keyframe point temporarily removes it from the path; locking a keyframe point prevents editing. Do any of the following: Delete a keyframe point: Control-click a keyframe point in the Canvas, then choose Delete Point from the shortcut menu (or select the keyframe point, then press Delete). The keyframe is removed, changing the shape of the animation path. Disable a keyframe point: Control-click a keyframe point in the Canvas, then choose Disable Point from the shortcut menu. The keyframe is disabled and no longer influences the shape of the animation path. To re-enable the keyframe, Control-click the disabled keyframe, then choose Enable Point from the shortcut menu. Lock a keyframe point: Control-click a keyframe point in the Canvas, then choose Lock Point from the shortcut menu. The keyframe is locked and can no longer be edited. To unlock the keyframe, Control-click the locked keyframe point, then choose Unlock Point from the shortcut menu. Animate via the Inspector Animate parameters in the Inspector Although you can animate basic object properties by dragging onscreen controls in the Canvas, many other parameters are accessible only in the Inspector. Each section of the Inspector contains keyframeable parameters. For example, you can animate the position and shape of a mask, the color and styles of a text object, or the options in a generator. The parameters that are keyframeable depend on which object is selected and which effects are applied to that object. Animate parameters in the Inspector using the Record button 1. In the Canvas, select the object to keyframe. 2. Click the Record button (or press A) to turn on keyframe recording. 3. Drag the playhead to the frame where you want the effect to begin. 4. Open the Inspector containing the parameter you want to modify (the Filters Inspector, in this example). Note: When the Record button is turned on, animatable parameter values appear red. When the Record button is off, parameter values that have no keyframes remain a light shade of gray. 5. Set the parameter to the beginning value. 6. Move the playhead to a new position. 7. In the Inspector, change the parameter to a new value. 8. Click the Record button (or press A) again to disable record. The parameter now changes over time. Animate parameters in the Inspector by setting an initial keyframe (Record button is off) 1. In the Canvas, select the object to keyframe. 2. Place the playhead on the frame where you want the effect to begin. 3. Open the Inspector containing to the parameter you want to modify. 4. Set the parameter to the beginning value, then do one of the following: Press Control-K. In the Inspector, click the parameter’s Animation menu, then choose Add. Note: The Animation menu (a downward arrow) is hidden until you position the pointer over the far-right side of the parameter row you want to add a keyframe to. In the Inspector, Control-click the parameter name, then choose Add from the shortcut menu. In the Properties Inspector, click the parameter’s Add/Delete Keyframe button. Note: The Add/Delete Keyframe button (a plus sign in a gray diamond) is hidden until you position the pointer over the far-right side of the parameter row you want to add a keyframe to. A keyframe is added at the current frame, and the parameter appears red in the Inspector. 5. Move the playhead to a new position. 6. In the Inspector, change the parameter to a new value. The parameter now changes over time. Animation menu The Animation menu in the Inspector provides access to additional keyframing options. Every keyframeable parameter in the Inspector has an Animation menu, available by Control-clicking a parameter’s name to reveal a shortcut menu, or by moving the pointer to the right side of a parameter row in the Inspector, then clicking the downward arrow that appears. Note: If the Animation menu corresponds to a parameter that cannot be animated, the Enable Animation and Keyframe menu items are dimmed. The Animation menu contains the following items: Reset Parameter: Removes keyframes and settings for this parameter, resetting the parameter to its default value. Show in Keyframe Editor: Opens the Keyframe Editor and displays the parameter’s keyframes and curves. For more information, see Display the Keyframe Editor. Add: Adds a keyframe at the current frame in the project. If the playhead is positioned on a frame where a keyframe has been added, this menu command is dimmed. To add a keyframe without accessing the Animation menu in the Inspector, press Control-K; a keyframe is added to the last modified parameter of the object (regardless of the status of the Record button) at the current frame. Delete: Deletes the keyframe. The Delete option is available only if the playhead is positioned on a frame where a keyframe exists. Previous: Moves the playhead to the previous keyframe for this parameter. The Previous command is available only if a keyframe exists earlier in the project. Next: Moves the playhead to the next keyframe for this parameter. The Next command is available only if a keyframe exists later in the project. Note: You can also choose Mark > Go To > Previous Keyframe (or press Option-K) or Mark > Go To > Next Keyframe (or press Shift-K) to move from keyframe to keyframe. Enable/Disable Animation: Activates or deactivates keyframes for the parameter. Choosing Disable Animation hides the keyframes already set, restoring the parameter to its default value. However, the keyframes are not thrown away. (A dash appears in the parameter row to indicate that the animation is disabled.) Choosing Enable Animation returns the parameter to its last keyframed state. Add Parameter Behavior: Opens a submenu listing all available Parameter behaviors you can use to animate the parameter. For more information, see Add, remove, and disable a Parameter behavior. Add To Rig: Lets you add a parameter to an existing rig, or to a new rig. Rigs are useful when you create templates for Final Cut Pro X. For more information, see Rigging overview and Final Cut Pro templates overview. Publish: Sends the parameter control to Final Cut Pro X when you create and save a template for the editing application. The Publish command also lets you send rig controls (widgets) to Final Cut Pro. For more information on the Publish command, see Publish parameter controls to Final Cut Pro. For more information on rigging, see Rigging overview. Manage keyframes with the Animation menu You can use the Animation menu in the Inspector to manage common keyframing tasks. Note: The Animation menu (a downward arrow) is hidden until you position the pointer over the far-right side of the parameter row you want to add a keyframe to. Set keyframes using the Animation menu 1. In the Inspector, change the value of the parameter you want to keyframe. 2. Click the Animation menu for the affected parameter, then choose Add. A keyframe is added at the frame and the affected parameter appears red in the Inspector, indicating that any further changes at other playhead locations will add keyframes to this parameter. 3. To set another keyframe for the same parameter, move the playhead to the next location, then change the value of the parameter. Delete a keyframe 1. Move the playhead to a frame where there’s a keyframe. 2. In the Inspector, click the Animation menu for the parameter you want to change, then choose Delete. Note: To delete all keyframes for a parameter, choose Reset Parameter from the Animation menu. Reset all keyframes for a parameter In the Inspector, click the Animation menu for the parameter you want to reset, then choose Reset Parameter. All keyframes are removed for that parameter. Keyframe controls in the Inspector In the Inspector, basic keyframe controls are available on the right side of animatable parameter rows. These controls allow you to determine the status of a parameter at a glance, to add or delete keyframes at the current playhead, and to navigate to next and previous keyframes in the Timeline. Moving the pointer over an animatable parameter reveals the Add/Delete Keyframe button (a plus sign enclosed in a gray diamond). Click the button to place a keyframe for that parameter at the current frame. If a parameter is keyframed at the current frame, as well as before and after the current frame, additional navigation controls appear: Previous Keyframe: A left angle bracket that appears when there’s a keyframe in the Timeline to the left of the playhead position. Click this control to move to a previous keyframe in the Timeline. Add/Delete Keyframe: A diamond-shaped button with several states. A gray diamond indicates that there’s no keyframe at the current frame. Click this button to add a keyframe at the playhead position. When you add a keyframe, the diamond turns orange, indicating that there’s a keyframe at the current frame. Clicking the orange diamond deletes the keyframe. When the playhead advances to a frame that’s not keyframed, the diamond turns gray. Next Keyframe: A right angle bracket that appears when there’s a keyframe to the right of the playhead position. Click this control to move to the next keyframe in the Timeline. Reset button: A curved arrow button at the top of each parameter section in the Inspector. Click this button to remove all keyframes applied to all parameters in this section of the Inspector and restore those parameters to their default state. Animate via the HUD Parameters that appear in the HUD can be keyframed using the Record button or by setting an initial keyframe. Using this technique, you can animate basic object properties such as opacity or position, or create advanced effects such as setting static filters into motion. In this example, the HUD is used to animate an object’s opacity. Animate a parameter via the HUD 1. Place the playhead where you want to begin to animate. 2. Do one of the following: Click the Record button (or press A) to turn on keyframe recording, then click a slider handle in the HUD. Even if you don’t change the slider’s value, clicking it sets a keyframe at that point. This way, the parameter remains at its previous value from the beginning of the clip until that keyframe, then begins the interpolation toward the next keyframe. With the Record button off, click a slider handle in the HUD, then press Control-K. A keyframe for that parameter is added at the playhead position. 3. Move the playhead forward to a new time. 4. Change the same parameter slider. 5. Move the playhead forward again. 6. Change the same parameter slider again. 7. If keyframe recording is on, click the Record button (or press A) to turn off keyframe recording. Use keyframes to modify behaviors Apply keyframes to behaviors You can also use keyframes to animate behaviors. Combining behaviors and keyframes is a powerful way to enhance behaviors’ usefulness. For example, you might want to apply a Gravity behavior, but delay the object’s fall until five seconds into the clip. Keyframes allow you to manipulate the parameters of each behavior. Certain parameters cannot be animated, such as the Throw Velocity parameter of the Throw behavior and the Spin Rate parameter of the Spin behavior. If a parameter can be animated, the following occurs: When keyframe recording is turned on (via the Record button), the parameter value appears red in the Inspector. Moving the pointer over the parameter row in the Inspector reveals the Add/Delete Keyframe button (a plus sign in a gray diamond). When you add keyframes to a parameter that has been animated with a behavior, a behavior icon (a gear) appears within a keyframe icon (a diamond). Note: In Motion, you can convert all behaviors applied to an object into keyframes using the Convert to Keyframes command in the Object menu. See Convert behaviors to keyframes. Keyframe a behavior’s parameters using the Record button 1. Select an object in the Canvas. 2. Apply a behavior. For more information about applying behaviors, see Apply behaviors overview. 3. Click the Record button (or press A) to turn on keyframe recording. 4. Place the playhead at the frame where you want the effect to begin changing. 5. In the Inspector or HUD, adjust the behavior’s parameter settings. For more information, see Animate parameters in the Inspector and Animate via the HUD. 6. Move the playhead to a new time position. 7. Adjust the behavior settings again. 8. Click the Record button (or press A) to turn off keyframe recording. About combining keyframes and About combining keyframes and behaviors When you combine keyframes with behaviors, Motion adds the two sets of instructions together. For example, if you apply a Throw behavior toward the upper left of the Canvas, and at the same time add keyframes that instruct the object to move to the right, the behavior-driven object moves less leftward because the keyframes are pushing it in an opposite direction. The larger the Throw velocity rate, the more the behavior overpowers the keyframes, and vice versa. You can use this method to enhance and control the effects of behaviors. For example, you can apply a Gravity behavior that causes an object to fall toward the bottom of the Canvas, and then keyframe the object’s position to move across the Canvas from left to right. As a result, the object falls as it moves rightward. Likewise, you can apply a Fade In/Fade Out behavior, but use keyframes on the object’s Opacity parameter to limit the maximum opacity to 80 percent. The resulting clip fades in, but not completely. Additionally, you can convert behaviors to keyframes. See Convert behaviors to keyframes. Work with keyframes in the Timeline View keyframes in the Timeline When keyframing, it’s often helpful to view your keyframes in the Timeline. This lets you move keyframes to line them up with other important timing elements in your project such as edit points, sound cues, markers, and other keyframes. In the Timeline, keyframes appear in the track area as small red (or white, when selected) diamonds beneath the object they animate. You can also view keyframe values in the Timeline, and delete keyframes you don’t need. View keyframes in the Timeline Click the Show Keyframes button in the upper-right corner of the Timeline so that it’s highlighted blue. Any applied keyframes appear in the track area as small red (or white, when selected) diamonds beneath the object they animate. Identify a keyframe’s value Control-click (or double-click) a keyframe in the Timeline and view its value in the shortcut menu. Note: Multiple keyframes on the same frame are listed in the menu. Display a keyframe with its associated animation curve in the Keyframe Editor Control-click the keyframe in the Timeline, then choose Show in Keyframe Editor from the shortcut menu. The Keyframe Editor appears below the Timeline. For information on working in the Keyframe Editor, see Display the Keyframe Editor. Modify keyframes in the Timeline When keyframes are visible in the Timeline, you can change their positions in time. Moving a keyframe in time does not modify the keyframe’s parameter value. Rather, it changes the position in time when the keyframe occurs. This can have a significant effect on the nature of the animation. For example, if you have two keyframes that animate an object from the top of the screen to the bottom over a duration of five seconds, dragging one of the keyframes farther from the other forces the animation to occur more slowly. The value of a keyframe can also be modified in the Timeline. When multiple keyframe values are set in the same frame, only one keyframe marker appears in the Timeline. However, you can choose to edit any of its values. Move a keyframe in the Timeline Drag the keyframe left or right to adjust its position in time. Edit a keyframe value in the Timeline 1. Control-click (or double-click) the keyframe. A shortcut menu appears displaying all of the parameters keyframed at the current frame. 2. Choose the keyframe parameter to edit. 3. Enter a value into the value field, then press Return. Note: To exit an active value field without making changes, press Esc. Copy and paste keyframes in the Timeline 1. In the Timeline track area, select one or more keyframes. Shift-click to select multiple contiguous keyframes; Commandclick to select multiple noncontiguous keyframes. 2. Choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). 3. Move the playhead to the frame where you want to paste the keyframes. 4. In the Timeline layers list, select the target object (or objects) for the copied keyframes, then choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). Note: You can copy and paste keyframes from multiple objects to single or multiple objects. The objects must share the same parameters for the keyframes to apply. Delete a keyframe in the Timeline Control-click the keyframe to delete, then choose Delete Keyframes from the shortcut menu. If there are multiple keyframes applied at the playhead position, they’re all deleted. Delete all of an object’s keyframes in the Timeline Control-click any keyframe, then choose Delete All Keyframes from the shortcut menu. For more control of effects using keyframes, you can use the Keyframe Editor. Note: Although you can delete keyframes in the Timeline, there is no way to add keyframes from the Timeline. Align a keyframe to a marker in the Timeline In the Timeline, you can align a keyframe with other important timed events. For example, you might want to align a filter keyframe applied to one object with the In or Out point of another object, or to a marker, or to a keyframe in another track. 1. Turn on the Show Keyframes button at the top of the Timeline. 2. Turn on the Snapping button at the top of the Timeline. When the Snapping button is on, it’s highlighted blue. 3. Holding down the Shift key, drag a keyframe in the Timeline until it snaps to a marker, another keyframe, or In or Out point of another object. In the following image, the keyframe snaps to the purple marker in the Timeline ruler. About keyframes and effect duration When you change the duration of an effect such as a filter or behavior in the Timeline track area, the timing of all keyframes applied to that effect is scaled proportionally. This means that keyframed changes to an effect speed up or slow down when the effect is shortened or lengthened. This happens whether you change the duration of the effect bar, or change the duration of the image bar an effect is applied to. Object parameters such as Position, Rotation, Scale, Opacity, and so on are not affected. Tip: To change the duration of a timebar without altering the timing of keyframes, hold down the Command key while dragging one end of the bar left or right. Work in the Keyframe Editor Work in the Keyframe Editor Display the Keyframe Editor The Keyframe Editor provides a visualization of changing keyframe values in the form of animation curves. Animation curves plot keyframes on a line over time; changing keyframe values modify the shape of the curve. In the Keyframe Editor, you can view and modify these curves to fine-tune animation in your project. On the left side of the Keyframe Editor, a parameter list shows parameters that have keyframes. And on the right side, a graph area displays animation curves for those keyframed parameters. The Keyframe Editor makes it easy to add and delete keyframes, as well as move them in two-dimensional space to modify their values (up-down) and their positions in time (left-right). You can manipulate curves and define a variety of interpolation methods, creating dramatically different types of effects. For a complete list of Keyframe Editor features, see Keyframe Editor controls. Show the Keyframe Editor Do one of the following: Click the Show Keyframe Editor button in the bottom-right corner of the Motion workspace. Choose Window > Keyframe Editor. Press Command-8. The Keyframe Editor appears in the Timing pane (under the Timeline if the Timeline is displayed). Keyframe Editor controls The Keyframe Editor comprises a list of parameters on the left, a multifunctional graph on the right where keyframes and curves for each parameter are displayed, and tools for modifying keyframes and curves. These elements are described below: Show Curve Set pop-up menu: Choose an item from the menu to filter the parameters shown in the Keyframe Editor. For more information, see Choose a curve view. Keyframe editing tools: Select any of three tools for editing keyframes and curves in the graph: Edit Keyframes tool: Select and edit keyframes the same way you edit Bezier curves. Sketch Keyframes tool: Manually draw curves that generate keyframes conforming to the shape drawn. Transform Keyframes tool: Drag a selection box to enclose and manipulate a group of keyframes simultaneously. For more information about using these tools, see Modify keyframes. Parameter list: View keyframeable parameters of selected objects, including image layers, filters, and behaviors. When you select multiple objects in the Layers list or Timeline, you can compare their parameters here. The parameter list contains the following items: Activation checkbox: Checkboxes in the left column set which parameters are displayed in the graph. Deselect a checkbox to hide a parameter’s keyframes and curves from the graph on the right. Parameter name: Object and parameter names appear in the second column of the parameter list. Control-click a parameter name to apply a Parameter behavior from the shortcut menu. Value: Parameter values at the playhead position appear in the third column. Modify a parameter value by dragging left or right over the number in this field. Or double-click the field, then enter a value. The value displayed and editing options depend on several factors: If the playhead is on a keyframe, this field shows the value for that keyframe, and adjusting the value alters the keyframe. If the playhead is not on a keyframe, this field shows the value of that parameter at the current frame. If the parameter has keyframes, adjusting the value creates a new keyframe at that frame. (For more information on changing the values of keyframes, see Modify keyframes.) Keyframe and keyframe navigation buttons: Keyframe controls appear in the fourth column. These controls are identical to those found in the Inspector: the Previous Keyframe button, Add/Delete Keyframe button, and Next Keyframe button. See Animate parameters in the Inspector. Animation menu: The Animation menu appears in the fifth column for each parameter in the list. To open this menu, position the pointer over this column (in the row of the parameter you want to animate), then click the downward arrow that appears. The Animation menu in the Keyframe Editor contains all commands found in the Inspector’s Animation menu, plus several additional commands: Reset Parameter: Removes keyframes and settings for the parameter, restoring the default value. Add: Adds a keyframe at the current frame in the Keyframe Editor. If the playhead is positioned on a frame where a keyframe has been added, this command is unavailable. (Alternatively, you can use a keyboard shortcut—Control-K—to add a keyframe.) Delete: Deletes the current keyframe. This command is available if the playhead is positioned on a frame where a keyframe exists. Previous: Moves the playhead to the previous keyframe for this parameter. This command is available if a keyframe exists earlier in the project. Next: Moves the playhead to the next keyframe for this Next: Moves the playhead to the next keyframe for this parameter. This command is available if a keyframe exists later in the project. Enable/Disable Animation: Activates or deactivates the keyframed value. Choosing Disable Animation hides the keyframes you set, restoring the parameter to its default value. However, the keyframes are not thrown away. Choosing Enable Animation returns the parameter to its last keyframed state. Interpolation: Sets the type of curve for the parameter. See Curve interpolation methods for examples of the different interpolation methods. Choose Constant, Linear, Bezier, Continuous, Exponential, or Logarithmic. Before First Keyframe: Defines what happens between the first keyframe and the beginning of the clip. See Set curve extrapolation for examples of extrapolation methods. Choose Constant, Linear, Ping Pong, Repeat, or Progressive. You can also turn the extrapolation into keyframes by choosing Generate Keyframes. After Last Keyframe: Defines what happens between the last keyframe and the end of the clip. See Set curve extrapolation for examples of extrapolation methods. Choose Constant, Linear, Ping Pong, Repeat, or Progressive. You can also turn the extrapolation into keyframes by choosing Generate Keyframes. Lock/Unlock Parameter: Locks the parameter from changes. When a parameter is locked, neither keyframes nor curves are adjustable. Reduce Keyframes: Opens the Reduce Keyframes dialog, which lets you apply a thinning algorithm to the keyframes for the parameter. This reduces the number of keyframes in a parameter while preserving the shape of the curve. The thinning algorithm can be adjusted in two ways: Increasing the Maximum Error Tolerance results in fewer keyframes; increasing the Smoothing Factor makes smoother curves between keyframe values. Set to Curve Snapshot: Reverts keyframe changes made in the selected curve to the most recent snapshot. This command is available when Take/Show Curve Snapshot is turned on (the camera button in the upper-right corner of the Keyframe Editor). For more information, see Compare a modified curve to its previous state. Graph area: Shows the keyframes and curves of active parameters (those in the parameters list). Each curve is a different color, although some colors are duplicated. Areas before the first keyframe and after the last keyframe are represented by dotted lines. Selected parameters and keyframes appear white. A time ruler shows the locations of keyframes, project markers, playback In and Out points, and the playhead. Zoom controls at the bottom of the graph let you focus on specific regions of the sequence. For more information on using the zoom/scroll controls, see Customize the Timeline. Audio Waveform pop-up menu: Turns on the display of audio waveforms for the selected item in the background of the graph. This lets you line up an effect to take place at the same time as an event that occurs in the audio. If there are multiple audio tracks in the project, you can use this menu to view the waveform of any individual audio track in the project, or the master track. Clear Curve List button: Deletes all items in the parameter list from a custom set. Fit Visible Curves in Window button: Scales the graph area vertically and horizontally so that the curve is entirely visible. This button does not change the value of your keyframes. Take/Show Curve Snapshot button: Turns on and turns off the state of all curves in the Keyframe Editor. With a snapshot turned on, the original unaltered curve is represented by a lighter color—visible in the background behind the curves you’re adjusting—and can be used as a reference showing the curve’s original values. As long as you remain in the Keyframe Editor editing the current set of curves, the snapshot curve remains available. Clicking this button again causes the current snapshot to disappear. For more information about curve snapshots, see Compare a modified curve to its previous state. Snapping button: Enables snapping. When this control is enabled, keyframes snap to markers, other keyframes, and other snappable items. Auto-Scale Vertically to Fit Curves button: Rescales the graph vertically so that the curve is entirely visible. This does not change the value of your keyframes. Tip: You can show the Keyframe Editor on a second display, providing a larger workspace for modifying keyframes and curves. For more information, see View the Canvas or Timing pane on a second display. Modify keyframes and curves Add or delete keyframes To add or delete keyframes in the Keyframe Editor, select the Edit Keyframes tool (above the parameter list), then perform the following tasks: Add a keyframe In the parameter list (on the left side of the Keyframe Editor), click the Animation menu for any parameter, then choose Add. Note: The Animation menu (a downward arrow) is hidden until you place the pointer over the right side of the parameter’s row in the list. A keyframe is added at the position of the playhead. Add a keyframe to an existing animation curve In the Keyframe Editor, double-click or Option-click the animation curve in the graph area. A keyframe is added to the curve at the pointer position. The new keyframe is set to the interpolation method used by the rest of that curve. For example, Position parameters use Bezier curves by default, so new keyframes are added as Bezier keyframes. For more information on interpolation methods, see Set curve interpolation. Add a keyframe to an animation curve and adjust its value In the Keyframe Editor, Option-drag a curve segment. A keyframe is added to the segment at the pointer position, and its value is displayed as you drag the keyframe. Delete a keyframe Do one of the following: Select the keyframe in the Keyframe Editor, then press Delete. Note: You can drag a selection box around multiple keyframes. Control-click the keyframe, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Navigate to the keyframe, then click the Animation menu for the keyframed parameter and choose Delete. The Animation menu is hidden until you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row. Delete all of a parameter’s keyframes In the parameter list in the Keyframe Editor, click the Animation menu for a parameter, then choose Reset Parameter. The Animation menu is hidden until you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row. Note: You can also use the corresponding Animation menu in the Inspector. Modify keyframes To modify keyframe values in the Keyframe Editor, select the Edit Keyframes tool (above the parameter list), then perform the following tasks: Change the value of a keyframe Do one of the following: In the graph area of the Keyframe Editor, drag the keyframe along the Y axis (up-down) to change its parameter value. To change its position in time, drag along the X axis (left-right). Press the Shift key while dragging to constrain movement to one axis. (To constrain keyframes to the Y axis, select “Lock keyframes in time in Keyframe Editor” in the Time pane of the Motion Preferences window.) When dragging a keyframe in the graph, numbers appear indicating the position and value of the keyframe. The first number is the frame number (or timecode number) and the second number is the parameter value. When you drag two keyframes closer along the X axis, the transformation between those values happens more quickly. When you drag keyframes farther apart from each other, the change happens more slowly. Double-click the keyframe to modify, enter a value in the value field, then press Return. This changes the value of the keyframe along the Y axis (updown). Note: To dismiss an active value field without making changes, press Esc. In the parameter list, drag a value slider: Drag right to increase the keyframe value. Drag left to decrease the keyframe value. Hold down the Shift key while dragging to change the value in increments of 10. Hold down the Option key while dragging to change the value in increments of .01. Move a keyframe in time by a specific number of frames 1. Select a keyframe in the Keyframe Editor. 2. Do any of the following: Move the selected keyframe to a specific frame: Enter a number, then press Return. Move the selected keyframe forward by a specific number of frames: Enter a plus sign (+) and the number of frames, then press Return. Move the selected keyframe back by a specific number of frames: Enter a minus sign (–) and the number of frames, then press Return. Change keyframe values by moving an entire curve You can select and move animation curves in the graph area of the Keyframe Editor. Do one of the following: Holding down the Option and Command keys, drag a keyframe on the curve up or down. Holding down the Option and Command keys, drag a curve segment between two keyframes up or down. Change keyframe values by moving a segment of the curve In the Keyframe Editor, Shift-select the keyframes that bound the path segment or segments you want to move, then drag one of the selected keyframes up or down. The path segment moves up or down, changing the shape of the curve. Reverse, lock, and disable keyframes With the Edit Keyframes tool (above the parameter list) selected, you can also perform advanced keyframe modifications. You can reverse keyframes to invert the corresponding animated effect without re-animating it, lock keyframes (individually or in groups) to prevent accidental adjustment, or disable an entire curve to suspend animation for that parameter. Reverse keyframes 1. In the graph area Keyframe Editor, drag a selection rectangle in the graph to select the keyframes to reverse. 2. Control-click a selected keyframe, then choose Reverse Keyframes from the shortcut menu. The keyframes are reversed. Lock keyframes In the Keyframe Editor, select the keyframes to lock, then control-click one of the keyframes in the graph and choose Lock from the shortcut menu. Locking prevents further modification the keyframes. (You can also lock all keyframes in the Keyframe Editor by selecting “Lock keyframes in time in Keyframe Editor” in the Time pane of Motion Preferences.) Disable a curve In the Keyframe Editor, select the keyframes to disable, then Control-click a keyframe in the graph and choose Disable from the shortcut menu. Disabled keyframes are ignored and have no effect on the object’s animation. If you disable a keyframe, the curve readjusts itself as if that keyframe didn’t exist, even though the keyframe is present in the Keyframe Editor, in a dimmed state. Copy and paste keyframes and curves With the Edit Keyframes tool (above the parameter list) selected, you can copy and paste keyframes and animation curves. This technique is useful for copying a keyframed effect from one object to another, for moving a keyframe segment earlier or later in the same parameter, or for creating keyframes in one parameter and applying them to another. Copy and paste keyframes Use this technique to copy and paste a segment of an animation curve from one parameter to another, or from one object to another. 1. Select keyframes by doing one of the following: In the graph area of the Keyframe Editor, drag a selection rectangle around the keyframes. In the graph area, Shift-click the keyframes you want to select. Note: If the curve appears white but the keyframes do not, the keyframes are not selected. 2. Copy or cut the selected keyframes by doing one of the following: Choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). Choose Edit > Cut (or press Command-X). 3. To paste the keyframes to a different parameter, do the following: a. Select the destination parameter in the parameter list (on the left side of the Keyframe Editor). b. Place the playhead at the point where you want the keyframes to begin. c. Choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). The keyframes are added to the new parameter. Note: Pasted keyframes might not make a curve identical to the original if the parameter scales are different. Copy and paste an animation curve Use this technique to copy and paste an entire animation curve from one parameter to another, or from one object to another. 1. Select an animation curve by doing one of the following: Select a row in the parameter list of the Keyframe Editor. Shift-click or Control-click in the parameter list of the Keyframe Editor to select multiple rows. 2. Choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C) to copy the selected curve. Note: You cannot use the Cut command on a complete curve. 3. To paste the curve to a different parameter, do the following: a. In the parameter list of the Keyframe Editor, select the destination parameter. b. Choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). The curve is added to the new parameter. Note: Pasted animation curves might not make a curve identical to the original if the parameter scales are different. Manually draw an animation curve The Sketch Keyframes tool (next to the Edit Keyframes tool) lets you sketch animation curves in the Keyframe Editor graph area, creating keyframes as you go. To sketch a curve, the parameter to animate must first appear in the parameter list. See Create a custom curve view for methods of displaying curves. Sketch an animation curve 1. In the parameter list in the Keyframe Editor, select the parameter to sketch. 2. Select the Sketch Keyframes tool (the pencil icon above the parameter list). 3. Drag in the graph area to sketch an animation curve. Drawing new keyframes overwrites existing keyframes at the frames where you draw. Add an individual keyframe using the Sketch Keyframes tool 1. In the parameter list of the Keyframe Editor, select the parameter to modify. 2. Select the Sketch Keyframes tool (the pencil icon above the parameter list). 3. Click in the graph area to add a keyframe. Additional clicks create additional individual keyframes. Transform multiple curve segments simultaneously Use the Transform Keyframes tool to drag a selection box around multiple keyframes and then manipulate their positions by dragging the box or adjusting its handles. Dragging the selection box moves the selected keyframes in whatever direction you move. As a result, you can affect where the keyframes are positioned in time or you can affect their parameter values, or you can do both at the same time. Adjusting a selection box handle scales the keyframes, changing their timing and parameter values. Draw a selection box using the Transform Keyframes tool 1. Select the Transform Keyframes tool (above the parameter list in the Keyframe Editor). 2. In the graph area, drag to create a selection box enclosing the keyframes you want to manipulate. A box with eight handles appears in the graph area. Important: When transforming keyframes using the Transform Keyframes tool, by default keyframes are adjusted in whole-frame increments. You can adjust keyframe in subframe increments if the “Allow sub-frame keyframing” checkbox is turned on in the Time pane of Motion Preferences. Sub-frame adjustments allow greater precision, but use the Next/Previous Keyframe controls (or keyboard shortcuts) to move the playhead to keyframes that are between frames. If you move a sub-frame-adjusted keyframe using the pointer, the frame snaps to the nearest whole frame. Drag the selection box to change keyframe timing and parameter values Drag inside the selection box to move the box and the enclosed keyframes. Moving left and right repositions the keyframes in time, and moving up and down increases and decreases the parameter values of the keyframes. Note: No matter where you drag the box, only the keyframes selected by the original box are manipulated, even if the repositioned box overlaps keyframes outside the original selection. To manipulate additional keyframes, redraw the selection box in the graph area. Scale the selection box relative to the handle opposite the one you’re dragging Drag any handle to resize the selection box. The selection box changes shape relative to the handle on the opposite side or corner of the box, which remains locked in place. Scale the selection box about its center Hold down the Option key and drag a handle of the selection box. Both sides of the box scale up or down around its center as you drag along the axes. Deform the selection box asymmetrically Hold down the Command key and drag a corner handle of the selection box. Each corner handle moves independently of the other three corner handles of the selection box. Deselect the selection box Do one of the following: In the Keyframe Editor, click once anywhere outside the selection box. Choose the Edit Keyframes tool. The selection box disappears. Tip: You can also draw a new selection box outside of the old one to surround a different group of keyframes. Apply a Parameter behavior to a curve Parameter behaviors can also be applied to curves via the Keyframe Editor. Apply a Parameter behavior to an animation curve In the Keyframe Editor parameter list, Control-click a curve name and choose a Parameter behavior from the shortcut menu. SEE ALSO About behaviors and keyframes in the Keyframe Editor Add, remove, and disable a Parameter behavior Compare a modified curve to its previous state When modifying keyframes, it’s helpful to have a frame of reference for your curves. A saved reference of curves lets you compare modified curves to the original curves. Additionally, a saved reference—known as a curve snapshot—acts as a safety net if you need to restore a curve’s original state. Take a curve snapshot Click the Take/Show Curve Snapshot button in the upper-right corner of the Keyframe Editor. With Take/Show Curve Snapshot enabled, as you move keyframes in the Keyframe Editor, the original curve—as it appeared when you took the snapshot—retains its color. As long as you remain in the Keyframe Editor editing the current set of curves with the Take/Show Curve Snapshot button enabled, the snapshot curve remains available. Revert a curve to its most recent snapshot If, after editing a curve, you want to revert to the snapshot, you can do so from the Animation menu in the Keyframe Editor. In the Keyframe Editor, click the Animation menu for the parameter you want to revert, then choose Set to Curve Snapshot. The Animation menu (a downward arrow) is hidden until you move the pointer over the right side of the parameter row. The curve reverts to the state of its most recent snapshot. Important: If you leave the Keyframe Editor, or load a different set of curves into the Keyframe Editor, curve snapshots are taken again, replacing the previous curve snapshots. Set curve interpolation and extrapolation Set curve interpolation Although you can manually create nearly any curve shape to build the animation you want, the Keyframe Editor provides tools to control the automatic interpolation of curves—that is, the computed values between keyframes. Depending on the interpolation method you choose, you can dramatically alter the shape of animation curves, and therefore the impact of your effects. To set the interpolation for a curve, you select the keyframe you want to modify, then choose a distribution algorithm. For more information about the preset algorithms, see Curve interpolation methods. Set an interpolation method for a keyframe Do one of the following: Control-click a keyframe in the Keyframe Editor, choose Interpolation from the shortcut menu, then choose a method from the submenu. Select multiple keyframes, Control-click one of them, choose Interpolation from the shortcut menu, then choose a method from the submenu. The interpolation method chosen is applied to the entire selection. Set an interpolation method for a curve segment Control-click a segment between two keyframes in the Keyframe Editor, choose Interpolation from the shortcut menu, then choose a method from the submenu. Only the segment between the surrounding two keyframes is affected by the interpolation method you choose. You can set different interpolation methods for other segments of the same curve. When different interpolation methods are applied to segments of an animation curve, the methods used in the curve appear with a dash next to their name in the Interpolation submenu (in the Keyframe Editor parameter list). Change the interpolation method for an entire parameter Click in the fifth column of the Keyframe Editor parameter list to open the Animation menu for the parameter, then choose a method from the Interpolation submenu. The selected interpolation method is applied to that parameter’s curve. Change the interpolation method for multiple parameters 1. In the parameter list of the Keyframe Editor, Shift-click to select multiple parameters. 2. Click in the fifth column of the Keyframe Editor parameter list to open the Animation menu, then choose a method from the Interpolation submenu. The selected interpolation method is applied to all selected curves. SEE ALSO Curve interpolation methods Curve interpolation methods The Interpolation submenu of the Animation menu contains the following methods that set the shape of curves between keyframes: Constant: When applied to a keyframe or curve segment, this method holds the keyframe at its current value and then abruptly changes to the new value at the next keyframe. Linear: When applied to a keyframe, this method creates a uniform distribution of values through the keyframe from its two adjacent keyframes. When applied to a segment, this method creates uniform distribution of values between points. Bezier: This method lets you manipulate the keyframe curve manually by dragging the tangent handles. If multiple Bezier keyframes are selected, or Bezier interpolation is applied to the curve segment, the handles of all selected keyframes are modified. Continuous: This method behaves like Bezier interpolation, but without access to the tangent handles (which are calculated automatically). The parameter begins to change gradually, reaching its maximum rate of acceleration at the midpoint, then tapers off slightly as it approaches the second keyframe. When applied to a keyframe, the segments before and after the keyframe are affected. When applied to a curve segment, the segment between the keyframes is affected. Exponential: This method creates an exponential curve between the current keyframe and the next, changing the value slowly at first, then reaching its maximum rate of acceleration as it approaches the next keyframe. Logarithmic: This method creates a logarithmic curve between the current keyframe and the next, changing the value rapidly at first, then slowing drastically as it approaches the next keyframe. Ease In: This method has a reverse-inertia effect, so a value change slows coming into a keyframe. When applied to a curve segment, the value change eases into the segment. This option is available only when you Control-click a keyframe; it is not available in the Animation pop-up menu. Ease Out: This method creates a typical inertia-like lag, so a value change begins more slowly coming out of a keyframe. When applied to a curve segment, the value change eases out of the segment. This option is available only when you Controlclick a keyframe; it is not available in the Animation pop-up menu. Ease Both: This method combines Ease In with Ease Out, applying both at once. This option is available only when you Control-click a keyframe; it is not available in the Animation pop-up menu. SEE ALSO Set curve interpolation Convert to Bezier interpolation Bezier interpolation—the default keyframe type—is the most flexible method of curve generation because it allows manual modification of the curve. If you’ve converted Bezier keyframes to another linear keyframes, Motion lets you convert them back to Bezier keyframes. Convert a linear keyframe into a Bezier keyframe While holding down the Command key, drag the keyframe in the keyframe graph. Tangent handles appear and your mouse movement controls one of the handles. Note: Command-clicking a Bezier point resets it to Linear interpolation. To simultaneously modify the tangent handles of more than one keyframe point, Shift-click to select multiple points, then adjust the tangent handles. If there are no tangent handles on the point, drag the point while holding down the Command key. Adjust tangents of a keyframe point Each Bezier keyframe point has two tangent handles that adjust the angle of curve at the keyframe. By default, these handles are locked together (moving one moves the other, creating a uniform curve at the keyframe point). However, you can break the handle to create separate curve segments on each side of a keyframe point. Doing so lets you create irregular curves. Do any of the following: “Break” tangent handles to adjust one independently of the other: Hold down the Option key and drag a tangent’s handle, or Control click a tangent handle, then choose Break Handle from the shortcut menu. Relink broken tangent handles: Hold down the Option key while dragging a tangent, or Control-click a tangent handle and choose Link and Align Handles. Constrain a tangent handle’s angle to 45degree increments While holding down the Shift key, drag the handle. Set curve extrapolation When you begin adding keyframes, you instruct Motion to modify the in-between frames to interpolate the effect. But what values are used for the frames before the first keyframe and after the last one? By default, when you add your first keyframe, that same value is extended forward and backward to the beginning and end of the clip (as if you hadn’t added a keyframe). In other words, the frames before that first keyframe remain at the value of that first keyframe. Similarly, the frames after the last keyframe hold at that last defined value. You can override this default behavior to create loops and other patterns. This is known as extrapolation. When you apply an extrapolation method to a parameter, animation is added beyond your first or last keyframes. Extrapolation is useful when you need to extend the duration of an effect such as a moving background. Several extrapolation algorithms are available in the Before First Keyframe and After First Keyframe submenus of the Animation menu. For descriptions of the preset algorithms, see Curve extrapolation methods. Apply an extrapolation method to a parameter before the first keyframe In the Keyframe Editor, click in the fifth column of the parameter list to open the Animation menu for the parameter to change, then choose an item from the Before First Keyframe submenu. Apply an extrapolation method to a parameter after the last keyframe In the Keyframe Editor, click in the fifth column of the parameter list to open the Animation shortcut menu for the parameter to change, then choose an item from After Last Keyframe submenu. SEE ALSO Curve extrapolation methods Curve extrapolation methods The following extrapolation options are available in the Before First Keyframe and After Last Keyframe submenus. (In each of the illustrated examples below, the extrapolation setting is applied after the last keyframe.) Constant: This method, the default, holds the beginning or ending segments of the curve to the same value as the first or last keyframe. Linear: This method extends the curve beyond the first or last keyframes uniformly, along the existing trajectory of the first or last keyframe. Ping Pong: This method copies the curve and repeats it, alternating forward and backward. Repeat: This method duplicates the curve, applying it again and again. Progressive: This method extends the curve by repeating the existing shape of the curve, but rather than returning to the exact values, repeats from the existing end value. SEE ALSO Set curve extrapolation Convert extrapolation data into keyframes By default, keyframe extrapolation occurs without creating keyframes. This lets you experiment with various methods. However, you can convert an extrapolation method into keyframes to further manipulate them, using the Generate Keyframes command. You can choose how many extrapolation cycles you want converted into keyframes. Cycles after the number chosen remain in the extrapolated state. Convert extrapolation data into keyframes 1. In the Keyframe Editor, click the Animation menu for the parameter you want to modify, then choose Generate Keyframes from the Before First Keyframe or After Last Keyframe submenu. The Animation menu remains hidden until you position the pointer over the fifth column in the parameter list. The Generate Keyframes dialog appears. 2. Choose the number of cycles to be keyframed. 3. Click OK to confirm your selection. SEE ALSO Set curve extrapolation Curve extrapolation methods Choose which curves are displayed in the Keyframe Editor Choose a curve view Displaying too many parameters in the Keyframe Editor can make the graph area difficult to read. You can limit the list of parameters displayed in the graph area by choosing a view option from the Show Curve Set pop-up menu. Located at the top of the parameter list, the Show Curve Set popup menu lets you display built-in parameter curve sets as well as custom sets you build yourself. (For information about creating a custom curve set, see Create a custom curve view.) The Curve Set pop-up menu displays the name of the selected curve set (Animated, All, or Modified, for example). View all parameters for all selected objects Click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose All. By default, only animated parameters display curves in the graph. Nonanimated parameters appear as dotted lines. Deselect a parameter’s activation checkbox to hide it in the graph. You can display or hide all parameters associated with a group or object by selecting or deselecting its checkbox. View only animated (keyframed or behaviorinfluenced) parameters Click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose Animated. Parameters with more than one keyframe are displayed. View keyframes for a specific parameter of an object In the Inspector, click the Animation menu for the parameter, then choose Show in Keyframe Editor. Note: The Animation menu is hidden until you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row. The keyframes appear in the Keyframe Editor and an untitled curve set is selected in the Show Curve Set pop-up menu. View parameters changed from their default values Click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose Modified. This option shows the parameters that have been modified from their default values, or are currently being modified (in the Canvas, Inspector, or HUD). View only active parameters Click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose Active. This option shows only parameters being modified in real time. For example, with Active selected, dragging an object in the Canvas displays its X, Y, and Z Position parameters in the Keyframe Editor. View keyframes corresponding to a specific parameter Click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose a parameter type (such as Rotation, Opacity, or Retiming). Only parameters of the chosen type are displayed. View keyframes corresponding to a specific parameter for multiple objects 1. In the Layers list, Canvas, or Timeline layers list, Shift-select the objects that contain keyframes you want to view. 2. In the Keyframe Editor, click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose a parameter type (such as Scale). Only parameters of the chosen type are displayed for the selected objects. SEE ALSO Create a custom curve view Create a custom curve view In addition to using the built-in curve set views, you can make and manage your own view using the last two options in the Show Curve Set pop-up menu: New Curve Set and Manage Curve Sets. As you create and store custom parameter sets, they appear in the Show Curve Set pop-up menu (at the top of the parameter list in the Keyframe Editor), allowing you to switch between them. Deleting, duplicating, and modifying custom sets is done in the Manage Curve Sets dialog (accessible from the Show Curve Set pop-up menu). Create a custom curve set 1. Click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose New Curve Set. A dialog appears. 2. Enter a name for the set, then click OK. After you create a curve set, you can choose it from the Show Curve Set pop-up menu. Add parameters to a custom curve set Do one of the following: After you create a custom curve set, drag a parameter name from any pane in the Inspector into the Keyframe Editor parameter list. In the Inspector, click the Animation menu for the parameter, then choose Show in Keyframe Editor. The Animation menu (a downward arrow) remains hidden until you position the pointer over the far-right side of the parameter row you want to modify. The parameter is added to the custom curve set. Delete a parameter from a custom curve set In the Keyframe Editor, drag the parameter out of the list. Delete all parameters from a custom curve set Click the Clear Curve List button in the top-right corner of the Keyframe Editor. Delete a custom curve set 1. In the Keyframe Editor, click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose Manage Curve Sets. The Manage Curve Sets dialog appears. 2. Select the name of the set to delete. 3. Click the Delete button (–) at the top of the dialog. The set is deleted. 4. Click Done to close the dialog. Duplicate a custom curve set 1. In the Keyframe Editor, click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose Manage Curve Sets. The Manage Curve Sets dialog appears. 2. Select the name of the set to duplicate. 3. Click the Duplicate button at the top of the dialog. The set is duplicated. 4. Double-click the set name in the list, then enter a name for the set. 5. Click Done to close the dialog. The new set now appears in the Show Curve Set pop-up menu. These sets are saved with the project, so each time you reopen the project, they are available. You can store as many parameter sets as you like. After you store a set, you can change or delete that set as needed. Switch between custom curve sets Use the Manage Curve Sets dialog to switch back and forth between custom curve sets that contain common animated parameters. For example, if you created a custom curve set for an object’s Position and Rotation parameters, and your project also contains another object with animated Position and Rotation parameters, you can switch back and forth between their curve sets. 1. In the Keyframe Editor, click the Show Curve Set pop-up menu, then choose Manage Curve Sets. 2. Select the Relative checkbox in the left column of the Manage Curve Sets dialog. The curve set is displayed for the currently selected object. SEE ALSO Choose a curve view Save an animation curve After you apply keyframed animation to an object, you can save its curve to the Library and then apply your custom animation to an object in any project. Animation curves saved in the Library appear with a custom icon. Note: Items saved to the Library appear in the Finder with a .molo extension (“Motion Library object”). These items cannot be opened from the Finder. If you create animation that uses multiple curves and you want to save the cumulative effect of the animation, you can save all curves as one item in the Library. Although you can save animation curves into the Content category of the Library, it’s generally recommended that you save items you use frequently in the Favorites category—some Motion Library categories contain so many items that using the Favorites or Favorites Menu categories can save you search time. In the Favorites category, you can create additional folders to organize custom items. You can also create folders in existing categories, including Favorites, Favorites Menu, or Content. Folders created in the Content category appear in the Library sidebar. Folders created in subcategories, such as Basic Motion, appear in the Library stack and not the sidebar. For more information on creating folders in the Library, see Save custom behaviors. Animation curves saved to the Favorites Menu category can be applied to objects using the Favorites menu. Save an animation curve to the Library 1. Open the Library and select the Favorites or Favorites Menu category. 2. Drag the name of the parameter animation curve to save from the parameter list in the Keyframe Editor into the stack at the bottom of the Library. The saved animation curve is placed in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/Favorites folder or the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/Favorites Menu folder. Note: If you drag an animation curve to another subcategory, such as the Glow (Filters) subcategory, the curve is placed in the Content category, which becomes active. Save multiple animation curves to the Library 1. Open the Library and select the Content, Favorites, or Favorites Menu category. 2. In the parameter list of the Keyframe Editor, select the animation curves you want to save and drag them to the stack, holding down the mouse button. 3. When the drop menu appears, choose “All in one file” or “Multiple files.” “All in one file” saves the animation curves together, listed as one item in the Library. “Multiple files” saves the curves as individual items in the Library. Note: When you Control-click an animation curve icon in the Library stack, the Edit Description shortcut menu item becomes available. This is a handy tool for entering custom notes about an item saved in the Library. After you choose Edit Description, enter your notes in the text field, then click OK. For information on naming items saved to the Library, saving multiple items of different types to the Library, as well as creating and organizing folders in the Library, see Save custom objects to the Library. Work in the mini-curve editor Mini-curve editors provide a way to animate parameters outside the Keyframe Editor’s interface using keyframes in a graph. Animations created in a mini-curve editor don’t appear in the Keyframe Editor. Two Particle behaviors—Scale Over Life and Spin Over Life— have mini-curve editors in the Inspector (when the Increment Type parameter is set to Custom). Mini-curve editors are also present for paint objects, in the Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector. By default, the mini-curve editor is collapsed and shows a scaleddown representation of the parameter curve. Expand a mini-curve editor Click the disclosure triangle next to the collapsed mini-curve editor in the Inspector. The expanded mini-curve editor appears. When expanded, the mini-curve editor shows a representation of the relevant animation curve. In the example above, the Over Life parameter is mapped to the X axis and the Custom Spin parameter is mapped to the Y axis. Add keyframes in the mini-curve editor The procedure for adding keyframes in a mini-curve editor is slightly different than adding them in the full-sized Keyframe Editor. Do one of the following: Double-click the curve. Option-click the curve. Control-click the curve, then choose Add Keyframe from the shortcut menu. Modify a keyframe value in the mini-curve editor 1. Double-click the keyframe in the mini-curve editor in the Inspector. Its value field is activated. 2. Enter a value in the value field, then press Return. Note: To dismiss an active value field without making changes, press Esc. Rescale the mini-curve editor so the entire curve is visible Select the Auto Fit checkbox (located beneath the lower-right corner of the mini-curve editor). The animation curve is scaled to fit within the confines of the mini-curve editor. The mini-curve editor provides the Edit Keyframes, Sketch Keyframes, and Transform Keyframes tools, and each functions in the same manner as in the Keyframe Editor. For more information on using the Edit Keyframes tool, see Modify keyframes. For more information on using the Sketch Keyframes tool, see Manually draw an animation curve. For more information on using the Transform Keyframes tool, see Transform multiple curve segments simultaneously. Animate on the fly Motion lets you create animations while your project is playing back. This is similar to how audio engineers adjust sliders for each audio channel while listening to the mix. The next time the project is played back, all changes are incorporated. Because so many of Motion’s effects are displayed in real time, you can perform a sort of “visual mix” and modify the parameters of your effects while the project is playing back. Make adjustments to any slider or parameter, interactively manipulate objects in the Canvas, and then, if you don’t like the results, rewind and do it again. Each time you alter a parameter, you replace the keyframes previously assigned. Animate a parameter on the fly via the Inspector or HUD 1. Click the Record button, press A, or choose Mark > Record Animation to turn on keyframe recording. 2. Click the Play button or press the Space bar to begin playback. 3. As your project plays, adjust a parameter slider in the Inspector or HUD. 4. Click the Record button again to disable Record. The changes you made during playback are recorded as keyframes for that parameter. You can view them in the Keyframe Editor. Note: You can also animate on the fly using the initial keyframe method. For more information on the initial keyframe method, see Add keyframes. Delete keyframes recorded on the fly If you don’t like the animation you made, you can delete the keyframes and try again. Do one of the following: Choose Edit > Undo (or press Command-Z) to revert to the state before you began recording your animation. Select one or more keyframes, then press Delete. Control-click a keyframe, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Select a keyframe, then choose Delete from the Animation menu for that parameter. Note: To delete all keyframes for a parameter, click the Animation menu in the Keyframe Editor parameter list or Inspector, then choose Reset Parameter. Create a handmade animation path in the Canvas A common use for animating on the fly is to create hand-drawn animation paths. Although you can choose various curve types, it is very difficult to simulate semi-random movement except by sketching with a mouse or tablet pen. 1. Enable Record (press A). 2. Click the Play button to begin playback. 3. Select the object to manipulate and drag it in the pattern of your choice. The position and speed of your movement are recorded and applied to the position keyframes for that object. You can further manipulate the path by dragging individual keyframes, or re-recording a new animation path for that object. Simplify a keyframe-heavy curve When a parameter contains at least one keyframe, or when the Record button is enabled, a keyframe is added every time you modify a parameter at a new playhead position. If you animate while the project is playing, you create a keyframe at every frame. Additionally, when you convert a behavior to keyframes, you often end up with an unwieldy amount of keyframes. In many cases, the curve created by your animation can be represented using fewer keyframes. Often, this provides a smoother rate of change and lets you take advantage of interpolation methods such as Bezier or Continuous. You can streamline your keyframe curves in two ways: by simplifying an existing animation curve using the Reduce Keyframes command in the Animation menu for that parameter or by adjusting keyframe thinning options before recording keyframes. Reduce keyframes in an existing animation curve 1. Click the Animation menu for the parameter you want to modify (in the fifth column in the Keyframe Editor parameter list), then choose Reduce Keyframes. The Reduce Keyframes dialog appears. 2. Adjust the Error Tolerance and Smoothing parameters to obtain the curve you want. Adjust keyframe thinning before animating on the fly Use the Recording Options dialog to adjust the Keyframe Thinning setting or to disable recording during playback. (This setting has no effect on ordinary keyframing.) 1. Do one of the following: Choose Mark > Recording Options (or press Option-A). Double-click the Record button (under the Canvas). The Recording Options dialog appears. 2. Select a Keyframe Thinning option: Off: No thinning is applied. Keyframes are added at every frame where the parameter is changed. Reduced: Motion eliminates keyframes that can easily be replaced with a simple curve. Peaks Only: Only keyframes with dramatic value changes are recorded. Don’t record keyframes during playback: Select this checkbox if you don’t want keyframes to be recorded while the project is playing back. 3. Click OK. Disable animation recording during playback If the Record button is enabled or a parameter contains at least one keyframe, keyframes are added when you make parameter adjustments. To prevent creating accidental animation, you can restrict automatic keyframing so it happens only when the project is not playing. 1. Choose Mark > Recording Options. The Recording Options dialog appears. 2. Select “Don’t Record keyframes during playback.” 3. Click OK. Create Final Cut Pro templates Final Cut Pro templates overview Final Cut Pro X ships with numerous effects, titles, transitions, and generators, nearly all of which were created in Motion. You can modify these default effects or create your own using the Final Cut Pro templates that come with Motion. If you’re a content creator, you can build and distribute custom Final Cut Pro effects to other artists and editors or to clients. When you save a Final Cut Pro template in Motion, the resulting effect, title, transition, or generator becomes available in one of the Final Cut Pro media browsers. For example, a transition template saved in Motion appears as a new transition in the Transitions Browser in Final Cut Pro, ready to be applied to an editing project. What’s more, in Motion, you can choose which parameters to publish, allowing the Final Cut Pro user complete, some, or no control over modifying the effect. Note: Audio files saved in a Motion template will not be available in Final Cut Pro. There are four types of Final Cut Pro templates: Final Cut Effect: Create a custom stylized effect that can be applied to clips in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. A sepia-tone color correction might make an audience think of days gone by, while a radiant glow might suggest an otherworldly setting. See Create an effect template. Final Cut Transition: Create a custom transition that can be applied to clips in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. A transition artfully connects the edit point between two clips. One scene might dissolve into the next in a cloud of smoke, or one setting might displace another through a kaleidoscope. See Create a transition template. Final Cut Title: Create a custom text animation that can be added to a Final Cut Pro sequence. Text might flare in or out in a fiery glow, or fall into place from offscreen. See Create a title template. Final Cut Generator: Create generalized graphical content that can be added to a Final Cut Pro project. A Final Cut Generator is nearly identical to any other Motion project—it can include text, shapes, replicators, camera moves and lighting, generators, and so on. It can be static or animated. See Create a generator template. Important: Because you cannot change template types after you open a project, determine what kind of template you want to build before creating a Motion project. A standard Motion project, however, can always be published as a Final Cut Generator. SEE ALSO Template workflow Guidelines for better template creation How do templates work? Template workflow Creating templates for Final Cut Pro X in Motion involves several simple steps: Stage 1: Select a template type In the Motion Project Browser, create a new project by selecting one of four template types—Final Cut Effect, Final Cut Transition, Final Cut Title, or Final Cut Generator—then click Open. Stage 2: Add Motion effects to the template placeholders The new Motion template project that opens contains graphical placeholders—target layers (a downward arrow graphic in the Canvas) where you drag Motion behaviors, filters, and other special effects. You can include temporary images to preview the effect you are building. Ultimately, these effects will be applied to footage in Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Placeholders versus drop zones. Stage 3: Add additional layers and effects (if necessary) If your effect requires additional graphics, add new layers to the template (shapes, paint strokes, particles, and so on) and modify them with effects (lighting, camera moves, or filters, for example). Note: These new graphics will ultimately be composited over Final Cut Pro clips and cannot be separated from the effect. Stage 4: Add user interface controls to make the template adjustable in Final Cut Pro To allow Final Cut Pro users to modify specific parameters, you can “publish” sliders, checkboxes, or dials, making them available in the Final Cut Pro Inspector. Stage 5: Save the template project When you save a template in Motion, the effect, transition, title, or generator is exported to the relevant Final Cut Pro media browser (the Effects Browser, Titles Browser, Transitions Browser, or Generators Browser). In Final Cut Pro, when the template is added to the Timeline or applied to a clip in the Timeline, an activation checkbox and published parameter controls appear in the Final Cut Pro Inspector. The duration of the effect is determined by the length of the Final Cut Pro clip it is applied to. Special markers allow you to control the template’s timing in Final Cut Pro. See What are template markers? Placeholders versus drop zones Most of the Final Cut Pro templates in Motion contain placeholder layers, which appear in the Canvas as downward arrow graphics. In Motion, you drag effects objects (behaviors, filters, and so on) into these placeholder layers. The result is a custom effect that you can later apply to clips in Final Cut Pro. When you do so, two things happen: The target clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline populates the placeholder. The effects embedded in the placeholder are applied to the target clip. Placeholder layers are not intended to hold source media (images or movie clips) that you apply in Motion. Although you can drag an image or clip into a placeholder in Motion to test what the effect will look like, those images are not used in Final Cut Pro. If you want users to be able to add additional source media to an applied template in Final Cut Pro, you can add one or more drop zones to the template in Motion. Drop zones remain empty until users assign source media to them in Final Cut Pro. Placeholders and drop zones can be scaled or transformed in templates to create certain looks and movements. For example, you can create a picture-in-picture effect by adding a drop zone to a template, scaling the drop zone down, then positioning it in a corner of the Canvas. When a user applies the template to a clip in Final Cut Pro, that clip populates the effect, and an empty drop zone appears in the corner of the Viewer; the user can then assign a different clip to the picture-in-picture drop zone. Placeholders and drop zones share many of the same parameters, such as Pan, Scale, and Fill Color. If you modify placeholder parameters in Motion (via the placeholder’s Image Inspector), those adjustments do not affect the clip in Final Cut Pro to which the effect template is applied. For drop zones, however, parameter modifications made in Motion do affect the media assigned to the drop zone in Final Cut Pro. For more information on drop zone (and placeholder) parameters, see Drop zone controls. Note: Drop zones can also be used when creating Motionspecific templates (not for use in Final Cut Pro). For more information, see Drop zones overview. Work with effect templates Create an effect template Use the Final Cut Effect template to create a custom stylized effect that can be applied to clips in the Final Cut Pro X Timeline. Create a new effect template 1. In Motion, choose File > New From Project Browser (or press Option-Command-N). 2. In the Project Browser, click Final Cut Effect, then click the Preset pop-up menu and choose a project size. Important: Be sure to create the template at the highest resolution you will use in your Final Cut Pro project. If you are creating 4K-specific templates, you can enable a setting that allows the Final Cut Pro media browsers to display only templates designed for use in 4K projects. For more information, see Set template resolution. 3. Click Open (or press Return). If the correct preset is already chosen, you can double-click Final Cut Effect in the Project Browser. A new, untitled Motion project opens, with the Effect Source placeholder layer selected. Note: You cannot delete the Effect Source placeholder from an effect template. Nor can you create additional Effect Source placeholders. 4. To add a reference image to the Effects Source placeholder to preview your work, do one of the following: From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image onto the placeholder arrow in the Canvas. From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image to the Effect Source layer in the Layers list. Be sure to release the mouse button when the pointer is over the placeholder (the downward arrow in the Canvas or Effect Source layer in the Layers list). If you miss the target, you create a new layer, which cannot be dragged to the placeholder layer. The image is added to the Effect Source layer, replacing the arrow graphic in the Canvas. This image is temporary media used to preview the result of the effect you are building. It is not used in the Final Cut Pro effect. 5. Add filters or behaviors to the Effect Source layer to create a custom effect. The filter and behavior parameters can be modified and animated. For more information on working with filters, see Filters overview. For more information on behaviors, see Behaviors overview. 6. To allow Final Cut Pro users to modify specific parameters, choose Publish from the Animation pop-up menu of each parameter you want to make accessible. Publishing a parameter makes its user interface control (the slider, checkbox, or dial) available in the Final Cut Pro Inspector when the custom effect is applied to a clip. Published parameters can be adjusted and keyframed in Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Add parameter controls overview. 7. Optional: When you’re satisfied with the custom effect you’ve built, you can remove the preview image from the template by selecting the Effect Source layer, then clicking the Clear button in the Image Inspector. 8. Choose File > Save, then do the following: a. In the save dialog, enter a name for the template. If you don’t specify a name, the template appears in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser as “New Template.” b. Choose a category from the Category pop-up menu. You can also create a custom category. Categories represent how the effects are organized in the Motion Project Browser and in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser. Custom categories also appear in the browsers. c. If needed, choose a theme from the Theme pop-up menu. You can also create themes. Themes appear in the Motion Project Browser and in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. A theme is a metadata tag that assists in categorizing different templates as being part of a single family. For example, you may have different template types that are related to the same project, such as a transition, an effect, and a group of titles. By tagging the templates with the same theme, all templates, regardless of their template type, appear in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. Themed templates also appear in other effects browsers. For example, a themed Final Cut Effect template appears in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser as well as in the Effects Browser. d. To retain unused media in the project (media or audio in the Media list that’s not used in the template but which you want to save for later inclusion), select “Include unused media.” For information on where template-related files are saved, see About template files and media save locations. e. If you want a preview movie to appear in the Motion Project Browser, select Save Preview Movie. 9. Click Publish. The template and remaining media are saved and exported to the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser. If you did not remove the reference image, it appears in the template’s thumbnail in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser. Apply the effect in Final Cut Pro Locate the effect in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser, then apply the effect to a clip in the Timeline. Images or clips used in the Motion placeholder layer appear in the Effects Browser icon, but are not applied to the clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. For information about applying and editing effects in Final Cut Pro, see Final Cut Pro X Help. Modify a Final Cut Pro effect Many of the presets in the Final Cut Pro X Effects Browser were created in Motion. You can modify them in Motion, then save them as custom effects in Final Cut Pro. For a step-through example of modifying a preset Final Cut Effect, see Example: Modify a preset Final Cut Pro effect in Motion. 1. In Final Cut Pro, click the Effects Browser button in the toolbar. The Effects Browser appears. 2. Locate the effect to edit. To preview the effect, move the pointer over the effect’s thumbnail. 3. Control-click the effect, then do one of the following: If the effect is a Final Cut Pro preset, choose “Open a copy in Motion” from the shortcut menu. A copy of the project opens in Motion, and the duplicated file appears in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser. If the effect is a template created in Motion, choose “Open in Motion” from the shortcut menu. The original project opens in Motion. 4. Modify the project in Motion, then do one of the following: Save a copy of a Final Cut Pro preset with the default name: Choose File > Save. Save a copy of a Final Cut Pro preset with a new name: Choose File > Save As, complete the save dialog information, then click Publish. Save the updated Motion-created template and overwrite the original version: Choose File > Save. Save the updated Motion-created template as a copy: Choose File > Save As, complete the save dialog information, then click Publish. Note: When a preset Final Cut Pro effect is applied to the Final Cut Pro Timeline and then modified in Motion, the saved changes do not affect instances of the default preset in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. However, if the version of a preset in the Final Cut Pro Timeline has already been modified in Motion, any subsequent changes made to the template in Motion affect instances of the effect in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. The template is saved and appears in the Effects Browser in Final Cut Pro. Example: Modify a preset Final Cut Pro effect in Motion In Final Cut Pro X, the Bokeh Random effect adds moving, blurred particles to a clip. This example describes how to modify that effect in Motion by adding and removing parameter controls. Note: Bokeh comes from the Japanese term “boke,” meaning blur or haze. Bokeh is a term used in photography to describe the aesthetic quality of a blurred image. Use Motion to add a control to the Bokeh Random effect 1. In Final Cut Pro, select a clip in the Timeline, then click the Effects Browser button in the toolbar. 2. In the Effects Browser, select the Light category, Control-click the Bokeh Random effect, then choose “Open a copy in Motion” from the shortcut menu. A copy of the template opens in Motion, and the duplicated file appears in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser. 3. In the Layers list in Motion, click disclosure triangles to open the Light Layer 02 group, the Bokeh group, and then the Circles group. Note that the effect is composed of behaviors, a Gaussian Blur filter, and rigged particle parameters. For detailed information on rigging parameters, see Rigging overview. 4. In the Circles group, select the Bokeh 4 particle emitter. 5. In the Emitter Inspector, click the Color Mode pop-up menu, then choose Colorize. 6. Select a new color from the Color controls (just under the Color Mode pop-up menu). In the Canvas, the circular particles change to the new color. 7. Do one of the following: Click the Color parameter’s Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the parameter row), then choose Publish. Control-click the Color parameter’s name, then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. 8. In the Layers list, click the Project object, and then in the Project Inspector, click Publishing. The controls that are published in the preset Bokeh Random effect are listed: Type, Blend Mode, Size, Number, Pattern, Speed, Blur Amount, Opacity, and Color. After you save this template in Motion (as described below), the modified effect will be added to the Effects inspector in Final Cut Pro, making the Color parameter available to Final Cut Pro users. Use Motion to remove a control from the Bokeh Random effect In the Publishing pane of the Project Inspector, do one of the following: Click the Type parameter’s Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the parameter row), then choose Unpublish. Control-click the Type parameter’s name, then choose Unpublish from the shortcut menu. The Type control is removed from the list and will not be available in Final Cut Pro. Save the modified Bokeh Random effect Choose File > Save (or press Command-S). Note: To save the effect with a different name or to a different category in the Effects Browser, choose File > Save As. The initially created file (Bokeh Random Copy) remains in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser and Motion Project Browser, but can be deleted in the OS X Finder, in the folder in /Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates. The effect is now ready for use in Final Cut Pro. Unlike the original preset, Bokeh Random Copy includes a control to change the color of the particles, and no longer includes a control to change the shape of the particles. Work with transition templates Create a transition template Use the Final Cut Transition template to create a custom transition that can be applied to clips in the Final Cut Pro X Timeline. Create a new transition template 1. In Motion, choose File > New From Project Browser (or press Option-Command-N). 2. In the Project Browser, click Final Cut Transition, then choose a project size from the Preset pop-up menu. Important: Be sure to create the template at the highest resolution you will use in your Final Cut Pro project. If you’re creating 4K-specific templates, you can enable a setting that allows the Final Cut Pro media browsers to display only templates designed for use in 4K projects. For more information, see Set template resolution. 3. Click Open (or press Return). If the correct preset is already chosen, you can double-click Final Cut Transition in the Project Browser. A new, untitled Motion project opens containing two placeholder layers: Transition A and Transition B. Note: You cannot delete the Transition A and Transition B placeholders from a transition template. Nor can you create additional Transition placeholders. 4. To add a reference image to the placeholders to preview your work, do the following: a. From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image onto the Transition A layer in the Layers list (or onto the Transition A arrow in the Canvas). b. From the File Browser or Library, drag a second still image onto the Transition B layer in the Layers list. Be sure to release the mouse button when the pointer is over a placeholder (the downward arrow in the Canvas or Transition layer in the Layers list). If you miss the target, you create a new layer, which cannot be dragged to the placeholder layer. The images are added to the Transition A and B placeholder layers, replacing the downward arrow graphics in the Canvas. The images serve as temporary media to preview the result of the transition you are building. They are not used in the Final Cut Pro X transition. 5. Modify Transition A and Transition B so they flow into each other midway through the transition, using filters, behaviors, or other combinations of effects. For example, animate a lens flare filter that moves across the screen as Transition A fades into Transition B. When designing the template, think about how best to line up the end of incoming clip A with the beginning of the transition, and the end of the transition with incoming clip B. For example, a transition that begins on a full-screen Placeholder A and ends on a full-screen Placeholder B avoids jarring jumps. Because the default behavior between the transition placeholders is a simple cut, to smooth out the transition, you may need to adjust the placeholder timebars to overlap in the Timeline, then animate their opacity using keyframes or a behavior. For more information on working with filters, see Filters overview. For more information on behaviors, see Behaviors overview. 6. To allow Final Cut Pro users to modify parameters, choose Publish from the Animation pop-up menu of each parameter you want to make accessible. Publishing a parameter makes its user interface control (the slider, checkbox, or dial) available in the Final Cut Pro Inspector when the custom effect is applied to a clip. Published parameters can be adjusted and keyframed in Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Add parameter controls overview. 7. Optional: When you’re satisfied with the transition you’ve built, you can remove the preview images from the template by selecting each Transition layer, then clicking the Clear button in the Image Inspector. The temporary image is removed. 8. Choose File > Save, then do the following: a. In the save dialog, enter a name for the template. If you don’t specify a name, the template appears in the Final Cut Pro Transitions Browser as “New Template.” b. Choose a category from the Category pop-up menu. You can also create a custom category. Categories represent how the effects are organized in the Motion Project Browser and in the Final Cut Pro Transitions Browser. Custom categories also appear in the browsers. c. If needed, choose a theme from the Theme pop-up menu. You can also create themes. Themes appear in the Motion Project Browser and in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. A theme is a metadata tag that assists in categorizing different templates as being part of a single family. For example, you may have different template types that are related to the same project, such as a transition, an effect, and a group of titles. By tagging the templates with the same theme, all templates, regardless of their template type, appear in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. Themed templates also appear in other effects browsers. For example, a themed Final Cut Transition template appears in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser as well as in the Transitions Browser. d. To retain unused media in the project (media or audio in the Media list that is not used in the template but which you may want to include in the template later), select “Include unused media.” For information on where template-related files are saved, see About template files and media save locations. e. If you want a preview movie to appear in the Motion Project Browser, select Save Preview Movie. 9. Click Publish. The template and remaining media are saved and exported to the Final Cut Pro Transitions Browser. If you did not remove the reference image, it appears in the template’s thumbnail in the Final Cut Pro Transitions Browser. Override the default transition length set in Final Cut Pro The duration of transition template is determined by the Final Cut Pro project settings. However, you can override that default duration in Motion. In Motion, select the Project object in the Layers list, then select the Override FCP checkbox in the Properties Inspector. The transition also has adjustable In and Out points in the Final Cut Pro project. Apply the transition in Final Cut Pro Locate the transition in the Final Cut Pro Transitions Browser, then apply the transition to an edit point in the Timeline. Images or clips in the Motion placeholder layer appear in the Transitions Browser icon, but are not applied to the clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. For information on applying and editing transitions in Final Cut Pro, see Final Cut Pro X Help. Example: Create a Prism Blur transition This example demonstrates how to create an original, simple Final Cut Pro X transition in Motion. Clip A dissolves into clip B with a prism blur effect. 1. Choose File > New (or press Command-N). 2. In the Project Browser, select Final Cut Transition, choose the project preset required for your Final Cut project, set the Duration to 200 frames, then click Open. Note: This example uses the Broadcast HD 720 preset. The project opens and contains a single group with two placeholder layers: Transition A and Transition B. 3. Optional: To preview what the effect will look like, drag a still image from the File Browser to Transition A in the Layers list and then drag a different still image to Transition B, releasing the mouse button when the pointer changes to a curved arrow. These images are for preview purposes only, and will not be saved to Final Cut Pro. Note: This example does not use any images. When you play the project (press the Space bar), no transition is present by default. Transition A ends, and transition B begins abruptly. 4. In the Timeline, position the pointer over the end of the Transition A bar, then trim the bar by dragging its end edge to the end of the project. 5. Trim the Transition B bar by dragging its beginning edge to frame 80. 6. Animate the opacity of Transition A by doing the following: a. Click the Record button (press A) and select Transition A. b. Drag the playhead to frame 1, then set Opacity to 100 in the Properties Inspector. Because the default Opacity value is 100, move the Opacity value slider back and forth, or enter 100 in the adjacent value slider to be sure a keyframe is created. Tip: To see keyframes in the Timeline, click the Show/Hide Keyframes button in the upper-right corner of the Timeline. c. Drag the playhead to frame 80, then set Opacity to 100 in the Properties Inspector. Again, adjust the Opacity value to be sure a keyframe is created. This prevents any dipping to black as transition A fades into transition B. d. Drag the playhead to frame 130, then set Opacity to 0 in the Properties Inspector. When you play the project, Transition A fades into Transition B. 7. In the Layers list, select the Group. 8. In the toolbar, click the Add Filter pop-up menu, then choose Blur > Prism. 9. Animate the blur amount of the Prism filter by doing the following: a. Drag the playhead to frame 1, then open the Filters Inspector and set Amount to 0. b. Drag the playhead to frame 105, then in the Filters Inspector, set Amount to 50. c. Drag the playhead to frame 200, then in the Filters Inspector, set Amount to 0. When you play the project, Transition A fades into Transition B with a prism blur that moves right, then left. 10. Choose File > Save, then do the following: a. In the save dialog, enter a name for the template. If you don’t specify a name, the template appears in the Final Cut Pro Transitions Browser as “New Template.” b. Choose a category from the Category pop-up menu. You can also create a custom category. Categories appear in the Motion Project Browser and the Final Cut Pro Transitions Browser. c. If needed, choose a theme from the Theme pop-up menu. You can also create themes. Themes appear in the Motion Project Browser and the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. A theme is a metadata tag that helps categorize templates. d. To retain unused media in the project (media or audio in the Media list that’s not used in the template that you may decide to include in the template later), select “Include unused media.” For information on where template-related files are saved, see About template files and media save locations. e. If you want a preview movie to appear in the Motion Project Browser, select Save Preview Movie. After the prism blur transition is applied to the Final Cut Pro X Timeline, its duration can be easily modified. For more information transition duration, see Create a transition template. Create a transition background You might want a custom transition to include a background image or clip. For example, if your Transition A and Transition B clips are animated to scale down, you can apply a background image to cover the black areas of the exposed frame. You can create a background by adding a drop zone to the transition template. After you apply the transition to a clip in the Final Cut Pro X Timeline, you can assign source media to the drop zone. Drop zones in templates allow Final Cut Pro users to place media into designated regions of the applied effect. You can add filters, behaviors, animations, and other effects to drop zones in Motion to affect clips later added to those drop zones in Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Placeholders versus drop zones and Drop zones overview. 1. In the Final Cut Transition project, choose Object > New Drop Zone. A drop zone layer (titled “Drop Zone”) appears in the layers list and Canvas. 2. Select the drop zone layer, then do one of the following in the Image Inspector: Use a clip as the drop zone’s source media in Final Cut Pro: Click the Type pop-up menu, then choose Media Source. When the transition is added to a Final Cut Pro project, a Drop Zone image well appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Using this image well, an editor can add a source clip that appears as a background during the custom transition. Using the drop zone’s onscreen controls (accessed by double-clicking the drop zone in the Final Cut Pro Viewer), an editor can pan or scale the source clip within the drop zone. For more information, refer to the Final Cut Pro X Help. Use a still image as the drop zone’s media source in Final Cut Pro: Click the Type pop-up menu, then choose Timeline Pin. When the transition is added to a Final Cut Pro project, you can select a single frame of a clip as the source frame in the drop zone by dragging a numbered handle along the Timeline. For more information, see Final Cut Pro X Help. Note: You can set a drop zone background color that’s apparent when the drop zone’s source media is panned or scaled. For more information, see Drop zones overview. Modify a Final Cut Pro transition Many presets in the Final Cut Pro X Transitions Browser were created in Motion. You can modify them in Motion, then save them as custom transitions in Final Cut Pro. 1. In Final Cut Pro, click the Transitions Browser button in the toolbar. The Transitions Browser appears. 2. Locate the transition to edit. To preview of the effect, move the pointer over the transition’s thumbnail. 3. Control-click the transition and do one of the following: If the transition is a Final Cut Pro preset, choose “Open a copy in Motion” from the shortcut menu. A copy of the project opens in Motion, and the duplicated file appears in the Final Cut Pro Transitions Browser. Note: The “Open a copy in Motion” command is not available for FxPlug transitions. If the transition is a template created in Motion, choose “Open in Motion” from the shortcut menu. The original project opens in Motion. 4. Modify the project in Motion, then do any of the following: Save a copy of the Final Cut Pro preset with the default name: Choose File > Save. Save a copy of the Final Cut Pro preset with a new name: Choose File > Save As, complete the save dialog information, then click Publish. Save the updated Motion-created template and overwrite the original version: Choose File > Save. Save the updated Motion-created template as a copy: Choose File > Save As, complete the save dialog information, then click Publish. Note: If the preset Final Cut Pro transition was applied to the Final Cut Pro Timeline before being modified in Motion, the saved changes do not affect instances of the transition in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. However, after the modified transition is applied to the Final Cut Pro Timeline, any subsequent changes made in Motion to the template affect instances of the transition in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. The template is saved and appears in Transitions Browser in Final Cut Pro. Work with title templates Create a title template Use the Final Cut Title template to create a custom title that can be applied to clips in the Final Cut Pro X Timeline. Create a new title template 1. In Motion, choose File > New From Project Browser (or press Option-Command-N). 2. In the Project Browser, click Final Cut Title, then click the Preset pop-up menu and choose a project size. Important: Be sure to create the template at the highest resolution you will use in your Final Cut Pro project. If you’re creating 4K-specific templates, you can enable a setting that allows the Final Cut Pro media browsers to display only templates designed for use in 4K projects. For more information, see Set template resolution. 3. Click Open (or press Return). If the correct preset is already chosen, you can double-click Final Cut Title in the Project Browser. A new, untitled Motion project opens containing two layers: a text layer (Type Text Here) and a placeholder layer (Title Background). 4. To add a reference image to the Title Background placeholder to preview your work, do one of the following: From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image onto the placeholder arrow in the Canvas. From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image to the Title Background layer in the Layers list. Be sure to release the mouse button when the pointer is over a placeholder (the arrow in the Canvas or Transition layer in the Layers list). If you miss the target, you create a new layer, which cannot be dragged to the placeholder layer. The image is added to the Title Background layer, replacing the downward arrow graphic in the Canvas. This image is temporary media used to preview the effect you are building. It is not used in the Final Cut Pro X title. Note: If you don’t want to use a reference image or do not want to modify the clip in Final Cut Pro, you can delete the Title Background placeholder. 5. Modify the text as needed and add animation, filters, text behaviors, and other effects to create custom titles. Because users can change the text in Final Cut Pro, it’s not necessary to modify the default text (“Type Text Here”) in Motion. You can adjust and animate parameters in the Text Inspector, Filters Inspector, Behaviors Inspector, and Properties Inspector to create a memorable title sequence. For more information about using text, see Basic text overview and Animated text overview. 6. To allow Final Cut Pro users to modify specific parameters, choose Publish from the Animation pop-up menu of each parameter you want to make accessible. Publishing a parameter makes its user interface control (the slider, checkbox, or dial) available in the Final Cut Pro Inspector when the custom title is added to a clip. Published parameters can be adjusted and keyframed in Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Add parameter controls overview. For information specific to publishing text parameters, see About publishing text parameter controls. 7. Optional: When you’re satisfied with the custom title you’ve built, you can remove the preview image from the template by selecting the Effect Source layer, then clicking the Clear button in the Image Inspector. The temporary image is removed and not saved to the template’s Media folder. For more information, see About template files and media save locations. 8. Choose File > Save, then do the following: a. In the save dialog, enter a name for the template. If you don’t specify a name, the template appears in the Final Cut Pro Titles Browser as “New Template.” b. Choose a category from the Category pop-up menu. You can also create a custom category. Categories represent how the effects are organized in the Motion Project Browser and in the Final Cut Pro Titles Browser. Custom categories also appear in the browsers. c. If needed, choose a theme from the Theme pop-up menu. You can also create themes. Themes appear in the Motion Project Browser and in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. A theme is a metadata tag that assists in categorizing different templates as being part of a single family. For example, you may have different template types that are related to the same project, such as a transition, an effect, and a group of titles. By tagging the templates with the same theme, all templates, regardless of their template type, appear in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. Themed templates also appear in other effects browsers. For example, a themed Final Cut Title template appears in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser as well as in the Titles Browser. d. To retain unused media in the project (media or audio in the Media list that is not used in the template but which you may want to include in the template later), select “Include unused media.” For information on where template-related files are saved, see About template files and media save locations. e. If you want a preview movie to appear in the Motion Project Browser, select Save Preview Movie. 9. Click Publish. The template and remaining media are saved and exported to the Final Cut Pro Titles Browser. If you did not remove the reference image, it appears in the template’s thumbnail in the Final Cut Pro Titles Browser. Apply the title in Final Cut Pro From the Final Cut Pro Titles Browser, do one of the following: Drag the title into the Timeline, above the clip you want to composite it over. When you release the mouse button, the title is anchored to the clip, and the clip is used as the background. The title can span multiple clips in the Timeline. The clips populate the Title Background placeholder, inheriting any transforms, filters, or other effects applied to the placeholder in Motion. Drag the title to the main Timeline as a clip. When you release the mouse button, the title is added to the main Timeline. If the title effect contains a Title Background placeholder, the placeholder is ignored, and a background clip cannot be specified. Drag the In and Out points to increase or decrease the duration of the title. For information on working with titles in Final Cut Pro, see Final Cut Pro X Help. Create a title background In a title template, the Title Background placeholder is not intended to hold source media (images or movie clips) added in Motion. Although you can drag an image or clip onto the Title Background placeholder in Motion to preview how the titles will look composited over media, those images are never used in Final Cut Pro X. If you want to give Final Cut Pro users the option of adding their own source media a title, add a drop zone to the title template in Motion. Drop zones can be any size and can be placed in any region of the frame. You can add filters, behaviors, and animations to drop zones in Motion so those effects influence clips later added in Final Cut Pro. For more information on drop zones, see Drop zones overview. To better understand the difference between placeholders and drop zones, see Placeholders versus drop zones. Create a background for a title template In a Final Cut Title project in Motion, choose Object > New Drop Zone. A drop zone layer (titled “Drop Zone”) appears in the layers list and Canvas. When the template is saved in Motion, the title is added to the Final Cut Pro Titles Browser. When a Final Cut Pro editor add the title to their Timeline, a Drop Zone image well appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Using this image well, an editor can add a source clip that appears beneath the titles. Using the drop zone’s onscreen controls (accessed by doubleclicking the drop zone in the Viewer), an editor can pan or scale the source clip within the drop zone. For more information, refer to Final Cut Pro X Help. Tip: From Motion, you can publish a rigged checkbox that turns the drop zone on or off in the main Final Cut Pro Timeline. Alternatively, you can create two versions of the title template, one that uses a standard drop zone as a background and one that doesn’t. For more information on rigging, see Rigging overview. For more information on publishing, see Add parameter controls overview. Modify a Final Cut Pro X title The presets in the Final Cut Pro X Titles Browser were created in Motion. You can modify these presets in Motion, then save them as new title effects in Final Cut Pro. 1. In Final Cut Pro, click the Titles Browser button in the toolbar. 2. In the Titles Browser, locate the title to edit. To preview the title effect, move the pointer over title’s thumbnail. 3. Control-click the title and do one of the following: If the title is a Final Cut Pro preset, choose “Open a copy in Motion” from the shortcut menu. A copy of the project opens in Motion, and the duplicated file appears in the Final Cut Pro Titles Browser. If the title is a template created in Motion, choose “Open in Motion” from the shortcut menu. The original project opens in Motion. 4. Modify the project in Motion, then do one of the following: Save a copy of the Final Cut Pro preset with the default name: Choose File > Save. Save a copy of the Final Cut Pro preset with a new name: Choose File > Save As, complete the save dialog information, then click Publish. Save the updated Motion-created template and overwrite the original version: Choose File > Save. Save the updated Motion-created template as a copy: Choose File > Save As, complete the save dialog information, then click Publish. Note: If the preset Final Cut Pro title was applied to the Final Cut Pro Timeline before being modified in Motion, the saved changes do not affect instances of the title in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. However, after the modified title is applied to the Final Cut Pro Timeline, any subsequent changes made in Motion to the template affect instances of the title in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. The template is saved and appears in Titles Browser in Final Cut Pro. Work with generator templates Create a generator template Use the Final Cut Generator template to create a custom generator that can be applied to clips in the Final Cut Pro X Timeline. A generator template is similar to a standard Motion project. However, when saved, it’s exported to the Generators Browser in Final Cut Pro. Like any content added to a Final Cut Pro project, a generator template can be composited over a clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline, or added to the main Timeline. The duration of the generator in Final Cut Pro is determined by its duration when created and saved in Motion. Create a new generator template 1. In Motion, choose File > New From Project Browser (or press Option-Command-N). 2. In the Project Browser, click Final Cut Generator, then choose a project size from the Preset pop-up menu. Important: Be sure to create the template at the highest resolution you will use in your Final Cut Pro project. If you’re creating 4K-specific templates, you can enable a setting that allows the Final Cut Pro media browsers to display only templates designed for use in 4K projects. For more information, see Set template resolution. 3. Click Open (or press Return). If the correct preset is already chosen, you can double-click Final Cut Generator in the Project Browser. A new, untitled project opens. The project contains no placeholders. 4. Build the project as you would any other Motion project, using shapes, text, behaviors, camera animation, and so on. Note: You can also add drop zones to create additional effects, such as a picture-in-picture effect. Drop zones allow Final Cut Pro users to place media into designated regions of the applied effect. For more information, see Drop zones overview and Placeholders versus drop zones. 5. To allow Final Cut Pro users to modify specific parameters, choose Publish from the Animation pop-up menu of each parameter you want to make accessible. Publishing a parameter makes its user interface control (the slider, checkbox, or dial) available in the Final Cut Pro Inspector when the custom effect is applied to a clip. Published parameters can be adjusted and keyframed in Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Add parameter controls overview. Note: If you have many parameters that you want to adjust with a single control, you can rig the parameters to a slider, pop-up menu, or checkbox. When the rig controls are published with a template, the slider, pop-up menu, or checkbox becomes available in the Final Cut Pro X project. For more information, see Rigging overview. 6. Choose File > Save, then do the following: a. In the save dialog, enter a name for the template. If you don’t specify a name, the template appears in the Final Cut Pro Generators Browser as “New Template.” b. Choose a category from the Category pop-up menu. You can also create a custom category. Categories represent how the effects are organized in the Motion Project Browser and in the Final Cut Pro Generators Browser. Custom categories also appear in the browsers. c. If needed, choose a theme from the Theme pop-up menu. You can also create themes. Themes appear in the Motion Project Browser and in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. A theme is a metadata tag that assists in categorizing different templates as being part of a single family. For example, you may have different template types that are related to the same project, such as a transition, a generator, and a group of titles. By tagging the templates with the same theme, all templates, regardless of their template type, appear in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser. Themed templates also appear in other effects browsers. For example, a themed Final Cut Generator template appears in the Final Cut Pro Themes Browser as well as in the Generators Browser. d. To retain unused media in the project (media or audio in the Media list that’s not used in the template but which you may want to include in the template later), select “Include unused media.” For information on where template-related files are saved, see About template files and media save locations. e. If you want a preview movie to appear in the Motion Project Browser, select Save Preview Movie. 7. Click Publish. The template is saved and exported to the Final Cut Pro Generators Browser. Apply the generator in Final Cut Pro From the Generators Browser in Final Cut Pro, do one of the following: Drag the generator into the Timeline, above the clip you want to composite it over. The generator can span multiple clips in the Timeline. Add the generator to the main Timeline as a clip. When you release the mouse button, the generator is added to the main Timeline. Drag the generator’s In and Out points in the Timeline to change the duration. For information on working with generators in Final Cut Pro X, see Final Cut Pro X Help. Modify a Final Cut Pro X generator Many presets in the Final Cut Pro X Generators Browser were created in Motion. You can modify these presets in Motion, then save them as generators in Final Cut Pro. 1. In Final Cut Pro X, click the Generators Browser button in the toolbar. The Generators Browser appears. 2. Locate the generator to edit. To preview the generator, move the pointer over the generator’s thumbnail. 3. Control-click the generator and do one of the following: If the generator is a Final Cut Pro preset, choose “Open a copy in Motion” from the shortcut menu. A copy of the project opens in Motion. If the generator is a template created in Motion, choose “Open in Motion” from the shortcut menu. The original project opens in Motion. 4. Modify the project in Motion, then do any of the following: Save a copy of the Final Cut Pro preset with the default name: Choose File > Save. Save a copy of the Final Cut Pro preset with a new name: Choose File > Save As, complete the save dialog information, then click Publish. Save the updated Motion-created template and overwrite the original version: Choose File > Save. Save the updated Motion-created template as a copy: Choose File > Save As, complete the save dialog information, then click Publish. Note: If the preset Final Cut Pro generator was applied to the Final Cut Pro Timeline before being modified in Motion, the saved changes do not affect instances of the title in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. However, after the modified title is applied to the Final Cut Pro Timeline, any subsequent changes made in Motion to the template affect instances of the title in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. The template is saved and appears in Generators Browser in Final Cut Pro. Publish a standard Motion project as a Final Cut Pro X generator When possible, use the Final Cut Effect, Title, Transition, and Generator templates to create effects content for Final Cut Pro X. However, if necessary, you can convert a standard Motion project for use in Final Cut Pro. There are two ways to do this: Publish the Motion project as a Final Cut Generator, which exports the template to the Final Cut Pro Generators Browser, where it can be applied to the Timeline and edited like any other generator. Save the Motion project as a QuickTime file, then import the QuickTime movie into the Final Cut Pro project like any other footage. Although you cannot add an Effect Source, Transition A, Transition B, or Title Background placeholder to a Motion project, you can add standard drop zones, which let Final Cut Pro users insert customized content into the generator. Like template projects, standard Motion projects let you publish specific parameters to the Final Cut Pro inspector. For more information on publishing parameters, see Add parameter controls overview. Publish a standard Motion project as a generator in Final Cut Pro 1. When you save your Motion project, choose File > Publish Template. 2. In the save dialog, enter a name for the template, complete the other options, then select Publish as Final Cut Generator. For more information about save dialog options for templates, see Create a generator template. 3. Click Publish. The template is saved and appears in Generators Browser in Final Cut Pro. Add, replace, or remove placeholder images When creating a template for Final Cut Pro X, you can add an image to a placeholder layer, replacing the downward arrow graphic in the Canvas. This allows you to: Preview the effect you are building in Motion Create a thumbnail image for the effect in Final Cut Pro However, this image is not used when the effect is applied to a clip in Final Cut Pro. Important: When adding preview media to a placeholder, use a still image rather than a video clip, which can introduce timing conflicts in Final Cut Pro. Add a placeholder image to a template Do one of the following: From the File Browser or Library, drag an image onto the placeholder arrow in the Canvas; when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. From the File Browser or Library, drag an image to the Effect Source layer in the Layers list; when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. When you publish the template, the image is saved with the template and is used as the thumbnail for the effect in Final Cut Pro browser. You can change the image used for the thumbnail in the Final Cut Pro browser by replacing the placeholder image. Replace an image in a template placeholder 1. To replace a reference placeholder image, do one of the following: From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image onto the downward placeholder arrow in the Canvas, and when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image to the Effect Source layer in the Layers list, and when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. 2. Choose File > Save (or press Command-S). The “Media exists outside the document. Do you wish to copy it?” dialog appears. 3. Do one of the following: To save the new image with the template in the /Users/username/Movies/ folder in the OS X Finder, click Copy. When you save the template, the new image is saved with the template and is used as the thumbnail for the effect in Final Cut Pro browser. To save the template without the new image, click Don’t Copy. Clear media from a template placeholder When you save a template containing a placeholder image, that image is stored on your computer in the same folder as the template (/Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/), potentially creating multiple instances of media files and taking up storage space. To save storage space, you can clear placeholder images from templates before saving. 1. In the template project, select an Effect Source, Title Background, Transition A, or Transition B placeholder. 2. In the Image Inspector, click the Clear button in the Final Cut Placeholder controls. The preview media is removed from the template, and the placeholder arrow reappears in the affected layer. Note: When you clear a placeholder image, its source media is not loaded into Motion the next time you modify the template (by choosing the “Open a copy in Motion” command in the Final Cut Pro media browsers). And if you previously added a placeholder image to create a thumbnail for a Final Cut Pro effect, clearing the placeholder image from the template in Motion deletes the thumbnail from Final Cut Pro. Manually remove media saved with a template 1. In the OS X Finder, go to the /Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/ folder. 2. In the appropriate Effects, Titles, or Transitions folder, open the theme folder that contains your template, then open the Media folder. 3. Drag the media to the Trash. Add parameter controls Add parameter controls overview When you use a template in Motion to create an effect, transition, title, or generator for Final Cut Pro X, you can “publish” nearly any parameter. Publishing a parameter places its user interface control (a slider, dial, checkbox, and so on) in the Final Cut Pro inspector, ready to be adjusted. Publishing parameters also lets you decide how much control (if any) a Final Cut Pro user has over modifying an effect. When creating templates in Motion, you have the following publishing options: Publish no parameters, making the effect a nonmodifiable preset with no adjustable controls in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Publish specific parameters, giving users limited control over modifications made in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Publish rig widgets, which map multiple parameters to a few pop-up menus, sliders, or checkboxes, enabling editors to make complex effect adjustments with simplified controls. Publish parameter controls to Final Cut Pro The following tasks describe how to publish parameters, compound parameters, rig controls, and other template elements. Published parameters appear in the Final Cut Pro X inspector. Publish a parameter control 1. In the effect, transition, title, or generator template, select the image layer, filter, or behavior containing the parameter to publish. 2. In the selected item’s Inspector, do one of the following: Click the parameter’s Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the parameter row), then choose Publish. Control-click the parameter’s name, then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. 3. Save the template. When you apply the modified effect, transition, title, or generator to a clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline, the parameter control you published appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector, ready for adjustment. Publish compound parameter controls (a parameter with nested subparameters) 1. In the template project, select the image layer or effects object containing the compound parameter to publish. 2. Open the selected item’s Inspector. To publish a compound parameter to Final Cut Pro in a collapsed state (its subparameters hidden by a disclosure triangle), make sure the parameter’s disclosure triangle is closed. To publish a compound parameter in an expanded state (disclosure triangle open and its subparameters exposed), make sure the parameter’s disclosure triangle is open. 3. Do one of the following: Control-click the parameter’s name, then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. Click the parameter’s Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the parameter row), then choose Publish. 4. Save the template. The parameter and its subparameter controls are published. When the modified effect is applied to a clip in Final Cut Pro, the compound parameter retains its state (collapsed or expanded) at the time of publishing. If the result is not what you expected, click the disclosure triangle in the Final Cut Pro inspector to expand or collapse the subparameters manually. Note: Examples of parameters with subparameters include Scale (with X, Y, and Z values) and Shear (with X and Y values). Publish subparameter controls of a compound parameter You can also publish specific subparameters of a compound parameter. This is a good way to limit an editor’s control over effects parameters in a Final Cut Pro project. 1. In the template project, select the image layer or effect object containing the subparameter to publish. 2. In the item’s Inspector, click the compound parameter’s disclosure triangle to show its subparameters. 3. For each parameter to publish, do one of the following: Click the parameter’s Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the parameter row), then choose Publish. Control-click the parameter’s name, then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. 4. Save the template. The subparameter control is published. When you apply the modified effect to a clip in Final Cut Pro, the subparameter appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Publish an activation checkbox for a filter or behavior Publishing a filter or behavior activation checkbox lets Final Cut Pro users quickly turn an effect on or off. 1. In the template project, select the filter or behavior whose activation checkbox you want to publish. 2. In the Behaviors or Filters Inspector, do one of the following: In the header row of the behavior or filter, click the Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the row), then choose Publish. Control-click the behavior or filter name, then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. Note: If you publish only the blue activation checkbox and no other parameters in the behavior or filter’s group of controls, only the checkbox is published. 3. Save the template. When you apply the modified effect to a clip in Final Cut Pro, a checkbox with the name of the published filter or behavior appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Deselecting the checkbox disables the effect of that filter or behavior (including its constituent parameters). Publish a rig control (widget) 1. Add a rig to the template, assigning specific parameters to the rig’s widget controls. For more information about building rigs, creating widgets, and assigning parameters, see Rigging overview. 2. Select the rig, then do one of the following in the Rig Inspector: In the Checkbox, Pop-up, or Slider widgets, click the Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the widget’s parameter row), then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. Control-click the Checkbox, Pop-up, or Slider parameter name, then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. 3. Save the template. When you apply the modified effect, transition, title, or generator to a clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline, the rig control you published appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Publish a gradient editor control 1. In the template project, select the image layer or effect object that contains the gradient editor to publish. 2. In the item’s Inspector, Control-click the Gradient parameter, then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. 3. Save the template. When you apply the modified effect, transition, title, or generator to a clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline, the gradient editor control appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Publish a filter’s onscreen controls You can publish a filter’s onscreen controls so that Final Cut Pro users can make filter adjustments by dragging handles in the Final Cut Pro Viewer. 1. In the template project, select the filter object. 2. In the Filters Inspector, select the Publish OSC checkbox. 3. Save the template. When you apply the modified effect, transition, title, or generator to a clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline, the onscreen controls for the filter appear in the Final Cut Pro Viewer. Note: When you publish onscreen controls, their corresponding numeric controls in the Inspector are not published. You must publish Inspector parameter controls separately. See “Publish a parameter control” above. For more information about filter onscreen controls, see Adjust filters using onscreen controls and Publish filter parameters for use in Final Cut Pro X. Manage parameter controls The following tasks describe how to review, reorder, and unpublish parameters, as well as how to customize a published parameter name. Review parameter controls to be published 1. In the Layers list of the template project, click Project. 2. In the Project Inspector, click Publishing. Parameters (for all object types) set to be published appear in the list. Reorder parameter controls in the Publishing pane 1. In the Layers list of the template project, click Project. 2. In the Project Inspector, click Publishing. 3. Drag a parameter up or down in the Published Parameters list. Rename a published parameter control 1. In the Layers list of the template project, click Project. 2. In the Project Inspector, click Publishing. 3. In the Published Parameters list, double-click the name of a parameter, enter a name, then press Return. Note: To navigate to the originally published parameter (before the name change), Control-click the parameter and choose Reveal Original Parameter. Unpublish a parameter control via the Inspector Select a layer or effect object in the Layers list, then in the Inspector, do one of the following: Click the published parameter’s Animation menu (the Click the published parameter’s Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the parameter row), then choose Unpublish. Control-click the published parameter’s name, then choose Unpublish from the shortcut menu. Unpublish a parameter control via the Publishing pane 1. In the Layers list of the template project, click Project. 2. In the Project Inspector, click Publishing, then do one of the following: Click the Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of the parameter row), then choose Unpublish from the shortcut menu. Control-click the parameter name, then choose Unpublish from the shortcut menu. About publishing text parameter controls When you apply a title or generator containing text to a clip in Final Cut Pro X, the Title inspector becomes available. This inspector contains many of the same basic controls as the Motion Text Inspector (Font, Size, Alignment, and so on). However, if the applied title or generator contains published text parameters, those parameters appear in a separate pane in Final Cut Pro: the Title inspector. Note: When you publish a text parameter already in the Final Cut Pro Text inspector, the parameter appears in both the Title inspector and the Text inspector. Changes made to the parameters in the Title inspector affect the same parameters in the Text inspector, and vice versa. The Text inspector in the Final Cut Pro includes many of the same controls available in the Motion Text Inspector. If you want to control a parameter not included in the Final Cut Pro Text inspector, publish that parameter in the title or generator template in Motion. For more information on working with text in Final Cut Pro, see Final Cut Pro X Help. For more information on Motion’s text parameters, see Text Inspector overview. What cannot be published in a Final Cut Pro template? The following Motion items cannot be published in templates for Final Cut Pro X: Audio of any kind, including Source Audio wells in the Audio Parameter behavior Image wells (except for drop zone Source Media wells) Mini-curve editors Timing controls in the Image Inspector or Media Inspector Retiming behaviors (such as Ping Pong, Loop, and Stutter) The Range Minimum/Range Maximum slider rig widget) Placeholder Pan and Scale controls in template placeholders Project properties (such as Pixel Aspect Ratio, Frame Rate, and Background Color in the Properties Inspector) Some Keyer filter and Luma Keyer filter controls Noncompound groups of controls, such as the Lighting parameter in the Properties Inspector Onscreen path for the Motion Path behavior Note: Although you can publish a Motion Path behavior to Final Cut Pro, the path does not appear in the Final Cut Pro Viewer. In general, Motion lets you publish most controls in the application. However, some publishable controls are not supported in Final Cut Pro. The following items have components that are not accessible after a template is added to a Final Cut Pro project: Parameters related to text path onscreen controls Mask or shape control points Parameters with deselected activation checkboxes The Histogram in the Levels color correction filter Audio behavior parameter controls Note: Audio files saved in a Motion template are not available in Final Cut Pro. Control template timing and animation What are template markers? Markers are visual reference points you add to the Timeline to identify specific frames. There are several types of markers. The first, known as Standard, is designed for use in Motion and has no effect if saved in a Final Cut template. The remaining marker types, known as template markers, are designed to control the timing of templates in Final Cut Pro X. For basic information on using markers in the Timeline, see Work with markers overview. When building a template in Motion, you typically don’t know the duration of the clips it will be applied to in Final Cut Pro. By default, the duration of a Motion template is determined by the length of the Final Cut Pro clip it’s applied to. Template markers let you control the timing of template after it’s applied in Final Cut Pro, by designating regions in the Timeline to be played, ignored, or looped. You can also use a template marker to designate a specific frame to be used as the template’s thumbnail in the Final Cut Pro Effects, Transitions, or Titles Browser. Template markers fall into five categories: Build In: Designates the end point of an intro section of a template, and instructs Final Cut Pro to play that section at the same speed as the original template (as created in Motion), regardless of the duration of the clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. For example, if a Build In marker is present at the 30-second mark, the first 30 seconds retain the original timing (as created in Motion). Beyond the 30-second mark, the template is time-stretched (or time-shrunk) to the duration of the Final Cut Pro clip. Build Out: Designates the start of an outro section of a template, and instructs Final Cut Pro to play that section at the same speed as the original template (as created in Motion), regardless of the duration of the clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. For example, if a Build Out marker is present 30 seconds from the end of the Final Cut Pro clip, the last 30 seconds retain the original timing (as created in Motion). Prior to the Build Out marker, the template is time-stretched (or time-shrunk) to the duration of the Final Cut Pro clip. If no Build In or Build Out markers are present, the entire template is time-stretched to correspond to the duration of the clip in Final Cut Pro. For example, if you apply a template that is three minutes long to a six minute long clip in Final Cut Pro, the effect stretches over the six-minute duration of the Final Cut Pro clip. Note: Transition templates assume a default duration in Final Cut Pro (determined in Final Cut Pro Preferences). This duration can conflict with the effects of these marker types. For example, you might specify that the intro animation of a transition lasts for 45 frames, while the default duration in Final Cut Pro is set to 30 frames for the entire transition. For information on how to override the Final Cut Pro default duration, see Create a transition template. Loop: Loop markers indicate where the template should begin looping playback. Poster Frame: Poster Frame markers determine the frame of a template to be used as the thumbnail for the template in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser, Transitions Browser, or Titles Browser. Text Edit: Text Edit markers identify ideal edit points in your title templates. Add template markers To create a Build In, Build Out, Project Loop End or Poster Frame marker, you must first add a project marker to a Motion project, then change its type in the Edit Marker dialog. To create a Text Edit marker, you must first add an object marker, then change its type in the Edit Marker dialog. Mark the last frame of a template’s intro section When you add a “Build In – Mandatory” marker or “Build In – Optional” marker to a template, frames between the beginning of the project and the Build In marker play (in Final Cut Pro) at the same speed as in the original Motion template. The “Build In – Optional” marker publishes a checkbox that disables playback of the intro section when deselected. 1. Position the playhead on the frame where you want the marker to appear, then press Shift-M. A green project marker appears in the Timeline ruler, and a (subtle) green vertical line appears in the mini-Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Position the playhead over the marker, then choose Mark > Markers > Edit Marker. Double-click the marker. Control-click the marker, then choose Edit Marker from the shortcut menu. 3. In the Edit Marker dialog, choose one of the following from the Type pop-up menu: Build In – Mandatory: Choose this marker type to play the frames between the beginning of the project and the “Build In – Mandatory” marker at the same speed as in the original Motion template. Beyond the marker, the effect is time-stretched (or shrunk) to match the duration of the Final Cut Pro clip. This intro is always played, regardless of where the template is placed in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. Build In – Optional: Choose this marker type to play the frames between the beginning of the project and the “Build In – Optional” marker at the same speed as in the original Motion template and to include a checkbox to disable the intro’s playback. The project marker becomes a Build In marker, and the Timeline ruler displays a gold glow over the affected region. When a “Build In – Optional” marker is added to a template, a Build In checkbox is published (added to the Published Parameters list in the Publishing pane of the Project Inspector). After the template is added to a Final Cut Pro project, the Build In checkbox appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector. When the checkbox is deselected, frames before the marker are not played. Mark the last frame of a template’s outro section When you add a “Build Out – Mandatory” marker or a “Build Out – Optional” marker to a template, frames between the Build Out marker and the end of the project play (in Final Cut Pro) at the same speed as in the original Motion template. The “Build Out – Optional” marker publishes a checkbox that disables playback of the outro section when deselected. 1. Position the playhead on the frame where you want the marker to appear, then press Shift-M. A green project marker appears in the Timeline ruler, and a (subtle) green vertical line appears in the mini-Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Position the playhead over the marker, then choose Mark > Markers > Edit Marker. Double-click the marker. Control-click the marker, then choose Edit Marker from the shortcut menu. 3. In the Edit Marker dialog, choose one of the following from the Type pop-up menu: Build Out – Mandatory: Choose this marker type to play the frames between the “Build Out – Mandatory” marker and the end of the project at the same speed as in the original Motion template. Prior to the marker, the effect is timestretched (or shrunk) to match the duration of the Final Cut Pro clip. This outro is always played, regardless of where the template is placed in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. Build Out – Optional: Choose this marker type to play the frames between the beginning of the project and the “Build In – Optional” marker at the same speed as in the original Motion template and to include a checkbox to disable the intro’s playback in the template. The project marker becomes a Build Out marker, and the Timeline ruler displays a gold glow over the affected region. When a “Build Out – Optional” marker is added to a template, a Build Out checkbox is published (added to the Published Parameters list in the Publishing pane of the Project Inspector). After the template is added to a Final Cut Pro project, the Build In checkbox appears in the Final Cut Pro inspector. When the checkbox is deselected, frames before the marker are time-stretched and frames after the marker are not played. Specify the frame where the template begins looping playback You can add a Project Loop End marker to instruct Final Cut Pro to begin looping playback at a specific frame. When playback reaches this frame, the project plays from the beginning of the project or from the Build In marker, if present. Frames beyond the Project Loop End marker are never played. 1. Position the playhead on the frame where you want the marker to appear, then press Shift-M. A green project marker appears in the Timeline ruler, and a (subtle) green vertical line appears in the mini-Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Position the playhead over the marker, then choose Mark > Markers > Edit Marker. Double-click the marker. Control-click the marker, then choose Edit Marker from the shortcut menu. 3. In the Edit Marker dialog, choose Project Loop End from the Type pop-up menu. The project marker becomes a Project Loop End marker, and the Timeline ruler displays a gold glow over the affected region. Setting a marker type to Project Loop End changes any marker set to a Build Out type back to Standard. Similarly, if a Project Loop End marker exists, adding a Build Out marker resets the loop marker back to Standard. Tip: Adding a loop marker to the second frame in a template signals that the effect is time-invariant—the first frame of the project loops forever. This can be useful for generators that do not contain animation, such as a solid color generator, or for filters that are not animated by default, such as a color correction filter. Note: Templates with applied Time filters (Echo, Scrub, Strobe, Trails, or WideTime) should not use Loop markers, because unexpected timing results can occur. Set the frame to be used as the template’s thumbnail in the Final Cut Pro browser You can add a Poster Frame marker to instruct Final Cut Pro to use a specific frame of a template as the thumbnail for the template in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser, Transitions Browser, or Titles Browser. 1. Position the playhead on the frame you want to use as the poster frame, then press Shift-M. A green project marker appears in the Timeline ruler, and a (subtle) green vertical line appears in the mini-Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Position the playhead over the marker, then choose Mark > Markers > Edit Marker. Double-click the marker. Control-click the marker, then choose Edit Marker from the shortcut menu. 3. In the Edit Marker dialog, choose Poster Frame from the Type pop-up menu. Although the project marker appearance does not change, it becomes a Poster Frame marker (a tooltip appears if you move the pointer over the marker). If a Poster Frame marker exists, adding a new Poster Frame marker resets the first marker to Standard. Specify a frame as an ideal text edit point in a title template You can add Text Edit markers to specify the optimal edit points for text in a title template. For example, if your title animates offscreen, you can add a Text Edit marker to quickly navigate to a frame where the text is visible in the Final Cut Pro Viewer. 1. Place the playhead at the frame where you want the marker. 2. Select the text to add the marker to, then do one of the following: Choose Mark > Markers > Add Marker. Press M. A red object marker is added to the timebar of the selected object. 3. Do one of the following: Position the playhead over the marker, then choose Mark > Markers > Edit Marker. Double-click the marker. Control-click the marker, then choose Edit Marker from the shortcut menu. 4. In the Edit Marker dialog, choose Text Edit from the Type popup menu. Although the object marker appearance does not change, it becomes a Text Edit marker. You can add multiple Text Edit markers to a template. In the Final Cut Pro Timeline, double-click the title to enter text- edit mode. In the Viewer, use the Next Text Layer and Previous Text Layer buttons to navigate between Text Edit markers. For more information about working with titles in Final Cut Pro, see Final Cut Pro X Help. Move a marker Drag the marker to a new position in the Timeline ruler. When you drag the marker, the current frame is displayed above the pointer. Change the marker type 1. Do one of the following: Position the playhead over the marker, then choose Mark > Markers > Edit Marker. Double-click the marker. Control-click the marker, then choose Edit Marker from the shortcut menu. 2. In the Edit Marker dialog, click the Type pop-up menu, then choose a marker type. The Build In and Build Out markers appear as small green arrows in the Timeline ruler. The Project Loop Out marker appears as a small orange arrow. At the top of the ruler, the area specified as the intro, outro, or loop section displays a gold glow. For more information on the Edit Marker dialog, see Work with markers overview. Animation guidelines Effect, title, transition, and generator templates can include animation like a standard Motion project. When the template is added to a clip in Final Cut Pro X, animation in the placeholder is applied to the clip, whether created by behaviors or keyframes. Animation in the template that is longer than the duration of the clip to which it’s applied in Final Cut Pro is scaled to fit. Important: If you don’t want your template animation scaled to fit the duration of a clip in Final Cut Pro, you can use markers to designate segments where the animation is locked. Additionally, you can use markers to designate sections where animation loops indefinitely in the Final Cut Pro project. For more information, see What are template markers?. When publishing parameters in your templates, consider the following guidelines: When possible, avoid publishing keyframed parameters. Published keyframes can cause unexpected results when you edit or when you animate the parameters in the Final Cut Pro inspector. Do not publish a parameter that’s controlled by a behavior. For example, if you publish an Opacity parameter that’s controlled by a Fade In/Fade Out behavior, you cannot adjust the opacity parameter after the template is added to the Final Cut Pro project. Because the duration of templates often conflicts with the duration of the Final Cut Pro clips they’re applied to, try to publish nonanimated parameters in the template, then keyframe those parameters in Final Cut Pro. Use behaviors instead of keyframes in templates when possible. Behaviors can be a more flexible animation tool for templates. Behaviors don’t rely on specific timing or use keyframes to create an animation. Publish behavior parameters that you want to control in Final Cut Pro. SEE ALSO Keyframing overview Behaviors overview Timing guidelines Depending on the template type, different timing rules apply when you apply the template to a clip in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. When publishing parameters and applying templates, consider the following guidelines: Final Cut Effect: When you apply an effect template in Final Cut Pro, the effect is integrated into the clip. For example, when a color-correction effect template that’s 300 frames in Motion is saved and applied to a 2,300-frame clip in Final Cut Pro, the resulting effect is 2,300 frames. Animated effect templates are also scaled according to the duration of the clip they’re applied to in Final Cut Pro. For example, if a template in Motion is 300 frames long, and the placeholder layer is animated to rotate 360 degrees (one complete rotation) from frames 0 to 300, when the template is applied to a 900-frame clip in Final Cut Pro, the complete rotation is stretched to 900 frames. You can override the timing adjustment in Final Cut Pro by applying markers to the template in Motion. For example, to control frame-counting effects, such as Timecode generators, apply special markers to instruct Final Cut Pro when to play specific ranges of the template. For more information, see Add template markers. Final Cut Transition: In Final Cut Pro, the default transition duration is set in the Editing pane of Final Cut Pro Preferences. When you apply a transition template to an edit point in the Final Cut Pro timeline, the duration of the transition effect is modified to the default transition duration. For example, in a Final Cut Pro Broadcast HD 1080 project (29.97 fps) with a default transition duration of two seconds, an applied 300-frame transition template is compressed to 60 frames (2 seconds at 29.97 fps). To override the transition duration setting in Final Cut Pro Preferences, select the Override FCP checkbox in the Properties Inspector in Motion. If this checkbox is selected when the transition is saved, the transition retains its original duration when added to the Final Cut Pro project. Whether the transition duration uses the Final Cut Pro default or is overridden, you can adjust the In and Out points of the transition in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. Final Cut Title: When added to a Final Cut Pro project, a title template is anchored to the clip it’s applied to. Its duration is based on the duration of the template in Motion. After the title is applied, you can adjust its duration in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. Final Cut Generator: When added to a Final Cut Pro project, a generator template uses its default duration (its duration when the template was created and saved in Motion). After the generator is applied, you can adjust its duration in the Final Cut Pro Timeline. Set template resolution Before you create a template, decide what resolution your project requires. Although the template scales to fit the resolution of the Final Cut Pro X project it’s applied to, you should create the template at the highest resolution you will use. Additionally, you can save a template in multiple display aspect ratio settings, for delivery to different-sized screens. For more information, see Add multiple display aspect ratios to a template. Note: An image added to a placeholder is fit based on the template project settings in Motion. Because the image in the placeholder is not used when the template is applied to a Final Cut Pro project, stretching or scaling of the media does not affect the Final Cut Pro clip the template is applied to. When you create templates with 4K resolution, you can add a metadata flag so that Final Cut Pro users can quickly find 4K templates (and filter out all non-4K templates). Flag a template as having 4K resolution In the Layers list in Motion, select the Project object and then select the Designed for 4K checkbox in the Properties Inspector. After the template is published to Final Cut Pro, select the “4K-ready content only” checkbox in the Final Cut Pro media browsers to display only templates designed for use in 4K projects. (The “4K-ready content only” checkbox appears only in Final Cut Pro projects using one of the 4K or 5K formats.) Add multiple display aspect ratios to a template When creating a template for Final Cut Pro X, you can build alternate versions that have different display aspect ratios—all within a single template. For example, when you create a template with a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can add an alternate version customized for 4:3 displays. When the template is applied to a clip Final Cut Pro, the editing application chooses the version that matches its display aspect ratio. These alternate display versions of a single template are called snapshots. Snapshots eliminate the need to create multiple versions of the same template for multiple display ratios. If you expect a template to be applied to differently sized clips in Final Cut Pro, perform the workflow described in this section before saving the template. Add a display aspect ratio to a template 1. In the Layers list in Motion, select the Project object. 2. In the Project Inspector, click Snapshots. The Display Aspect Ratio Snapshots list appears, showing the project’s current default aspect ratio. 3. Click the Add button (+) and choose a different aspect ratio from the shortcut menu. If you chose Custom, the Custom Display Aspect Ratio calculator appears. The new aspect ratio appears in the list, and the project adjusts. Note: You cannot add a snapshot that matches an existing Display Aspect Ratio snapshot. 4. To reposition your objects to better fit the new aspect ratio, click Edit Snapshot. A small floating window appears, indicating that you are in aspect ratio-edit mode. 5. Position and scale the layers in your project to fit the new display aspect ratio, then click the Stop Rig Edit Mode button in the floating window. Click the items in the list to view the results in the Canvas. Note: When working with an alternate snapshot, the resolution listed in the Properties pane of the Inspector (when Project is selected in the Layers list) may seem strange. This is because the Display Aspect Ratio is shown, rather than the Pixel Aspect Ratio. 6. Choose File > Save or File > Save As, then do the following: a. In the save dialog, enter a name for your template. b. Choose a category from the Category pop-up menu. c. If needed, choose a theme from the Theme pop-up menu. d. To retain unused media in the project (media or audio in the Media list not used in the project), select “Include unused media.” When the template is applied to the Final Cut Pro Timeline, the template aspect ratio that matches the Final Cut Pro project is used. Create a custom display aspect ratio (DAR) snapshot Pixel Aspect Ratio (PAR) is the ratio of the width of a pixel to its height. For example, NTSC pixels are slightly taller than they are wide. They have a pixel aspect ratio of 10/11 (approximately 0.9091). Display Aspect Ratio (DAR) is a ratio of the final displayed image’s width to its height. For example, the iPad display aspect ratio is 1.3333 (also written as 4:3), but broadcast NTSC has a display ratio of 1.3636. To calculate the display aspect ratio of an image from its dimensions and pixel aspect ratio, multiply the pixel aspect ratio by the width and divide by the height. The most common aspect ratios are 4:3 (also referred to as standard, 4x3, or 1.33:1) and 16:9 (widescreen, 16x9, or 1.78:1). Older monitors and televisions are generally 4:3, so the screen is 33 percent wider than it is high. Newer HD monitors and televisions are 78 percent wider than they are high. 1. In the Layers list, select the Project object. 2. In the Project Inspector, click Snapshots. 3. Click the Add button (+) and choose Custom from the shortcut menu. 4. Click the Pixel Aspect Ratio pop-up menu, then choose an option, such as NTSC D1/DV. The pixel aspect ratio (PAR) appears in the field to the right of the pop-up menu. 5. Enter the width and height in the fields to the right of the PAR value, such as 720 x 480. The new custom DAR is listed in the Display Aspect Ratio Snapshots list. About template files and media save locations When you save a template, the project and all associated files are saved in your /Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/ folder on your computer, organized by template type. For example, a Final Cut Effect template is saved to /Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/Effects/; a Final Cut Transition is saved to /Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/Transitions/, and so on. The template types include Compositions (templates created in Motion for use in Motion), Effects, Generators, Titles, and Transitions. When you save a template in Motion, you assign a category and have the option to assign a theme. In the OS X Finder, templates are stored according to the following folder hierarchy: template type/category/theme. For example, if you save a Final Cut Effect template to the “Blur” category with an optional “News” theme, it is stored in the Finder in the /Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/Effects/Blur/News/yourtemplatename folder. Note: You can also sort by theme in the Motion Project Browser using the Theme pop-up menu. Contents of the template folder Each template folder contains the following items: large.png: This file is used for the preview in the Motion Project Browser and as a preview in the Final Cut Pro browser when the project loads in the background. small.png: This file is used for the thumbnail preview of the template in the Final Cut Pro browser. The current frame when the template is saved in Motion is used for the preview frame. yourtemplatename.mov: This file is used for the movie preview of the template that plays when the template is selected in the Motion Project Browser. This file is created when you select the “Save Preview Movie” checkbox before saving. yourtemplatename.moef, -.motn, -.moti, or -.motr: This is the Motion template’s project document. .moef is the Final Cut Effect template extension. .motn is the Final Cut Generator template extension. .moti is the Final Cut Title template extension. .motr is the Final Cut Transition template extension. Media folder: This folder contains all media in the project— media used in the placeholder and other clips and images used in the project, including content such as particle cell sources. If you clear the media in the template placeholder before saving the template, that media is not saved in the Media folder. Note: If you select “Include unused media” in the save dialog, Note: If you select “Include unused media” in the save dialog, media in the Media pane (the storage area for media not used in the Motion project), is included in the Media folder. Sharing templates To share templates and associated media files between users and computers, place the associated template files in the same folder structure on another user’s computer in the /Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/ folder. About using masks in templates You can use shapes and masks in any Final Cut Pro template type. For the best template results, use the following guidelines: Limit the use of shapes to generator templates. Shapes are ideal generator template elements because they can be scaled in Final Cut Pro X without degradation. (However, too many shapes in a template can adversely impact performance in Final Cut Pro.) A shape added to a placeholder layer is converted to a mask. When a template with a masked placeholder is applied to a clip in Final Cut Pro, the mask is applied to the clip. Objects in the template outside the placeholder are not affected. Mask parameters (Roundness, Feather, and Mask Blend Mode, and so on) can be published so they are editable in Final Cut Pro. However, the onscreen mask controls in Motion are not available in Final Cut Pro. To reposition a template mask in Final Cut Pro, publish the mask’s transform parameters (located in the mask’s Properties Inspector). For more information on publishing, see Add parameter controls overview. For more information on working with shapes and masks, see Shapes, masks, and paint strokes overview. Guidelines for better template creation To get the best results when creating custom templates, consider the following suggestions: Although you can drag a video clip into a placeholder layer for preview purposes, the clip’s duration can interfere with timing built into the template. For that reason, it’s better to use still images in templates when you need to preview an effect. Complex Motion layer effects such as particle emitters and replicators are not recommended for use in any template types, because they might negatively affect Final Cut Pro X performance. The first time you save a template that’s a work in progress, deselect the Save Preview Movie checkbox in the save dialog. Doing so prevents Motion from creating a movie preview each time you save the draft template. (The preview movie appears in the Motion Project Browser.) When you’re ready to save the final version of the template, select the Save Preview Movie checkbox to create the preview movie. When creating complex templates that involve multiple drop When creating complex templates that involve multiple drop zones, use a Final Cut Generator or Final Cut Title template. As with any project in Motion, too many effects (such as filters, text objects, and so on) adversely impact performance in Final Cut Pro. Create animation using behaviors rather than keyframes. Behaviors are easier to modify when the template is applied in Final Cut Pro. Avoid publishing parameters animated with behaviors or keyframes. Published parameters allow template customization in Final Cut Pro. Shapes are nice graphic elements to add to a template project (outside of the placeholder), as they can be scaled without degradation. (Shapes added to a placeholder become masks). However, too many shapes in a template will adversely impact performance in Final Cut Pro. Ensure that “Create Layers At” in the Project pane of Motion Preferences (click Command-Comma to open Preferences) is set to “Start of project.” In the Motion Timeline, ensure that all filter and behavior bars extend to the end of the project. Before saving a template, decide whether you want to save or clear preview media, based on the following considerations: Media not cleared is saved with the template, creating longer render times and consuming storage space. Media saved with the template is available when the template is reopened in Motion (via the “Open in Motion” command in the Final Cut Pro media browsers), allowing you to pick up where you left off in the previous templatebuilding session. When keying green screen or blue screen footage, using a keying template is not recommended. Footage should be keyed directly in its own project in Final Cut Pro or Motion. This is because the Keyer filter analyzes the footage it is initially applied to. You can render a keyed clip with its alpha channel and add the clip to a Final Cut Pro project. For more information, see Keying overview. Do not use image sequences when creating templates. If an object in a template has an applied Link Parameter behavior, do not move the object to another group. Doing so breaks the links. If you publish parameters for an object and then delete that object, all parameters set to be published are also deleted. Do not use deprecated filters (older filters that are no longer supported in Motion 5) in a template. Although the filter may render correctly in Motion, it may not render correctly after the template is applied to a Final Cut Pro clip. If using a third-party filter, ensure that your template contains a Project Loop End marker (or that the project’s duration is set to one frame). If the template does not contain a Project Loop End marker, the effect is re-rendered in Final Cut Pro following certain editing actions, such as blading or trimming. Template placeholder layers cannot be duplicated. If a group that contains a placeholder is duplicated, other objects in the group are duplicated, but not the placeholder. If you plan to loop template animation, or need to match the template and a Final Cut Pro project frame for frame, create the template with the same frame rate as the Final Cut Pro project. For more information on looping template animation, see Add template markers. Build rigs Rigging overview Even a relatively basic Motion project contains numerous parameter controls. You can customize and even combine multiple controls using rigging. Rigging lets you map one or more parameters at preset values to a single control. For example, you can rig a single slider to change the size, color, and tracking of a text object to a specific range of preset values. Or you can rig a single a checkbox to activate shadows and reflections for all objects in a project. The customized master controls (checkboxes, pop-up menus, and sliders) in a rig are called widgets. You can create widgets to adjust nearly any parameter of any object in your project, including behaviors, filters, particle systems, replicators, text, shapes, video clips, images, cameras, lights, and so on. Widgets can even control other widgets. There’s no limit to the number of parameters each widget affects. You can use multiple widgets in a rig to create a customized control panel where a few controls modify a wide range of parameters in the project. Rigging is especially useful in Final Cut Pro X templates, allowing users to modify a complex group of parameters with a small set of controls, or limiting user control to ensure that junior compositors, editors, and others in the production pipeline adhere to established specs and client needs. But rigs are also useful in Motion, allowing you to simplify the control set of a complex project. Instead of making changes by manipulating individual parameters, you can modify the Motion project using just a few widgets in a rig. For examples showing how rigs can simplify a Motion project, see How to use a single rig and How to use multiple rigs. The following image shows a Rig in the Inspector with a single checkbox widget controlling the color of multiple objects. The name of the checkbox has been customized (“Dark colors”). SEE ALSO How does rigging work? Build a simple rig Work with widgets Publish rigs to Final Cut Pro How does rigging work? When you create a rig and add a widget control, you assign sets of snapshots to the widget. A snapshot is a record of parameter states for one or more objects in your project. Widgets let you switch between stored snapshots. For example, you can use a checkbox widget to record a snapshot of a shape’s Scale and Color parameters at one set of values (large and red) and then record another snapshot at a different set of values (small and green). In this example, when you select and deselect the checkbox widget (in the Widget Inspector), the shape snaps from large and red to small and green, and vice versa. See Snapshots overview. There are three types of widgets, each offering a different level of control over snapshots: Checkbox: The most basic widget, toggles between two snapshots. For more information, see Checkbox widget. Pop-up menu: A slightly more complex widget, lets you choose from among multiple snapshots. For more information, see Pop-up menu widget. Slider: The most complex widget, lets you apply gradual changes between multiple snapshots. For more information, see Slider widget. There are several ways to record snapshots. The most basic method is to use the Rig Edit Mode button in the Widget Inspector. In rig edit mode, any changes you make to the parameters of any object update the active snapshot in that widget. For more information, see Build a simple rig. For additional ways to assign snapshots, see Snapshots overview. There are several factors to consider when using rigs: Each parameter in a project can be assigned to only one widget at a time. However, you can store many values for that parameter as different snapshots that can be accessed using a pop-up menu or slider widget. Because a parameter cannot be controlled simultaneously by two widgets, you cannot duplicate (or cut/copy and paste) a rig or widget. Similarly, if you duplicate or copy and paste an object with rigged parameters, the new object’s parameters are not rigged. If a parameter is assigned to a widget, that parameter cannot be modified while you are actively recording a different widget’s snapshot. For example, if you have a slider widget controlling a shape object’s color, and you begin recording a snapshot for a different widget, the shape’s color is not modifiable. Some parameter types cannot be rigged. Some parameters that use the mini-curve editor to affect an object over a range (such as the various “over stroke” parameters in the Shape inspector) cannot be added to a rig or modified while recording a snapshot. If you modify a parameter that cannot be rigged in edit mode, the change is applied globally— affecting all snapshots containing that object. Build a simple rig The following task describes how to add a basic rig to a project, add a widget to the rig, then assign parameters and snapshots (parameter states) to the widget. 1. Choose Object > New Rig (or press Control-Command-R). A new rig is added to the project (shown in the Layers list and Timeline layers list). 2. In the Rig Inspector, click one of the three buttons: Add Slider: Adds a slider widget to the rig, enabling users to apply gradual changes between multiple parameter states Add Pop-up: Adds a pop-up menu widget to the rig, enabling users to choose from among multiple parameter states Add Checkbox: Adds a checkbox widget to the rig, enabling users to toggle between two parameter states The new widget (in this example, a pop-up menu widget) appears in the Layers list under its parent rig: And the Widget Inspector opens: By default, the widget contains empty placeholders for snapshots (parameter states). In this example, the pop-up menu widget contains three options: Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, and Snapshot 3. You can rename them using the Rename button. See Create and manage snapshots. 3. To assign parameters and snapshots (specific parameter states) to the widget, do the following: a. In the Rig inspector or the Widget inspector, click the Edit Mode Start button. A window appears containing the Stop Rig Edit Mode button. The appearance of this window indicates that you are in rig edit mode: Any changes you make to parameters of any object in your project will be recorded as a snapshot. b. Record a snapshot by making changes to objects in your project in the Canvas, the HUD, or the Inspector. In this example, any changes you make are applied to the Snapshot 1 pop-up menu item. c. When you finish making changes to parameters, click Stop Rig Edit Mode. The snapshot is stored and the parameters you modified are added to the Widget Inspector, alongside a joystick icon indicating that the parameter is rigged. d. To set additional snapshots, choose an unassigned snapshot in the widget (in this example, choose Snapshot 2 from the pop-up menu), then repeat steps a, b, and c. After you add snapshots to a widget, adjusting the widget control (the checkbox, pop-up menu, or slider) loads a snapshot, changing the state of affected parameters in your project. For information about other methods to create snapshots, see Snapshots overview and Control rigs from parameter Animation menus. Work with widgets A rig has no effect until it contains a widget with assigned snapshots (parameter states). Widgets are special controls used to drive parameters in the project. Widgets are represented in four places in the Motion workspace: In the Layers list, under the parent rig. In the Rig Inspector. If the rig has multiple widgets, they all appear here. In the HUD. In the Widget Inspector. Widgets can be reordered and renamed. Renaming widgets can be important if you have multiple widgets of the same type. Otherwise you see a list of controls that have identical, generic names. When viewing the Widget Inspector, the controls for the selected widget are displayed. When viewing the Rig inspector, controls for all widgets in the rig are displayed. The Widget Inspector and Rig Inspector both display the parameter controls used to modify the widget (an Edit Mode button and the parameters you’ve assigned to it). However, the HUD displays only the assigned widget control (the checkbox, pop-up menu, or slider that toggles or adjusts the widget), not the parameters used to modify the widget. When a rig is selected, the HUD shows all widget controls assigned to that rig. Add a widget and assign a parameter in a single step As an alternative to creating a widget using the buttons in the Rig Inspector, you can create a rig and a widget and then apply a parameter to the widget in a single step. Do one of the following: In the Inspector, click a parameter’s animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you position the pointer over the right side of a parameter row), choose Add To Rig, choose a rig, then choose a widget type from the submenu. Drag a parameter row from any Inspector pane to a rig object in the Layers list. Dropping the parameter row immediately on the rig object creates a slider widget. Pausing briefly causes a drop menu to appear, allowing you to select the widget type you want to create. A new widget appears in the Layers list, under its parent rig. In the Widget Inspector, the parameter you chose appears under the Edit Mode button, ready for snapshot assignment. For more information, see Create and manage snapshots and Control rigs from parameter Animation menus. Reorder widgets in a rig In the Layers list, drag the widgets into the order you want them to appear. Rename a widget By default, each widget is named according to its type (“Checkbox,” for example). However, you can assign a custom name to identify the settings the widget will affect. Double-click the widget name in the Layers list, enter a new name, then press Return. Widget names cannot be changed in the Inspector. Note: If the widget has been published, the name change does not carry through to the published parameter. To synchronize names, rename the widget manually in the Publishing pane of the Project Inspector, or unpublish and republish the newly named widget. Move a widget to another rig If there are multiple rigs in a project, widgets can be moved easily between the different rigs. In the Layers list, drag the widget you want move onto another rig. Delete a widget from a rig Select the widget, then do one of the following: Press Delete. Choose Edit > Delete. Control-click the widget, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu. SEE ALSO Checkbox widget Pop-up menu widget Slider widget Widget types Checkbox widget Checkbox widgets allow you to switch between two snapshots— that is, between two sets of parameter states. Typically, checkbox widgets are used to create an on/off type of effect, although you can store any parameter states in either snapshot, creating more of a toggle effect. The activation checkboxes in the Rig Inspector (highlighted blue when selected) and in the Layers list (beside the checkbox widget) have no effect on the constituent parameters of the checkbox. Checkbox widgets contain the following controls in the Rig Inspector and Widget Inspector: Checkbox: Use this widget control to switch between two snapshots (parameter states). Edit Mode: Click the Start button to enable snapshot recording. For more information about recording snapshots, see Snapshots overview. Note: When you record a snapshot (using the Edit Mode button or the methods described in Snapshots overview), the affected parameters (those you modify in the Inspector or via onscreen controls in the Canvas) are added to the widget. When you finish recording a snapshot, new controls for the modified parameters appear in the Widget Inspector. These parameters are duplicates of the same parameters that occur in other Inspector panes. Parameters controlled by a rig display a special icon (a joystick) on the right side of the parameter row in the Inspector. Pop-up menu widget Pop-up menu widgets are similar to checkbox widgets but allow you to save more than two parameter states (snapshots). Each item in a pop-up menu widget represents a snapshot. When you choose an item in the pop-up menu, the affected parameters in your project toggle to a different saved state. The activation checkboxes in the Rig Inspector (highlighted blue when selected) and in the Layers list (beside the pop-up menu widget) have no effect on the constituent parameters of the popup menu. Pop-up menu widgets contain the following controls in the Rig Inspector and Widget Inspector: Pop-up: Use this widget control to switch between multiple saved snapshots. Rename: Use this button to enter a custom name for the item in the pop-up menu. Add/Delete: Click the Add button (+) to add an item to the pop-up menu; click the Delete button (–) to remove an item. Each item represents a new snapshot. Edit Mode: Click the Start button to enable snapshot recording. For more information about recording snapshots, see Snapshots overview. Note: When you record a snapshot (using the Edit Mode button or the methods described in Snapshots overview), the affected parameters (those you modify in the Inspector or via onscreen controls in the Canvas) are added to the widget. When you finish recording a snapshot, new controls for the modified parameters appear in the Widget Inspector. These parameters are duplicates of the same parameters that occur in other Inspector panes. Parameters controlled by a rig display a special icon (a joystick) on the right side of the parameter row in the Inspector. Initial Value: Use this control (in the Options section) to set the initial value for the pop-up menu widget when it’s published and used as a template in Final Cut Pro X. There are three options: Last Saved: When the template is used in Final Cut Pro, the pop-up menu value defaults to the menu item assigned when the project was last saved. This option ensures a consistent pop-up menu state, while still permitting users to choose alternate states manually. This is the default setting. Sequential: Each time the template is used (in a single project) in Final Cut Pro, the setting of this pop-up menu changes, rotating through the available menu items. The first time the template is used, this pop-up menu defaults to the first menu item. The next time the template is used, the pop-up menu is set to the second menu item, and so on. For example, in a wipe transition template with a popup menu widget assigned to control the shape of the wipe, the first time you add the template to the Final Cut Pro timeline, the wipe is a star; the next time you apply the template to the Final Cut Pro timeline, the wipe is a circle, and so on. Random: Each time the template is used in Final Cut Pro, another menu item from this pop-up menu is assigned by default. For example, in a title template with a pop-up menu widget assigned to control the title’s font, each successive time the title is used in a project, a font is randomly selected from the font list. Slider widget Slider widgets let you select values interpolated between snapshots. When you drag the slider, the affected parameters change gradually, ramping between the values of adjacent snapshots. Each snapshot assigned to a slider is represented by a separate snapshot tag—a small shaded circle underneath the slider widget. For information on adding snapshot tags, see the tasks in Create and manage snapshots. Clicking a snapshot tag sets the value of the slider to the tag’s value and enables the tag’s snapshot for editing. Setting the slider to values between tags causes the rigged parameter values to be interpolated between the surrounding snapshot values. The activation checkboxes in the Rig Inspector (highlighted blue when selected) and in the Layers list (beside the slider widget) have no effect on the constituent parameters of the slider. Slider widgets contain the following controls in the Rig Inspector and Widget Inspector: Slider: Use this widget control to move between snapshots. The snapshot tags beneath the slider indicate the saved snapshots. Snapshot tags: The small (unlabeled) shaded circles underneath the slider indicate saved snapshots. Double-click below the slider to add snapshot tags. Add as many snapshot tags as you want. Snapshot tags work similarly to tags that represent individual colors in a gradient. To learn how tags are used when creating gradients, see Gradient editor controls. Edit Mode: Click the Start button to enable snapshot recording. For more information about recording snapshots, see Snapshots overview. Note: When you record a snapshot (using the Edit Mode button or the methods described in Snapshots overview), the affected parameters (those you modify in the Inspector or via onscreen controls in the Canvas) are added to the widget. When you finish recording a snapshot, new controls for the modified parameters appear in the Widget Inspector. These parameters are duplicates of the same parameters that occur in other Inspector panes. Parameters controlled by a rig display a special icon (a joystick) on the right side of the parameter row in the Inspector. Range Minimum: Use this parameter (in the Options section) to set the low end of the numeric range displayed next to the slider widget. For example, if you want the slider widget to range from 0 to 11, set Range Minimum to 0. Range Maximum: Use this parameter (in the Options section) to set the high end of the numeric range displayed next to the slider widget. For example, if you want the slider widget to range from 0 to 11, set Range Maximum to 11. If you want the slider widget to range from 0 to 100, set Range Maximum to 100. Note: Range Minimum and Range Maximum have no effect on the actual parameter values that the slider widget controls. Range Minimum and Range Maximum merely designate an arbitrary numeric range that’s displayed next to the slider widget. Interpolation: Use this pop-up menu (in the Options section) to set how values on the slider are interpolated. The interpolation applies to the segment of the slider between the current snapshot tag and the next one. You can set interpolation methods for each segment of the slider. By default, all segments are set to Linear. There are three menu options: Constant: Holds the value of the first snapshot until the slider reaches the next snapshot, at which point the parameter changes. (This is similar to changing states using a pop-up menu widget.) Linear: Creates a simple interpolation between states. Ease: Creates a smooth interpolation, where the effect is weighted towards the nearer snapshot tag. Manage parameter snapshots Snapshots overview When you click the Edit Mode Start button in the Widget Inspector or Rig Inspector, Motion begins recording parameter changes you make (including parameters you animate). Also, a window appears containing a Stop Rig Edit Mode button. The parameter changes you make while in rig edit mode are stored in the current snapshot (the item selected in the widget checkbox, pop-up menu, or slider). Other snapshots in the rig are unaffected. After you stop rig edit mode, any parameter you modified (in the Canvas, or in the HUD or Inspector) is added to the Widget Inspector, and its state is saved in the snapshot. Only one snapshot can be modified per edit mode session. To edit more than one snapshot, end the editing session, select another snapshot (by clicking another snapshot tag for a slider, by choosing a new menu item for a pop-up menu, or by changing the state of a checkbox), then start a new edit mode session. Parameters affected by a rig display a joystick icon on the right side of the parameter row. Any parameter controlled by a rig is added to the Widget Inspector, below the Edit Mode Start button and above the Options parameters. Note: Each parameter can be controlled by only one widget. After a parameter is assigned to a widget, you cannot assign that parameter to additional widgets. You can add parameters to a widget after a snapshot is created by clicking the Start Rig Edit Mode button again and making changes to new parameters (see Create and manage snapshots) or by manually adding parameters to the widget (see Control rigs from parameter Animation menus). Important: After a parameter is added to a widget, changes made to that parameter modify the selected snapshot even if Rig Edit Mode is stopped, and even if the Widget Inspector is not visible. How snapshots are saved Snapshots are saved in the widget. Any parameter affected by a snapshot is persistently displayed in the widget (even if that parameter is unmodified by the current snapshot setting). Parameter controls in widgets are duplicates of the parameter controls they’re linked to. For checkbox widgets, there are two snapshots: one for the selected state and one for the deselected state. Making changes to the linked parameters affects the snapshot for the current state of the checkbox. For pop-up menu widgets, there are as many snapshots as there are menu items. Add menu items by clicking the Add button (+) to the right of the pop-up menu in the Widget Inspector. Making changes to the parameters affects the selected pop-up menu item. For slider widgets, you must select a snapshot tag before enabling Edit Rig Mode. After parameters are added to the widget, they can be modified only when a specific snapshot tag is selected. If a slider widget is set between two tags, you cannot modify parameters. Create and manage snapshots You can record and modify snapshots using the controls in the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector. Record a snapshot 1. Select a rig or widget in the Layers list. For information about creating rigs and widgets, see Build a simple rig. 2. In the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector, choose a snapshot state from the widget control you want to record to: Checkbox widget: To record to the selected state, select the checkbox. To record to the deselected state, deselect the checkbox. Pop-up menu widget: Click the pop-up menu, then choose an item (Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, or Snapshot 3) to record to. Slider widget: Select a snapshot tag (one of the gray shaded circles under the slider) to record to. To create a new snapshot tag, double-click an empty area below the slider. When selected, the snapshot tag is highlighted blue. 3. Click the Edit Mode Start button under the widget control you prepared in step 2. A window appears containing a Stop Rig Edit Mode button. The appearance of this window indicates that changes you make to parameters will be recorded. 4. Make changes to one or more parameters of one or more objects in your project using the onscreen controls in the Canvas or the numeric controls in the HUD or Inspector. Each adjustment you make is recorded to the snapshot setting selected in the widget (the checkbox, pop-up menu item, or slider position). 5. After you set the parameters to the desired snapshot state, click the Stop Rig Edit Mode button. Recording is stopped, and the snapshot is stored to the widget. Modified parameters are added to the Widget Inspector (under the Edit Mode Start button) alongside a joystick icon indicating that the parameter is rigged. 6. To set additional snapshots, repeat steps 2 through 5. Rename a snapshot in a pop-up menu widget By default the snapshot settings in a pop-up menu widget are named Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, and Snapshot 3. You can give them more descriptive names using the Rename button. 1. Select a rig or widget in the Layers list. For information about creating rigs and widgets, see Build a simple rig. 2. In the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector, choose an item from the pop-up menu (Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, or Snapshot 3), then click the Rename button. 3. Enter a new name in the highlighted field, then press Return. The menu item updates to the new name. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to rename additional pop-up menu items. Add snapshot items to a pop-up menu widget By default, the pop-up menu widget contains three menu items (Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, and Snapshot 3). You can add or remove menu items using the Add or Delete button. 1. Select a rig or widget in the Layers list. For information about creating rigs and widgets, see Build a simple rig. 2. In the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector, choose an item from the pop-up menu, then do one of the following: Add a menu item: Click the Add button (+) to the right of the pop-up menu, enter a name for the new item in the highlighted field, then press Return. Remove a menu item: Click the Delete button (–) to the right of the pop-up menu. Add a snapshot tag to a slider widget By default there are two recordable snapshot settings in a slider widget, represented by snapshot tags: shaded gray circles under the slider, and at either end. When you record snapshots to these two tags, values along the slider between the two tags are interpolated; in other words, when you drag the slider, the affected parameters change gradually, ramping between the values of adjacent snapshots. You can add additional snapshot tags to the slider widget to create more complex ranges of parameter change. 1. Select a rig or widget in the Layers list. For information about creating rigs and widgets, see Build a simple rig. 2. In the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector, double-click an empty area below a slider widget. A new snapshot tag appears under the slider. Parameters at this position inherit their values based on the interpolation point between the two snapshot tags adjacent to the new snapshot tags. You can reorder snapshot tags by dragging them left or right under the slider. To record new or additional parameter values for a snapshot tag, see “Record a snapshot” above. Delete a snapshot tag from a slider widget Drag the tag away from the area under the slider. Control rigs from parameter Animation menus Using the Animation menu, you can create or modify a rig while you’re modifying specific parameters in your project. Add a parameter to a rig In the Inspector, click the Animation menu for the parameter (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row), choose Add to Rig > Rig, then choose a rig and a specific widget from the submenus. The parameter is added to the selected widget in the rig. Note: You can also create a rig via this submenu. Remove a parameter from a widget In the Inspector, click the Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row) of the parameter to remove, then choose Remove from Widget [name of widget]. The parameter is removed from the widget. Note: Parameters can be removed from a widget in the parameter list in the Widget Inspector or in the Inspector containing the original parameter. Reveal the widget driving a parameter In the Inspector, click the Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row) for the parameter, then choose Reveal Widget [name of widget]. The Inspector displays the Widget pane. Reveal the original parameter used in a widget In the Widget inspector (not the Rig Inspector), click the Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row) for the parameter, then choose Reveal Target Parameter. The Inspector containing the original parameter is opened and the parameter name briefly blinks yellow. Note: The Reveal Target Parameter command can be especially helpful when a widget is driving multiple similarly named parameters from different objects. This command allows you to identify the parent object. How to use rigs How to use a single rig Although rigs are often used to build master controls for use in Final Cut Pro X projects, they’re also useful in Motion, to simplify the control set of a complex project. Instead of making changes by manipulating individual parameters in various Inspectors, you can modify the Motion project using just a few widgets in a single rig. You can make changes to a Motion project by adjusting widgets in the Rig Inspector, in the Widget Inspector, or in the Rig HUD. However, it may be easiest to adjust widgets in the Rig HUD, which displays only the widgets you’ve created (and none of the additional controls used to create and customize widget settings). A rig is especially helpful when you need to share a complex project with multiple users or when the project is designed to be updated each time it’s used. For example, you can create a basic project for an animated lower-third title that incorporates two text objects, a background replicator, and a lens flare generator that moves across the text. Each time the project is used, the size and position of the background generator must change to match the length of the text. Also, the lens flare must only appear on top of the letters. By adding a rig to the project, you can create a small set of controls that modify only the parameters such changes require. As an alternative to adjusting widgets in the Rig HUD, you can publish the widgets, then adjust them in the Project Inspector. (Open the Project Inspector by selecting the Project object at the top of the Layers list). For more information about publishing, see Publish rigs to Final Cut Pro. You can even apply keyframes to a slider widget to create dynamic animated effects based on saved snapshots in the slider. (Pop-up menu and checkbox widgets cannot be keyframed, nor can they accept behaviors. For more information, see About widget animation.) How to use multiple rigs You can create multiple rigs in a single project to better organize related widgets. Likewise, you can group each rig in the Layers list with the object or objects it affects. That way you can quickly navigate to the relevant rig to control the specific, related parameters. You can also use one widget to control another. Treat the widget as you would another parameter control when manipulating a snapshot for a widget. Note: You cannot create recursively controlled widgets. That is, you cannot use one widget to drive a second widget that’s already driving the first. About widget animation When a Motion project contains a rig with a slider widget, you can use keyframes to animate the parameters modified by the slider (using the same keyframing method you use for unrigged parameters). Keyframing a slider widget lets you create powerful and complex effects where multiple parameters driven by a single widget are animated simultaneously. In rig edit mode, you can also apply Parameter behaviors to a rigged object. Note: Pop-up menu widgets and checkbox widgets cannot be keyframed, nor can they accept behaviors. For more information about animating with keyframes, see Keyframing overview. Publish rigs to Final Cut Pro Rigging is especially useful in Final Cut Pro X templates, allowing users to modify a complex group of parameters with a small set of controls, or limiting user control to ensure that junior compositors, editors, and others in the production pipeline adhere to established specs and client needs. After you add widgets (checkboxes, pop-up menus, and sliders) to a rig in a Final Cut Pro template in Motion, you must choose which widgets you want to publish. When you save the template, its published widgets become available in Final Cut Pro. Publish a widget to Final Cut Pro In the Rig or Widget Inspector, Control-click the name of the parameter to publish, then choose Publish from the shortcut menu. Note: The template must be saved for its published parameter controls to be available in Final Cut Pro. View published parameters in Motion You can review the parameters set to be published in your template by opening the Project Inspector. 1. Click the Project object at the top of the Layers list. 2. In the Project Inspector, open the Publishing pane. The Publishing pane displays all published parameters, including widgets. When saved in a template, published parameters also appear in the inspector in Final Cut Pro. For more information about publishing, see Add parameter controls overview. Create particles Particles overview Particle systems let you create sophisticated effects involving large numbers of automatically animated objects. You can add a premade particle system to your composition from the Library, or you can create your own custom particle effects using nearly any image layer or group in your project, including still images, shapes, text, and movies. Particle systems consist of two basic elements: Particle emitter: A special type of effect applied to a layer, causing the layer to multiply and animate according to the parameters you set in the Inspector. Particle cell: The image layer that’s multiplied and animated by the particle emitter. The emitter and cells have separate sets of parameters that control the particle system’s behavior. If you imagine that a garden hose is a particle system, the nozzle acts as the emitter, while the water represents the flow of particles. Changing the parameters of the emitter changes the shape from which the particles are emitted as well as their direction. Changing the cell’s parameters affects each particle. Each particle created in the Canvas is essentially a duplicate of the cell, and is animated according to the parameters of that particle system over its lifetime. The layer you use as a particle system’s cell determines the appearance of that particle system. Particle systems can contain multiple cells (image layers), resulting in the release of several types of particles from a single emitter. Many of the most sophisticated particle presets in the Particle Emitters library are constructed in this way. SEE ALSO Add preset particles or create custom particles What happens when you create a particle emitter? Add a particle system to a project Add preset particles or create custom particles There are two basic ways to add a particle system to a project: Choose a preset from the Particle Emitters category of the Library. Create a custom particle system using your own image, video clip, shape, or text. You can also use multiple images as source cells for a single particle system. Add a preset particle system from the Library The easiest way to add a particle system to your project is to use a preset in the Particle Emitters category of the Library. There are many types of particle effects to choose from. If you find one close to what you need, you can easily customize its parameters after you add it to your project. Particle systems are added to a project exactly like any other object in Motion. 1. In the Library, select the Particle Emitters category, then select a subcategory, such as Nature, Pyro, SciFi, and so on. 2. In the Library stack under the categories and subcategories, select a particle preset. An animated preview of the selected particle emitter plays in the Library preview area. 3. Do one of the following: Click Apply in the preview area to add the selected particle system to the center of the Canvas. Note: If Create Layers At is set to “Start of project” in the Project pane of Motion Preferences, the particle system is added at the first frame. See If it’s your first import. Drag the particle system from the Library stack into the Canvas to the position where you want it to appear. Drag the particle system from the Library stack into a group in the Layers list or Timeline. Drag the particle system from the Library stack to the track area of the Timeline or mini-Timeline; when you reach the frame where you want the new particles to start, release the mouse button. The new particle emitter layer appears in the Layers list and in the Canvas, composited against any other layers you’ve already added. When you add a particle system from the Library, the system acts as it did in the preview area. If necessary, modify the particle system parameters in the HUD or Inspector. See Emitter adjustment overview. You can modify a particle system only after it’s added to a project. Note: Some emitters look best when motion blur is enabled. Preset Library emitters that benefit from motion blur include Jelly Bands, Light Transit, Rain Streaks, and Silly String. To enable motion blur, choose Motion Blur from the Render pop-up menu (above the Canvas), or choose View > Render Options > Motion Blur (or press Option-M). Create a custom particle system To create a custom particle system, you must select a layer in your project to use as the source for a cell in a new particle emitter. You can use any layer in your project as a cell source, including still images, video clips, text, or shapes created in Motion. The layer you select when you create an emitter becomes the first cell in that particle system. The cell specifies the look of the actual particles generated in the Canvas. Note: You can also use a group as the source for an emitter cell, but your computer’s processing performance may slow drastically. 1. Create an image layer to serve as the cell source for the particles that your emitter will generate. This example uses an image of a simple white circular gradient, such as the “basic blur” image located in the Library (in the Particle Images subcategory of the Content category). 2. Move the object in the Canvas to the location where you want the center of your particle system to be. 3. Select the object, then do one of the following: In the toolbar, click the Make Particles button. Press E. The new custom particle emitter layer appears in the Layers list and in the Canvas, composited against any other layers you’ve already added. If necessary, modify the particle system parameters in the HUD or Inspector. See Emitter adjustment overview. Create complex particles using multiple source layers You can add as many cells as you want in a single emitter, creating complex compositions with different overlapping particles. 1. Add one or more image layers to your project. 2. In the Layers list, select the layers to use as the particle cells, then do one of the following: In the toolbar, click the Make Particles button. Press E. A new particle emitter layer appears in the Layers list and in the Canvas. The emitter’s cells (the image layers you selected in the previous step) appear in Layers list under the emitter object. 3. To create additional cells for the emitter, drag layers in the Layers list onto an existing emitter. Note: Layers dragged from the File Browser or Library directly are not added to an emitter, but as a layer in a new group. The layers you drag are copied to the particle system, appearing as new source cells in the Layers list (under the emitter object) and in the Canvas as part of the complex particle system. The original layers remain as standalone items in the project. You can deselect their activation checkboxes in the Layers list to hide them in the Canvas. (However, if you delete the original layers, their source cells are deleted from the particle system.) When you play the project, each source cell generates particles simultaneously, according to each source cell’s parameters. When selected in the Layers list, each cell displays its own Particle Cell Inspector. Note: When multiple sources are used to create a particle system, the resulting emitter is positioned in the Canvas at the average of the sources’ positions. Optimize particle system resolution to improve playback performance Particle systems often create particles that grow or move off the Canvas before they “die.” This can make the size of a layer or group much larger than the dimensions of the Canvas. Although the particles are not visible after they move off the Canvas (unless Show Full View Area is enabled in the View menu), they’re still present in the project and are processed. You can improve playback performance by constraining the resolution (height and width) of the group containing the particle emitter. Note: Using a movie with applied filters as a particle cell source adversely impacts your computer’s processing performance. For better performance, export your sequence with the filter applied, then import it back into Motion and use the movie as the cell source. 1. In the Layers list, select a group that contains a particle emitter. 2. In the Group Inspector, select the Fixed Resolution checkbox. For more information, see Constrain group size. What happens when you create a particle emitter? After you add a particle emitter to a project, the following occurs: An emitter appears in the Layers list and is selected. A cell containing the image or images to be “particle-ized” appears as a sublayer underneath the emitter (click the disclosure triangle beside the emitter layer to hide or reveal its cells). The original source layer (the cell source) is disabled. Note: Changes made to the original source layer, such as opacity or shearing, are also applied to the particles even after the emitter is created. In the Canvas, a bounding box with transform handles appears around the selected particle system. Note: For projects with a frame rate greater than 30 frames Note: For projects with a frame rate greater than 30 frames per second (fps), you may see only the bounding box (not the first particle) at the first frame of your project. Because Motion generates particles at a default rate of 30 per second, there’s no guarantee that a particle will appear on every frame. The first particle appears in the Canvas in the same location as the original (now-disabled) source layer. The Emitter HUD appears. If you’ve hidden the HUD, press F7 to show it. The Emitter Inspector becomes available. By default, the first frame of a new particle system (with a single cell) has one particle. If you play your project (press the Space bar), additional particles are generated and emerge from the center of the emitter. By default, new cells emit one particle per frame in all directions (for 30-fps projects), and each particle moves 100 pixels per second away from the emitter over a lifetime of 5 seconds (150 frames in a 30-fps project). Note: Use the Initial Number control in the Particle Cell Inspector to change the default behavior so a particle system begins with a burst of particles at the first frame. For more information, see Emitter controls. Adjust a particle system Emitter adjustment overview You can adjust particle systems (emitters and cells) in your project in a number of ways: Modify the general appearance of the emitter by changing the source image, adjusting cell opacity, changing an emitter’s position in the Canvas, or deleting cells or the entire emitter. Adjust basic parameter controls in the HUD. Adjust all parameter controls in the Inspector. Modify basic particle system attributes You can make basic adjustments to a particle system by replacing its source image, adjusting cell opacity, removing unwanted cells, changing the emitter’s size or position in the Canvas, or removing the entire emitter. Replace a preset emitter’s cell source image After you add a preset emitter to your project, you can customize it by replacing its source image. 1. In the File Browser or Library, select the file you want to use as the replacement graphic for the preset, then add it to the project. 2. In the Layers list, drag the layer to the emitter cell source you want to replace. Note: If the cell layer is not visible, click the disclosure triangle next to the emitter. 3. When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. The original cell source image is replaced with the new layer. 4. Optional: Hide the new cell source layer by deselecting its activation checkbox in the Layers list. The cells based on this layer remain in your particle system, but the static cell source layer is hidden in the Canvas. Adjust an emitter’s cell opacity Adjust an emitter’s cell opacity Adjust the opacity of individual cells in a particle system by modifying the cell parameters in the Particle Cell Inspector or by modifying the cell source layer’s opacity in the Properties Inspector. Do one of the following: Select a cell in the Layers list, then adjust the Opacity tag in the gradient editor in the Particle Cell Inspector (or change Color Mode to Colorize and adjust the Opacity parameter in the Color controls). For information about adjusting opacity and color, see Change a gradient’s color and opacity. Select the original, deselected cell source layer—not the cell in the emitter—and change its opacity in the HUD or Properties Inspector. Adjust an emitter’s size or position using onscreen controls You can modify the size and position of particle emitters in the Canvas using onscreen transform controls. 1. In the Layers list, select the particle emitter to adjust. 2. In the toolbar, click and hold the 2D transform tools pop-up menu, then choose the Adjust Item tool. When the Adjust Item tool is selected, the emitter onscreen controls appear in the Canvas. The onscreen controls vary depending upon the shape of the emitter (chosen from the Shape pop-up menu in the Emitter Inspector). 3. Resize the emitter in the Canvas by dragging the emitter shape’s outline, or one of its corner points, or (for a Line emitter shape) one of the plus signs (+) on either end of the line. 4. Reposition the emitter in the Canvas by dragging inside the emitter shape (but not directly on the outline). Remove a cell from an emitter You can remove a cell from an emitter that contains multiple cells. In the Layers list or Timeline, select the cell to remove, then press Delete. The original source layers remain in the project (in the Layers list). Remove an emitter from a project You can remove a particle system from the Layers list or Timeline. Select the particle emitter, then press Delete. The emitter and its cells are removed from the project, but the original source layers remain in the project. Modify particle system parameters in the HUD Adjust a particle system in the Emitter HUD When you create an emitter, the particle system begins working according to the default parameters in its Emitter Inspector and Particle Cell Inspector. You can modify the most important of these parameters in the Emitter HUD. Display an Emitter HUD Select the emitter in the Layers list, Timeline, or Canvas. The Emitter HUD appears. (If it does not appear, press F7.) Adjust parameters for a 2D emitter in the HUD Do any of the following: Drag a slider: Birth Rate: Sets how many particles are created every second. Life: Sets how long each particle remains onscreen (in seconds) before disappearing from existence. Scale: Sets the size of each particle, relative to the original size of the cell. Emission Range: Sets the angle at which particles are emitted. Drag in the graphical emission control to modify several parameters simultaneously: Emission Range, Emission Angle, and Emission Speed. For more information, see Emitter HUD controls. Adjust parameters for a 3D emitter in the HUD When the 3D checkbox in the Emitter Inspector is selected, the Emitter HUD offers additional 3D controls for manipulating the emitter in 3D space. Do any of the following: Drag any of the following sliders: Birth Rate: Sets how many particles are created every second. Life: Sets how long each particle remains onscreen (in seconds) before disappearing from existence. Scale: Sets the size of each particle, relative to the original size of the cell. Emission Range: Sets the angle at which particles are emitted. Drag in the graphical emission control to modify the Emission Latitude and Emission Longitude parameters. For more information, see Emitter HUD controls. Transform an emitter in 3D space via the HUD When you select a particle emitter in the Layers list and then select the 3D Transform tool (in the toolbar), the Emitter HUD expands to display additional controls that allow you to transform the emitter in X, Y, and Z space: 1. With an emitter selected in the Layers list, click the 3D transform tool in the toolbar. 2. In the Emitter HUD, drag in any of the control squares to move, rotate, or scale the emitter in 3D space. These controls are available in both 2D emitters and 3D emitters. For more information on using the 3D transform controls in the HUD, see Transform layers in 3D space. For particle systems containing multiple cells, the Emitter HUD parameters simultaneously modify the effect of each cell’s parameters relative to one another. This means that for a particle system consisting of two cells with different scale values, changing the scale in the HUD resizes both cells simultaneously. For example, increasing the scale in the HUD by 200% does not change the scale of both cells to 200%, but resizes the cells relative to their original scale values. For this reason, in emitters with multiple cells, the HUD parameters are displayed as percentages. When you modify the parameters of a single cell, the cell parameters are adjusted directly. SEE ALSO Emitter HUD controls Emitter HUD controls Adjust an emitter using the controls in the Emitter HUD: Birth Rate: A slider that defines how many particles are created every second. Life: A slider that defines how long each particle remains onscreen (in seconds) before disappearing from existence. Scale: A slider that defines the size of each particle, relative to the original size of the cell. Emission Range: A slider that defines the angle at which particles are emitted. Emission control (not labeled): A circular graphical control that Emission control (not labeled): A circular graphical control that lets you modify several parameters simultaneously, described below: Emission Range (2D only): Drag the two points on the outer ring of the graphical emission control to define the range of degrees at which particles are generated. In other words, the Emission Range parameter defines the size of the “slice” of the pie graph that the particles fill when generated. This graphical control adjusts the same parameter as the Emission Range slider. Emission Angle (2D only): Drag the blue arrows clockwise or counterclockwise to change the direction in which particles are emitted (within the angle defined by the Emission Range control). Emission Speed (2D only): Drag the blue arrows outward or inward to define how quickly particles move away from the emitter. Use the following modifier keys to more precisely manipulate the graphical emission control in the HUD: Shift (while adjusting Emission Angle): Restricts angles to 45-degree increments. Shift (while adjusting Emission Range): When working with a 2D emitter, restricts to 22.5-degree increments. Command: When working with a 2D emitter, adjusts Emission Angle only. Option: When working with a 2D emitter, adjusts Emission Speed only. Emission Latitude/Emission Longitude control (not labeled, 3D only): When using a 3D particle emitter (when the 3D checkbox is selected in the Emitter Inspector), the spherical emission control of the HUD lets you modify the Emission Latitude and Emission Longitude parameters. Drag the sphere in the center of the circle to modify the emission direction (in degrees latitude and longitude) of the particles. You can also enter specific values in the Emitter Inspector. Drag the Emission Range slider (above the sphere) to define the range of degrees at which particles are generated. In other words, this control defines the size of the cone that the particles fill when generated in 3D space. SEE ALSO Adjust a particle system in the Emitter HUD Modify particle system parameters in the Inspector Adjust a particle system in the Inspector Particle emitter parameters and particle cell parameters, though closely related, serve different purposes: Particle emitter parameters control the overall shape and direction of the animated mass of particles. Other emitter parameters simultaneously modify the parameters of all cells inside that emitter. You can adjust emitter parameters in the Emitter Inspector. Particle cell parameters control the behavior of particles after they’re generated by the emitter. You can adjust cell parameters in the Particle Cell Inspector. Adjust a particle emitter in the Emitter Inspector 1. Select an emitter object in the Layers list or Timeline. 2. In the Inspector, click Emitter. 3. Adjust the Emitter Controls. The controls of the Emitter Inspector are dynamic—different parameters appear depending on the number of cells in the particle system, the emitter shape that’s used, and whether the 3D checkbox is selected or deselected. For a complete list of these controls, see Emitter controls. Adjust a particle cell in the Particle Cell Inspector 1. Select any cell in an emitter in the Layers list or Timeline. 2. In the Inspector, click Particle Cell (if the pane is not already displayed). 3. Adjust the Cell Controls. For a complete list of these controls, see Particle cell controls SEE ALSO Single-cell versus multi-cell emitter controls Emitter controls Particle cell controls Single-cell versus multi-cell emitter controls If a particle system has only one cell, the Emitter Inspector displays both the emitter controls and the cell controls. In this case, you can control every aspect of the particle system from this single Inspector, which saves you from going back and forth between the Emitter and Particle Cell Inspectors. If a particle system has two or more cells, the Emitter Inspector looks much different. The list of controls is much shorter, and the majority of the cell controls are replaced with a smaller group of master controls (hidden by default). Changes made using the master controls modify the effect of each cell’s parameters relative to the other cells in the system. For example, in a particle system with three cells that have different Scale values, increasing the Scale parameter in the Emitter Inspector multiplies the Scale value of all three cells by the same percentage. This has the result of increasing or reducing the size of every particle in the system, while keeping the size of each particle relative to one another the same. For this reason, the master control values of multi-cell particle systems appear as percentages. Emitter controls The parameters in the Emitter Controls section of the Emitter Inspector determine how particles are distributed and rendered in your project. Several of these parameter controls are identical to those found in the Emitter HUD, with one difference: Although the emission control in the Emitter HUD lets you manipulate the Range, Angle, Latitude (3D), Longitude (3D), and Speed parameters using a single graphical control, the Emitter Inspector uses individual numeric controls for each parameter. Note: The settings for emitters in the Properties Inspector and Emitter Inspector can be keyframed to change values over time. However, there’s no way to control the animation of individual particles. Some parameters in the Emitter Inspector depend on the settings of other parameters. All combinations of parameters are described below: Shape: A pop-up menu to set the overall shape of the emitter. Different shapes significantly alter the distribution of generated particles. When you choose an emitter shape, different Emitter Inspector parameters appear that are unique to that shape. For example, when Rectangle is the selected shape, Outline, Tile Fill, and Random Fill become available in the Arrangement options. The Shape pop-up menu contains the following items: Point: The default shape for new emitters, specifies a single point of emission for a particle system. Line: Particles emerge from a line. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar) or controls in the Properties Inspector, you can specify the length and location of the line. In the Inspector, you can set a specific number of points where particles emerge. This emitter shape is useful for creating sheets of particles that cascade over a wide area. Rectangle: Particles emerge from a rectangle along its edge, or in a tile-fill or random-fill pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar), you can specify the size and location of the rectangle: Drag the corners to adjust width and height; drag edges to adjust width or height independently. You can choose different rectangle patterns via the Arrangement parameter (described below). In the following image, the Arrangement parameter is set to Outline. Use modifier keys to more precisely manipulate the corners of the Rectangle onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar): Option: Adjustments to size are scaled uniformly, with the anchor point remaining fixed. Shift: Adjustments to size are made proportionally. Circle: Particles emerge from a circle-shaped emitter. Depending on the setting you choose in the Arrangement parameter (described below) particles emerge in an outline, tile-fill, or random-fill pattern. This emitter shape is useful for surrounding an element in a composition with particles that emerge from its edge. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar), you can specify the size and location of the circle. In the following image, the shape’s Arrangement parameter is set to Outline. Burst: Particles emerge from a burst pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar), you can specify the size and location of the burst. Spiral: Particles emerge from a spiral pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar), you can specify the size and location of the spiral. Wave: Particles emerge from a waveform. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar) or the Start Point and End Point controls in the Emitter Inspector, you can specify the length and location of the wave. Geometry: Particles emerge from the edge of a shape, defined by a spline object used as the shape source. The following image on the right shows the shape used as the emitter source. The image on the left shows particles emerging from the edge of the shape source. To apply a shape as the geometry shape source for a particle emitter, drag the shape to the Shape Source well in the Emitter Inspector (when the Shape pop-up menu is set to Geometry). Image: Particles emerge from within an area defined by an image or from only the edges of the image. The image may or may not have an alpha channel. If it does, the shape of the alpha channel can also be used to define the emitter shape. The following image on the right shows the image used as the emitter image source. The image on the left shows the particles emerging from within the image. To apply an image as the image source for a particle emitter, drag the image to the Image Source well in the Emitter Inspector (when the Shape pop-up menu is set to Image). Box: This option is available when the 3D checkbox (described below) is selected in the Emitter Inspector. Particles are emitted from a three-dimensional cube along its surface (Outline), or in a tile-fill or random-fill pattern (set in the Arrangement pop-up menu, described below). Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar), you can specify the size and location of the rectangle. Drag the front horizontal edge to adjust height; drag the front vertical edge to adjust width; drag a back edge to adjust depth; drag a front corner to simultaneously adjust the width and height. To reposition the emitter, drag in the shape (but not on an edge or corner point). The following image shows a Box shape with Arrangement set to Tile Fill. Sphere: This option is available when the 3D checkbox (described below) is selected in the Emitter Inspector. Particles are emitted from a three-dimensional sphere along its surface (Outline), or in a tile-fill or random-fill pattern (set in the Arrangement pop-up menu, described below). Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar), you can specify the radius and location of the sphere. Drag the outline of the sphere to adjust its radius; drag in the sphere to reposition it in the Canvas. Arrangement: A pop-up menu (available when the Shape popup menu is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere) to specify the pattern used to generate particles. There are three menu options: Outline: Emits particles along the edge of the shape in 2D emitters and along the surface of the shape in 3D emitters. Tile Fill: Emits particles from a tiled pattern of rows, columns, and ranks (for 3D emitters) in the circle, rectangle, image, box, or sphere. You can specify the number of columns, rows, and ranks, as well as the Tile Offset. Random Fill: Emits particles randomly from within the circle, rectangle, image, box, or sphere. Size/Radius: A slider (available when the Shape pop-up menu is set to Rectangle or Box) to set the size of the rectangle or cube from which particles are emitted. When Rectangle is the selected shape, the Width and Height controls become available. When Box is the selected shape, an additional Depth control becomes available. When Circle is the selected shape, this parameter becomes Radius. Note: Height is measured in project pixels, and Width is measured in square pixels, to ensure that a numerically square shape will look square when Correct for Aspect Ratio is enabled in the View pop-up menu in the top-right corner of the Canvas. For more information about square pixels, see Pixel aspect ratio overview. Columns: A slider available when Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill. Sets the number of horizontal emitter points on a grid over the selected emitter shape. In the case of an irregular shape (nonrectangular), grid points that fall outside of the shape are ignored. Rows: A slider available when Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill. Sets the number of vertical emitter points on a grid over the selected emitter shape. In the case of an irregular shape (nonrectangular), grid points that fall outside of the shape are ignored. Ranks: A slider (available when Shape is set to Box or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill) to set the number of points in Z space on a grid over the selected shape from which particles are emitted. Tile Offset: A slider available when Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill. Values from 0 to 100% offset the rows toward the right, and values from 0 to –100% offset the rows toward the left. A value of 50 or –50% creates a “brickwork” pattern. Image Source: An image well (available when Shape is set to Image) to specify the object used to define the shape of the emitter. Shape Source: An image well (available when Shape is set to Geometry) to specify a spline object used to define the shape of the emitter. Emission Alpha Cutoff: A slider available when Shape is set to Image. When the Image Source object contains an alpha channel, this slider defines the minimum opacity value necessary to create particles at that point on the source image. For example, when Emission Alpha Cutoff is set to 25%, particles appear only where the alpha value of the image is equal to or greater than 25% opacity. The lower the Emission Alpha Cutoff value, the more particles appear. For this parameter to be effective, the alpha channel must have areas of varying transparency. Start Point: Value sliders (available when the Shape pop-up menu is set to Line or Wave) to define, in X and Y coordinates, the first point of the line used as the emitter shape. Click the disclosure triangle to modify the Z position of the start point. You can adjust these values in the Canvas using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar). End Point: Value sliders (available when Shape is set to Line or Wave) to define, in X and Y coordinates, the second point of the line used as the emitter shape. Click the disclosure triangle to modify the Z position of the start point. You can adjust these values in the Canvas using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool in the toolbar selected). Emit At Points: A checkbox available when Shape is set to Line, Rectangle (with Arrangement set to Outline or Random), or Circle (with Arrangement set to Outline or Random), Burst, Spiral, Wave, Geometry, Box (with Arrangement set to Outline), or Sphere (with Arrangement set to Outline). When the Emit At Points checkbox is selected, particles emerge from a limited number of points (as defined in the Points parameter, described below). When the checkbox is deselected, particles may emerge from anywhere on the line or edge. When the Adjust Item tool is selected in the toolbar, the points become visible in the Canvas. Points/Points Per Arm: A slider available when the Emit At Points checkbox is selected and Shape is set to any of the following: Line, Rectangle, Image, or Circle (with Arrangement set to Outline or Random Fill); or Burst, Spiral, Wave, or Geometry. Defines the number of points where particles are emitted. For Rectangle or Circle shapes, the particles are emitted from evenly distributed points along the edge of the shape when Arrangement is set to Outline. When the Adjust Item tool is selected in the toolbar, the points are visible in the Canvas. Using a large number of points slows your computer’s processing performance. Radius: A slider (available when Shape is set to Circle, Burst, Spiral, or Sphere) to define the size of the shape from which particles are emitted. Twists: A slider (available when Shape is set to Spiral) to set the number of turns in the spiral. The default value is 0.25. Number of Arms: A slider (available when Shape is set to Burst or Spiral) to set the number of branches from which particles are emitted. The default value is 3. Amplitude: A slider (available when Shape is set to Wave) to define half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave. Higher values result in more extreme waves. Frequency: A slider (available when Shape is set to Wave) to set the number of waves. Higher values result in more waves. Phase: A dial (available when Shape is set to Wave) the set the degree of the offset of the waves from the start and end points of the path. When set to 0 degrees (default), the wave begins and ends at half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave. When set to 90 degrees, the wave begins and ends at the highest point in the wave. When set to 90 degrees, the wave begins at the lowest point in the wave. When set to 180 degrees, the waves are the same as they are at 0 degrees, but inverted. Damping: A slider (available when Shape is set to Wave) to set the direction of progressive diminishment of the oscillation of the wave. Positive damping values diminish the wave forward (from left to right); negative values diminish the wave backward (from right to left). Offset: A slider available when Shape is set to Line, Rectangle (with Arrangement set to Outline), Circle (with Arrangement set to Outline), Burst, Spiral, Wave, Geometry, or Image. Offsets the emitter itself or the particles generated on the shape. For example, when the emitter Shape is a Line, changing the Offset value moves the emitter’s position in the Canvas. When the emitter Shape is a Rectangle and Arrangement is set to Outline, changing the Offset value moves the particles along the edge of the shape. 3D: A checkbox that, when selected, enables the Box and Sphere options in the Shape pop-up menu. Further, because all emitter shapes can be manipulated in 3D space, additional 3D parameters are available for all emitter shapes when the 3D checkbox is selected: Render Particles, Emission Latitude, and Emission Longitude. These additional parameters appear in the Emitter Inspector and HUD. These parameters are available for all shapes, regardless of the Arrangement setting. Note: When the 3D checkbox is selected, particles cannot receive reflections, and the Reflections parameter (in the Properties Inspector) is no longer available for the emitter. Additionally, when the 3D checkbox is selected, In Global 3D (Better) must be selected from the Render Particles pop-up menu for particles to cast shadows and to be affected by lights. For more information on the additional 3D controls in the HUD, see Adjust a particle system in the Emitter HUD. Emission Angle: A dial (available when the Shape pop-up menu is set to a 2D shape) to set the direction in which particles travel. This control works in conjunction with the Emission Range control (described below). It’s equivalent to one of the functions of the graphical emission control in the Emitter HUD. Note: When using an emitter shape other than a Point, such as a Line, Circle, Rectangle, Spiral, Burst, or Wave, and with Arrangement set to Outline, setting the Emission Angle parameter to 180 degrees and the Emission Range parameter to 0 degrees restricts the emission of particles to the inside of the shape. Setting the Emission Angle parameter to 0 degrees and the Emission Range parameter to 0 degrees restricts the emission of the particles to outside of the shape. Emission Range: A dial to restrict the area around the center of each emission point where particles are generated, in the direction of the Emission Angle. It’s equivalent to one of the functions of the graphical emission control in the Emitter HUD. Note: When using a Line, Circle, Rectangle, Spiral, Burst, or Wave (but not Geometry) shape, setting Emission Range to 0 degrees keeps particles perpendicular to the emitter when they emerge. Render Particles: A pop-up menu (available when the 3D checkbox is selected) to select between two rendering methods for the particles: In Local 3D (Faster): The default setting, renders particles faster but does not allow for intersections with layers in the emitter group or with layers in other groups. Nor does it allow particles to cast shadows. In Global 3D (Better): Allows the particles to intersect with layers in the emitter group and with layers in other groups. When turned on, your project’s playback performance is slowed. Important: For the 3D particles to cast shadows, and be affected by lights and depth-of-field settings, you must select the 3D checkbox and choose In Global 3D (Better) from the Render Particles pop-up menu. Emission Latitude: A dial (available when the 3D checkbox is selected) to set the emission direction (in degrees latitude) of the particles. Emission Longitude: A dial (available when the 3D checkbox is selected) to set the axis of rotation (in degrees longitude) from which the particles are emitted. Depth Ordered: A checkbox (available when the 3D checkbox is selected) that, when deselected, causes particle distribution to be completely random, regardless of size. Consequently, particle arrangements may appear to violate the rules of perspective. When selected, this checkbox draws the particles in the particle system according to each particle’s actual 3D position in the project. In other words, particles closer to the camera appear closer; particles farther from the camera appear more distant. Render Order: A pop-up menu to set whether new particles are drawn on top of or underneath particles that have already been generated. There are two options: Oldest First: New particles appear on top of older particles. Oldest Last: New particles appear underneath older particles. Interleave Particles: A checkbox that, when selected, mixes particles generated from multiple cells together. Deselecting this checkbox layers particles in the same order as the cells that generate them. Note: This option has no effect with particle systems containing only one cell. Leaving this option off speeds rendering with multiple cells. Face Camera: A checkbox (available when 3D is enabled) that forces the particle system to face the active scene camera. For more information on cameras, see Add a camera. SEE ALSO Adjust a particle system in the Inspector Single-cell versus multi-cell emitter controls Particle cell controls Particle cell controls Think of the particle cell as the “mold” for the particles generated in the Canvas by the emitter. The parameters in the Cell Controls group determine how particles behave after they are released from the emitter. Cell controls appear at the bottom of the Emitter Inspector when a particle system is selected, and in the Particle Cell Inspector when a particle cell is selected. Adjust an emitter’s cells using the Cell Controls: Birth Rate: A slider that defines the birth rate of the cell—that is, how many particles of this cell emerge from the emitter every second. Higher values create denser particle effects. Birth Rate Randomness: A slider that defines an amount of variance in the Birth Rate of generated particles. A value of 0 results in no variance (particles emerge from the emitter at the same rate). A value greater than 0 introduces a variance defined by the Birth Rate slider, plus or minus a random value falling within the Birth Rate Randomness setting. Initial Number: A slider that defines the initial number of particles. This control determines how many particles of this cell appear at the first frame of a particle effect. The result is an initial burst of particles that eventually evens out according to the Birth Rate setting. Life: A slider that defines the duration of every particle, in seconds—that is, how long each particle lasts before vanishing from existence. This effect is similar to how sparks disappear after flying away from a sparkler. Unless the Color Over Life setting or Opacity Over Life setting (both described below) is used to fade each particle out over its life, particles immediately vanish at the end of their lifetimes. Life Randomness: A slider that defines an amount of variance in the life of generated particles. A value of 0 results in no variance—all particles from the selected cell emerge with the same lifetime. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance defined by the Life slider, plus or minus a random value falling within the Life Randomness setting. Speed: A slider that defines initial speed—that is, how quickly each particle flies away from the emitter. This, in conjunction with the Life and Birth Rate settings, determines how many particles appear in the Canvas at a given frame. This parameter is equivalent to one of the functions of the graphical emission control in the HUD. Speed Randomness: A slider that defines an amount of variance in the speed of generated particles. A value of 0 results in no variance—all particles from the selected cell emerge with the same speed. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance defined by the Speed slider, plus or minus a predetermined random value falling within the Speed Randomness setting. Align Angle: When this checkbox is selected, particles rotate to match the shape on which they are positioned. This parameter is available in all cases but the following: when the Shape setting (in the Emitter Inspector) is Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, and Sphere and the Arrangement setting is Tile Fill or Random Fill; or when the Shape setting is Point. Angle: A dial that sets the angle of rotation, in degrees, at which new particles are created. Angle Randomness: A dial that sets an amount of variance in the angle of generated particles. Spin: A dial that animates particles in a system by initially spinning each particle around its center. Adjustments to this control are in degrees per second. Spin Randomness: A dial that sets an amount of variance in the spin of generated particles. A value of 0 results in no variance—all particles from the selected cell spin at the same rate. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance defined by the Spin parameter, plus or minus a random value falling within the Spin Randomness setting. Additive Blend: By default, particles are composited together using the Normal blend mode. Select this checkbox to composite all overlapping generated particles together using the Additive blending mode. The result is that the brightness of overlapping objects is intensified. This blending occurs in addition to the compositing method set in the Blend Mode parameter of the Properties Inspector. Color Mode: A pop-up menu that sets how particles are tinted. There are five options: Original: Particles are generated using the original colors from the source layer. When this setting is selected, the Opacity Over Life gradient editor becomes available (described below). Colorize: Particles are tinted using the color specified in the Color parameter. When this setting is selected, additional Color and Opacity Over Life controls appear (described below). Over Life: Particles are tinted based on their age, with the range of possible colors defined by the Color Over Life gradient editor (described below). Pick From Color Range: Particles are tinted at random, with the range of possible colors defined by the Color Range gradient editor (described below). A point on the gradient is randomly chosen, so the relative sizes of each color region determine the frequency of the color being used. Take Image Color: Each new particle’s color is based on the color of the image at the position where the particle was generated. This menu item is available only when the Shape pop-up menu in the Emitter Inspector is set to Image. Opacity Over Life: A gradient editor (available when the Color Mode is set to Original or Colorize) that animates changes to the opacity of particles over their lifetime. For more information on using gradient controls, see Change a gradient’s color and opacity. Color: Color controls (available when the Color Mode pop-up menu is set to Colorize) to set the color of particles. You can also modify the alpha channel of each particle, altering its opacity. This parameter is unique to the cell object. You can click the color well to choose a color, use the eye dropper, or open the disclosure triangle and adjust the Red, Green, Blue, and Opacity channel sliders. For more information on using color controls, see Basic color controls. Color Over Life: A gradient editor (available when the Color Mode is set to Over Life) that sets the range of color that each particle assumes as it ages, beginning with the leftmost color in the gradient, and progressing through the range of colors until finally reaching the rightmost color at the end of its life. For more information on using gradient controls, see Change a gradient’s color and opacity. Color Repetitions: A slider (available when Color Mode is set to Over Life) that sets the number of times the gradient color pattern is repeated over the life of the particle. Color Range: A gradient editor (available when Color Mode is set to Pick From Color Range) that sets a range of colors used to randomly tint new particles. The direction of the gradient colors is not relevant. Color Range has the same controls as the Color Over Life gradient editor. Scale: A slider that defines the scale of every particle of a cell. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z scaling subparameters. Use X and Y to resize the width and height of generated particles; use Z to change the depth of 3D text particles. This control affects the initial scale of the particle (compared to the Scale Over Life behavior in the Particles behavior category). Note: When you use an image as a particle cell source and set a low Scale value, set the render quality in the Render pop-up menu (above the Canvas) or the View menu to Best (choose View > Quality > Best). Scale Randomness: A slider that defines an amount of variance in the scale of generated particles. A value of 0 results in no variance—all particles from the selected cell emerge with the same size. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance defined by the Scale parameter, plus or minus a random value falling within the Scale Randomness setting. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z scaling subparameters. Use X and Y to vary the width and height of generated particles; use Z to vary the depth of 3D text particles. Attach To Emitter: A slider that sets how closely particles follow the position of a moving emitter. If set to zero, particles follow their own path after being emitted, resulting in particles that trail along the motion path the emitter is following. If this parameter is set to 100, in the absence of other behaviors, all generated particles follow the emitter, surrounding it in a moving cloud of particles. Play Frames: A checkbox (available if the particle system was created from a QuickTime movie) that controls playback. If selected, playback of the animation or movie clip used to generate each particle loops. If deselected, particles are generated using the still frame specified by the Random Start Frame parameter or the Source Start Frame parameter (both described below). Random Start Frame: A checkbox (available if the particle system was created from a QuickTime movie) that introduces variation into animated particles generated from QuickTime objects. If selected, each newly generated particle begins at a different frame of the animation. Stills are chosen randomly if Random Start Frame is deselected. Source Start Frame: A slider available if the particle system Source Start Frame: A slider available if the particle system was created from a QuickTime movie and Random Start Frame is deselected. Use this control to set the start frame of the animation (if the Play Frames checkbox is selected) or the still frame to display (if the Play Frames checkbox is deselected). Hold Frames: A slider (available if the particle system was created from a QuickTime movie) that sets the number of times each frame of the source movie is repeated during playback. The larger the Hold Frames value, the slower your playback. Hold Frames Randomness: A slider (available if the particle system was created from a QuickTime movie) that varies the number of frames to “hold.” Show Particles As: A pop-up menu that sets whether particles are displayed in a preview mode or as they actually appear. By default, this parameter is set to Image, which displays each particle as it is supposed to appear. However, the nonimage preview modes play more efficiently when viewing a complex particle system and also provide other ways of analyzing particle motion. There are four menu items: Points: Displays each particle as a single point. This is the fastest preview mode, useful for displaying the type and speed of particle motion in a system. Lines: Displays each particle as a line. This is a good preview mode to use to analyze the vector of each particle’s motion. The length of each line is determined by that particle’s speed, and the angle of each line equals each particle’s direction. Wireframe: Displays each particle as a bounding box. Because the bounding boxes are good indicators of each particle’s orientation in the system, this preview mode is useful for evaluating the movements of individual particles. For example, it’s easy to see the angle of rotation for particles spinning or following a complex motion path. Image: The default setting, displays the full particle system effect. Note: The option chosen in the Show Particles As pop-up menu appears in your final render. Used deliberately, this can result in some interesting effects. Point Size: A slider (available when Show Particles As is set to Points) that sets the largeness of the points. Random Seed: Although particle systems seem random, they’re deterministic. This means that the variation in each particle system is created based on the number shown in the Random Seed field. Unless this seed number is changed, a particle system with the same Random Seed value always plays back with the same motion. If you don’t like the current random motion or distribution of the particle system, you can change the seed value by typing a new number or clicking Generate. This changes the random calculations performed for that system for all randomness parameters. Particle Source: In particle systems with more than one cell, an image well representing each cell appears at the bottom of the Emitter Inspector. Each Particle Source well has a checkbox you can use to enable or disable that cell. SEE ALSO Adjust a particle system in the Inspector Single-cell versus multi-cell emitter controls Emitter controls Adjust a particle emitter in the Properties Inspector You can modify an emitter’s position, scale, blend mode, drop shadow, and other attributes in the Properties Inspector. These properties are separate from the emitter parameters in the Emitter and Particle Cell Inspectors. 1. Select an emitter object in the Layers list, Timeline, or Canvas. 2. In the Inspector, click Properties. 3. Adjust the controls. For detailed information on all Properties Inspector parameters, see Properties Inspector controls. Note: When you select a particle cell and open the Properties Inspector, only one parameter group is available: the Timing controls, which adjust the In and Out points of the particle cell. For more information, see About particle system timing. Animate emitters and cells Animate emitters and cells overview By adding behaviors to a particle system’s emitter, or to the cells themselves, you can create sophisticated, organic animation that would be impossible to accomplish any other way. You can animate an emitter using behaviors designed specifically for particles, or by using Basic Motion, Parameter, or Simulation behaviors. You can also animate emitter parameters and cell parameters with keyframes. Consider the following guidelines when animating a particle system: Apply the Particles behaviors (Scale Over Life and Spin Over Life) to modify and animate the rotation and size of the particles over their lifetime. For details, see Apply behaviors to particle cells or to the emitter to create even more varied effects (simulation behaviors can be especially effective). Any behavior that you apply to a cell is in turn applied to each particle the cell generates. Apply a Simulation behavior to an emitter or another object in Apply a Simulation behavior to an emitter or another object in your project (an object that is not part of the particle system) to make particles interact with other objects in the project. For example, applying the Repel behavior to an object will cause particles to weave around that object. Keyframe the Emitter Inspector parameters to modify the particle system’s overall characteristics over time, such as increasing or decreasing the size, speed, or lifetime of newly generated particles. Keyframe the emitter’s Position parameter (in the Properties Inspector) to alter the position and geometric distribution of a particle system over time, such as creating a path of bubbles that follows an object onscreen. For more information on keyframing, see Animate parameters in the Inspector. Use Motion Tracking behaviors to track an emitter to a moving object in a clip, or to apply existing tracking data in your project to an emitter. For more information about Motion Tracking behaviors, see Motion tracking overview. SEE ALSO Apply behaviors to particle systems View animated emitter curves in the Keyframe Editor Apply behaviors to particle systems Applying behaviors to particle systems is a quick and easy way to move emitters in your project and to create nearly limitless animations. With all Basic Motion behaviors, after individual particles emerge, they’re unaffected by changes to the position of the emitter. This means that moving the emitter around the screen using behaviors results in the creation of a trail of particles that behave according to their particle cell parameters. There are two ways to apply behaviors to a particle system: To the emitter: Behaviors applied to emitters affect the emitter itself, not its individual particles. For example, using the Throw behavior to send an emitter flying across the Canvas creates a trail of particles. To the emitter cell: Behaviors applied to cells are in turn applied to each particle generated from that cell. This can result in some extremely complex animations as dozens of particles move according to the behaviors you’ve defined. Behaviors applied to cells have no effect on the position of the emitter. Apply a behavior to an emitter Do one of the following: Drag a behavior from the Library onto an emitter in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. Select the emitter, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, then choose a behavior. Select an object in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then select a behavior from the Library stack and click Apply in the preview area. In the Canvas, the emitter begins to move according to the parameters of the applied behavior. Note: Not all behaviors instantly activate an object when applied. For example, you must adjust the Throw Velocity parameter of a Throw behavior to cause an object to move. Apply a behavior to a cell Behaviors applied to cells are in turn applied to each particle generated from that cell. Do one of the following: Drag a behavior from the Library onto a cell in the Layers list. Select a cell in the Layers list, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, then choose a behavior. Select a cell in the Layers list, then select a behavior from the Library stack and click Apply in the preview area. The emitter begins to move according to the parameters of the applied behavior. Note: Not all behaviors instantly activate an object when applied. For example, you must adjust the Throw Velocity parameter of a Throw behavior to cause an object to move. Tip: If you do not see the expected result when applying behaviors to particle cells, try selecting or deselecting the Affect Subobjects checkbox (in the Behaviors Inspector) or selecting a different option from the Affect pop-up menu in the HUD or Behaviors Inspector. These parameters determine whether the entire object (such as the particle emitter) or its components (such as the particle cells) are affected by the behavior and how an object interacts with surrounding objects, respectively. (The Affect Subobjects checkbox appears in the Behaviors Inspector only when the Throw and Spin behaviors are applied to a group containing multiple objects, such as a group, particle emitter, or text.) In the Canvas, the emitter begins to move according to the parameters of the applied behavior. Note: Not all behaviors instantly activate an object when applied. For example, you must adjust the Throw Velocity parameter of a Throw behavior to cause an object to move. Tip: If you do not see the expected result when applying behaviors to particle cells, try selecting or deselecting the Affect Subobjects checkbox (in the Behaviors Inspector) or selecting a different option from the Affect pop-up menu in the HUD or Behaviors Inspector. These parameters determine whether the entire object (such as the particle emitter) or its components (such as the particle cells) are affected by the behavior and how an object interacts with surrounding objects, respectively. (The Affect Subobjects checkbox appears in the Behaviors Inspector only when the Throw and Spin behaviors are applied to a group containing multiple objects, such as a group, particle emitter, or text.) Apply a Parameter behavior to an emitter or cell parameter You can apply Parameter behaviors to parameters in the Emitter or Particle Cell Inspector. A Parameter behavior is a special kind of behavior that animates a single parameter of an object. Do one of the following: Drag a behavior from the Parameter category of behaviors in the Library onto an emitter or cell in the Layers list or Timeline, then, in the Behaviors Inspector, click the To pop-up menu and choose a parameter from the submenus. Select an emitter or cell in the Layers list or Timeline, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, and choose a Parameter behavior; then, in the Behaviors Inspector, click the To pop-up menu and choose a Parameter from the submenus. In the Emitter or Particle Cell Inspector, Control-click a parameter, then choose a Parameter behavior from the shortcut menu. The Parameter behavior is applied to the parameter you chose. Play back your project to see the result. For more information, see Parameter behaviors overview. Apply a Particles behavior to an emitter or cell The Particles category of behaviors in the Library contains two behaviors specifically for use with the cells or emitter in a particle system: Scale Over Life: This behavior lets you grow or shrink the particles in a system over the duration of each particle’s life. Spin Over Life: This behavior lets you spin the particles in a system over the duration of each particle’s life. Do one of the following: Drag a behavior from the Particles category of behaviors in the Library onto an emitter or cell in the Layers list or Timeline. Select an emitter or cell in the Layers list or Timeline, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, then choose a Particles behavior. For a description of each Particles behavior parameter, see Scale Over Life and Spin Over Life. Particles behavior controls Scale Over Life The Scale Over Life behavior has one main parameter control and three optional parameter controls that vary, depending on the selected Increment Type: Increment Type: A pop-up menu that sets which method is used to resize particles over their lifetime. There are four options: Natural Scale: Specifies starting and ending scale percentages used to animate each particle’s size over its lifetime. Natural Scale uses an exponential curve to allow the animation to progress slowly when the scale values are small, and speed up when the values are large. This creates the illusion that the scaling is occurring at a constant speed. Rate: Specifies a steady rate at which particles change Rate: Specifies a steady rate at which particles change size over their entire lifetimes. Birth and Death Values: Specifies starting and ending scale percentages used to animate each particle’s size over its lifetime. The scale amount generated by this option for a specific particle at a specific time is multiplied by the preexisting particle Scale (defined in the Cell Controls section of the Emitter Inspector). Custom: Lets you customize the scale of the particles over their lifetime via a mini-curve editor (described below). Scale At Birth: A slider (available when Increment Type is set to Natural Scale or Birth and Death Values) that defines the initial size of particles when they’re created. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale At Birth parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z subparameters. Use X and Y to change the width and height of generated particles; use Z to change the depth of 3D text particles. Scale At Death: A slider (available when Increment Type is set to Natural Scale or Birth and Death Values) that defines the size of each particle at the end of its lifetime. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale At Death parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z subparameters. Use X and Y to change the width and height of generated particles; use Z to change the depth of 3D text particles. Scale Rate: A slider (available when Increment Type is set to Rate) that defines how quickly each particle changes size. Positive values grow particles over time, while negative values shrink particles over time. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale Rate parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z subparameters. Use X and Y to change the width and height of generated particles; use Z to change the depth of 3D text particles. Custom Scale controls: A group of controls (a mini-curve editor and two sliders, described below) appears when Increment Type is set to Custom. Use the mini-curve editor for more precise control over the Scale of particles in your particle system. Mini-curve editor (unlabeled): A graph with the curves and control points you can drag to adjust the scale of particles in your particle system. For more information on using mini-curve editors, see Work in the mini-curve editor. Custom Scale: A slider to adjust the value of the selected keyframe in the mini-curve editor. Over Life: A slider to adjust the position of the selected keyframe in the life of the particle. Spin Over Life The Spin Over Life behavior has one main parameter control and three optional parameter controls that vary, depending on the selected Increment Type: Increment Type: A pop-up menu that sets which method is used to spin particles over their lifetime. There are three options: Rate: Specifies a steady rate and direction in which particles spin over their lifetime. Birth and Death Values: Specifies starting and ending spin degrees used to animate each particle’s rotation over its lifetime. The spin amount generated by this option for a specific particle at a specific time is added to the preexisting particle spin (defined in the Cell Controls section of the Emitter Inspector). Custom: Lets you customize the spin of the particles over their lifetime via a mini-curve editor (described below). Spin Rate: A slider (available when Increment Type is set to Rate) that determines how quickly each particle spins and the direction of the spin. Positive values spin particles faster over time and in a counterclockwise direction; negative values spin particles slower over time and in a clockwise direction. Spin At Birth: A slider (available when Increment Type is set to Birth and Death Values) that determines the initial spin of the particles when they’re created. Spin At Death: A slider (available when Increment Type is set to Birth and Death Values) that determines the spin of the particles at the end of their lifetime. Custom Spin controls: A group of controls (a mini-curve editor and several other controls, described below) available when Increment Type is set to Custom. Use the mini-curve editor for more precise control over the Spin of particles in your particle system. Mini-curve editor (unlabeled): A graph with the curves and control points you can drag to adjust the spin of particles in your particle system. For more information on using mini-curve editors, see Work in the mini-curve editor. Custom Spin: A dial to adjust the value of the selected keyframe in the mini-curve editor. Over Life: A slider to adjust the position of the selected keyframe in the life of the particle. View animated emitter curves in the Keyframe Editor You can also animate emitter or cell parameters using keyframes. When you do so, a curve describing that animation is available in the Keyframe Editor. The selected object determines which curves appear in the Keyframe Editor (when Animated is selected from the pop-up menu in the top-left corner of the Keyframe Editor). For more information about animating with keyframes, see Keyframing overview. Display keyframed emitter or cell curves Display keyframed emitter curves: With the Keyframe Editor open (press Command-8 if it’s not already open), select an emitter in the Layers list to display animated emitter parameters such as Position and Rotation (in the Properties Inspector) or Emission Angle and Range. Display keyframed cell curves: With the Keyframe Editor open (press Command-8 if it’s not already open), select a cell in the Layers list to display animated parameters such as Birth Rate or Angle. Note: To manually send an animated parameter to the Keyframe Editor, click an animated parameter’s Animation menu (the downward arrow that appears when you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row in the Inspector), then choose Show In Keyframe Editor. The parameter is displayed in the Keyframe Editor in a new, untitled curve set. For more information about keyframe curves, see Display the Keyframe Editor. Create 3D particles Two emitter pattern styles in the Shape pop-up menu have 3D options: Box and Sphere. The Box and Sphere shape options are available only when the 3D checkbox is selected in the Emitter Inspector. Although the Rectangle, Circle, Line, Wave, Image, and Geometry emitter shapes have no inherent 3D parameters, they can be moved and rotated in 3D space. Additionally, the Line and Wave emitter shapes have quasi-3D properties: Their start and end points can be moved into Z space (depth). And when you nest an emitter in a 3D group, you can use Simulation behaviors to pull particles out of their X and Y planes, into Z space. Turn an existing 2D particle system into 3D particles 1. After adding an emitter to a project, select the 3D checkbox in the Emitter Inspector. For information about adding an emitter, see Add preset particles or create custom particles. 2. If your project does not contain a camera, click the New Camera button in the toolbar. If your project is a 2D project, a dialog appears asking if you want to switch your 2D groups to 3D. 3. Click Switch to 3D. A camera is added to the project, and your layers are turned into 3D layers. 4. In the 3D view tools (in the upper-right corner of the Canvas), drag in the Orbit tool (the center tool). As the camera rotates, you can see that the particles are emitted in X, Y, and Z space (all three dimensions). Tip: Use Simulation behaviors to create animated particles in 3D space that interact with other objects in the project. For example, use Orbit Around to create particles that circle around a target object. For more information, see Simulation behaviors overview. 5. Optional: If you want the particles to face the camera as it rotates around the emitter, select the Face Camera checkbox in the Emitter Inspector. Create a 3D box or sphere particle emitter 1. After adding an emitter to a project, select the 3D checkbox in the Emitter Inspector. For information, see Emitter controls. 2. In the Emitter Inspector, click the Shape pop-up menu, then choose Box or Sphere. Particles emanate from a box or sphere pattern, in 3D space. Make particles intersect with other layers Particles can intersect with other rotated layers in 3D space. In the Emitter Inspector, click the Render Particles pop-up menu, then choose In Global 3D (Better). In the following image on the left, with Global 3D selected, particles intersect with other objects in the project that are transformed in 3D space. In the image on the right, with Local 3D selected, particles do not intersect with other objects. About particle system timing When you create a particle system, its duration can be as long or short as necessary, regardless of the duration of the original source layers used to create the particle system. The duration of a particle system is defined by the duration of the emitter object. Changing the In or Out point of an emitter in the Properties Inspector, Timeline, or mini-Timeline changes the duration of the entire particle system. By default, particles are generated by every cell in a system for the duration of the emitter. The duration of each generated particle is defined by the Life parameter of the cell that generated it, and not by the duration of the cell itself. The duration of the cell governs the time span over which new particles are generated. You can change a cell’s duration by dragging its position or its In and Out points in the Timeline. In this way, you can adjust the timing that defines when each cell’s particles emerge. For example, you can create a particle system that simulates an explosion by offsetting the appearance of three types of particles. First, dense white sparks emerge from the center. Half a second later, more diffuse orange blast particles appear around a larger area. One second after that, hot smoke emerges from underneath both of these layers as they fade away. You can offset a cell in the Timeline or mini-Timeline so that the cell starts before the emitter. This creates a “pre-roll” in which the particle simulation begins before the particles are drawn. For more information on adjusting the timing of layers in the Timeline, see Timeline overview. Guidelines for using graphics in particle systems Creating a particle system from scratch begins with designing the particles you want it to emit. You can use any image, shape, text, or movie supported by Motion as a source for a cell. Still images Particle systems that use still images as their cell sources render in real time much faster than systems that use video or animation clips. A still image is often all you need to create a compelling particle system. Use the following guidelines when creating graphics for use as particles: Graphics size: If you’re not sure what size you want your particles to be, it’s a good idea to make your graphics larger rather than smaller. Increasing the size of particles beyond the size of the original graphic can introduce unwanted artifacts. One caveat, however, is that the larger the cell source size, the slower your playback performance. Particle edges: The quality of the edges of your graphics can be extremely important for creating convincing particles. Soft, translucent edges might look better than hard, over-defined ones. Object color: By default, particles are created using the original colors of the source image used as the cell. If necessary, you can tint the emitted particles using the Color Mode controls in the Emitter and Particle Cell Inspectors. Choose between tinting all particles with a single color or creating a gradient tint that changes color over time. You can also choose to apply a gradient preset to the particles (see Use the gradient preset pop-up menu). Tinting particles applies the tint color uniformly over the entire particle system. Alpha channels: Always create graphics that you want to use as cells with predefined alpha channels. For more information on importing files with alpha channels, see About alpha channels. QuickTime movies You can also use QuickTime movies as the image source of a particle cell. For example, you can create an animation in Motion, render it as a QuickTime movie, then import it into another Motion project to use as image source for a cell. In general, the same recommendations for creating still graphics apply to the creation of animation or video clips you intend to use as cells, but there are additional considerations. Use the following guidelines when creating animations for use as particles: Playback performance: Using a movie clip as the image source of a particle cell may impact your project’s playback performance. Retimed clips: If you retime a movie clip (in the Properties Inspector or with a Retiming behavior) used as the image source for a particle cell, the effect of the retiming is carried through to the particle system. Looping clips: Particles created from QuickTime clips loop over and over for the duration of each particle’s life. If the clip you use doesn’t loop well, there will be a jump cut at every loop point. Another option is to use very short movies to introduce randomness into the appearance of the particle system. Minimal compression: Ideally, QuickTime clips to be used as particles should be saved using a high-quality codec, such as Animation, Uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 4:2:2, or ProRes 4444. Other codecs can be used, but they might introduce unwanted artifacts depending on the level of compression used. About using filters and masks with particles You can apply filters or masks to an emitter. (However, you cannot apply filters or masks to the cells in an emitter.) Filters When you apply a filter to an emitter, the entire particle system is transformed, including every element in the onscreen pattern. Note: Although you cannot apply a filter to an individual cell, you can apply a filter to the image source of a cell (the disabled layer in Layers list used to create the particle cell). For more information on applying filters to layers in your project, see Filters overview. Masks You can apply masks to the image source of a particle cell. The effect of the mask on the cell source is carried through to the emitted particles. You can also apply masks to the emitter object itself. For more information on working with masks, see Masks and transparency overview. Save custom particle effects to the Library After you create a particle system, you can save it as a particle preset in the Particle Emitters, Favorites, or Favorites Menu folder in the Library, for future use. When you place particle systems in the Library, they become particle presets that can be used like any other particle preset. Tip: For organizational purposes, create a folder of your own in the Favorites or Favorites Menu category to store custom particle systems. Save a particle system to the Library 1. Open the Library and select the Particle Emitters, Favorites, or Favorites Menu category. 2. Drag the emitter you want to save from the Layers list into the stack at the bottom of the Library. The customized emitter is saved in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/ folder (in the Particle Emitters, Favorites, or Favorites Menu subfolder). Any custom layers created in Motion (such as a shape layer) that you used to create that particle system are included in the file. SEE ALSO Save custom objects to the Library Move Motion projects, objects, or presets to another computer Create replicators Replicator overview The Motion replicator builds complex patterns of repeating elements—from a simple line of animated shapes to flowing kaleidoscopic imagery—without manual duplication or tedious keyframing. You can add a preset replicator to your project from the Library, or you can create your own custom replicator using nearly any image layer in your project, including video, still images, shapes, and text. For example, with very few clicks of your mouse you can create spinning loops based on a simple shape. Replicators consist of two basic elements: Replicator: A special type of effect that generates multiple duplicates of an image layer, then arrays the copies in the Canvas, creating a complex pattern. You specify the shape and arrangement of the pattern, such as a spiral, circle, or box. Cell: The image layer that’s duplicated and assembled as a pattern in the Canvas. The replicator and its cells have separate sets of parameters that control the look of the mosaic pattern you see in the Canvas. Changing the replicator parameters modifies the overall onscreen pattern, allowing you to create rectangular, circular, spiral, and other geometric layouts. Changing the cell parameters affects each element in the onscreen pattern, allowing you to modify attributes such as the angle, color, and scale of the pattern pieces. You can also modify elements in the pattern by making changes to the source layer used to create a cell. For example, if you use a rotated rectangle shape as the replicator source layer, the replicated elements in the Canvas appear rotated. If the source layer has applied filters, the effects of the filters are retained in the elements of the replicator pattern. Unlike particle systems, replicator patterns are static by default. However, many of the preset replicators available in the Library are already animated, and you can always manually keyframe parameters of custom replicators, or apply behaviors. For example, by keyframing a replicator’s Offset parameter, you can create a wave of dots that slither across the screen. You can add behaviors to the replicator or its cells to create even more varied effects (simulation behaviors can be especially effective). Behaviors applied to a replicator or a replicator cell can be applied to each element of the pattern. This lets you achieve almost limitless variation and complexity that would take hours to animate using keyframes. You can also apply a behavior such as Vortex to another object in your project (an object that is not part of the replicator pattern), and have the pattern elements circumnavigate that object. A special behavior called Sequence Replicator choreographs the parameters of your onscreen elements (their position, scale, and opacity, for example) in a sequential animation. For more information, see Apply the Sequence Replicator behavior. Replicators take advantage of the Motion app’s 3D capabilities. Some replicator shapes are inherently 3D, and others can have points that exist in 3D space. Additionally, behaviors applied to a replicator in 3D space can pull pattern elements out of a plane. For more information, see Work with 3D replicators. Note: Although you can replicate any image layer in your project, you cannot replicate replicators themselves, or particle emitters, lights, cameras, or rigs. SEE ALSO How are replicators and particle systems different? Add a preset replicator or create a custom replicator What happens when you create a replicator? How are replicators and particle systems different? Although the replicator and particle systems share many parameters, they’re very different tools. Both use layers (shapes, text, images, and so on) as cell sources and both generate onscreen elements from those sources. However, each produces a unique effect from those raw materials. A particle system generates dynamic (animated) elements that change over time: Particles are born, emerging from an onscreen “emitter”; they move across the Canvas; and they die, according to the “laws of nature” you specify in the parameters of the system. A replicator, however, is not a dynamic simulation. Its elements are not emitted like particles, and thus have no birth rate, life, or speed parameters. The replicator builds a pattern of static copies of a source layer in an arrangement that you specify. Although the replicated elements you see onscreen are static by default, you can animate a replicator’s parameters. For example, you can designate a simple star shape as the source of your onscreen pattern and then replicate the star multiple times along the outline of a circle. By keyframing a few parameters of your new replicator object, you can launch the stars into animated orbit around the center of the circle, making them change color as they whirl. SEE ALSO Replicator overview Particles overview Add a replicator to a project Add a preset replicator or create a custom replicator There are two basic ways to add a replicator to a project: Choose a preset from the Replicators category of the Library. Create a custom replicator using your own image, shape, or video clip as a cell source. You can increase replicator complexity by using multiple cell sources. Add a preset replicator from the Library The easiest way to add a replicator system to your project is to use a preset in the Replicators category of the Library. 1. In the Library, select the Replicators category, then select a subcategory, such as Mattes, Transitional, Backgrounds, and so on. 2. In the Library stack under the categories and subcategories, select a replicator object. A preview of the selected replicator appears in the Library preview area. 3. Do one of the following: Click Apply in the preview area to add the replicator to the center of the Canvas. Note: If Create Layers At is set to “Start of project” in the Project pane of Motion Preferences, the replicator is added at the first frame. See If it’s your first import. Drag the replicator from the Library stack into the Canvas at the position where you want it to appear. Drag the replicator from the Library stack to a group in the Layers list or Timeline layers list. Drag the replicator to the track area of the Timeline or miniTimeline. When you reach the frame where you want the new replicator to start, release the mouse button. The replicator preset appears in the project, composited above objects below it in the Layers list. If necessary, modify the replicator parameters in the HUD or in the Replicator Inspector. You can also replace the preset image source with one of your own images, clips, shapes, or text layers. For more information, see Adjust a replicator overview. You can modify a replicator only after it’s added to a project. Create a simple custom replicator You can create a custom replicator pattern by designating an image layer in your project as a source for the cell. Applying a replicator to that layer creates a nonanimated, filled rectangular pattern. You can then modify the replicator parameters to suit your project needs. 1. Create a layer to serve as the cell source for a custom replicator. This example uses a bird graphic from the Content folder in the Library. 2. Select the layer in the Layers list or Canvas, then do one of the following: In the toolbar, click the Replicate button. Choose Object > Replicate (or press L). The new custom replicator layer appears in the Layers list and in the Canvas, composited against any other layers you’ve already added. If necessary, modify the replicator parameters in the HUD or in the Replicator Inspector. For more information, see Adjust a replicator overview. Create a complex replicator using multiple source layers You can create a more complex pattern containing multiple elements by adding multiple image sources to a single replicator. Each source becomes a cell in the replicator, and each cell has its own set of parameters. 1. In the Layers list or Timeline, select the layers to replicate. This example uses two graphics from the Content folder in the Library. Note: Shift-click to select contiguous layers; Command-click to select noncontiguous layers. 2. Do one of the following: In the toolbar, click the Replicate button. Choose Object > Replicate (or press L). The cells of the default rectangle replicator pattern are created from the source layers (which are deselected so they do not appear in the composition). When multiple cells create a replicator pattern, the elements appear at the same points on the pattern. The replicator is positioned at the average of the source’s positions. Add additional cells to an existing replicator In the Layers list, drag an existing image layer onto the replicator. Note: If you drag a media item from the File Browser or Library onto a replicator in the Layers list, the item is not added to the replicator; rather, it’s added to your project as a new layer in a new group. The layer is duplicated as a new cell in the replicator. Note: If the layer you drag to a replicator is a shape or mask, a drop menu appears, giving you the option to add the spline object as a replicator cell or as a mask. For more information, see About using filters and masks with replicators. What happens when you create a replicator? After you add a replicator to a project, the following occurs: A replicator appears in the Layers list and is selected. One or more cells containing the image or images to be replicated appear as sublayers underneath the parent replicator (click the disclosure triangle beside the replicator layer to hide or reveal its cells). The original source layer (the cell source) is disabled. Note: Changes made to the original source layer, such as opacity or shearing, are also applied to the pattern even after the replicator is created. In the Canvas, a bounding box and with transform handles appears around the selected replicator. For custom replicators, the Adjust Item tool is selected in the toolbar so you can immediately begin dragging the replicator’s onscreen handles. With the Adjust Item tool selected, dragging the bounding box outline or corner points in the Canvas resizes the replicator. Dragging inside the bounding box (but not the outline) repositions the replicator object as a whole. The Replicator HUD appears. If you’ve hidden the HUD, press F7. The Replicator Inspector becomes available. The replicator and its cell (or cells) have separate parameters that control the look of the mosaic pattern you see in the Canvas. Changing the replicator parameters modifies the overall onscreen pattern, allowing you to create rectangular, circular, spiral, and other geometric layouts. Changing the cell parameters affects each element in the onscreen pattern, allowing you to modify attributes such as the angle, color, and scale of the pattern pieces. After replicators are modified, you can save them in the Library for later use. See Save custom replicators to the Library. Adjust a replicator Adjust a replicator overview You can adjust replicators in your project in a number of ways: Modify basic replicator properties, including a source image, cell opacity, and the pattern’s size and position in the Canvas. Delete a replicator cell or an entire replicator. Adjust basic parameter controls in the HUD. Adjust advanced parameter controls in the Replicator Inspector or Replicator Cell Inspector. Modify the basic appearance of a replicator After adding a preset replicator or creating a custom replicator, you modify it further by replacing its source image, adjusting cell opacity, or changing the replicator pattern’s size or position in the Canvas. Replace a preset replicator’s source image After adding a preset replicator to your project, you can replace its source image to better suit your needs. 1. In the File Browser or Library, select the file you want to use as the replacement graphic for the replicator preset, then add it to the project. 2. In the Layers list, drag the object to the replicator cell you want to replace. Note: If the cell layer is not visible, click the disclosure triangle next to the replicator layer. 3. When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. The original source object is replaced with the new object. 4. Optional: Hide the new source layer by deselecting its activation checkbox in the Layers list. The cells based on this layer remain in your replicator pattern, but the source layer itself is hidden in the Canvas. Adjust replicator element opacity You can adjust the opacity of individual elements in a replicator by modifying the cell parameters in the Replicator Cell Inspector or by modifying the source layer’s opacity in the Properties Inspector. Do one of the following: Select the cell in the Layers list, then adjust the Opacity tag in the gradient editor in the Replicator Cell Inspector (or change Color Mode to Colorize and adjust the Opacity parameter in the Color controls). Select the original source layer—not the replicator cell—and change its opacity in the HUD or Properties Inspector. Change the stacking order of elements The elements in the pattern are stacked according to their order in the Layers list and Timeline. In a replicator with multiple cells, changing cell stacking order changes the appearance of the pattern in the Canvas. In the Layers list, drag a cell to a new position above or below other cells in the replicator. Adjust a replicator’s size or position using onscreen controls 1. In the Layers list, select the replicator to adjust. 2. In the toolbar, click the 2D transform tools pop-up menu, then choose the Adjust Item tool. When the Adjust Item tool is selected, the replicator onscreen controls appear in the Canvas. The onscreen controls vary depending upon the shape of the replicator (chosen from the Shape pop-up menu in the Replicator Inspector). 3. To resize the replicator, drag the replicator shape’s outline in the Canvas. 4. To reposition the replicator, drag inside the shape (but not directly on the outline) in the Canvas. The size or position of the replicator shape is adjusted. For example, if the shape is a spiral or circle, dragging the shape outline changes the Radius parameter value. Dragging inside the shape (but not directly on the outline) repositions the replicator in the Canvas. If the replicator shape is a rectangle, dragging a corner or edge of its bounding box changes the Size parameter value. Depending on which handle you drag, you can constrain the transform to width, height, or depth (in a box-shaped replicator). Or you can drag a corner handle to scale the replicator in multiple dimensions simultaneously. Remove a replicator or a replicator cell In a replicator that contains multiple cells, you can remove cells to change the appearance of the onscreen pattern. You can also remove a replicator (and its cells) entirely. Remove a cell from a replicator In the Layers list or Timeline, select the cell to remove, then press Delete. The cell is removed from the Layers List, and the replicator pattern in the Canvas is modified. Remove a replicator and its cells from a project Select a replicator in the Layers list or Timeline, then press Delete. The original source layer or layers remain in the project. Modify a replicator in the HUD When you create a replicator from a source layer, the onscreen pattern is built using the default parameters in the Replicator Inspector and Replicator Cell Inspector. You can modify the most important of these parameters in Replicator HUD and the Replicator Cell HUD. The HUD also provides quick access to the Opacity and Blend Mode parameters, located in the Properties Inspector. Adjust a replicator in the Replicator HUD 1. In the Layers list or Timeline, select a replicator. The HUD appears. (If it does not appear, press F7.) 2. Modify any of the controls in the HUD: Opacity, Blend Mode, Shape, Arrangement, Columns, Rows, or Origin. These controls are a subset of the controls in the Replicator Inspector and in the Properties Inspector. For more information, see Replicator controls and Adjust a replicator in the Properties Inspector. Adjust a cell in the Replicator Cell HUD 1. In the Layers list or Timeline, select a replicator cell. The HUD appears. (If it does not appear, press F7.) 2. Modify any of the controls in the HUD: Angle, Angle End, Angle Randomness, Scale, Scale End, or Scale Randomness. These controls are a subset of the controls in the Replicator Cell Inspector. For more information, see Replicator cell controls. Modify a replicator in the Inspector Adjust a replicator in the Inspector Replicator and replicator cell parameters, though closely related, serve different purposes: Replicator parameters control the overall shape, arrangement, offset, stacking order, build order, and number of elements in the replicator pattern. Replicator cell parameters control the behavior and appearance of the elements in the replicator pattern. For a replicator with only one cell (one source image), the replicator and replicator cell controls appear in the same Replicator Inspector. In this case, you can control every aspect of the replicator using these controls. However, in replicators with multiple cells, each cell has its own Replicator Cell Inspector containing all parameters for that cell. Replicator parameters are dynamic—different controls appear depending on what is selected from the Shape pop-up menu and the Arrangement pop-up menu (which is itself dynamic, invoking additional parameters). For example, with Rectangle as the selected pattern shape, additional parameters appear in the Inspector that allow you to modify the size of the rectangle, the number of rows and columns, and other attributes. And with Spiral as the selected shape, parameter appear that allow you to adjust the radius of the spiral, the number of twists and arms, the number of points per arm (the locations on the shape where the elements sit), and other attributes. Further, different parameters are also available depending on the selected arrangement for the shape. You can achieve very different looks by changing only a few parameters. Adjust a replicator in the Replicator Inspector 1. Select a replicator in the Layers list or Timeline. 2. In the Inspector, click Replicator. 3. Adjust the Replicator Controls and Cell Controls. The contents of the Replicator Inspector are dynamic: different parameters appear depending on the option you choose in the Shape pop-up menu. Also, different parameters appear depending on the option you choose in the Arrangement pop-up menu. For a complete list of these controls, see Replicator controls. Adjust a cell in the Replicator Cell Inspector 1. Select a replicator cell in the Layers list or Timeline. 2. In the Inspector, click Replicator Cell. 3. Adjust the Cell Controls. For a complete list of these controls, see Replicator cell controls. Replicator controls The parameters in the Replicator Inspector give you complete control over every aspect of the pattern created by the selected replicator. This includes the shape upon which the pattern is built and the shape’s related parameters, such as the size of the pattern, how the elements are arranged in the pattern, and so on. Some parameters in the Replicator Inspector depend on the settings of other parameters. All combinations of parameters are described below: Shape: A pop-up menu to set the overall shape of the onscreen replicator pattern. The default setting is Rectangle. Choose any of up to ten shape styles from the menu to alter the distribution of the pattern elements. The Shape pop-up menu contains the following items: Line: Elements are positioned on a line. In the Inspector, you can set a specific number of points on the line—one element is positioned at every point (including the end points of the line). Rectangle: Elements are positioned in a rectangle along the replicator outline, or in a tile or random fill pattern. When Rectangle is selected, the Arrangement parameter becomes available (described below). Circle: Elements are positioned in a circle along the replicator outline, or in a tile or random fill pattern. When Circle is selected, the Arrangement parameter becomes available. In the following image, the circle’s Arrangement is set to Outline. Burst: Elements are positioned in a flare pattern. Spiral: Elements are positioned in a spiral pattern. Wave: Elements are positioned on a waveform. Geometry: Elements are positioned along the edge of a shape, defined by a spline object used as the shape source. For more information, see Create a custom replicator shape. For information on using geometry (a shape) as a replicator shape, see Replicator cell controls. Image: Elements appear within an area defined by an image or along its border, depending on the Arrangement setting. The image may have an alpha channel. If so, the shape of the alpha channel can also be used to define the pattern. For more information, see Create a custom replicator shape. Box: This option is available when the 3D checkbox (described below) is selected in the Replicator Inspector. Elements are positioned in a three-dimensional cube along the replicator outline, or on its surface in a tile or random fill pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar), you can specify the size and location of the rectangle. Drag the front horizontal outline edge to adjust height; drag the front vertical edge to adjust width; drag a back edge to adjust depth; drag a front corner to simultaneously adjust the width and height. To reposition the replicator, drag in the replicator (but not on an edge or corner point). In the following image, the box’s Arrangement is set to Tile. Sphere: This option is available when the 3D checkbox (described below) is selected in the Replicator Inspector. Elements are positioned in a three-dimensional sphere along the replicator outline, or on its surface in a tile or random fill pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar), you can specify the radius and location of the circle. Drag the outline of the sphere to adjust its radius; drag in the sphere to reposition it in the Canvas. Arrangement: A pop-up menu (available when the Shape popup menu is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere) to specify the layout of the elements in the selected shape. There are three menu options: Outline: Elements are positioned along the edge of the shape. Tile Fill: Elements are positioned in a tiled pattern of rows and columns in the circle, rectangle, image, box, or sphere pattern. You can specify the number of columns and rows, as well as the Tile Offset. This is the default setting. Random Fill: Elements are positioned randomly within the circle, sphere, rectangle, or box pattern. Size/Radius: A slider (available when Shape is set to Rectangle or Box) to set the size of the rectangle or cube shape. Click the disclosure triangle to display separate Width, Height, and Depth (for the Box shape) parameters. When Circle is the selected shape, this parameter becomes Radius. Note: For projects using the default camera settings and a default Z position for the replicator, Height is measured in pixels, and Width is measured in square pixels, to ensure that a numerically square will look square when “Correct for Aspect Ratio” is selected in the View pop-up menu in the topright corner of the Canvas. For more information about square pixels, see Pixel aspect ratio overview. Shape Source: An image well (available only when Shape is set to Geometry) to specify a shape object as the source for the replicator pattern. To set the shape source for the replicator, drag a shape from the Layers list or Timeline into the Shape Source well. Image Source: An image well (available when the Shape parameter is set to Image) to specify an image object as the source for the replicator shape. To set the image source, drag an image from the Layers list or Timeline into the Image Source well. Emission Alpha Cutoff: A slider (available when the Image Source object contains an alpha channel) to set the minimum opacity value necessary to create an element at that point on the source image. For example, when set to 25%, elements appear only at points where the alpha value of the image is equal to or greater than 25% opacity. The lower the Emission Alpha Cutoff value, the more cells appear. For this parameter to be effective, the alpha channel must have areas of varying transparency. Start Point: Value sliders (available when Shape is set to Line or Wave) to define, in X and Y coordinates, the first point of the line or wave on which the elements are positioned. Click the disclosure triangle to modify the Z position (depth) of the start point. You can adjust these values in the Canvas using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar). End Point: Value sliders (available when Shape is set to Line or Wave) to define, in X and Y coordinates, the end point of the line or wave on which the elements are positioned. Click the disclosure triangle to modify the Z position (depth) of the end point. You can adjust these values in the Canvas using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool selected in the toolbar). Amplitude: A slider (available only when Shape is set to Wave) to define half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave. Higher values result in more extreme waves. Frequency: A slider (available only when Shape is set to Wave) to define the number of waves. The default is value is 1. Phase: A dial (available only when Shape is set to Wave) to define the degree of offset of the waves from the start and end points of the path. When set to 0 degrees (default), the wave begins and ends at half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave. When set to 90 degrees, the wave begins and ends at the highest point in the wave. When set to –90 degrees, the wave begins at the lowest point in the wave. When set to 180 degrees, the waves are the same as at 0 degrees, but are inverted. Damping: A slider (available only when Shape is set to Wave) to set the diminishing oscillation of the wave. Positive damping values diminish the wave forward (from left to right); negative values diminish the wave backward (from right to left). Points: A slider that does the following: When Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Outline or Random Fill, specifies the number of evenly distributed element points along the edge of the shape. When Shape is set to Line or Wave, specifies the number of evenly distributed element points on the line or wave. When Shape is set to Geometry, specifies the number of evenly distributed element points around the shape. When the Adjust Item tool is selected in the toolbar, these points are visible in the Canvas. Offset: A slider that does the following: When Shape is set to Line or Wave, moves the elements along the line or wave. When Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Outline, moves the elements along the edge of the shape. When Shape is set to Geometry, moves the position of the elements along the edge of the shape. Build Style: A pop-up menu and related controls to specify how elements are built over the replicator shape. When Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, or Image, and Arrangement is set to Outline; or when Shape is set to Geometry, the pop-up menu contains the following options: Clockwise: Places the elements along the shape in a clockwise direction. Counter Clockwise: Places the elements along the shape in a counterclockwise direction. When Shape is set to Rectangle or Image, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill, and Origin set to Upper Left, Upper Right, Lower Left, or Lower Right, the Build Style pop-up menu contains the following options: Across: Builds the elements across the pattern in the direction implied by the Origin parameter. By Row: Builds the elements over the pattern by row. By Column: Builds the elements over the pattern by column. When Shape is set to Box, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill, and Origin is set to Front Upper Left, Front Upper Right, Front Lower Left, Front Lower Right, Back Upper Left, Back Upper Right, Back Lower Left, or Back Lower Right, the Build Style pop-up menu contains the following options: Across: Builds the elements across the pattern in the direction implied by the Origin parameter. By Row, Column, Rank: Builds the elements over the pattern by row, column, then rank starting from the Origin. By Column, Row, Rank: Builds the elements over the pattern by column, row, then rank starting from the Origin. By Row, Rank, Column: Builds the elements over the pattern by row, rank, then column starting from the Origin. By Column, Rank, Row: Builds the elements over the pattern by column, rank, then row starting from the Origin. By Rank, Row, Column: Builds the elements over the pattern by rank, row, then column starting from the Origin. By Rank, Column, Row: Builds the elements over the pattern by rank, column, then row starting from the Origin. Radius: A slider (available when Shape is set to Burst, Spiral, Circle, or Sphere) to set the size of the selected shape. Twists: A slider (available only when Shape is set to Spiral) to set the number of turns in a spiral. The default value is 0.25. When Number of Arms is set to one, a single spiral is created. Number of Arms: A slider (available only when Shape is set to Burst or Spiral) to set the number of branches on which the elements are positioned. The default value is 3. Points Per Arm: A slider (available only when Shape is set to Burst or Spiral) to set the number of element points on each branch of the burst or spiral. When the Adjust Item tool is selected in the toolbar, the points are visible in the Canvas. Columns: A slider (available when Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, or Image, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill; or when Shape is set to Box or Sphere and Arrangement is set to Outline or Tile Fill) to specify the number of vertical columns (or horizontal element points) on a grid over the selected replicator. In the case of an irregular shape (nonrectangular), points that fall outside the shape are ignored. Rows: A slider (available when Arrangement is set to Tile Fill) to set the number of horizontal rows (or vertical element points) on a grid over the selected replicator. In the case of an irregular shape (nonrectangular), points that fall outside the shape are ignored. This control is also available for Box and Sphere when Arrangement is set to Outline or Tile Fill. Ranks: A slider (available when Shape is set to Box and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill or Outline; or when Shape is set to Sphere and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill) to specify the number of points in Z space (depth) on a grid over the selected replicator. In the case of an irregular shape (nonrectangular), points that fall outside the shape are ignored. Tile Offset: A slider (available when Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill) to specify the amount (in percentage points) that the elements are offset from the pattern. Values from 0 to 100% offset the rows toward the right, and values from 0 to –100% offset the rows toward the left. A value of 50 or –50% creates a brickwork pattern. Origin: A pop-up menu to specify how the elements traverse across the pattern from a point of origin. For example, when set to Left, the elements sweep across the pattern from left to right. When set to Upper Right, the elements traverse from the upper-right corner point of the shape to the lower-right corner. When Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill or Random Fill the Origin pop-up menu contains the following options: Upper Left: Elements originate in the upper-left corner of the pattern and end in the lower-right corner. Upper Right: Elements originate in the upper-right corner of the pattern and end in the lower-left corner. Lower Left: Elements originate in the lower-left corner of the pattern and end in the upper-right corner. Lower Right: Elements originate in the lower-right corner of the pattern and end in the upper-left corner. Center: Elements originate in the center of the pattern and move outward. This is the default Origin option. Left: Elements originate at the left side of the pattern and end at the right side. Right: Elements originate at the right side of the pattern and end at the left side. Top: Elements originate at the top of the pattern and end at the bottom. Bottom: Elements originate at the bottom of the pattern and end at the top. When Shape is set to Circle or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill or Random Fill, the Origin pop-up menu contains the following options: Center: Elements originate in the center of the pattern and build outward. This is the default Origin option. Edge: Elements originate along the edge of the pattern and build inward. When Shape is set to Box, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill or Random Fill, the Origin pop-up menu contains the following options: Front Upper Left: Elements originate in the front upper-left corner of the pattern and end in the back lower right. Front Upper Right: Elements originate in the front upperright corner of the pattern and end in the back lower left. Front Lower Left: Elements originate in the front lower-left corner of the pattern and end in the back upper right. Front Lower Right: Elements originate in the front lowerright corner of the pattern and end in the back upper left. Back Upper Left: Elements originate in the back upper-left corner of the pattern and end in the front lower right. Back Upper Right: Elements originate in the back upperright corner of the pattern and end in the front lower left. Back Lower Left: Elements originate in the back lower-left corner of the pattern and end in the front upper-right. Back Lower Right: Elements originate in the back lowerright corner of the pattern and end in the front upper-left. Left: Elements originate at the left side of the pattern and end at the right side. The pattern is identical on each row. Right: Elements originate at the right side of the pattern and end at the left side. The pattern is identical on each row. Top: Elements originate at the top of the pattern and end at the bottom. The pattern is identical on each rank. Bottom: Elements originate at the bottom of the pattern and end at the top. The pattern is identical on each rank. Front: Elements originate at the front of the pattern and end at the back. The pattern is identical on each column. Back: Elements originate at the back of the pattern and end at the front. The pattern is identical on each column. Center: Elements originate in the center of the pattern and move outward. This is the default Origin option. X Axis: Elements originate along the X axis of the pattern and move outward. Y Axis: Elements originate along the Y axis of the pattern and move outward. Z Axis: Elements originate along the Z axis of the pattern and move outward. Note: The origin pop-up menu also determines where the Sequence Replicator behavior starts its animation. For more information on the Sequence Replicator behavior, see Apply the Sequence Replicator behavior. Shuffle Order: A checkbox that, when selected, rearranges the order in which the elements appear. Replicate Seed: A random seed generator button and field (available when Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Random Fill) to modify the Random Fill pattern. Click the Generate button to set a new random seed number. Although the result of the Random Fill option from the Arrangement pop-up menu seems random, it’s deterministic. This means that the random variation in the pattern is created based on the number shown. Unless this seed number is changed, a replicator with the same parameter settings and source object always appears the same. If you don’t like the current random fill, you can change the seed number by typing a new number or clicking Generate. This changes the random calculations performed for that pattern. This parameter is also used to randomize the Shuffle Order parameter. 3D: A checkbox that, when selected, enables the Box and Sphere options in the Shape pop-up menu. Reverse Stacking: A checkbox that, when selected, inverts the order in which elements are stacked. To see the effect of this parameter, elements must be overlapping. Face Camera: A checkbox (available when the 3D checkbox is selected) that, when selected, forces pattern elements to face the camera when the camera or the replicator is rotated. When Face Camera is deselected, the elements face forward in the replicator pattern and appear flat (unless the source layer or pattern elements are rotated in 3D space). Because Motion does not support 3D objects (other than 3D text), this option is key to giving 2D layers the appearance of 3D as the camera is animated. Note: Because replicator pattern elements are 2D (flat) objects (unless 3D text is used as the replicator source), the pattern elements are not visible when you use the orthogonal reference camera views, such as Left, Right, and Top (unless the source layer or pattern elements are rotated in 3D space). This is because orthogonal views are at right angles (perpendicular) to the elements. For more information on using cameras, see 3D cameras overview. Create a custom replicator shape Two settings in Shape pop-up menu (in the Replicator Inspector) let you set a custom layout pattern for elements in the replicator: Geometry: Elements in the replicator pattern are arrayed along the outline of a custom geometry shape (a circle or Bezier shape, for example) that you designate. Image: Elements in the replicator pattern are arrayed along the outline of, or as a fill within, an image or movie clip that you designate. When you choose Geometry or Image from the Shape pop-up menu, a source well becomes available. When used as geometry sources, images (such as stills or clips) and geometry (shape) layers can be used to specify the shape of the replicator pattern. The following tasks describe how to use image and geometry layers as cell sources and shape sources. Use a geometry object as the shape source of the replicator pattern 1. Import (or draw) the shape to use as the pattern shape in an existing replicator. The shape is added as a layer to your project. 2. In the Layers list, select the replicator, then, in the Replicator Inspector, click the Shape pop-up menu and choose Geometry. The Shape Source well appears in the Inspector and HUD. 3. From the Layers list, drag the shape to the Shape Source well. 4. When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. A thumbnail of the shape appears in the well and is used as the source for the shape of the replicator. To hide the original shape you created in step 1, deselect its checkbox in the Layers list. Note: Image objects cannot be used as a shape source when the Shape pop-up menu is set to Geometry. Use an image as the shape source of the replicator pattern 1. Import an image to use as the pattern shape in an existing replicator. The image is added as a layer to your project. 2. In the Layers list, select the replicator, then, in the Replicator Inspector, click the Shape pop-up menu and choose Image. The Image Source well appears in the Inspector and HUD. 3. From the Layers list, drag the image into the Image Source well, and when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. A thumbnail of the image appears in the well and is used as the source for the shape of the replicator pattern. To hide the original shape you created in step 1, deselect its checkbox in the Layers list. 4. To set the type of pattern, click the Arrangement pop-up menu, then choose an option: Outline: Pattern elements are placed along the rectangular outline of the image source. Tile Fill: Pattern elements are flanked in rows and columns inside the borders of the image source. Random: Pattern elements are distributed in random fashion inside the borders of the image source. Replicator cell controls Adjust replicator cells using the controls at the bottom of the Replicator Inspector (for replicators with a single cell) or in the Replicator Cell Inspector (for replicators with multiple cells): Align Angle: A checkbox (available when Shape is set to Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere, and Arrangement is set to Tile Fill or Random Fill) that forces replicator elements to rotate to match the shape on which they’re positioned. Angle: A dial to set (in degrees) the rotation of the replicator elements. When the 3D checkbox is selected in the Replicator Inspector, the default dial modifies the Z angle. To modify the rotation of the pattern elements on all three axes (X, Y, and Z), click the disclosure triangle and adjust the X, Y, and Z dials. When the 3D checkbox is selected, this parameter group also displays the Animate pop-up menu (described below). Animate: A pop-up menu (available as a subparameter of the Angle parameter when the 3D checkbox is selected) that sets the angle interpolation for keyframed animation of the Angle parameter. There are two menu choices: Use Rotation: The default interpolation method. When the Angle parameter is keyframed, pattern elements rotate from their start rotation to their final rotation. Depending on the animation, the elements may twist before reaching their final orientation (the last keyframed value). For example, if the X, Y, and Z Angle parameters are animated from 0 degrees to 180 degrees in a project, the elements rotate on all axes before reaching their final orientation. Use Orientation: This alternate interpolation method provides smoother animation but does not allow multiple revolutions. It interpolates between the pattern elements’ start orientation (first keyframe) and their end orientation (second keyframe). Angle End: A dial to set (in degrees) the rotation of the replicator elements at the end of the pattern. The angle value of the elements at the end of the pattern equals the Angle value (start) plus the Angle End value. For example, if Angle is set to 0 degrees and Angle End set to 90 degrees, the elements are not rotated at all at their origin, and are rotated by 90 degrees at the end of the pattern. In a 3D project, using the default dial modifies the Z angle. To modify the rotation of the pattern elements on all three axes (X, Y, and Z), click the disclosure triangle and adjust the individual X, Y, and Z dials. When the 3D checkbox is selected, this parameter group also displays the Animate popup menu (described below). Animate: A pop-up menu (available as a subparameter of the Angle End parameter when the 3D checkbox is selected) that sets the angle interpolation for keyframed animation of the Angle parameter. There are two menu choices: Use Rotation: This is the default interpolation method. Use Rotation: This is the default interpolation method. When the Angle End parameter is keyframed, pattern elements rotate from their start rotation to their final rotation. Depending on the animation, the elements may twist before reaching their final orientation (the last keyframed value). For example, if the X, Y, and Z Angle parameters are animated from 0 degrees to 180 degrees in a project, the elements rotate on all axes before reaching their final orientation. Use Orientation: This alternate interpolation method provides smoother animation but does not allow multiple revolutions. It interpolates between the pattern elements’ start orientation (first keyframe) and their end orientation (second keyframe). Angle Randomness: A dial that defines an amount of variance in the rotation of replicator elements. A value of 0 results in no variance—all elements have the same rotational value. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance. The angle for an element is defined by the Angle and Angle End parameter, plus or minus a random value falling within the Angle Randomness. In a 3D project, using the default dial or value slider (when the disclosure triangle is closed), modifies the Z angle. To modify the rotation of the pattern elements on all three axes (X, Y, and Z), click the disclosure triangle and adjust the X, Y, and Z dials. When the 3D checkbox is selected, this parameter group also displays the Animate pop-up menu (described below). Animate: A pop-up menu (available as a subparameter of the Angle Randomness parameter when the 3D checkbox is selected) that sets the angle interpolation for keyframed animation of the Angle Randomness parameter. There are two menu choices: Use Rotation: This is the default interpolation method. When the Angle Randomness parameter is keyframed, pattern elements rotate from their start rotation to their final rotation. Depending on the animation, the elements may twist before reaching their final orientation (the last keyframed value). For example, if the X, Y, and Z Angle parameters are animated from 0 degrees to 180 degrees in a project, the elements rotate on all axes before reaching their final orientation. Use Orientation: This alternate interpolation method provides smoother animation but does not allow multiple revolutions. It interpolates between the pattern elements’ start orientation (first keyframe) and their end orientation (second keyframe). Additive Blend: By default, replicator elements are composited together using the Normal blend mode. Select this checkbox to composite all overlapping elements using the Additive blend mode. The result is that the brightness of overlapping objects is intensified. This blending occurs in addition to the compositing method set in the Blend Mode parameter in Properties Inspector. Color Mode: A pop-up menu to specify how replicator elements are tinted. There are five menu options: Original: Elements are created using the original colors from the source layer. When this setting is chosen, the Opacity Gradient editor becomes available (described below). Colorize: Elements are tinted using the color specified in the Color parameter. When this setting is chosen additional Color and Opacity Gradient controls become available (described below). Over Pattern: Elements are tinted based on how they are ordered in the pattern. When Over Pattern is chosen, the Color Gradient editor becomes available (described below). Pick From Color Range: Elements are tinted at random, with the range of possible colors and transparency defined by the Color Range gradient editor (described below). A point on the gradient is randomly chosen, so the relative sizes of each color region determine the frequency of the color being used. For more information on using the gradient controls, see Change a gradient’s color and opacity. Take Image Color: Each element’s color is based on the color of the image at the position of the element point. This mode is only available when an image in used as the replicator shape. Color: This color well becomes available when the Color Mode is set to Colorize. Use it to specify a color to tint replicator elements. You can also alter each element’s opacity. This parameter is unique to the cell object. You can click the color well to choose a color, or open the disclosure triangle and use the Red, Green, Blue, and Opacity channel sliders or value sliders. Opacity Gradient: A gradient editor (available when Color Mode is set to Original or Colorize) to change the opacity of replicator elements over the pattern. This gradient control is limited to grayscale values, which are used to represent varying levels of transparency. White represents solid elements; progressively darker levels of gray represent decreasing opacity; and black represents complete transparency. A simple white to black gradient represents a pattern that is solid at its origin, but which fades out gradually. For more information on using gradient and opacity gradient controls, see Change a gradient’s color and opacity. Color Gradient: A gradient editor (available when Color Mode is set to Over Pattern) to specify the range of color and transparency of the pattern, beginning with the leftmost color in the gradient, then progressing through the range of colors to the rightmost color at the end of the pattern. Gradual color changes do not appear in each element, but only across the pattern as a whole. An Opacity control is available at the top of the gradient editor. For more information on using gradient controls, see Change a gradient’s color and opacity. Color Range: A gradient editor (available when Color Mode is set to Pick From Color Range) to specify the range of colors and transparency used to randomly tint the pattern. Color Repetitions: A slider (available when Color Mode is set to Over Pattern) to set the number of times the gradient is repeated over the pattern. Scale: A slider to set the scale of replicator elements. By default, Scale is set to 100%—the size of the replicator elements is equal to the size of the source layer. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z scaling subparameters. Use X and Y to resize the width and height of elements separately; use Z to change the depth of 3D text elements. Scale End: A slider to set the scale of the replicator elements at the end of the pattern, relative to the Scale value. For example, if Scale is set to 100% and Scale End set to 50%, the elements are 100% at their origin and half their size at the end of the pattern. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale End parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z scaling subparameters. Use X and Y to resize the width and height of elements separately; use Z to change the depth of 3D text elements. Scale Randomness: A slider to set an amount of variance in the scale of replicator elements. A value of 0 results in no variance—all elements in the pattern are the same size. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance. The scale for an element is defined by the Scale parameter, plus or minus a random value falling within the Scale and the Scale End. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale Randomness parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z scaling subparameters. Use X and Y to resize the width and height of elements separately; use Z to change the depth of 3D text elements. Play Frames: A checkbox (available if the replicator is using a QuickTime object as the source for a cell) that, when selected, loops playback of the animation or movie clip used for each element. If this checkbox is deselected, the animation or clip is frozen at the still frame specified by the Random Start Frame parameter or the Source Start Frame parameter (described below). Random Start Frame: A checkbox (available if the replicator is using a QuickTime object as the source for a cell) that, when selected, introduces variation so that each element in the pattern begins at a different frame of the clip. If the Play Frames checkbox is deselected, still frames are chosen randomly. Source Start Frame: A slider (available if the replicator is using a QuickTime object as the source for a cell, and if Random Start Frame is deselected) that designates the start frame of the clip (when the Play Frames checkbox is selected) or the still frame to display (when Play Frames is deselected). Source Frame Offset: A slider (available if the replicator is using a QuickTime object as the source for a cell, and Random Start Frame is deselected) to offset the start frame chosen in the Source Start Frame slider. At their origin, the elements play the animation from the frame specified in the Source Start Frame slider. Each adjacent pattern element in the Canvas advances the start frame by the offset amount. Hold Frames: A slider (available if the replicator is using a QuickTime object as the source for a cell) to set the number of times each frame of the source movie is repeated during playback. The larger the Hold Frames value, the slower your playback. Hold Frames Randomness: A slider (available if the replicator is using a QuickTime object as the source for a cell) to vary the number of frames to hold. Show Objects As: A pop-up menu that sets whether replicator elements are displayed in a preview mode or as they actually appear. The nonimage modes play back more efficiently when viewing a complex replicator pattern. By default, this pop-up menu is set to Image, which displays each element as it is supposed to appear. Choose one of the following four options: Points: Displays each element as a single point. This is the fastest preview mode. When you choose Points, the Point Size slider appears, allowing you to increase the size of the points for easier viewing. In the following image, the Point Size is set to 8. Lines: Displays each element as a line. This option is effective only when elements of the replicator are animated using Simulation behaviors or the Throw (Basic Motion) behavior. The movement of each pattern element is represented by a line; use this view to analyze motion vectors of elements. The length of each line is determined by that element’s speed, and the angle of each line equals each element’s direction. In the following image, the replicator elements are animated using the Vortex behavior. Note: Element movement created by the Sequence Replicator behavior or by keyframing the replicator parameters is not displayed. Wireframe: Displays each element as a bounding box. Because the bounding boxes are good indicators of each element’s orientation in the pattern, this preview mode is useful for evaluating the movements of individual elements. For example, it’s easy to see the angle of rotation for elements that are spinning or following a complex motion path. Image: Displays elements as they will appear in your final render. This is the default setting. Note: The option chosen in the Show Objects As pop-up menu appears in your final render. Random Seed: Although the result of adjusting the Angle Randomness, Scale Randomness, Pick From Color Range, Random Start Frame, or Hold Frame Randomness parameters seems random, it’s deterministic. This means that the random variation in the pattern is created based on the number shown in the Random Seed field. Unless this seed number is changed, a replicator with the same parameter settings appears the same. If you don’t like the current random scale or angle, change the seed number by typing a new number the field or by clicking Generate. Object Source: An image well displaying a thumbnail of the replicator cell. To swap out a cell, drag a new source layer from the Layers list to the Object Source well. In a replicator with multiple cells, each cell appears in a separate image well listed at the bottom of the Replicator Inspector. A checkbox lets you enable or disable that cell. Adjust a replicator in the Properties Inspector You can modify a replicator’s position, scale, blend mode, drop shadow, and other attributes in the Properties Inspector. These properties are separate from the replicator parameters in the Replicator and Replicator Cell Inspectors, which control the shape and size of the replicator, as well as all aspects of its pattern and cells. 1. Select a replicator in the Layers list, Timeline, or Canvas. 2. In the Inspector, click Properties. 3. Adjust the controls. For detailed information about the Properties Inspector, see Properties Inspector controls. Note: When you select a replicator cell (as opposed to the replicator, itself) and open the Properties Inspector, only one group of parameters is available: the Timing controls, which adjust the In and Out points of the replicator cell. Animate replicators Animate replicators overview By adding behaviors or keyframes to a replicator or its cells, you can quickly animate the pattern of replicated images in complex, dramatic ways: Apply Basic Motion or Simulation behaviors to a replicator object to animate an entire replicator pattern as a whole, or to replicator cells to animate each element in the pattern symmetrically. To make replicator elements interact with other objects in your project, apply a Simulation behavior to the replicator or another object (an object that’s not part of the replicator). For example, applying the Orbit Around behavior to an object will cause replicator elements to circle around that object. Use the Sequence Replicator behavior—a special behavior designed for replicators—to animate individual pattern elements in turn over time, without creating keyframes. Use Parameter behaviors to animate individual parameters in the Replicator Inspector or Replicator Cell Inspector. Use keyframes to animate individual parameters in the Replicator Inspector or Replicator Cell Inspector. Or use keyframes in the Properties Inspector to animate a replicator’s position, rotation, or opacity over time. Apply behaviors to replicators and replicator cells You can apply Basic Motion, Parameter, and Simulation behaviors to a replicator. Some behaviors can be applied directly to replicator cells, such as Throw and Spin (from the Basic Motion subcategory) and Gravity and Edge Collision (from the Simulation category). Do one of the following: Drag a behavior from the Library onto a replicator or replicator cell in Layers list or Timeline. Select a replicator or replicator cell in the Layers list or Timeline, then choose an item from the Add Behavior pop-up menu. The behavior is applied to the replicator or cell, which begins to move according to the parameters of the behavior. Not all behaviors instantly activate a layer (including a Replicator layer) when applied. For example, when you apply the Throw behavior to a layer, you must adjust the Throw Velocity parameter to make the layer move. For more information, see Behaviors overview. As previously noted, the replicator also has a special behavior called Sequence Replicator, which animates individual cells in sequence over time. For more information, see Apply the Sequence Replicator behavior. SEE ALSO Special behavior considerations Special behavior considerations When you apply one of the Simulation behaviors, or the Spin or Throw behavior, to a replicator that already has keyframed animation, some animation created by the keyframes is ignored. For example, if the Angle parameter in the Cell Controls of the Replicator Inspector is keyframed to make the pattern elements rotate over time, and you apply a Spin behavior—with the Affect Subobjects checkbox selected—the elements ignore the replicator’s Angle keyframes and rotate according to the rate set in the Spin behavior parameters. To rotate the entire replicator layer and enable the Angle keyframe animation, deselect Affect Subobjects in the Spin parameters. Apply the Sequence Replicator behavior The Sequence Replicator behavior animates elements of a replicator in sequence over time. This is the only way to animate elements individually—keyframing the cell parameters or applying other behaviors affects all elements in the pattern uniformly. Using the Sequence Replicator behavior, you can select and apply replicator cell parameters such as Position, Color, Scale, Rotation, or Opacity, then animate those parameters in a cascading sequence that passes through each element in a replicator pattern. The starting point for the sequence animation is based on the replicator’s origin or build style. For example, if a spiral replicator’s Origin parameter is set to Center, the sequence animation begins at the center of the spiral and moves outward; if the Origin of a rectangle replicator with a tile fill is set to Upper Left, and the Build Style is set to Across, the sequence begins with the elements in the upper-left corner of the pattern, then moves toward the lower-right corner. You can apply the Sequence Replicator behavior to a replicator or to its cells. Either application creates the same animation. After you create a Sequence Replicator behavior, you can save it to the Library as a custom behavior. Apply the Sequence Replicator behavior Do one of the following: In the Layers list or Timeline, select a replicator or replicator cell, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, then choose Replicator > Sequence Replicator. In the Library, select the Behaviors category, select the Replicator subcategory, then drag the Sequence Replicator from the stack to a replicator or replicator cell in the Layers list, Timeline, or Canvas. The Sequence Replicator controls appear in the Behaviors Inspector. For the behavior to have any effect on the replicator, you must add parameters using the Parameter pop-up menu at the top of the Sequence Replicator controls. For details, see the next task. Add and animate parameters in the Behaviors Inspector After you apply the Sequence Replicator behavior to a replicator, you must assign one or more parameters for the behavior to modify. In the following example, the Rotation, Opacity, and Scale parameters are assigned to the Sequence Replicator behavior in the Behaviors Inspector. 1. In the Layers list or Timeline, select the Sequence Replicator behavior. 2. In the Parameter row of the Behaviors Inspector, do the following: a. Click the Add pop-up menu, then choose Rotation. b. Click the Add pop-up menu, then choose Opacity. c. Click the Add pop-up menu, then choose Scale. The added parameters appear above the Add and Remove pop-up menus. No animation occurs until you set a value for the parameters. 3. Ensure that keyframe recording is turned off (the Record button in the transport controls under the Canvas is not highlighted). 4. In the Behaviors Inspector, drag the Rotation dial to set a spin value. In this example, Rotation is set to 160 degrees, so that each element rotates from 0 degrees to 160 degrees over the pattern for the duration of the Sequence Replicator behavior. Note: If the elements are already rotated (in the Cell Controls), the elements are rotated 160 degrees from their original rotation value. Play your project (press the Space bar). Each element rotates 160 degrees in sequence, popping into place before the next element begins rotating. 5. To ease the transition between each element’s animation, drag the Spread value slider to the right. In this example, Spread is set to 12. In addition to creating a more graceful animation, changing the Spread value can also dramatically change the appearance of the pattern. 6. In the Behaviors Inspector, drag the Opacity slider to the lowest value you want the elements to fade to during the animation. In this example, Opacity is set to 0. Each element fades from 100% opacity to 0% opacity over the duration of the Sequence Replicator behavior. Note: If the elements already contain some transparency, they fade from their original opacity value to 0%. 7. In the Behaviors Inspector, drag the Scale slider to the right to increase the size of each element over time. In this example, Scale is set to 190%. Play your project. The animation begins at the original value for any added parameter, then transforms to the value you specify in the Sequence Replicator parameters. The animation begins at the origin of the pattern (set in the Origin or Build Style parameter of the Replicator Inspector or HUD) and moves to through the elements to the end of the pattern. Change the way the sequence moves through the pattern After you apply parameters to the Sequence Replicator behavior, you can use Sequence Controls parameters to change the way the sequence moves through the replicator pattern. The following task continues with the project used in the previous example. 1. With the Sequence Replicator behavior selected, play the project (press the Space bar) to see the effects of the sequencing. By default, the Sequencing parameter (in the Behaviors Inspector) is set to “To,” which specifies that the animation begins at the original value of the cells and moves to the value set in the Sequence Replicator behavior for that parameter. The starting point for the sequence animation is based on the build or origin of the pattern (as defined in the Origin or Build Style parameters in the Replicator Inspector). In the current example, the elements begin completely opaque, at 100% scale, and with 0 degrees of rotation at the origin of the pattern. As the sequence moves toward the end of the pattern, the elements become completely transparent, are scaled to 190%, and are rotated 160 degrees. 2. In the Behaviors Inspector, click the Sequencing pop-up menu, then choose From. Play your project. The animation now moves from the value set in the Sequence Replicator behavior to the original value of the cells. This is the opposite of the To Sequencing option. 3. In the Behaviors Inspector, click the Sequencing pop-up menu, then choose Through. Play your project. The sequence goes through a full animation cycle starting at the original value of the cells, moving to the value set in the Sequence Replicator, then returning to the original value of the cells. This is similar to combining the To and From Sequencing options. 4. In the Behaviors Inspector, click the Unit Size pop-up menu, then choose All. Play your project. The sequence animation affects all replicator elements simultaneously. The default Unit Size setting is Object, which applies the sequence animation to the elements of the replicator based on the origin of the pattern. 5. In the Behaviors Inspector, drag the Loops slider to the right to set a value of 3. Play your project. The sequence now loops three times. The value of the Loops parameter defines the number of times the animation repeats over the duration of the replicator object. 6. In the Behaviors Inspector, click the End Condition pop-up menu, then choose Ping Pong. By default, the End Condition parameter is set to Hold, which completes a sequence animation cycle, then starts the cycle again from the beginning. When set to Ping Pong, the animation cycles forward one time, then cycles backward, then forward, and so on. Note: The End Condition parameter has no effect for Loop values less than or equal to 1. SEE ALSO Sequence Replicator controls Sequence Replicator controls Use the following controls in the Behaviors Inspector to modify the sequence animation: Parameter: Two pop-up menus (Add and Remove) that designate pattern elements to animate in sequence. When you choose an item from the Add pop-up menu, additional controls appear at the top of the Behaviors Inspector. You can adjust these controls (or keyframe them) to modify the sequence animation, which is based on the change in value between these parameters and the original values of the cells. The Add pop-up menu items include the following options: Rotation: Adds a rotation dial and value slider that enables you to Specify (in degrees) the rotation of replicator elements. Color: Adds a row of color controls that let you specify a tint for replicator elements. You can click the color well to choose a color or open the disclosure triangle and use the Red, Green, and Blue sliders. For more information about using color controls, see Basic color controls. Opacity: Adds an opacity slider, allowing you to define the transparency of the pattern elements. Scale: Adds a scale slider that lets you define the size of replicator elements. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale slider to reveal separate X and Y subparameters to adjust the width and height of the cells separately. By default, Scale is set to 100%—the size of the replicator cells is equal to the original size defined in the cell parameters. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z scaling subparameters. Use X and Y to resize the width and height of elements separately; use Z to change the depth of 3D text elements. Position: Adds two value fields that define the offset of elements from their original position in X and Y space. Click the disclosure triangle next to the parameter name to reveal separate X, Y, and Z position subparameters. For example, to create an animation in which elements move upward along the Y axis over the replicator pattern, enter a positive value in the Y Position field. In the following images, Y Position is set to 300. Sequencing: A pop-up menu to set how the sequence animation moves through the elements of the pattern, based on the change from the original parameter value to the value set in the Sequence Replicator parameters. The starting point for the sequence animation is based on the selected Origin or Build Style parameters (in the Replicator Inspector). For example, if a line replicator’s Origin parameter is set to End Point, the sequence animation begins at the end of the line and moves toward the start of the line by default. To change the starting point for the sequence animation, change the Origin or Build Style of the pattern in the Replicator Inspector or HUD. The Sequencing pop-up menu contains the following options: To: Animation begins at the original value of the cells and moves to the value set in the Sequence Replicator behavior for that parameter. For example, if the original opacity value of a cell is 100%, and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, onscreen elements begin completely opaque and become completely transparent. From: Animation moves from the value set in the Sequence Replicator behavior to the original value of the cells. For example, if the original opacity value of a cell is 100% and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, onscreen elements begin completely transparent and become completely opaque. This is the opposite of the To option in the Sequencing pop-up menu. Through: The sequence goes through a full animation cycle starting at the original value of the cells, moves to the value set in the Sequence Replicator, and then returns to the original value of the cells. For example, if the original opacity value of a cell is 100% and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, onscreen elements begin completely opaque, become transparent, and then become completely opaque again. Through Inverted: The sequence goes through an inverted animation cycle starting from the value set in the Sequence Replicator, moves to the original value of the cells, and then returns to the value set in the Sequence Replicator. For example, if the original opacity value of a cell is 100% and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, the onscreen elements begin completely transparent, become opaque, and then become completely transparent. This is the opposite of the Through Sequencing option. From Keyframes: Lets you use animation originally created in the source layer’s parameters (except alpha parameters). Additionally, you can keyframe how the animation moves through the values set in the Sequence Replicator parameters. Source: A pop-up menu (available when the Sequencing popup menu is set to From Keyframes) to enable animation created by keyframes in a replicated source layer (the layer that is disabled when the replicator is created). There are two options: Use Source Animation and Ignore Source Animation. Unit Size: A pop-up menu to specify whether the sequence animation is applied to the replicator pattern as a whole, to its elements, or to a keyframed range. There are three options: Object: The default setting, applies the animation to each element in sequence over the duration of the behavior All: Applies the sequence animation to all replicator elements simultaneously. Custom: Lets you specify the percentage of elements in the pattern affected by the sequence animation simultaneously. Although you can create keyframes for the Custom option, it’s not required to affect the sequence. As shown in the following images, the Object and All options allow you to sequence the animation through the origin or build style of the pattern, or through all pattern elements simultaneously. However, custom lets you define an area of elements— based on percentage—that are affected by the sequence. When you choose Custom from the Unit Size pop-up menu, the Start and End parameters (described below) become available. Start: A slider (available when the Unit Size pop-up menu is set to Custom) to specify the offset of the start of the range of elements affected by the sequence animation as it moves over the replicator pattern. In the above image, Start is set to 10%. End: A slider (available when the Unit Size pop-up menu is set to Custom) to specify the end of the range of elements affected by the sequence animation as it moves over the replicator pattern. By default, End is set to 10%. In the above image, End is set to 30%. Note: If the Sequencing pop-up menu is set to From Keyframes, the Custom option in the Unit Size parameter has no affect. Spread: A slider to control the amount of falloff of the animation. To create a softer transition between each element, increase the Spread value. Traversal: A pop-up menu to set the action of the sequence behavior to one of the following: Constant Speed: The sequence animation moves from the origin of the replicator pattern through the end of the pattern at a constant speed. The sequence moves in the direction specified in the Replicator Inspector (such as Origin or Build Style). Ease In: The sequence animation begins slowly and increases to normal speed as it moves through the replicator pattern. Ease Out: The sequence animation begins at normal speed and slows toward the end of the replicator pattern. Ease In/Out: The sequence animation begins slowly, increases to normal speed as it moves toward the middle of the duration of the replicator pattern, then slows as it reaches the end of the replicator pattern. Accelerate: The sequence animation increases in speed. Decelerate: The sequence animation decreases in speed. Custom: This option lets you keyframe how the animation moves through the replicator pattern. When the Traversal pop-up menu is set to Custom, the Location parameter replaces the Loops parameter. Location: A slider (available when Traversal is set to Custom) to define where on the pattern the animation is in effect. For more information on using the Custom Traversal option, see Control sequence timing with keyframes. Loops: A slider to set the number of times the animation sequences through the replicator pattern over its duration. Note: Loops is not available when the Traversal parameter is set to Custom. End Condition: A pop-up menu that sets how the sequence animation is repeated over the duration of the replicator object. This parameter has no effect for Loop values less than or equal to 1. There are three End Condition options: Hold: Completes the sequence animation cycle one time, then starts it again from the beginning (after the last element in the sequence completes its animation). Wrap: Treats the sequence animation as a continuous loop so the spread wraps from the last element in the sequence to the first element. Ping Pong: Completes the sequence animation cycle forward, then completes the animation backward, then forward, and so on. Control sequence timing with keyframes When the Traversal parameter in the Sequence Replicator behavior is set to Custom, you can create location keyframes to specify where on the pattern the animation is in effect. Use the Traversal parameter to create a sequence animation that travels through a replicator pattern in a unique way. The following example shows how to use the Custom Traversal option to scale the elements around a circle replicator shape by creating keyframes. Use keyframes to create custom sequence timing 1. Add a Sequence Replicator behavior to a replicator, then, in the Behaviors Inspector, add parameters and set their values. In this example, the Scale parameter is added and the Scale value set to 200%. 2. Click the Traversal pop-up menu, then choose Custom. 3. Press A to enable keyframe recording, then move the playhead to the frame where you want to begin the animation. 4. In the Behaviors Inspector, drag the Location slider (or use the adjacent value slider) to set where the sequence begins. As you drag the slider, the sequence moves through the pattern elements. Location values specify (in percentage points) where in the pattern animation is occurring, with 0% representing the origin of the pattern, and 100% representing the end of the pattern. A keyframe is added to the Location parameter. 5. Go to the next frame where you want to set a keyframe, the adjust the Location slider. Another keyframe is added to the Location parameter. 6. Repeat step 5 until you create all your keyframes. 7. Press A again to turn off keyframe recording. 8. Play the project (press the Space bar). The animation moves through the replicator pattern based on its keyframed locations. In this case, the scale moves erratically back and forth around the circle, rather than in a constant direction. Use Parameter behaviors with the Sequence Replicator behavior You can add Parameter behaviors to Sequence Replicator parameters to create even more varied, complex effects without keyframing. (Parameter behaviors are a special kind of behavior applied to a specific parameter of an object. For more information, see Parameter behaviors overview.) Apply a Parameter behavior to a Sequence Replicator behavior 1. Add a Sequence Replicator behavior to a replicator. 2. In the Layers list or Timeline, select the Sequence Replicator behavior. 3. In the Behaviors Inspector, Control-click the parameter you want to add a Parameter behavior to, then choose a behavior from the Add Parameter Behavior submenu. Note: You can add a Parameter behavior only to a parameter that has an Animation menu (which appears as a downward arrow when you place the pointer over the right side of a parameter row in the Inspector). The Parameter behavior is added and appears above the Sequence Replicator behavior in the Behaviors Inspector. A behavior icon appears in the Animation menu of the Sequence Replicator parameter. Note: When the Wriggle or Randomize parameter behavior is added to a Sequence Replicator parameter, the Affect Subobjects checkbox becomes available. Select the checkbox if you want each element in the pattern to display a different random behavior. For more information about applying and adjusting Parameter behaviors, see Add, remove, and disable a Parameter behavior. Display replicator animation curves in the Keyframe Editor When you keyframe parameters in the Properties Inspector, Replicator Inspector, and Replicator Cell Inspector, you can view the resulting keyframe curves in the Keyframe Editor. Different parameters (and their keyframe curves) appear in the Keyframe Editor depending on which layer you select in the Layers list: Select the replicator layer to display animated parameters of the Replicator Inspector, such as Position and Rotation in the Properties Inspector, or Size or Tile Offset (available when the shape is a rectangle). Select the cell layer to display animated parameters of the Replicator Cell Inspector, such as Angle or Scale. For more information, see Keyframing overview. 1. Click the Show Keyframe Editor button in the bottom-right corner of the Motion workspace. The Keyframe Editor opens in the Timing pane. Make sure the pop-up menu in the top-left corner of the Keyframe Editor is set to Animated. 2. Do one of the following: To display animation curves representing keyframed replicator parameters in the Properties Inspector and Replicator Inspector (Position, Rotation, Size, Tile Offset, and so on), select a replicator object in the Layers list or Timeline. To display animation curves representing keyframed replicator parameters in the Replicator Cell Inspector (Angle, Angle Randomness, and so on), select a replicator cell object in the Layers list or Timeline. For more information about keyframe curves, see Choose a curve view. Work with 3D replicators Two replicator pattern styles in the Shapes pop-up menu have 3D properties: Box and Sphere. The Box and Sphere shape options are available only when the 3D checkbox is selected in the Replicator Inspector. Box and Sphere replicators build a pattern of elements in 3D space. The 2D Rectangle and Circle replicator shapes have columns (in the Y plane) and rows (in the X plane), but Box and Sphere have an additional Ranks parameter, which adds depth (in Z space) to the replicator. Although the Rectangle, Circle, Line, Wave, Image, and Geometry replicators have no inherent 3D parameters, as with any other Layer in Motion, they can be moved and rotated in 3D space. Additionally, Line and Wave replicator shapes have quasi-3D properties: Their start and end points can be moved into Z space. In the following image, the Z Start Point and Z End Point have been adjusted to give the replicator depth. Create a 3D replicator Box and Sphere replicators build a pattern of elements in 3D space. The 2D Rectangle and Circle replicator shapes have columns (in the Y plane) and rows (in the X plane), but Box and Sphere have an additional Ranks parameter, which adds depth (in Z space) to the replicator. 1. After adding a replicator to a project, select the 3D checkbox in the Replicator Inspector. For more information on adding a replicator to a project, see Add a preset replicator or create a custom replicator. 2. In the Replicator Inspector, click the Shape pop-up menu, then choose Box or Sphere. If your project is not yet 3D, the replicator pattern appears flat. 3. If your project does not contain a camera, click the New Camera button in the toolbar, then click Switch to 3D. A camera is added to the project, and your layers are converted to 3D layers. 4. In the 3D view tools (in the upper-right corner of the Canvas), drag in the Orbit tool (the center tool). As the camera rotates, you can see that the replicator cells are aligned in Z space Tip: Use Simulation behaviors to create animated replicators in 3D space that interact with other objects in the project. For example, use Orbit Around to make replicator elements circle around a target object. For more information, see Simulation behaviors overview. Make replicators interact with other objects When a replicator is a member of a 3D group, certain behaviors can be applied to pull replicator pattern elements out of their X and Y planes. 1. After adding a replicator to a project, select the 3D checkbox in the Replicator Inspector. This example uses a burst replicator shape. For more information on adding a replicator to a project, see Add a preset replicator or create a custom replicator. 2. If your project does not contain a camera, click the New Camera button in the toolbar, then click Switch to 3D. A camera is added to the project, and your layers are turned into 3D layers. 3. In the Layers list, select an object (a white circle shape in this example), and in the Properties Inspector, click the Position disclosure triangle, then drag in the Z value slider. In this example, the white circle’s Z Position is set to 225. 4. In the Layers list, select the replicator, click the Add behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar, then choose Simulations > Attracted To. No animation occurs until an object is assigned to the Attracted To behavior. 5. With the Attracted To behavior selected in the Layers list, drag the target object (in this example, the white circle) to the Object well in the Behaviors Inspector. With the default Attracted To settings, the entire replicator moves as one toward the target object. 6. In the Behaviors Inspector, select the Affect Subobjects checkbox. 7. To play the project, press the Space bar. As the project plays, each replicator element is affected individually, moving forward in Z space toward the attractor. Under the behavior’s influence, the replicator elements move past their attractor element, and return to their original position. For more information about working in 3D, see 3D compositing overview. About replicator timing After you create a replicator, its duration can be as long or short as necessary, regardless of the duration of the original source layers used for the pattern cells. The duration of a replicator is defined by the duration of the replicator timebar in the Timeline track area. Changing the In or Out points of a replicator in the Properties Inspector, Timeline, or mini-Timeline changes the duration of its timebar. Although the duration of source layers has no affect on the replicator, the duration of each cell affects how long the elements created from that cell are visible in the project. You can change a cell’s duration by dragging its In and Out points in the Timeline. In this way, you can adjust the timing that defines when each cell type appears. For example, to create a pattern in which three types of elements appear at different times in the animation, you can offset the cells in the Timeline. In the following image, the “crosshair” cells appear first. One second later, the “drop” cells appear. One second after that, the “soft circle” cells appear. Tip: You can animate the opacity of each cell to create a fade-in effect; you do this by keyframing the Opacity parameter in the Replicator or the Replicator Cell Inspector. For more information on adjusting the timing of layers in the Timeline, see Timeline overview. About using filters and masks with replicators You can apply filters or masks to a replicator or to the image sources used to create replicator cells. (However, you cannot apply filters or masks to the replicator cells themselves.) Filters When applied to the replicator, a filter affects every element of the replicator pattern. When applied to an image source layer, the effect of a filter is retained when the layer is replicated. For more information on applying filters to layers in your project, see Filters overview. Masks When you apply a mask to an replicator source layer, the effect of the mask is retained when the layer is replicated. You can also apply a mask to the replicator object itself. Note: Although you cannot apply masks to a 3D replicator, you can apply them to the image source layer used to create a cell in a 3D replicator. For more information on working with masks, see Masks and transparency overview. Save custom replicators to the Library After you create a replicator you like, you can save it as a replicator preset in the Replicator or Favorites category of the Library for future use. Save a custom replicator to the Library 1. Open the Library and select the Replicators, Favorites, or Favorites Menu category. Note: For organizational purposes, you may find it useful to create a folder of your own in the Favorites or Favorites Menu category to store replicators. 2. From the Layers list or Timeline, drag the replicator to save into the stack at the bottom of the Library. The customized replicator is saved as a file on your computer in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/ folder (in the Replicators, Favorites, or Favorites Menu subfolder). Any custom layers created in Motion (such as a shape layer) used to create that replicator are included in the file. SEE ALSO Save custom objects to the Library Move Motion projects, objects, or presets to another computer Create and edit basic text Basic text overview Although trends in type design change, a balanced use of type and graphics remains key to achieving the right effect in commercials, documentaries, title sequences, broadcast logos, corporate presentations, and personal video projects. No matter what style your project requires, Motion provides unique tools for creating dynamic text effects. It’s easy to add text to a Motion project. Simply select the Text tool in the toolbar, click in the Canvas, and start typing. A new text layer is created (shown in the Canvas, and represented in the Layers list and Timeline), and you can apply various treatments to it—text styles, special effects filters, animation behaviors, keyframes, and so on. Further, you can modify text as a single object or as separate glyphs (characters), applying different effects character by character. This chapter covers the basics of text creation and modification, including how to: Add text Select and modify text in the Canvas Preview and apply fonts Use preset text styles Edit text in the Inspector Modify text glyphs, adjusting text character by character) After you add text and format it to your liking, you can begin to create dynamic animation effects (see Animated text overview). You can also create and animate sophisticated 3D text (see 3D text overview). Add text to a project Set preferences before you add text You can set Motion to create text at either the current frame (the frame where the playhead is positioned when you add the text) or at the start of the project. You can also specify a default duration for new text layers. Set layer creation and duration preferences 1. Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma), then click the Project icon. 2. In the Still Images & Layers section of the Project pane, select a Default Layer Duration preference: Use project duration: New text layers (and any other new layers you add) run the length of the project. This means that if you’re working in a 300-frame project and you create text, the duration of the text (in the Timeline) is 300 frames. Use custom duration: New text layers (and any other new layers you add) run for the duration you enter in the adjacent text field (measured in seconds or frames, depending on the option you choose in the pop-up menu). 3. Select a Create Layers At preference: Current frame: New text layers (and any other new layers you add) are created at the current location of the playhead. Start of project: New text layers (and any other new layers you add) are created at the beginning of the project, regardless of the playhead location. Add text You can add text to a Motion project in a number of ways. Add basic text in the Canvas 1. In the Layers list, select the group to add a text layer to. Note: If no group is selected, the text is added to the last selected group (the underscored group in the Layers list). 2. In the toolbar, click the Text tool (or press T). 3. Click in the Canvas. The insertion point flashes in the Canvas. Before you enter text, an empty text layer is added to the project and the Text HUD appears. Note: If the HUD does not appear, press F7 or click the Show HUD button in the toolbar. 4. Optional: Choose font formatting options in the Format pane of the Text Inspector or in the HUD. You can choose a font type, size, alignment, and more. 5. Enter text. As you type, the following occurs: The text appears in the Canvas. The mini-Timeline and the text layer in the Layers list are labeled using the characters you type. The same text appears in the track bars of the group and layer in the Timeline. Note: By default, the text layout method (adjustable in the Layout pane of the Text Inspector) is set to Type. The Type layout option creates no right margin. Therefore, if you enter a long string of text, the characters extend on a single line beyond the edge of the Canvas until you create a manual line break (by pressing Return). The Type layout mode is useful when you’re working with short strings of text and also when animating horizontal scrolling effects in the Canvas. For information on changing text layout and setting margins, see “Add paragraph-style text with margins that wrap,” below. 6. When you finish typing, do one of the following: Press Esc. Press Command-Return. Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar. The text is selected and appears with a bounding box in the Canvas; and the Select/Transform tool is selected. Important: After you finish typing, press Esc or select another tool on the toolbar—do not use a keyboard shortcut. When the Text tool is selected, typing a keyboard shortcut (other than Esc) adds text to the Canvas. Add paragraph-style text with margins that wrap When the Text tool is selected, clicking in the Canvas prompts basic text entry; dragging in the Canvas activates paragraph-style text entry. Paragraph-style text is contained within margins that cause the text you type to wrap to the next line. You can adjust the margins of the paragraph to create a column of text as narrow or as wide as you like. 1. In the toolbar, click the Text tool (or press T). 2. Drag in the Canvas. When you release the mouse button, a custom paragraphstyle text entry field appears in the Canvas. The field enclosed within a bounding box representing margins. A ruler appears above the bounding box. In the Layout pane of the Text Inspector, the Layout Method pop-up menu is set to Paragraph. 3. Begin typing at the flashing insertion point. Text automatically wraps to the next line when you reach the right margin (the right side of the bounding box). Note: You can also type paragraph text in the Text editor field of the Format pane (in the Text Inspector). 4. When you finish typing, press Esc or Command-Return. 5. To adjust the margins, drag a handle on the bounding box. When text extends beyond the upper and lower edges of the text-entry field, a scroll control appears on the right side of the text-entry field. For more information about text margins, see Create and adjust text margins and Margins controls in the Layout pane. Add text from the Inspector After you add a blank text object to your project (by selecting the Text tool and clicking in the Canvas), you can enter and edit text in the Text editor of the Inspector, rather than in the Canvas. The Text editor, located at the bottom of the Text Inspector’s Format pane, is useful when working with large amounts of text. 1. Click the Text tool (or press T), then click or drag in the Canvas to create a blank text object. If you click in the Canvas, you activate the default layout method (Type), which requires that you insert manual line breaks (by pressing Return) to make text wrap to a new line. If you drag in the Canvas, you activate the Paragraph layout method, which wraps text into a column. 2. In the Text Inspector, click Format to open the Format pane. 3. Optional: Choose font formatting options in the Format pane. You can choose a font type, size, alignment, and more. 4. Click in the Text editor at the bottom of the Format pane, then begin typing. Note: To resize the Text editor, drag the three small gray circles along the bottom edge of the text field. Import a text file You can add plain text (TXT) or Rich Text Format (RTF) to a Motion project. After you add a text file, you can edit its content the same way you edit Motion-created text. The appearance (font, size, layout, and so on) of the text imported from an RTF file is preserved (although some formatting options available in RTF files, such as text wrapping, are not supported in Motion); the text appearance in a TXT file is based on the settings in the Motion Text Inspector. For more information about importing text files, see About TXT and RTF files. 1. In the File Browser, select the TXT or RTF file you want to use. 2. Do one of the following: Drag the file to the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. Click the Import button in the preview area of the File Browser. The text is added to the project and can be modified. Note: Alternatively, you can import a text file using the File > Import command. Copy and paste text from another application You can copy text from another document or browser and paste the text into a Motion project. 1. Open the text document (an RTF, TXT, Pages, or other text file) in a text-editing application. 2. Select and copy the text. 3. In the Motion toolbar, select the Text tool, click in the Canvas, then do one of the following: Choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). In the Format pane of the Text Inspector, click in the Text editor, then choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). Consider the following guidelines when pasting text from another application into Motion: Pasted RTF text retains the original font attributes, including family and typeface, size, color, outline, and drop shadow. When pasted, pure black text is converted to white text. White text copied from Motion is pasted to the clipboard as black text. Text pasted into an empty text-entry field in the Canvas or into the Text editor (in the Format pane of the Text Inspector) retains its original paragraph format, including alignment, justification, and tabs. Text pasted into existing text in the Canvas or in the Text editor does not retain its original paragraph format. If an image is copied with the text, the image is not included when the text is pasted in Motion. Dynamically numbered lists are not supported. Lists become standard text when pasted. About TXT and RTF files When you add a TXT file to a project, the following occurs: The text is formatted based on the settings in the Text Inspector. The Layout Method (in the Layout pane of the Text Inspector) is set to Paragraph. Note: To change the layout of the text, choose another option from the Layout Method pop-up menu. The ruler and scroll controls become available in the Paragraph and Scroll layouts. The scroll control becomes available in the Crawl layout. The paragraph margins are set to the Safe Zones of the project. (Press the Apostrophe key to turn Safe Zones on and off.) When you add an RTF file to a project, the following occurs: The formatting of the text (font, style, line spacing, outline, and other styles set in the text editing application) is preserved in the project. The Layout Method (in the Layout pane of the Text Inspector) is set to Paragraph. Margins in the original text file are preserved in the Canvas. When you double click the imported text in the Canvas, a paragraph-style text-entry field becomes active, displaying the following in the Canvas: An adjustable bounding box representing the margins of the text A ruler at the top of the bounding box A ruler at the top of the bounding box A scroll control to the right of the bounding box (if text extends vertically beyond the borders of the bounding box) Any tabs from the original text file, displayed as black icons in the ruler at the top of the bounding box You can resize the margins by dragging the edges of the bounding box or adjusting the Margins controls in the Layout pane of the Text Inspector. See Select and modify text in the Canvas and Display the Layout pane of the Text Inspector. Select and modify text in the Canvas After you add text to Motion, you can select and edit text directly in the Canvas. To select text characters for modification, use the Text tool. To select text as an object, use the Select/Transform tool. Select text characters Do one of the following: Select the Text tool in the toolbar, then drag within the text object in the Canvas. If you don’t begin the drag within a text object, a new text object is created. Select the Text tool in the toolbar, lick between two text characters in the Canvas, hold down the Shift key, then press the Right Arrow key or the Left Arrow key to select characters. Click the Select/Transform tool in the toolbar, then doubleclick text in the Canvas. In the Layer’s list, select a text layer, then in the Text editor (at the bottom of the Text Inspector’s Format pane), drag within or double-click text. Move the text insertion point With the Text tool selected, click text in the Canvas, then do any of the following: Move the text insertion point: Press the Right Arrow or Left Arrow key. Jump to the beginning of a text line: Press Command–Left Arrow. Jump to the end of a text line: Press Command–Right Arrow. Jump to the beginning of the word: Press Option–Left Arrow. Jump to the end of the word: Press Option–Right Arrow. Move the insertion point through multiple lines of text (for a single text object): Press the Up Arrow key or the Down Arrow key. Replace or modify text Select text in the Canvas, then begin typing. The selected text is replaced by the new text. Delete a word In the Canvas, do one of the following: Double-click a word, then press Delete. Click at the end of a word, then press Option-Delete. Preview and apply fonts You can choose a font before you enter text, or just start typing text and then modify the font later. You can preview available fonts in the Library. You can apply fonts from the Library, from the Format pane of the Text Inspector, or from the HUD. Motion uses supported fonts (OpenType, Type 1 or PostScript, and TrueType) located in the following folders on your computer: /Library/Fonts/ /Users/username/Library/Fonts/ For information on installing fonts, see Mac Help (in the Finder, choose Help > Mac Help). Find a font in the Library You can find specific fonts in the Library. Do one of the following: Select any font name or thumbnail in the font stack of the Library, then quickly type the first two letters of font name you want. The font you seek is highlighted in the stack. Click the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the Library, then type the name of the font in the Search field. Only fonts containing the search term appear in the stack. Preview fonts in the Library 1. In the Library, click the Fonts category. 2. Click the font subcategory to preview available fonts. Note: The first subcategory, All Fonts, contains all fonts from the other subcategories. If you’re in list view, the font list appears in the stack. If you’re in icon view, font thumbnails appear in the stack, as shown in the image below. 3. In the stack, click a font thumbnail or name. The font is displayed in the preview area, with the font name and type. Preview and apply fonts in the Canvas If you’ve already added text to your project, you can preview different fonts in the Canvas. 1. Select text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. In the Format pane of the Text Inspector, click the Font pop- up menu. The menu of available fonts opens. 3. Drag the pointer up or down in the menu to preview fonts. As you drag through the menu, the text changes in the Canvas. 4. After you choose a font, release the mouse button. Note: You can also use the wheel of a three-button mouse or a two-finger swipe on a Multi-Touch trackpad to move up and down the menu. For more information about controls in the Format pane, see Format controls in the Text Inspector Preview and apply fonts in the HUD 1. Select text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. In the HUD (press F7 if it’s not already open), click the Font pop-up menu. The menu of available fonts opens. 3. Drag the pointer up or down in the menu to preview fonts. As you drag through the menu, the text changes in the Canvas. 4. After you choose a font, release the mouse button. Note: You can also use the wheel of a three-button mouse or a two-finger swipe on a Multi-Touch trackpad to move up and down the menu. Change the font of text in your project by dragging a font type to the Canvas 1. In the Library, click the Fonts category, then click a font subcategory. 2. Drag a font from the Library stack onto the existing text in the Canvas. As you drag the font over the text, a transparent thumbnail of the font appears and the pointer becomes a green add pointer (+). When you release the mouse button, the text is changed to the selected font. Change the font of text in your project using the Apply button 1. In the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, select a text layer to modify. 2. In the Library, click the Fonts category, then click a font subcategory. 3. In the stack, click a font. 4. In the preview area, click Apply. The text is changed to the selected font. Use preset text styles The Motion Library contains preset 2D and 3D text styles that you can apply to text. A text style is a group of Appearance parameters that are modified and saved in the Library. For example, the Neon text style applies a rounded font style and includes a gradient outline simulating the bright glow of an electrified glass tube filled with neon gas. You can apply these presets from the Library or from the Text Inspector. You can also customize and save your own text style or format (or both) in the Library. See Save a custom text style. Apply a preset text style from the Library 1. In the Library, select the Text Styles category. 2. Select the 2D Styles or 3D Styles category, then select a style from the stack. 3. Do one of the following: Select the text in the Canvas, then click the Apply button in the preview area. Drag the style from the stack to text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. The text style is applied to the text. If you applied a 3D style, the text is extruded and becomes 3D text (the 3D Text checkbox is selected in the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector). For more information, see 3D text overview. Apply a preset text style from the Text Inspector 1. Select text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. In the Appearance pane or Format pane of the Text Inspector, click the preset pop-up menu and choose an item from the 2D Styles or 3D Styles categories. The text style is applied to the text. If you applied a 3D text style, the text is extruded and becomes 3D text (the 3D Text checkbox is selected in the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector). For more information, see 3D text overview. Apply a preset text style from the HUD 1. Select text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. In the HUD (press F7 if it’s not already open), click the preset pop-up menu (below the Blend Mode pop-up menu) and choose an item from the 2D Styles or 3D Styles categories. The text style is applied to the text. If you applied a 3D text style, the text is extruded and becomes 3D text (the 3D Text checkbox is selected in the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector). For more information, see 3D text overview. Edit text in the Inspector Text Inspector overview You can perform advanced text editing tasks in the Text Inspector. The Text Inspector is divided into three subpanes: Format: Contains controls for adjusting basic text parameters such as font, size, alignment, line spacing, tracking, and kerning. See Display the Format pane of the Text Inspector. Appearance: Contains controls for adjusting visual text styles, including opacity, blur, color, outline, glow, and drop shadows. See Display the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector. Layout: Contains controls for adjusting text arrangement settings such as margins, tabs, scrolling, word wrapping, and text on a path. Display the Layout pane of the Text Inspector. Many of the controls in the Text Inspector are also available in the HUD. If a text parameter can be animated, moving the pointer over the right side of the parameter’s row in the Inspector displays the Add Keyframe button and the Animation menu. Click either to access keyframe and animation controls. For more information, see Keyframe controls in the Inspector and Animation menu. To reset a parameter to its default settings (including removing keyframes), choose Reset Parameter from the parameter’s Animation menu. To reset a group of parameters, such as the text Face controls or the Sequence controls of a text behavior, click the reset button in the Inspector. Note: For parameters with no default setting (including most parameters in the Format and Layout panes), there is no reset button. Display the Text Inspector or Text HUD Open the Text Inspector to access advanced parameter controls that adjust text format, appearance, and layout. Some of these controls are also available in the Text HUD. Display the Text Inspector 1. Select text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Click Inspector (in the upper-left corner of the Motion workspace), then click Text. Choose Window > Inspector. Click the “i” button on the HUD. Press Command-3. Display the Text HUD 1. Select text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. Press F7 or D. Edit text format Display the Format pane of the Text Display the Format pane of the Text Inspector The Format pane of the Text Inspector contains controls for adjusting basic text attributes such as font, typeface, size, kerning, and character rotation. Many Format parameters can be animated (keyframed). For information about common formatting tasks, see Format text. For a list of all Format pane controls, see Format controls in the Text Inspector. Show the Format pane In the Text Inspector, click Format. SEE ALSO Format text Format controls in the Text Inspector Format text The following tasks are useful when editing text format, including changing fonts, moving the text insertion point, and adjusting kerning. For a complete list of available controls, see Format controls in the Text Inspector. Resize text Do any of the following: Change font size: Drag the Size slider in the Basic Formatting controls. Scale the text: Drag the Scale slider in the Advanced Formatting controls. Click the disclosure triangle to reveal separate X and Y Scale controls. Note: To scale the text as a layer, select text, then drag a scale handle in the Canvas. Rotate or shear text In the Advanced Formatting controls, do any of the following: Rotate text characters: Adjust the Rotation dial. Click the disclosure triangle to expose separate X, Y, and Z Rotation controls. Shear text characters: Drag the Slant slider. Kern text characters 1. In the toolbar, click the Text tool (or press T). 2. In the Canvas, position the insertion point (click the mouse button) between the characters to kern, then do one of the following: In the Format pane of the Text Inspector, drag the Kerning slider or adjacent value slider to set a kerning value. Press Option–Command–Right Bracket (]) to increase the space between characters by one-pixel increments. Press Option–Command–Left Bracket ([) to reduce the space between characters by one-pixel increments. Format controls in the Text Inspector The parameter controls in the Format pane of the Text Inspector allow for common text adjustments. Basic Formatting controls Preset: An unlabeled pop-up menu at the top of the Format pane, used to apply preset text styles from the Library to text in your project. You can also use this pop-up menu to save format settings (and appearance settings from the Appearance pane) of text in your project. The default menu item is Normal. For more information on applying and saving text styles, see Use preset text styles. Collection: A pop-up menu to filter the font categories available in the Font pop-up menu. When set to All Fonts, every font installed on your OS X system appears in the Font pop-up menu. Font: A pop-up menu to choose a font for selected text. Typeface: An unlabeled pop-up menu (to the right of the Font pop-up menu) to choose a type style, such as Regular, Bold, Condensed, and so on. The available typefaces are specific to the font family selected in the Font pop-up menu. Size: A slider to set the point size of the text. The slider is constrained to a maximum of 288 points. To create larger text, drag to the right over the numeric value, or click the value, type a new number, then press Return. Note: You can also scale text in the Canvas using onscreen controls, but doing so scales text as an object independently of type point size. Alignment: Buttons to set the alignment and justification of text. Vertical Alignment: Buttons to set the vertical alignment of text. Line Spacing: A slider to set the distance between each line of text (leading) in point-size increments. Tip: To modify the spacing for individual lines of text when hard returns are present, select text with the Text tool, then adjust the Line Spacing slider. Spacing is modified on the line that includes the selected text. Tracking: A slider to set the spacing between text characters, applying a uniform value between each character. Kerning: A slider to adjust spacing between text characters. Baseline: A slider to adjust the baseline of text characters (an invisible horizontal line defining the bottom alignment of characters). Advanced Formatting controls Scale: A slider to resize text characters proportionally. To scale in only X or Y space, click the disclosure triangle to set separate X and Y scale values. Affects Layout: A checkbox (available when the Scale parameter is disclosed) to set how scaling affects text on a path. (For information about text paths, see Create and modify text on a path.) For example, when Affects Layout is deselected and text is on an open spline path (and Wrap Around is deselected in the Layout pane), increasing the Scale parameter causes text characters to bunch up along the length of the path. When Affects Layout is selected, increasing scale extends text characters beyond the path; decreasing scale bunches up characters toward their set alignment (left, right, or center). Offset: Value sliders to offset text from its original position (anchor point). Click the disclosure triangle to access separate X, Y, and Z position values. Rotation: A dial to rotate text characters in Z space. Click the disclosure triangle to access separate X, Y, and Z rotation controls and also the Animate pop-up menu. Animate: A pop-up menu (available when the Rotation parameter is disclosed) to change the interpolation for animated 3D rotation channels. There are two menu options: Use Rotation: The default interpolation method, whereby text characters rotate from their start rotation to their final rotation. Depending on the animation, the characters may twist before reaching their final orientation (the last keyframed value). For example, if the X, Y, and Z Rotation parameters are animated from 0 degrees to 180 degrees in a project, the text characters rotate on all axes before reaching their final orientation. Use Orientation: This method provides smoother interpolation but does not allow multiple revolutions; interpolates between the text characters’ start orientation (first keyframe) and their end orientation (second keyframe). For more information about the Animate parameter, see Properties Inspector controls. Note: You must keyframe the Rotation parameter for the Animate parameter options have an effect. Slant: A slider to simulate italics by adding a slant value to text characters. Monospace: A checkbox that, when selected, applies a fixed amount of space between each text character. All Caps: A checkbox to make text characters uppercase. All Caps Size: A slider (available when the All Caps checkbox is selected) to set the size of uppercase characters based on a percentage of the font point size. Editable in FCP: A checkbox that, when selected, allows editing of text strings, text size, and text tracking in templates published to Final Cut Pro X. For more information on publishing to Final Cut Pro, see Final Cut Pro templates overview. Text editor Text: A text field (the darker shaded area) to add and edit text in your project from the Inspector. For more information, see Add text. Edit text appearance Display the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector The Appearance pane of the Text Inspector contains controls for adjusting visual text styles, including color, outlines, glow effects, and drop shadows. You can animate most of these parameters. In the Appearance pane, you can also apply preset text styles from the Library to text in your project—modified Appearance parameters that create a specific look for text, such as a red glow and gradient face. You can also create custom text styles and save them to the Library. For more information, see Use preset text styles. There are several groups of controls in the Appearance pane: Face controls Outline controls Glow controls Drop shadow controls When you select 3D text, two additional groups of controls become available in the Appearance pane: 3D Text controls (For more information, see 3D Text controls.) Lighting controls (For more information see Lighting and environment controls.) You can enable or disable a group of style controls by selecting or deselecting the activation checkbox to the left of the group header. (When selected, the checkbox turns blue.) By default, Outline, Glow, and Drop Shadow are deselected. Show the Appearance pane In the Text Inspector, click Appearance. Modify text color In the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector or in the HUD, you can change the color of text using standard color controls. Note: To adjust individual color channels, you must use the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector. You can also apply a gradient to text, from the Appearance pane or from the Library. Set text color in the Inspector 1. Select text in the Layers list, Canvas, or Timeline. 2. In the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector, make sure that the “Fill with” pop-up menu is set to Color. 3. Do one of the following: Click the color well, then use the Colors window to set the text color. Click the downward arrow to the right of the color well (or Control-click the color well), then click in the pop-up color palette to select a color. Drag in the lower palette to set the color to a grayscale color. Click the eyedropper tool to the right of the Color well, then click a color in the Canvas. In the Inspector, click the Color disclosure triangle to show the color channel parameters, then use the sliders or value sliders to adjust each color channel. Set text color in the HUD 1. Select text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. In the HUD (if it’s not displayed, press F7 or D) click the color well, then choose a text color in the Colors window. The text is dynamically updated as you select a color. Note: To select a color from the Canvas (or anything on the desktop), click the color picker in the Colors window, position the picker over the color you want to select, then click again. Apply a text gradient In the Inspector, you can apply a gradient fill to text, then customize or animate the gradient in the Gradient editor. For general information about working with gradients, see Gradient editor controls. Like preset text styles from the Library, preset gradients can be applied to text. Gradient presets are located in the Gradients category of the Library. A custom gradient that you apply to text can also be saved in the Library for use in future projects. 1. Select text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. 2. In the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector, click the “Fill with” pop-up menu, then choose Gradient. In the Inspector, the Color controls are replaced with the Gradient editor. The default gradient is white and blue (Atlantic Blue). In the Canvas, the default gradient is applied to the text. Apply a preset text gradient 1. Select the text and make sure the “Fill with” pop-up menu is set to Gradient in the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector. 2. Click the Gradient preset pop-up menu (on the right side of the Gradient row), then choose a preset gradient. The selected gradient is applied to the text. Apply a preset gradient from the Library 1. In the Library, click the Gradients category. 2. In the stack, select a gradient. A preview of the selected gradient appears in the preview area. 3. Do one of the following: Drag the gradient to text in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline. Make sure text is selected in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then click Apply in the preview area. The gradient is applied to the text. Modify text opacity There are several ways to change the opacity of