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1 Preface 5 5 Contents Welcome to Motion 2 Getting Started Tutorial 1 9 10 19 25 30 35 39 45 51 The Motion Interface Getting Started Motion Dashboards Using the Inspector Using the Timeline The File Browser Basic Object Manipulation Applying Motion to an Object Using Filters Tutorial 2 55 56 84 Basic Motion Behaviors Exercise 1: Previewing the Result Tutorial and Building the Starting Project Exercise 2: Applying Behaviors Tutorial 3 119 121 144 Working With Text Exercise 1: Using Text Exercise
Preface Welcome to Motion 2 Motion is a powerful, yet easy-to-use, motion graphics application that lets you create content for broadcast and video. The step-by-step lessons in this tutorial are designed to introduce you to the basic workflow and interface elements of Motion. Motion graphics is a type of visual effects work most commonly associated with title sequences and show openers, bumpers and interstitials, and interface design such as DVD menus.
Relinking Missing Media When Motion cannot locate source files used by a project (for instance, if the project source files have been moved to a different location since the project was saved), a sheet appears that contains the message “The following items used to create this project are missing,” and displays a list of the missing items. There are two ways of relinking missing media: reconnecting and searching.
Time Display Ensure that Motion Preferences are set to display time as Frames. To set the preference for time display: 1 Open Motion Preferences (press Command+,). 2 Click the Project icon. 3 In the Time Display section, make sure Display Time As is set to Frames.
Preface Welcome to Motion 2
1 The Motion Interface 1 This tutorial introduces you to creating motion graphics by exploring the Motion interface and basic workflow, including behaviors, filters, and working with objects. The tools commonly used for motion graphics fall into several categories, including design, compositing, special effects, and timing tools. Motion includes all of these tools, as well as a unique new toolset called behaviors. Behaviors make the creation of very complex animations as simple as a drag and drop.
Although Motion has the depth to satisfy professional artists, the basic workflow is very easy to learn. This tutorial explores the main windows and tools in the Motion interface, as well as some basic steps that are common to most projects.
The basic Motion interface is comprised of the Utility window and the Canvas. The Utility window is used to import media files, to preview, select, and apply effects, and to edit and animate the controls for those applied effects. The Canvas is the main working area in which you view your project and its elements, as well as select, transform, and animate those elements.
It also incorporates several types of effects. Behaviors are used to move the colored bars and control the opacity of different objects, while filters are used to colorize the boxes, and keyframes are used to animate the graphics. 5 Choose File > Close (or press Command+W ) to close the project. Important: If you made any changes to the project, Motion prompts you to save. Click Don’t Save. Opening the Starting Project Open and preview the starting project for this tutorial.
The Play button is part of the group of controls known as the transport controls. The transport controls let you navigate through your project in a variety of ways. In addition to normal playback, you can step through your project frame by frame or jump directly to the beginning or end. You can also set your project to loop or to mute the audio component of your project.
In addition to the main work area of the Canvas, the Timing and Project panes (not displayed by default) allow you to view and modify many attributes of the project. With the intuitive design of Motion, you can easily show and hide interface components when needed. Customizing Your Workspace Use the following guidelines to learn how to display and hide various panes, and how to use preset window layouts. m To display the Project pane, do one of the following: Click the Project icon in the Toolbar.
m To use the preset interface layouts, do one of the following: Choose Window > Layouts > Alternate (or press Control+Shift+U). The Project and Timing panes are hidden, and the Utility window is split into an upper window containing the Inspector and a lower window containing the File Browser and Library. Inspector File Browser and Library m If you are using an Apple Cinema Display, choose Window > Layouts > Cinema (or press Control+Option+U).
In the Layers tab, you can select, reorder, lock, group and ungroup, and rename objects and layers. You can also add and delete layers. Compositing Basics A project can also be referred to as a composite. Compositing is an essential part of motion graphics, as it is the process of combining images and objects together to create a single-layered, final image. Any time you have more than one object in the Layers tab, you are compositing.
Notice the small behavior icon that appears next to the layer name. This indicates that a behavior (Fade In/Fade Out) is applied to the layer. The dolphins and titles layers do not have applied behaviors, so no icon appears. The objects in the boxes layer, such as upper green box, have behavior icons next to their name. This indicates that at least one behavior is applied to each object. 3 Click the disclosure triangle next to upper green box.
2 Once the add pointer appears, release the mouse button to drop the boxes layer. 3 Play the project (press the Space bar). All of the objects in the boxes layer appear below the dolphin clips. 4 Drag the boxes layer back to its original position. Note: You can also choose Edit > Undo Reorder (or press Command+Z) to move the boxes layer back to its original position.
Motion Dashboards The Dashboard is a floating window that provides instant access to the most commonly used parameters for the selected object or effect. You can quickly modify layers, objects, or effects using the Dashboards. In fact, all objects and effects have associated Dashboards. Different controls appear in the Dashboard depending on the type of object or effect that is selected.
Current Frame field 3 In the Layers tab, click the boxes layer to select it. Note: If the Dashboard is not visible, press D. A Dashboard appears and displays the available layer controls. Notice that the Dashboard includes a title bar that displays the type and name of the currently selected object, filter, or behavior. In this example, the Dashboard title reads “Layer: boxes.” This indicates that the layer named boxes is selected.
Observe that although the Opacity of the layer is 50 percent, the Opacity of the selected box (a “child” object within that layer) is 100 percent. 7 Drag the Opacity slider for the upper green box to 50 percent. Adjusting the Opacity value is additive, so the total Opacity value of the box is now 25 percent. 8 Set the Opacity of the boxes layer and the box object back to 100 percent by pressing Command+Z two times.
Note: You can also press D to cycle through the Dashboards for an object, or press Shift+D to cycle in reverse. 3 Choose Fade In/Fade Out from the pop-up menu. The Dashboard changes to the Fade In/Fade Out controls. You can change the duration of the fade in or the fade out effect by dragging the left or right side of the control. In this project, the layer is set to fade in, but not fade out. 4 Click the right edge of the fade control and drag to the left until the object is set to fade out over 30 frames.
The Dashboard for the upper green box object appears. In addition to the Opacity and Blend Mode parameters, the shape Dashboard also contains color settings for the Fill and Outline of the shape. You can also enable and disable a drop shadow. By default, the Outline and Drop Shadow parameters are disabled. 3 Use the color well in the Dashboard to change the color of a shape. There are two color picker options that are accessed in slightly different ways.
To use the Colors window to change the color of a shape: 1 Click the color well once. The Colors window appears. You can use one of the color selection modes to choose a new color, or use the color picker tool to select a color from your Canvas. Color selection modes (wheel, slider, color palette, image palette, crayons) Use the color picker tool to pick a color from the Canvas. 2 Click the color picker tool (the magnifying glass) in the Colors window.
Turning Behaviors On or Off in the Layers Tab As mentioned previously, you can tell that the boxes layer has a behavior (Fade In/Fade Out) applied to it from the icon that appears to the right of the layer name in the Layers tab. You can easily enable or disable the effect of a behavior in the Layers tab. Behavior icon Note: Similar icons appear for objects with applied filters or masks. To turn the effect of the behavior on or off: 1 In the Layers tab, click the behavior icon in the boxes layer.
To show an object in the Inspector: 1 Make sure the upper green box object is selected. 2 Click the Inspector icon in the upper-right corner of the Dashboard. Note: You can also do one of the following to display the Inspector: • Click the Inspector tab in the Utility window. • Press Command+3. • Click the Inspector icon on the right side of the Toolbar. The Inspector appears (is brought to the front).
Note: The right value slider is the Y shear parameter. To see the individual X and Y parameters, click the Shear disclosure triangle. Shear X value slider The box is sheared. Sheared box 6 In the Layers tab or Canvas, select the lower green box object. 7 In the Shear parameter row, drag in the first value slider to set an X shear value of approximately 40 degrees 8 Choose File > Save As (or press Shift+Command+S). The Save sheet appears.
9 In the Save As text field, type a personalized name for the project, then choose a location to save the file. Important: You cannot save to the installed Tutorial Projects folder. You may want to create a folder in which you can save your tutorial work. Click to expand the Save sheet to navigate to a different 10 Click Save. Note: As when working with any application, it is wise to save your projects often.
The shape object has an applied Throw behavior, so the controls for that behavior appear in the Behaviors tab. 2 In the Behaviors tab, drag the Throw Velocity slider toward the right. In the Canvas, notice that the box moves toward the right. Since you are increasing the rate of the throw, its speed is increased and the object travels faster in less time. 3 In the Behaviors tab, select the Throw behavior (it appears highlighted in gray).
Viewing the Shape (Object) Tab The fourth tab in the Inspector is the Object tab. The Object tab changes depending on the type of object that is currently selected. In this example, the Object tab is the Shape tab, because a shape is the currently selected object. m To view the Shape tab parameters: Click the Shape tab. The Shape tab contains parameters for modifying the shape, color, fill mode, outline, softness, and so on, of the shape object.
The left side of the Timeline is called the Timeline Layer list, and is similar to the Layers list in the Project pane. Like the Layers tab in the Project pane, you can select, reorder, lock, group and ungroup, rename, and add or remove objects and layers in the Timeline Layer list. Actions made in either list are reflected in the other. In the right side of the Timeline, each object is represented by a colored bar that sits on a gray, horizontal track. The object type is identified by the color of its bar.
When an object is selected, notice that a single thin bar appears below the Canvas and above the transport controls. This is called the mini-Timeline. The mini-Timeline is very useful for manipulating a single object or layer at a time. It allows you to add objects to your project, to move objects in time, and to trim the duration of an object, just like in the Timeline.
To modify objects in the Timeline: 1 In the Timeline Layer list, click the disclosure triangle for the dolphins layer. The layer is expanded and the three clips are displayed. The three dolphin clips are staggered so that each one begins 20 frames later in time. You may have to scroll down to see all the layers. Notice that the dolphins layer bar contains an image of a “stack” of items on it, which indicates that the layer contains three objects.
The center dolphin clip appears first, and the left and right shots appear in sequence. However, notice that the dolphin’s movement is now in sync between the left and center shots. To solve this, you can slip the dolphins1 clip. Slipping a clip changes which frames are displayed without changing an object’s In or Out point. In other words, a slip allows you to use a different portion of a clip without changing its duration or location in time.
As in the Layers tab, you can see by the icon in the Timeline Layer list that each of the dolphin objects has a behavior applied. You can view effects applied to objects the same way you view the contents of a layer. m To view the effects for an object in the Timeline: Click the disclosure triangle for the dolphins1 object. The Fade In/Fade Out behavior appears as a purple bar. You can edit the effect bar separately from the object to which it is applied.
Locating the Tutorial Files In this section, learn to navigate the browser by locating the tutorial files. To navigate in the File Browser: 1 In the Sidebar of the File Browser, click your hard drive. The contents of the drive are displayed in the stack. 2 Double-click the Users folder to view its contents. To move around within the file stack, use the navigation controls above the Sidebar. Click arrows to move forward or backward through selection.
Note: By default, all files attempt to play in the Preview area. You can disable this feature in the File Browser & Library section of Motion General Preferences. To access the preferences, choose Motion > Preferences. For this tutorial, leave the “Play items automatically on a single click” enabled in the preferences.
Objects imported this way are placed at the playhead position. The playhead indicates which frame is currently displayed in the Canvas. The playhead is visible in both the mini-Timeline and in the Timeline. Playhead If the playhead was not at the beginning of the project when you imported the file, your Timeline may look like this: The logo is not visible in the project until the object appears. You can remedy this easily. 4 In the Timeline, drag the NatGeoLogo.
7 In the Still Images & Objects section, set the Create Objects At preference to “Start of project.” Newly created or imported objects now begin at the start of the project. 8 Click the close button to close the Preferences window. 9 Save the project (press Command+S). Basic Object Manipulation You can modify many aspects of an object by manipulating it directly in the Canvas.
If they are enabled, yellow Dynamic Guides appear automatically when the edges of your selection align with edges or center points of other objects in the Canvas (or the Canvas itself ). They also appear when an object aligns with the edges of the frame. To temporarily disable the guides, press Command while you drag, or press N to turn them on or off. Note: You can also press Shift+Command+: to toggle the visibility of the Dynamic Guides.
7 Rotate the object back to a horizontal position. Press Shift to constrain the rotation to 45-degree angles. 8 Reposition the object to the lower-right corner of the Canvas. 9 To nudge the object away from the edge of the Canvas, press Command and one of the Arrow keys. . Selecting and Nudging Objects An object (or layer) selected in the Layers tab appears highlighted in blue. An object selected in the Canvas appears highlighted in gray in the Layers tab.
Different types of effects, such as shearing or anchor point adjustment can be made by selecting a new object transformation mode. You can select different modes by clicking and holding the Select/Transform tool in the Toolbar. Select/Transform Adjust Anchor Point Adjust Shear Adjust Drop Shadow Adjust Four Corner Adjust Crop Adjust Control Points Adjust Item Pressing the Tab key cycles through all of the available object transform modes for the selected object.
A drop shadow is created for the object. You can position the shadow in any direction or distance from the object. The softness of the shadow is controlled by dragging one of the corner points of the object. Dragging toward the center of the object creates a harder shadow, while dragging away from the object creates a softer shadow. 3 Drag any corner point of the shadow controls toward the center of the object to create a harder shadow.
A drop menu containing import options appears. 3 Drop the file on the Import All Layers pane. A new layer is created inside the layer where you dropped the file, and inside that layer the individual Photoshop layers are arranged just as they were in the Photoshop application. Note: You can also drag the file to the Canvas and pause over the Canvas to show the same drop menu.
4 In the Layers tab, double-click the name of the layer containing the GreenSquares layer and the National Geographic logo. The text field is highlighted. 5 Type “graphics” as the new name for that layer, then press Return. Applying Motion to an Object In Motion, it is very easy to animate objects so they fly around the screen. In this section, learn the difference between animating with a behavior and animating using keyframes.
Using Behaviors You can apply motion to an object in a number of ways. The easiest way to get an object in motion is to use a Throw behavior. Behaviors animate an object by automatically generating a range of values for that object’s parameters. For example, an object with an applied Grow/Shrink behavior is automatically scaled up or down based on the rate you set.
The Preview area of the Library plays a preview of the behavior and also displays a text description of the behavior. 4 Drag the Throw behavior from the stack to the GreenSquares copy object (layer) in the Canvas. The Throw is applied to the object and the Throw Dashboard appears. Note: If an object is selected, you can also click the Apply button in the Preview area to apply the chosen behavior to the selected object.
A pop-up menu appears containing all of the behaviors that can be applied to the selected object. 2 Choose Basic Motion > Throw. The Throw is applied to the object and the Throw Dashboard appears. 3 In the Dashboard, drag from the center of the control and create an arrow heading straight to the right and about halfway across the graph. Note: Press Shift to constrain the angle of the Throw to 45-degree angles. Zoom slider The direction of the arrow indicates the direction the object moves.
Note: The Zoom slider controls the magnification of the Throw control. So if you drag the arrow to be as large as it can be and the object is still not moving fast enough, you can increase the Zoom amount to give the Throw control more range. Creating Motion With Keyframes Behaviors provide one quick and easy way to create movement in the Canvas. Keyframes provide another (although, not so quick).
Note: Pressing Shift constrains the movement to 90-degree angles. A red path appears indicating the direction and distance that the layer travels. This is called an animation path. You can change the shape of keyframed animation paths using onscreen controls. When behaviors are applied to an object, a behavior animation path appears that displays the projected path of the object. This is very helpful in determining the effect of the behavior on the object to which it is applied.
Using Filters Another broad category of effects available in Motion is filters. Filters modify the visual characteristics of an object. They can be as simple as a mild blur or as complex as a kaleidoscope effect. Filters can further be animated so the effect can change over time. You can also apply Parameter behaviors to the parameters of filters for nearly endless possibilities. Filters are applied to objects in the same manner as behaviors—using the Library or the Add Filter icon.
4 Drag the Color Balance filter to the GreenSquares object in the Canvas. The filter is applied to the object and the Color Balance Dashboard appears. 5 Drag the Midtone Blue slider to approximately .32. The boxes turn blue. 6 Play the project (press the Space bar). Now the blue boxes and green boxes overlap creating an attractive effect.
The Fade In/Fade Out behavior is applied to the graphics layer and its Dashboard appears. All of the elements within the layer fade in over the first 20 frames and fade out over the last 20 frames (by default). 4 In the Fade In/Fade Out Dashboard, drag the right edge of the fade control to the left until the object is set to fade out over 30 frames. Like the boxes layer, the graphics layer objects fade in over 20 frames and fade out over 30 frames. 5 Press Command+S to save the project.
2 Basic Motion Behaviors 2 Behaviors are the heart of Motion. In this tutorial, learn how to use the Basic Motion behaviors to create motion with just a drag, drop, and a nudge—without creating keyframes. Behaviors automatically create motion on an image or object without creating any keyframes. The motion can be as simple as moving an object across the screen in a straight line, or as complex as simulated interactions between multiple objects.
Important: This tutorial encourages you to play back your project while working. Performance of the project varies depending on the hardware configuration of your computer. For more information on recommended systems, see the Before You Install Motion document on the Motion DVD or on the Motion website, http://www.apple.com/motion.
4 Click the Play button (or press the Space bar) to play the project. 5 Choose File > Close (or press Command+W) to close the project. 6 In the save sheet, click Don’t Save. To review the result project preview movie: 1 In the File Browser, navigate to the Tutorial Projects folder (default is /Users/Shared/ Motion/Tutorial Media/Tutorial Projects). 2 In the file stack, select Tutorial 2 Result.mov. The movie plays in the Preview area of the browser.
m If the Select Project Preset dialog appears: Choose NTSC Broadcast SD from the Preset pop-up menu, then click OK. If the Select Project Preset dialog does not appear, and a new project is automatically created: 1 Close the new project. 2 Press Command+Option+N to display the Select Project Preset dialog. Note: The New From Preset option does not appear in the standard File menu unless you press Option.
Changing the Background Color and Duration of the Project Use the Project Properties dialog to change the background color and duration of the project. To change the project color and duration: 1 Choose Edit > Project Properties (Command+J). Project Duration field Background Color well 2 In the Project Properties dialog, click the Background Color well. 3 In the Colors window, drag the slider to set the color to white. Drag the slider to lighten or darken the selected color.
5 Make sure that Frames is chosen from the pop-up menu (located below the fps text). 6 Double-click in the Duration field, type 150, then click OK. The project background is set to white and the project duration is set to 150 frames. Project Duration field (located below Canvas) Note: Properties changed in the Project Properties dialog apply only to the current project.
5 In the Playback Control group, turn on “Limit playback speed to project frame rate.” Create Objects At options Depending on your system, your playback rate may exceed 30 fps unless “Limit playback speed to project frame rate” is turned on. All objects are now created at the beginning of the project. For example, if the playhead is at frame 120, and you draw a shape, the shape exists from frame 1 to the end of the project. Note: You can also set the background color in Motion Preferences.
Importing the Project Files In this section, you use different methods to import the media and graphics files required for the project: the File Browser and the File menu. You can import files for immediate use, or import files directly to the Media tab for later use. Note: Files imported into Motion, as well as files created within Motion, are referred to as “objects.
3 Do one of the following: • In the Preview area of the browser, click Import. The file is imported and placed in the middle of the Canvas. • Drag the file from the stack to the Canvas. 4 In the Canvas, position the dolphins object in the lower-left third of the Canvas. To use the File menu to import the second dolphin clip: 1 Choose File > Import (or press Command+I).
To delete the dolphin jump object from the Layers tab: 1 In the Layers tab, select Layer 1 (the object is highlighted in blue when selected). 2 Press Delete. The layer is removed from the Layers tab. Removing imported media from the Layers tab does not delete the media from the project. Imported media remains in the Media tab. 3 In the Project pane, click the Media tab. The dolphin jump.mov clip is listed in the Media tab.
Cropping the Dolphins Clip There are two ways to crop objects in Motion: in the Media tab of the Inspector, or in the Properties tab of the Inspector. When an object is cropped in the Media tab of the Inspector, all instances of that file in the project are cropped. When an object is cropped in the Properties tab, only that instance is cropped. Note: Cropping media (or any other changes to media files) in the Media or Properties tab is nondestructive to any source media used in a Motion project.
4 Set the following values: • Set the Left value to 22. • Set the Right value to 6. Crop controls The object is cropped in the Canvas. To duplicate and position the dolphin objects: 1 In the Canvas, press Option, then drag the dolphins.mov object toward the lowercenter third of the Canvas. An instance (duplicate) of the dolphins.mov object is created. As you position the duplicated object, use the Dynamic Guides as an alignment tool to align the object with the center of the Canvas.
2 Option-drag the duplicate of the dolphins.mov object to the lower-right third of the Canvas. Note: To align the edges of objects with other objects, you can also use the alignment tools in the Object menu. 3 In the Canvas, Shift-select the three dolphins.mov objects. 4 Choose Object > Alignment > Distribute Horizontal Centers. An equal space is created between each object.
5 Position the objects in the lower center of the Canvas. The guide appears when the group of objects is centered. 6 Click the Play button (or press the Space bar) to play the project. Optional: Media Tab Cropping vs. Properties Tab Cropping As mentioned above, when media is cropped in the Media tab of the Inspector, all instances of that file in the project are cropped. When cropped using the controls in the Properties tab, only the selected file is affected.
3 Drag one of the crop sliders. Crop controls In the Canvas, only the selected object is affected. Note: The cropping values set in the Media tab of the Inspector are not changed. 4 Press Command+Z to undo the cropping change. 5 Turn off the Crop checkbox. 6 Choose File > Save (or press Command+S). 7 Enter a project name in the Save As field, select a location to save the project, then click Save.
Good Housekeeping In the Layers tab, notice that the duplicated dolphin objects are given default “copy” names. When working with motion graphics projects, it is recommended that you give your objects descriptive names to easily identify those objects when your project becomes more complex. To rename the dolphins objects: 1 In the Layers tab, double-click the name of the dolphins object. The text field becomes active. 2 Type “dolphin-left.” 3 Press Return.
4 Drag the Fade In/Fade Out behavior to the dolphin-left object in the Canvas. When the green add pointer (+) appears, release the mouse button. The behavior is applied to the object, the object is automatically selected, and the Fade In/Fade Out Dashboard appears. By default, the object fades in over the first 20 frames and fades out over the last 20 frames. Note: If the Dashboard is not displayed, press D.
To apply the Fade In/Fade Out behavior to the second and third dolphin objects: 1 In the Canvas, select the dolphin-center object, then press Shift and select the dolphinright object. 2 In the Library, select the Fade In/Fade Out behavior in the stack. 3 In the Preview area, click the Apply button. Click to apply the behavior to the selected object. The behaviors are applied to the two selected dolphin objects.
Offsetting the Dolphin Objects in Time Use the mini-Timeline to offset two of the dolphin objects so that the images appear in sequence 20 frames apart. Although in this section you use the mini-Timeline to move the objects in time, view the Timeline in order to get a better understanding of how behaviors and objects are connected. Note: As you modify objects in time, you can continue to play back the project.
To move the dolphin objects in time: 1 In the Canvas or Layers tab, select the dolphin-center object. 2 In the mini-Timeline, located between the Canvas and transport controls, drag the blue bar to the right until the In point is set to frame 20. As you drag, the new In and Out points are displayed, as well as the total amount of change (the delta). Drag the object bar in the mini-Timeline. The center object now fades in 20 frames later than the left object.
To move the fade behavior that is applied to the dolphin-right object: 1 In the Layers tab or Timeline Layer list, select the Fade In/Fade Out behavior that is applied to the dolphin-right object. 2 In the mini-Timeline or Timeline, drag the Fade In/Fade Out behavior bar to the left until the In point is approximately frame 17. In the Canvas, notice that because the behavior is moved in front of the object to which it is applied in time, the dolphin-right object does not fade in.
4 Drag the bar until the In point is aligned with the dolphin-right object (frame 40). 5 Click the Timing icon (or press F6) to hide the Timeline. Creating Shapes to Use as Graphic Elements In this section, you create and animate the rectangular boxes that move across the screen. First, create a new layer to house the shapes. Next, you draw the first shape and choose a color for the shape from one of the dolphin objects.
In the Canvas, notice that a transform control for the new boxes layer appears with no surrounding bounding box. This is because the layer is currently empty and has no “size.” A layer is resolution independent—it is the size of the objects contained within it. Creating the Shapes First, go to a frame in which the dolphin objects are visible in order to properly position the shapes. Next, create the shapes.
2 Drag over the dolphin objects to create a rectangle shape. 3 When you have created the shape you want, release the mouse button. By default, the color of a shape is white. 4 In the Shape Dashboard, click the Fill color well.
5 In the Colors window, click the color picker tool. Color picker tool 6 Click a blue color in one of the dolphin images. Position the color picker tool over the color you want in the Canvas, then click. The shape becomes the color of the sampled blue. To modify and save the sampled blue color: 1 In the Colors window, you can drag the slider to lighten or darken the selected blue. In this example, the slider is dragged up to slightly lighten the selected color.
2 Click the blue color bar (to the right of the color picker tool), and drag a color swatch to the palette at the bottom of the Colors window. Drag a swatch from the color bar to the bottom of the window. Drag the slider to lighten or darken the selected color. Drop the swatch onto the palette to save the color. The blue color is added to the palette and can be quickly applied to another object, or used in a future project.
3 Position the duplicated shape to the right at the bottom edge of the dolphin objects. 4 In the Toolbar, choose 200% from the Zoom Level pop-up menu. Use the Zoom Level pop-up menu to choose the Canvas zoom amount. To quickly pan the Canvas to reposition the image, hold down the Space bar and click the Canvas. When the pointer changes to the Pan tool, drag in the Canvas to reposition the image. Note: You can also select the Pan tool in the Toolbar.
To duplicate the two shapes and change their color: 1 Select both of the shapes, press Option, then drag the objects in the Canvas. 2 In the Shape Dashboard, click the Fill color well. 3 In the Colors window, click the color picker tool, then click a green color in one of the dolphin images. 4 Adjust the brightness of the color as necessary. 5 Save the green swatch in the Colors window palette. 6 Close the Colors window. 7 Use the following image as a guide to position and size the rectangles.
In the Scale parameter, a dot appears on the slider control. This indicates that a nonproportional scale has been applied. Changing the size of the object by dragging this slider scales the object in proportion. A dot on the Scale slider indicates a nonproportional scale. 3 Click the Scale disclosure triangle. The X and Y Scale parameters appear as individual controls.
5 Finish off this section with the housekeeping rule. In the Layers tab, rename the objects using the following image as a guide. Note: If necessary, reposition the objects in the Layers list to reflect the correct order. 6 Choose File > Save (or press Command+S). Exercise 2: Applying Behaviors In the first exercise, you set up the main body of the project.
4 Just as you would when dragging behaviors to objects in the Canvas, release the mouse button when the add pointer (+) appears. The Throw Dashboard appears. 5 Click the center of the throw control, then drag in different directions. Notice that the direction of the arrow dictates the direction in which the shape travels. Note: The Zoom slider in the Dashboard is used to zoom in or out once the control is dragged to the limit, so you can drag again.
When the mouse button is released, a thin red line appears that extends from the anchor point of the object. This line is called the behavior motion path, and displays the projected path for the object. The motion path is very useful, because it helps you see what kind of movement a behavior creates for the object to which it is applied. A behavior motion path is not the same as an animation path created with keyframes, and cannot be modified onscreen.
2 In the Toolbar, click the Add Behavior icon and choose Basic Motion > Throw. Click to add a behavior to a selected object. The Throw is applied to the three selected objects. 3 Adjust each Throw behavior so that the upper green box and lower blue box move toward the left, and the upper blue box and lower green box move toward the right.
3 In the Timeline, click the right end of the Throw behavior that is applied to the upper green box object and drag the bar until the Out point is approximately frame 60. The upper green box object stops moving at frame 60. Modifying an object in the Timeline in this way is called trimming. When an object is trimmed, the duration of the object is changed, without affecting its location in the track or its content. Trimming an object is equivalent to setting new In or Out points.
m To apply the Fade In/Fade Out behavior to the boxes layer, do one of the following: From the Library, drag the Fade In/Fade Out behavior to the boxes layer in the Layers tab or in the Timeline Layer list. Like individual objects, you can drag a behavior to a layer in the Layers list. m In the Layers tab or Timeline Layer list, select the boxes layer, then click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar and choose Basic Motion > Fade In/Fade Out.
Important: When you want to apply a behavior to a layer or group of objects in the Canvas, make sure that an individual object is not selected. In this example, as you drag the behavior over the Canvas, notice that a gray box appears around individual objects as you pass over them. If you drop the behavior on one of these selections, the behavior is only applied to that single object, and not the layer itself.
To add the first title: 1 With the titles layer selected, click the Text tool (or press T) in the Toolbar. 2 Click the middle of the Canvas. Since the default text color is white, be sure to click over the dolphin image so you can see the text you create. A blank text object is added to the Layers list, and the insertion point flashes in the Canvas. 3 Type “dolphin,” then press Esc (Escape). Once you press Esc, which is the equivalent of choosing the Select/Transform tool, the text is selected as an object.
3 In the Text Dashboard, choose Center from the Alignment pop-up menu. The position of the text object changes around its anchor point. Like most Dashboards, the Text Dashboard contains a subset of the larger group of text parameters. This is especially true for text, since text has such a large number of parameters—so many, in fact, that the Text Inspector is divided into three panes of controls. 4 In the Inspector, click the Text tab and make sure the Format pane is active.
6 In the Inspector, double-click the Size value field, type 50, then press Return. Size value field Tracking value field 7 In the Dashboard or Inspector, set the Tracking value to 20.
m To position the “dolphin” title: Using the Dynamic Guides in the Canvas, center the dolphins text object in the approximate upper third of the screen. To add and modify the second title: 1 In the Toolbar, click the Text tool (or press T). 2 Click the Canvas, then type “[the aquatic acrobat]” and press Esc. Note: To quickly enter text editing mode once the text is selected as an object, doubleclick the text object. 3 In the Dashboard, do the following: a b c d e Click the color well.
6 Using the guides in the Canvas, center the aquatic acrobat text object below the dolphin text object. Tip: Any effect that you modify in Motion, such as a behavior, combination of behaviors, filter, generator, text style, and so on, can be saved to the Library for later use. (You will save two modified behaviors later in this tutorial.) Objects and layers can also be saved.
In the Format pane of the Text Inspector, notice the small behavior icon in the Tracking parameter row. This indicates that an applied behavior affects that parameter. As the project plays, the Tracking slider and value update. Behavior icon indicates that an applied behavior is affecting this parameter. 4 In the Tracking Dashboard, set the Rate to approximately 3. Note: As previously mentioned, you can enter specific parameter values in the Inspector fields when necessary.
Add the text graphic: 1 In the File Browser, navigate to the Tutorial Media folder (default is /Users/Shared/ Motion/Tutorial Media), then double-click the Graphics folder to view its contents. 2 An object named circleText.psd appears in the Graphics folder. 3 Drag the circleText.psd file to the Layers tab, and position the object below the dolphin text object in the list.
4 Using the following image as a guide, position the circleText object in the lower-right corner of the Canvas. You can create text on a path in Motion. For more information on using text, see Tutorial 3: Working With Text. To apply the Spin and Grow/Shrink behaviors: 1 In the Library, select the Behaviors category and the Basic Motion subcategory. 2 In the stack, Command-click the Spin and Grow/Shrink behaviors.
3 Drag the behaviors to the circleText object in the Canvas or Layers tab. Both behaviors are applied to the circleText object. 4 Choose File > Save (or press Command+S). To modify the Spin behavior: 1 If the project is not already playing, play the project. 2 In the Layers tab, select the Spin behavior. 3 In the Spin Dashboard, click the top center area of the spin control, and drag counterclockwise.
The further you drag the arrow around the circle, the faster the spin. You can “spin the dial” multiple times as well. Use the above image as a guide to set the speed of the spin for this tutorial. To modify the Grow/Shrink behavior: 1 In the Layers tab, select the Grow/Shrink behavior. 2 In the Grow/Shrink Dashboard, click the edge of the box and drag inward very slightly (so the Scale Rate in the Inspector is no less than -5). The object spins and shrinks over time.
2 In the Timeline, click the right end of the Grow/Shrink behavior and trim it to approximately frame 100. 3 If the project is not playing back, click the Play button (or press the Space bar). Notice that during playback, when the playhead reaches the end of the behavior’s bar, the circleText object jumps back to its original size. 4 Choose Edit > Undo Trim (or press Command+Z) to undo the change, or drag the end of the bar back to frame 150.
7 Set the End Offset to 45. End Offset When the playhead reaches frame 105 (45 frames from the end of the object), the object stops shrinking, but remains at the correct size. Saving Custom Behaviors As mentioned earlier, a very powerful feature is the ability to save nearly anything to the Library for later use, such as customized behaviors, filters, generators, particle emitters, and so on. In this section, save the behaviors applied to the circleText object as a custom behavior.
4 When the drop menu appears, position the pointer over the “All in one file” option and release the mouse button. The behaviors are saved as a single file. The custom icon appears on the saved behavior. 5 To name the file, do one of the following: • Control-click the icon, choose Rename from the shortcut menu, then type a descriptive name. • Select the icon, click “Untitled,” then type a descriptive name. Note: When you Control-click the icon, the Edit Description option is available.
Fading in the Titles As a final touch for the titles objects, apply a Fade In/Fade Out behavior to the layer. You can duplicate an existing behavior in the project and apply it to the titles layer. In this example, the titles should fade in over the first 20 frames of the project and not fade out.
Adding and Animating Graphic Elements In this section, you add a new layer to house more graphics elements. Drag the bigCircle.psd file you imported earlier (into the Media tab) to the Canvas to add it to the new layer of the project. Modify the object and apply a Spin behavior. Next, you import a layered Photoshop file and apply a Simulation behavior to the layer (created by importing the layered file). To create a new layer: 1 In the Layers tab, click the Add New Layer button.
3 In the bigCircle Dashboard, drag the Opacity slider to 40 percent. To apply a behavior to the circle: 1 With the bigCircle object selected, click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar and choose the Spin behavior from the Basic Motion submenu. 2 Use the Spin Dashboard to rotate the object in a clockwise direction. The bigCircle and circleText objects rotate in opposite directions.
3 Position the arrow/thumbnail pointer over Import All Layers, then release the mouse button. The objects are added as a layer (containing each Photoshop layer) called GreenSquares in the graphics layer. Just like any other layer in Motion, each object can be individually modified, or the layer itself can be modified, affecting all objects within the layer.
4 In the File Browser, navigate to the Tutorial Media folder (default is /Users/Shared/ Motion/Tutorial Media), then double-click the National Geographic folder to view its contents. You can click the back arrow in the browser to quickly move back to the previous level. Click to move back to the previous level. 5 Drag the NatGeoLogo.psd file to the graphics layer in the Layers tab. The GreenSquares layer and the NatGeoLogo object appear in the center of the Canvas.
To position and animate the squares: 1 In the Layers tab, select the GreenSquares layer. 2 In the Canvas, center the GreenSquares layer over the dolphin title. 3 To deselect the GreenSquares layer, press Shift+Command+A. 4 In the Library, select the Behaviors category, then select the Simulations subcategory. 5 In the stack, select the Repel behavior. Like all behaviors, a preview of the animation plays in the Preview area.
Note: If the layer is selected (with the bounding box active) in step 7, the behavior is applied to the layer, not to an individual object. To adjust the Repel parameters: 1 In the Repel Dashboard, choose All Objects from the Affect pop-up menu. All objects in the project are repelled from the object. This is not the desired effect.
Fading Out the Center Square To put the finishing touch on the center square, modify a Fade In/Fade Out behavior so that the object fades out as the other squares move away. To apply and modify the Fade In/Fade Out behavior: 1 In the Layers tab, select the dark green object. 2 In the Toolbar, click the Add Behavior icon, then choose the Fade In/Fade Out behavior from the Basic Motion submenu.
The default motion path is applied to the object. In the Canvas, click the second point (the right point) and drag it down to the lowerright corner of the screen. 5 Play the project (or press the Space bar). The logo travels down the motion path. Modifying Motion Path Behaviors You can reshape the motion path by adding Bezier control points to the path to create curves. To modify the path: 1 Double-click or Option-click anywhere on the path.
2 Drag the control point to a new position. 3 Drag the tangent handles to further adjust the shape of the curve. The logo follows the shape of the modified path. 4 Press Command+Z until you return to the path created in step 4 of the previous section. Note: To move an object more quickly along a motion path, you can shorten the duration of the Motion Path behavior in the Timeline.
Fading in the Logo As a finishing touch on the logo object, fade in the logo over time. To apply and modify the logo fade in: 1 Make sure the NatGeoLogo object is selected. 2 In the Toolbar, click the Add Behavior icon, then choose the Fade In/Fade Out behavior from the Basic Motion submenu. 3 In the Fade In/Fade Out Dashboard, set the logo to fade in over 30 frames and to not fade out. 4 In the Behaviors tab of the Inspector, set the Start Offset value to 90.
Optional: Adding a Second Dolphin Clip As a final optional step, you can add the second dolphin clip to the project and—you guessed it—fade the clip! Once the new clip is imported, change the color and blend mode of the circleText object. To add the dolphin jump clip from the Media tab: 1 In the Layers tab, select the graphics layer. 2 Click the Media tab. 3 Drag the dolphin jump object to the center of the Canvas. 4 By default, the object is added above the other objects within the graphics layer.
Changing the Color and Blend Mode of the Circle Text You can quickly change the blend mode of an object. In this last step, modify the blend mode of the circle text graphic. Note: There are at least seven ways to change the blend mode of an object. To change the blend mode of the object: 1 In the Layers tab, collapse the graphics layer and expand the titles layer. 2 Select the circleText object. 3 In the Dashboard, choose Color Dodge from the Blend Mode pop-up menu.
What You Have Learned • When a default project preset is defined, you can press Command+Option+N to force the File > New From Preset command. • Cropping a media file in the Media tab and cropping a media file in the Properties • • • • • • • • tab are not the same thing. An object that is cropped in the Media tab crops all instances of that file in the project. A file that is cropped in the Properties tab crops only that object.
3 Working With Text 3 Text is the mainstay of motion graphics. Motion gives you the ability to create a multitude of dazzling text effects. Text is an important part of most motion graphics projects, and Motion gives you full control over text in your project. You can add text, change text properties, add filters and behaviors to text, and create text sequences, which let you animate multiple text parameters simultaneously. This tutorial assumes basic knowledge of the Motion interface.
3 Select Tutorial 3 Exercise 1 Result or Tutorial 3 Exercise 2 Result, then click Open. The selected result project opens and appears within the Motion interface. 4 Click the Play button (or press the Space bar) to play the project. 5 Choose File > Close (or press Command+W) to close the project. Important: If you made any changes to the project, Motion prompts you to save. Click Don’t Save.
m If the Select Project Preset dialog appears: Choose NTSC Broadcast SD from the Preset pop-up menu, then click OK. If the Select Project Preset dialog does not appear, and a new project is automatically created: 1 Close the new project. 2 Press Command+Option+N to display the Select Project Preset dialog. Note: The New From Preset option does not appear in the standard File menu unless you press Option.
To import a movie: 1 In the File Browser, navigate to the Tutorial Media folder (default is /Users/Shared/ Motion/Tutorial Media), then double-click the National Geographic folder to view its contents. 2 Click the sunset.mov file. 3 In the Preview area, click Import. The movie appears centered in the Canvas. To mask the movie: 1 Make sure the “sunset.mov” object is selected in the Canvas. Selected objects are surrounded by a thin white border. 2 Click the Rectangle Mask tool in the Toolbar.
4 Select the movie object, then drag it so that it remains vertically centered in the top third of the Canvas. When you position the movie object, the mask moves with it. 5 Open the Layers tab by choosing Window > Layers (or press Command+4). 6 In the Layers tab, double-click the name of the layer containing the movie object and mask, then type “Sunset.“ 7 Press Return to accept the name. Organizing Your Project Layers are a great way of organizing your project to help you keep track of everything.
Adding a Text Object In Motion, you add text by creating a text object and typing into the text object. You can edit the text, change text properties, and edit the text object in a variety of ways. To create a text object: 1 In the Layers tab, select the Titles layer. Without a layer selected, new objects are created in the topmost layer. If you want a newly created object to appear in a different layer, select the layer before adding the object to your project.
3 If the Dashboard is not visible, choose Window > Show Dashboard (or press D). 4 In the Dashboard, do the following: a Control-click the color well (to the right of the Font and Style pop-up menus), then choose a yellow color from the Colors window. Make sure the color you select allows the text to be seen over the sunset. b Choose Center from the Alignment pop-up menu. Using Dynamic Guides to Position Text As with any other object in your project, you can position a text object using Dynamic Guides.
To center the text object: 1 Make sure that Snap and Dynamic Guides are turned on. 2 Drag the object so that a vertical yellow Dynamic Guide appears in the center of the Canvas. 3 Drag the object until it is near the top of the sun. Applying Text Tracking You can set the amount of space between each letter of the text by adjusting the Tracking slider in the Dashboard. If you want the tracking to change over time, you either need to set keyframes or use a behavior.
To adjust the rate of text tracking: 1 If it’s not already selected, select “the serengeti” text object. 2 Click the Inspector tab. 3 Click the Behaviors tab of the Inspector. 4 If the Text Tracking parameters are not visible, click the disclosure triangle to reveal them. 5 Set the Rate value slider to 3.90. You can also adjust the end offset, which controls how far from the end of the project the tracking stops, measured in frames. 6 Play the project. The text spreads out more quickly.
3 Click the Record button (or press A) to turn on animation recording. Record button 4 In the Layers list, select “the serengeti” object. 5 In the Inspector, click the Text tab, then click the Style pane. 6 Under the Face controls, click the color well. The Colors window appears, showing the yellow color already selected. 7 Press End to move the playhead to the end of the project (frame 150). 8 Click a red or orange color in the Colors window. 9 Close the Colors window.
To apply a Fade In: 1 In the Library, click the Behaviors category, then click the Basic Motion subcategory. 2 Drag the Fade In/Fade Out behavior from the Library onto the text object in the Canvas. The Dashboard updates to show the controls for the Fade In/Fade Out behavior. 3 In the Dashboard, drag the Fade In triangle to 30 frames. 4 Drag the Fade Out triangle to 0 frames. The text object now fades in over the first 30 frames and does not fade out.
5 Use the Dynamic Guides to position the text object along the bottom edge of the Sunset object and align the left edge along the center point of the Canvas. 6 In the Text tab of the Inspector, open the Format pane, and use the Size slider to increase the font size to 123 points, so the right edge of the text hits the right edge of the Sunset object. Applying a Gradient Now you can add a gradient to the new text object, and change the gradient’s colors to create a custom gradient.
6 Click the left color tag. The color controls beneath the gradient become active. 7 Click the color well to open the Colors window. 8 In the Colors window, click the color picker (the magnifying glass icon at the top). The pointer turns into a large magnifying glass.
9 Move the pointer over the Canvas until a dark shade of orange from the Sunset object is in the crosshairs of the pointer, then click to select it. After sampling the color in the Canvas, you can adjust it in the Colors window. 10 Double-click the right color tag of the Gradient Editor to set the end color of the gradient. Double-clicking automatically opens the Colors window if it is not already showing. 11 Click the color picker in the Colors window and select a bright shade of brown from the Canvas.
12 Close the Colors window. 13 Move the triangle (spread control) underneath the gradient to the left to change the balance of color filling the text to be heavier on the brighter side. After you create a custom gradient, you can save it in the Library to use later or to use in another project. To save a custom gradient: 1 Choose Save Gradient from the Gradient Preset pop-up menu. The Save Preset to Library dialog appears. 2 Type “Serengeti Sunset” as a name for the gradient, then click Save.
To apply the text sequence behavior: 1 In the Library, click the Behaviors category, then click the Text Sequence subcategory. The Text Sequence categories appear in the Library stack. 2 Double-click the Text-Zoom folder to display its contents. 3 Drag the Behind Camera behavior from the Library to the “africa” text object in the Canvas. 4 Play the project to see the Behind Camera effect with its default settings. 5 When you are finished previewing the project, press the Space bar to stop playback.
6 Press the Space bar to play the project. Each character in the text object begins at 300 percent and completely transparent, then returns to its original size and opacity as it falls into place. 7 Press the Space bar to stop playback when you are finished. 8 Choose File > Save (or press Command+S) to save the project. Adding the Third Text Object Now you add a third text object, to which you apply a different behavior.
To apply changes to selected text: 1 In the new text object, select the word “kenya.” 2 In the Format pane of the Inspector, click the Family value list, then choose Apple Chancery for the selected letters. 3 Using the Size slider in the Dashboard, adjust the font size of “kenya” to 54 points to match the rest of the line more closely. Changing Opacity Now you change the opacity of the new text object. To change the opacity of a text object: 1 Choose the Select/Transform tool.
5 In the Dashboard (or the Behaviors tab of the Inspector), adjust the following parameters: a Drag the Rate slider to 90. b Drag the Position Offset slider to 15. c Drag the End Offset slider to 5. 6 Play the project. The text moves across the screen from right to left, ending at the object’s original position. The End Offset parameter instructs the object to reach its final position 5 frames before the end of the object.
The pasted object appears at the top of the Titles layer. Before After 4 Double-click the word “copy” in the name of the new object to rename it and type “glow.” 5 Press Return to accept the new name. The new object inherited all the properties of its source, but you don’t want the glow to fade in. 6 Select the Fade In/Fade Out behavior under “the serengeti glow,” then press Delete. 7 Drag the object in the Canvas upward and left of its position to offset it slightly from its original.
13 Click the activation checkbox next to Face to turn off the text face so this object contains only the glow effect. Since the face and glow are separate objects, you can manipulate them separately. To make the text tracking more dramatic, you can increase the rate of the text tracking on the glow. 14 In the Layers list, select the Text Tracking behavior attached to “the serengeti glow.” 15 In the Behaviors tab of the Inspector, increase the Rate to 5.0.
7 Play the project to see the results. The characters glow and fade out above the main text as both elements spread out in sync. 8 Press Command+S to save the project. Adding More Movie Elements Next, you add more movie footage in a new layer. You apply a Throw behavior to the layer so both objects are moved together. To add the additional movie objects: 1 Press Home to move the playhead to frame 1.
5 Double-click the name of the new layer to rename it, type “Clips,” then press Return to accept the new name. 6 In the Layers list, select “lioness 2,” and using the Dynamic Guides, slide the movie file to the left of the “lioness 1” clip. 7 In the Layers tab, click the layer containing the two objects. Both clips appear selected in the Canvas. 8 Drag the two objects down and off the left edge of the Canvas, so just the edge of the rightmost clip is barely visible.
Applying a Throw Behavior Now you apply a Throw behavior to the “lioness” objects to move them across the screen. To apply a Throw behavior: 1 In the Layers tab, select the layer containing the two lioness clips. 2 Click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar, then choose Basic Motion > Throw from the pop-up menu. The Dashboard changes to show the Throw control. 3 In the Dashboard, drag the center point of the Throw control to the right.
7 Play the project. The lioness movie clips move from left to right across the screen. But the lioness clips are obscuring the wonderful text objects! You need to move them beneath the text. 8 In the Layers tab, select the Clips layer and drag it just above the Sunset layer. 9 Play the project. That looks much better. The Final Touch The project is nearly complete. All that remains is to place the National Geographic logo. To place the logo: 1 Select the Titles layer.
Exercise 2: Using the Sequence Text Behavior The Sequence text behavior is a special kind of behavior that lets you animate attributes of a text object (such as font size or rotation) for each character or word in the text object sequentially. The Behind Camera effect used in the first exercise is an example of a preset Text Sequence behavior. That behavior animates the size and opacity of each character, flowing from the left to the right.
Motion provides many different preset Text Sequence behaviors, categorized in the Library. You can adjust the parameters of each behavior to customize it for your needs. The Sequence Behavior Once you get familiar with using the preset Text Sequence behaviors, you can experiment with the basic Sequence behavior that allows you to adjust whichever parameters you want with a great degree of control.
Creating the Project To start, you create a new tutorial project and import a QuickTime movie as a background element. To create the project: 1 Choose File > New. 2 In the Select Project Preset dialog, choose NTSC Broadcast SD from the Preset pop-up menu, then click OK. A new, blank project appears. 3 Choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command+J) to open Project Properties. 4 Click the Duration field, type 120 to set the duration of the project to be 120 frames, then click OK.
6 Choose the Select/Transform tool and position the text in the upper-left corner of the Canvas. 7 Click the Text tab in the Inspector, then click the Style pane. 8 Click the color well in the Face section. The Colors window appears. 9 Click the color picker at the upper-left corner of the Colors window and choose a color from the Canvas. Choose the brightest color in the water highlights. 10 Click the checkbox next to the Outline section in the Inspector. An outline appears around the text in the Canvas.
The border is set to this darker color. Although the border is barely visible in the Canvas at this moment, it becomes more apparent once the Sequence behavior is applied and configured in the following steps. Applying the Sequence Behavior Next, you apply the Text Sequence behavior and add parameters for it to affect.
By default, the parameter is set to 100 percent. The value you set in this parameter determines the scale that each letter in the object reaches as the Sequence behavior takes effect. Once the letter has reached that size, it returns to its default size. 3 In the Inspector, use the value slider to set Scale to 130 percent. You can see the results in the Canvas. If the playhead is sitting at frame 1, you may not notice any effect. Play the project to see the effect.
To remove a parameter from the Sequence behavior: 1 Click the Remove parameter pop-up menu next to the Add Parameter pop-up menu. The menu lists all of the parameters currently applied to the behavior. 2 Choose Outline > Width to remove that parameter from the Sequence Text effect. Adjusting Text Sequence Timing There are many additional controls to affect the way the Text Sequence behavior works. To control the overall duration of the effect, adjust the behavior’s bar in the Timeline.
Now the Sequence behavior happens much more quickly. The text object remains onscreen for the remainder of the project, but the Sequence behavior no longer affects it. Smoothing Out the Sequencing Effect By default, the sequencing effect activates the letters, one at a time, returning the letter to its original state before affecting the next letter. This can create a staccato or jumpy effect with fast moving sequences like this one.
Setting the Sequence Selection In addition to sequencing a text object letter by letter, the Sequence text behavior can affect objects line by line or word by word. To change the Sequence behavior selection: 1 In the Behaviors tab of the Inspector, choose Word from the Select pop-up menu. Now the Sequence effect happens one word at a time instead of one letter at a time. The Spread setting still applies, except now it sets how many words are sequenced at the same time.
6 Position the text centered in the lower quarter of the Canvas. 7 In the Inspector, click the Text tab, then click the Style tab. 8 Click the activation checkbox next to the Outline section and leave the color at the default red.
9 Click the Library tab and choose the Sequence Text behavior in the Text Animation subcategory of the Behaviors category. 10 Make sure the “hippopotamus” object is selected, then click the Apply button in the Preview area at the top of the Library. The Sequence Text behavior is applied to the text object, and again has no immediate effect.
2 Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale parameter to display the X and Y sliders. 3 Set the Y slider to 25 percent. 4 Smooth out the effect by setting the Spread slider to 4. 5 Play the project. The letters are sequentially flattened to 25 percent. Adding a Second Parameter To further enhance the effect, the Text Glow effect can be used. To add the Text Glow effect to the Sequence behavior: 1 Choose Glow > Radius from the Add Parameter pop-up menu. 2 Adjust the Glow Radius to 25.
Repeating the Sequence Effect Any sequencing effect can be set to apply multiple times over the duration of the effect. To change the number of times the sequence occurs: 1 Click the Behaviors tab in the Inspector again, to return to the Sequence Text behavior controls. 2 Set the Loops slider to 2. 3 Press the Space bar to play the project. Now, the sequence effect happens twice during the duration of the hippopotamus object.
2 In the Behaviors tab of the Inspector, click the Animation menu next to the Scale Y parameter, then choose Add Keyframe. A black diamond appears on the Animation menu to indicate that the parameter is now keyframed and that the current frame contains a keyframe. Due to the way keyframing works, adding a single keyframe does not change the effect at all. It takes at least two keyframes to create a change over time. 3 Press Page Down to move the playhead forward one frame.
6 Play the project. On the way from left to right And on the way back to the left Finishing the Effect To make this project look its best, a couple of Fade In/Fade Out behaviors can be applied. To finalize the project: 1 Select the hippopotamus object in the Canvas if it is not still selected. 2 Click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar, then choose Basic Motion > Fade In/Fade Out. This fades the word “hippopotamus” in and out. 3 In the Timeline, select the layer containing all of the objects.
5 Play your project one final time. 6 Press Command+S to save your work.
4 Working With Particles 4 Particle emitters have myriad uses. Use them to highlight text elements, as background elements, as borders—the possibilities are endless. Particles can be integral to your motion graphics project, and Motion gives you the ability to generate particles from any object. In addition, Motion contains a library of particle presets that can be used as is or modified to suit your needs. Both modified presets and particle systems you create can be saved to the Library for future use.
Note: If you changed the default path during installation, you will need to open the tutorial project and movie files from the new location. For more information, “Getting Started” on page 5. 3 Select the lesson result you want to see, then click Open. The selected result project opens and appears within the Motion interface. To review the result project preview movie: 1 In the File Browser, navigate to the Tutorial Projects folder (default is /Users/Shared/ Motion/Tutorial Media/Tutorial Projects).
The selected starting project opens and appears within the Motion interface. Adding a Particle Preset Open the Project pane (press F5), then take a moment to look at the Layers tab to see how the project is organized. There are three layers: titles, particles, and background. Remember that the more complex your projects become, the more important it is to keep them organized.
4 In the file stack, select the Embryo particle preset. A preview of the particle system appears in the Preview area. 5 In the Preview area, click Apply to add the preset to the project. The Embryo preset appears in the Canvas and in the particles layer, along with the particle emitter’s cell source, an object named Blur01. The Blur01 object is a PNG file. Examine the source file in the Media tab. To view the Embryo cell source: 1 Click the Media tab. 2 Select Blur01.png.
3 Control-click Blur01.png, then choose Open in Viewer from the shortcut menu. The object is displayed in a Viewer window. 4 Close the Viewer when you are finished. Back in the Layers tab, note that the source object used to create the emitter is automatically turned off and is not visible in the project. Positioning the Particle Emitter Rename the emitter and move it into position. 1 In the Layers tab, double-click the particle emitter’s name, Embryo. 2 Type a new name, Blue Lights, then press Return.
Note: To quickly navigate to a specific frame, click in the Current Frame field (to the left of the transport controls), type a frame number, then press Return. 4 Save your project as a copy of the original (press Shift+Command+S). Adjusting the Gradient of the Particle Emitter The particle emitter has been added to the project, but its default colors do not match the color scheme already set up in the project. This can be changed easily.
The new gradient’s colors match the background more closely. Although the gradient is a preset, it can be customized to better match the background by using colors selected from the actual background. Customizing the Gradient Use the Gradient Editor to tailor the emitter for your specific needs. To customize the gradient used by the particle emitter: 1 In the Cell Controls, click the disclosure triangle next to Color Over Life to display the Gradient Editor.
The Gradient Editor is divided into three areas: • The thin rectangle at the top displaying the opacity bar • The thin rectangle at the bottom displaying the color bar • The thicker rectangle in the middle displaying the effective color gradient, incorporating both opacity and color The small squares above and below the gradient and opacity bar are color and opacity tags. These tags indicate color and opacity and their position within the gradient.
4 Click the color picker (the magnifying glass icon) in the Colors window. The color picker appears. 5 Position the color picker over a sky-blue color in the Canvas, then click. The left side of the gradient changes to that color. Next, remove the color tag in the center of the Gradient Editor to create a two-color gradient. 6 Drag the color tag in the center of the Gradient Editor downward, away from the bar. With a poof, the color tag disappears.
To change the opacity of the particles: 1 In the Emitter tab of the Inspector, select the leftmost opacity tag on top of the opacity bar. The Opacity parameter becomes active. 2 Using the Opacity slider below, set Opacity to 0 percent. The gradient now appears entirely black, and the particles are no longer visible, because the gradient is set to 0 percent opacity over the entire bar. Add two more opacity tags to the gradient. 3 Click twice in the opacity bar to add opacity tags as shown below.
Now, drag the spread control toward the leftmost opacity tag until the Location value is approximately 15 percent. Note: You can also use the Location parameter to change the Location value. This ensures a quick fade-in for the particles. 5 Click the opacity tag near the center of the Gradient Editor. 6 Set the Opacity parameter to 100 percent. 7 Set the Location parameter to 45 percent. The particles fade out more slowly. 8 Click the spread control between the last two tags of the opacity gradient.
Because the current blend mode of the Blue Lights emitter object is Normal, the background does not show through the particles. 11 Move the playhead to frame 30. Additive Blend The Additive Blend parameter can have a dramatic effect on the look of a particle system. By default, Blue Lights has Additive Blend turned on. In the Emitter tab of the Inspector, click the Additive Blend checkbox to turn it off. Notice that when Additive Blend is turned off, the entire particle system darkens.
3 In the Blending controls, choose Add from the Blend Mode pop-up menu. Note: You can also Control-click the particles layer in the Layers tab and choose Blend Mode > Add from the shortcut menu. Now, the color values of the particle system are added to the color values of the background instead of replacing them, so the background shows through. 4 Save your project (press Command+S).
Adjusting the Shape of the Particles In this section, adjust the shape and scale of the particles by modifying the emitter parameters. Important: Remember that manipulating the source object within Motion does not affect the particle emitters using that object. In other words, to change the particles, change the emitter, not the source object. For this project, change the default shape of the particles by changing the scale of the particle cell.
Saving the Particle Emitter to the Library After a particle system has been adjusted to your liking, you can save it to the Library for easy reuse. To save the particle emitter to the Library: 1 In the Library (press Command+2), select the category in which you want to save the customized particle emitter, for example, the Favorites category. Note: You can also save the emitter to the Particle Emitters category. 2 Drag the Blue Lights emitter object from the Layers tab to the Favorites file stack.
4 Drag the Blue Lights emitter from the stack to the Canvas, on top of the letter J. The customized emitter is added to the Particles layer. Since the layer already contains an object named Blue Lights, the newly-added emitter is named Blue Lights 1. 5 Save your project (press Command+S). Like all other particle emitters, customized emitters can be modified once added to a project. In this section, change the size of the particles and modify the number of particles that are generated.
4 Move the playhead to frame 150. Next, move the two particle systems into their final positions. To place the particle emitters in their final position: 1 In the Canvas, drag the Blue Lights 1 particle emitter so that the particles are centered on the letters of the jellies text object. Position the anchor point on top of the letter J. 2 Select the Blue Lights particle emitter. 3 Drag the Blue Lights particle emitter so that the particles are centered over the phantoms of the deep (center) text object.
Exercise 2: Using a Clip as a Particle Cell Source In this exercise, use a shape with a gradient as a background for a project, add a particle preset, change its cell source, and use a clip as a particle emitter. The resulting project includes a scene complete with sky, sun, and butterflies. Creating a New Project Create a new project for this lesson. m To create a new project: Choose File > New (or press Command+N).
4 Choose NTSC Broadcast SD from the Preset pop-up menu, then click OK. A new NTSC project is created. Adding a Shape This project uses a shape filled with a gradient as the background. To add a shape to the project: 1 Select the Rectangle tool from the Toolbar. 2 Draw a rectangle slightly larger than the size of the Canvas. 3 In the Inspector, click the Shape tab. 4 Choose Gradient from the Fill Mode pop-up menu. The red-and-blue default gradient fills the rectangle.
Modifying the Gradient Next, modify the gradient to more closely resemble a sky at sunset. To modify the colors of the gradient: 1 In the Shape tab of the Inspector, click the disclosure triangle next to Gradient. The Gradient Editor is displayed. As indicated in the Gradient Editor, the left side represents the top of the gradient filling the shape, and the right side the bottom. 2 In the Gradient Editor, click the red color tag at the bottom left. 3 Click the color well below the Gradient Editor.
The Canvas should look similar to the image below. With either of the color tags at the bottom of the Gradient Editor selected, a triangleshaped spread control appears between the two. The Gradient Editor works the same way for shapes as it does for particles. 8 Click the spread control between the two color tags. 9 Set the Location value to 60 percent. 10 Save your project (press Command+S). Now that the sky is in place, add the sun.
Importing a Particle Cell Source The Library contains a Sun particle preset, which needs no modification for this project. Simply add the Sun particle preset to the project, and you are finished. To add the sun particle preset: 1 In the Library, select the Particle Emitters category, then select the Nature subcategory. 2 Drag the Sun particle preset to the upper-left corner of the Canvas. The Sun particle preset appears where you release the mouse button.
3 Click in an empty part of the Layers list so that no objects are selected. 4 Play the project (press the Space bar). 5 Stop playback when finished. 6 Save your project (press Command+S). Creating a Particle System From a Clip The Library contains an animated clip of a single butterfly. In this exercise, this clip is used as a cell source for a new particle emitter. The particle systems created in Exercise 1 of this tutorial were based on images.
A single butterfly flaps its wings in the center of the Canvas, then disappears. A quick glance at the mini-Timeline shows the object’s duration. 5 Stop playback, then move the playhead to frame 30. 6 Save your project (press Command+S). To use the clip as a particle emitter cell source: 1 With the clip selected, click the Make Particles icon in the Toolbar (or press E). A new particle system is created with a duration of 300 frames.
To adjust the Butterflies emitter: 1 With the Butterflies emitter selected, click the Emitter tab of the Inspector. 2 In the Cell Controls group, set Birth Rate to 3. The number of butterflies decreases by a significant factor. 3 Set Scale to 60. Each butterfly particle is scaled down to 60 percent of its original size. In order to create variation in the size of the butterflies, change the Scale Range parameter. 4 Set Scale Range to 50.
Now some of the butterflies are larger than 60 percent, and some are smaller. Although the butterfly clip is only 40 frames long, the particle system’s duration is determined by the length of the project. The Life parameter determines the duration of individual particles. 5 Play the project. 6 Save your project (press Command+S). Using Custom Gradients The default colors of the butterflies do not match the background.
To save a custom gradient from the shape: 1 In the Layers tab, select Sky. 2 In the Shape tab of the Inspector, choose Save Gradient from the Gradient Preset popup menu. 3 In the Save Preset to Library dialog, type Sunset Sky, then click Save. The new gradient is added to the Gradients category in the Library and appears in the Gradient Preset pop-up menu. To apply the custom gradient to the butterflies: 1 In the Layers tab, select the Butterfly emitter.
Now, over the butterfly particles’ lives, their color is tinted according to the Sunset Sky gradient. The gradient colors can easily be flipped. To flip the gradient colors: 1 Click the Reverse Tags icon next to the color gradient. One arrow reverses the opacity tags, and the other reverses the color tags. Reverse Tags icon (opacity) Reverse Tags icon (color) The butterflies start out tinted red, and are tinted more yellow as they go. 2 Click the Reverse Tags icon again to restore the original gradient.
2 In the Library, select Behaviors, then select Basic Motion. 3 In the stack, select Throw. 4 In the Preview area, click the Apply button. Note: Alternatively, you can select the Butterfly object in the Layers tab and click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar. The Throw behavior is added to the butterfly particles. To adjust the Throw parameters: 1 In the Behaviors tab of the Inspector, click the disclosure triangle next to Throw Velocity.
2 In the Dashboard, drag from the center of the circle to the right as far as you can. Notice that in the Inspector the Throw Velocity has changed to a value of approximately 100, if your zoom slider is in the same position as the screenshot above. We want the butterflies to have a Throw Velocity of approximately 200, so use the zoom slider in the Dashboard. If your zoom level is higher than indicated above, the next two steps will not be necessary.
3 In the Canvas, drag the emitter to the left until it is completely off-screen, using the screenshot below as a guide. 4 Play the project to see the result. Notice that some of the butterflies disappear before exiting the Canvas on the right side. Change the Life parameter so the butterflies remain visible. 5 Stop playback. 6 In the Emitter tab of the Inspector, set Life to 8. 7 Play the project. The butterflies now all remain visible. 8 Save your project (press Command+S).
Note: If the Select Project Preset dialog does not appear, and a new project is automatically created, see “Creating a New Project” on page 178. Adding a Shape and an Emitter First, add a star shape from the Library. Next, add an emitter to the project using the shape as the particle cell source.
To use the star shape as a particle cell source: 1 With the star object selected, press E. A new particle system with a duration of 300 frames is created. 2 Play the project (press the Space bar). Since the particles are so large, the system quickly becomes a solid white mass. But with a few changes, you can make the background more distinct. 3 In the Layers tab, double-click the name of the emitter, Emitter. Type a new name, Stars, then press Return.
To change the scale of the particles: 1 In the Layers tab, select the 5-sided star cell source, which has the particle icon next to it. 2 In the Particle Cell tab of the Inspector, change Scale to 20. 3 Save your project (press Command+S). Customizing the Particle Gradient To make each particle stand out, add more colors to the gradient across its range. To add a gradient to the particle system: 1 In the Layers tab, select the Stars emitter.
2 Click in the color bar at the bottom of the Gradient Editor at three different points along the range of the gradient. With each click, another color tag appears under the Gradient Editor. Now change the red to blue color scheme, using the Colors window. To adjust the color tags: 1 From left to right, double-click each of the color tags under the Gradient Editor, and fill them with the following approximate colors: yellow, orange, a red-orange, red, and pink. 2 Close the Colors window.
5 Set Opacity to 0 percent. The right end of the opacity bar displays black as well. With these settings, the particles will fade in quickly, become 100 percent opaque, then fade out slowly, reaching 100 percent transparency before the end of their Life. 6 Click the disclosure triangle next to Color Over Life to hide the Gradient Editor. Next, make changes to the Scale and Scale Range parameters, to vary the size of the particles. m To vary the size of the particles: Set Scale Range to 25.
Emitter Shapes The shape of the emitter plots where particles appear as they are generated. If the emitter shape is set to a point, all the particles are generated from the same point. If the emitter shape is set to a line, particles are generated along the path of a line. Change the shape of the emitter to change the distribution of particles in this system. m To change the shape of the particle emitter: In the Emitter tab, choose Line from the Shape pop-up menu.
3 One at a time, select one of the two end points of the emitter, and drag to reposition it. Set a low speed while in line mode for a nice effect. 4 In the Emitter tab, set Speed to 20. Changing the shape of the emitter can have a significant effect on the pattern of generated particles. Now, change the emitter shape to a circle. m To change the particle emitter shape to a circle: Choose Circle from the Emitter Shape pop-up menu. The particles are now emitted within the circle.
m To change the pattern of the emitter: Choose Outline from the Arrangement pop-up menu. Next, make the circle smaller and center it in the Canvas. To change the size of the circle emitter shape: 1 Move the Adjust Item tool until it is hovering over the circle shape. The circle shape becomes highlighted. 2 Drag the pointer inward to decrease the size of the circle.
To center the circle in the Canvas: 1 Move the Adjust Item tool until it is either inside or outside the circle. 2 Drag to reposition the circle in the center of the Canvas. Important: If the emitter shape is highlighted, dragging the tool resizes the shape. If it is not highlighted, dragging the tool repositions the shape. Changing a few other Cell Controls puts the finishing touches on this emitter.
2 Set Speed Range to 30. Some of the particles shift position slightly, because some of their individual speeds have been altered. Next, use a Parameter behavior to add spin to the particles. Normally, adding spin to a particle system changes the particles so they all spin in the same direction as they are generated. Think of adding spin with a parameter behavior as adding spin with a twist.
The particles all spin in different directions. In the Inspector, the Behaviors tab is automatically selected, and the Apply To field is set to Object.Spin. 2 Set Amplitude to 150. The Amplitude controls how far back and forth the angle of Spin changes. Setting it to 150 means the smallest Spin value is -150 and the largest Spin value is 150. 3 Set Speed to 50. The particles change the direction of their spin faster. Now the particles spin at different rates, and in different directions.
Exercise 4: Particles and Simulation Behaviors This exercise demonstrates the effects of adding Simulation behaviors to particle systems. Simulation behaviors are a fast way of generating complex simulations without having to keyframe objects. This project uses the result project from Exercise 3. Opening the Exercise Project A starting project has been created to get you right to the subject of this exercise, or you can use the project you created in Exercise 3.
All the particles are now generated from a single point. 3 In the Dashboard, drag the dot on the edge of the Emission Range control until its value in the Inspector is approximately 20 degrees. The range of emission, now narrowed, focuses the particles into a stream.
4 In the Dashboard, drag the arrow until the Emission Angle value is approximately 45 in the Inspector. 5 In the Inspector, set Birth Rate to 12. Fewer particles are released over time. 6 Set Life to 4. Although there are now fewer of them, the particles last longer. 7 Set Speed to 200. The particles move faster. Depending on the graphics card in your machine, a sheet may appear cautioning you that the size of the Stars object is too large to render, and that it will be cropped.
12 In the Canvas, drag the Stars emitter toward the bottom-right of the Canvas. 13 Save your project (Command+S). Adding a Simulation Behavior Simulation behaviors are a shortcut to creating effects that would be extremely timeconsuming to keyframe. Adding a single Simulation behavior can change a project dramatically. One such Simulation behavior is Edge Collision. To add Edge Collision to the particle emitter: 1 In the Layers tab, select the Stars emitter.
3 In the stack, select Edge Collision. 4 In the Preview area, click the Apply button.
The particles with a long enough life now collide with the edges of the Canvas and bounce back before finally disappearing. Now, add Gravity to the same particle emitter. To add Gravity to the particle emitter: 1 In the stack, select Gravity. 2 In the Preview area, click the Apply button. The particles are pulled down by the force of gravity. The default Gravity settings do not have much of a visible effect, so increase the pull of gravity. 3 In the Gravity Dashboard, drag the Acceleration value to 80.
Increasing the acceleration to that value slows the particles’ ascent, and also decreases the maximum height they reach. Simulations and Multiple Objects The simulations used so far have been applied to, and have affected, a single object or emitter. Some of the simulations work by interacting with multiple objects simultaneously, such as Orbit Around. In this next section, add an object and the Orbit Around behavior. To add a shape to the project: 1 In the Library, select Shapes.
3 In the Canvas, press Shift and drag a corner of the shape’s bounding box to scale down the star, until it is about 35 percent of its original size. 4 In the Shape Dashboard, click the Fill color well. The Colors window appears. 5 Click the color picker (the magnifying glass icon), then click one of the orange stars in the Canvas. The star is now a more satisfying orange color. 6 Close the Colors window. Now, add the Orbit Around Simulation behavior.
To set the particles to orbit the Big Star object: 1 Press F7 or D to display the Dashboard. 2 Drag the Big Star object from the Layers tab to the Object well in the Inspector. Important: When selecting the Big Star object, be sure to click and drag in one movement. If you click the object and release the mouse button, the object is selected and its Inspector appears. The particles now orbit the Big Star object. 3 In the Layers tab, select Big Star.
Because the default Orbit Around parameters are pulling the particles around Big Star strongly, the other simulations are not as evident. Move Big Star to the lower-left corner of the Canvas. What you now see is a complex interaction of simulations, using Gravity, Edge Collision, and Orbit Around. These simulations, used together, produce something much more complex than what you could achieve in the same amount of time with keyframing.
What You Have Learned • • • • • • • • • How to add a particle emitter from the Library to your project How to modify the parameters of a particle emitter How to modify the shape of a particle emitter How to save the particle emitter back to the Library for later use How to import a particle preset How to create a particle system from a clip How to customize a particle emitter from a shape How to use Simulation behaviors How to add a Parameter behavior to a simulation Tutorial 4 Working With Particles 213
5 The Replicator 5 The replicator creates a pattern of repeating elements from a single object, altering the duplicated objects over the course of the pattern. The replicator can change the simplest object into something unexpected. Although the replicator shares some parameters with particle emitters, they have different uses. The basic idea of a particle emitter is to create a moving flow of objects, whereas the basic idea of a replicator is to create a fixed pattern of objects.
To review the result project: 1 Once Motion is open, choose File > Open (or press Command+O). 2 In the Open dialog, navigate to /Users/Shared/Motion/Tutorial Media/Tutorial Projects. Note: If you changed the default path during installation, you will need to open the tutorial project and movie files from the new location. For more information, see “Getting Started” on page 5. 3 Select Tutorial 5 Exercise 1 Result, then click Open. The selected result project opens and appears within the Motion interface.
2 In the Open dialog, navigate to the Tutorial Projects folder (default is /Users/Shared/ Motion/Tutorial Media/Tutorial Projects). 3 Select Tutorial 5 Start, then click Open. The selected starting project opens and appears within the Motion interface. Replicating the Shape Begin by replicating the object. To replicate the shape: 1 Select the shape in the Canvas. 2 Click the Replicator icon in the Toolbar. The shape is replicated. The replicator bounding box appears in the Canvas.
The replicator pattern can be resized by dragging the corners or edges of the replicator bounding box. Resizing the Pattern and Scaling the Objects Resize the pattern to cover more of the Canvas. When the pattern is resized, it changes shape symmetrically, in a manner related to its shape. With the default Rectangle shape, dragging any of its edges resizes the pattern with mirror symmetry along one axis. Dragging from a corner resizes the pattern with mirror symmetry along both axes.
m To change the scale of the objects in a replicator pattern: In the Replicator tab of the Inspector, change the Scale End parameter to 50 percent. Now, the object in the center of the pattern is 100 percent of its original scale, and the objects at the corners are 50 percent of the original scale. The scale of the objects in between the center and the corners are scaled between the start and end values.
The default colors of the gradient appear in the pattern, with the red starting at the center and moving toward blue at the edges of the Canvas. 2 Choose Rainbow from the Gradient Preset pop-up menu. Now, change the Origin parameter in the Replicator tab to further emphasize the basic properties of the pattern. m 220 To change the origin of the replicator pattern: Choose Upper Left from the Origin pop-up menu.
Now you can more clearly examine how the pattern is built. Origin and Build Style The replicator takes a source object and builds a pattern with it. With the Origin set to Upper Left, a rectangular pattern is “built” starting in the upper-left corner and moving out toward the lower-right corner of the Canvas. The color of the objects steps from green at its upper-left corner to green again at the lower-right corner, following the Rainbow gradient from left to right.
m To change the build style of the replicator: In the Replicator tab of the Inspector, choose By Row from the Build Style pop-up menu. The Build Style parameter arranges the pattern from left to right, top to bottom. With this Build Style selected, each object in the pattern is unique. Depending on your monitor and other factors, some of them may appear to be the same, but there are subtle differences.
To change the Angle End of the replicator pattern: 1 In the Inspector, change Angle End to 50. Now, as the array is built, the object at the Origin starts at zero degrees of rotation, and the last object is rotated 50 degrees. 2 Save your project (press Command+S). Replicator Patterns The Replicator tab has three Arrangement options: Outline, Tile Fill, and Random Fill. Outline uses the outline of the Replicator shape when building the array.
To change the replicator shape and add more arms: 1 Choose Burst from the Shape pop-up menu. The shape of the pattern changes to a Burst. 2 Set Number of Arms to 6. The Burst pattern now has six arms, which are evenly spread over the 360 degrees of the pattern. Now, change the character of the arms of the Burst by changing the Origin parameter. m To change the Origin parameter of the replicator pattern: In the Inspector, choose Edge from the Origin pop-up menu.
m To align the angles of the objects to their related arms: Turn on the Align Angle checkbox. Now, the objects are aligned with each arm of the burst to which they are attached, giving the burst rotational symmetry. Now, shrink the Burst so it occupies an area just around the center of the Canvas. To shrink the Burst pattern: 1 In the Inspector, change Radius to 45. 2 Save your project (press Command+S).
Exercise 2: Animating the Replicator Now that you have a basic setup for a replicator pattern, you can animate it. Use a Parameter behavior, the Sequence Replicator behavior, and a Simulation behavior to animate the pattern. Continue with the project you started in the previous exercise. Animating the Offset Animate the pattern’s Offset parameter by applying a ramp to it. The ramp will adjust a parameter over time from a starting value to an end value.
Notice that the arms of the Burst array begin the animated sequence separated, but come together as the animation plays. Shuffle Order The Replicator tab features a parameter that shuffles the stacking order of the objects being replicated. When turned on, Shuffle Order takes the Replicate Seed parameter and uses it to determine the objects’ stacking order. Note: This parameter only changes the stacking order of the objects.
The Sequence Replicator behavior does nothing until you animate one of its parameters. In this example, animate the Rotation parameter. To add Rotation to the Sequence Replicator behavior: 1 In the Inspector, choose Rotation from the Add Parameter pop-up menu. The Rotation parameter appears in the Inspector. 2 Set the Rotation control to –360 degrees. 3 Play the project (press the Space bar). One by one, the shapes that share the same color rotate -360 degrees.
m To make the objects in the pattern rotate at the same time: Choose all from the Unit Size pop-up menu. Sequence Replicator Loops The Loops parameter determines the number of times the transformations applied to the replicator pattern are repeated during the duration of the behavior. To see what this parameter does, increase the number of Loops. With the project playing, set Loops to 3. Now, over the duration of the Sequence Replicator behavior, each of the objects rotates -360 degrees three times.
3 In the Colors window, choose a red color. The color of each shape in the pattern moves toward the selected red color over the course of its life. With the current color scheme of the pattern, these color transitions don’t work well. Change the color gradient of the replicator pattern to something less garish. To change the color gradient of the replicator pattern: 1 In the Inspector, select the Replicator tab. 2 Choose Sundown from the Gradient Preset pop-up menu.
To add an opacity change to the Sequence Replicator behavior: 1 In the Inspector, select the Behaviors tab. 2 Choose Opacity from the Add Parameter pop-up menu. 3 Set Opacity to 0 percent. With Opacity set to 0, the objects in the replicator move from 100 percent opacity at the beginning of the Sequence Replicator behavior to 0 percent at the end. To add a scale change to the Sequence Replicator behavior: 1 Choose Scale from the Add Parameter pop-up menu. 2 Set Scale to 85 percent.
3 Move the pattern to the top-right corner of the Canvas. 4 In the Layers list, select the Sequence Replicator behavior. 5 In the Behaviors tab of the Inspector, click the Position disclosure triangle to display the X and Y Position controls. 6 Go to frame 300 (press End). 7 Using the X value slider, set X to 440. 8 Using the Y value slider, set Y to -315. Position indicator 9 Play the project (press the Space bar).
Now the pattern moves from the top-left corner of the Canvas to the bottom-right corner over the course of its life. Add a Fade In/Fade Out behavior so that the pattern doesn’t pop into view on the Canvas. To add a Fade In/Fade Out behavior to the replicator pattern: 1 In the Toolbar, click the Add Behavior icon, then choose Basic Motion > Fade In/Fade Out. 2 In the Dashboard, drag the left side of the fade in control to the right until it indicates a 40-frame fade in.
2 In the Shape tab of the Inspector, set Feather to -22. The edges of the shape are feathered inward, giving a striking, organic look to the pattern. Traversal The Traversal parameter changes the animation curves that are generated by the Sequence Replicator behavior. Changing Traversal alters how each change made by the Sequence Replicator behavior appears over the course of the sequence, and thus modifies the appearance of the pattern.
To add a Simulation behavior to the replicator: 1 In the Layers tab, select the pattern. 2 In the Toolbar, click the Add Behavior icon, then choose Simulations > Random Motion. 3 In the Behaviors tab of the Inspector, set Amount to 35. 4 Play the project (press the Space bar). 5 Save your project (press Command+S). Now the pattern begins its life with symmetry, and ends with chaos.
