Motion 3 User Manual
K Apple Inc. Copyright © 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Final Cut Studio software may reproduce this publication for the purpose of learning to use such software. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this publication or for providing paid for support services.
1 Preface 9 9 10 Contents Motion 3 Documentation and Resources Onscreen Help Apple Websites Chapter 1 13 14 18 19 29 38 67 84 110 135 137 158 Getting to Know Motion About Motion Graphics About Motion About the Motion Workspace Toolbar Canvas Project Pane Timing Pane Utility Window HUD Preferences Menus Chapter 2 179 179 191 197 198 203 213 219 223 223 225 228 233 250 Creating and Managing Projects Creating New Projects Managing Projects Editing Project Properties Browsing Media Files in Motion Fil
261 283 285 309 312 Object and Layer Transforms in the Canvas Making Clone Layers Editing Opacity and Blending Drop Shadows Retiming Chapter 4 321 322 330 341 356 362 Using the Timeline Getting Familiar with the Timeline Working in the Timeline Editing Objects in the Timeline Working in the Ruler Adding Markers Chapter 5 369 373 374 387 389 394 402 405 408 483 Using Behaviors Browsing for Behaviors Applying and Removing Behaviors Modifying Behaviors Working with Behaviors Changing the Timing of Be
Chapter 8 685 687 689 711 712 736 740 741 750 Working with Particles Anatomy of a Particle System Using Particle Systems Creating Graphics and Animations for Particle Systems Advanced Particle System Controls Animating Objects in Particle Systems Applying Filters to Particle Systems Particle System Examples Saving Custom Particle Effects to the Library Chapter 9 753 755 759 780 782 783 815 821 836 838 839 Using the Replicator Anatomy of a Replicator Using the Replicator Using Replicators in 3D Applying
1108 1112 Using Masks to Aid Keying Effects Manipulating Alpha Channels Using Filters Chapter 13 1117 1118 1126 1134 1139 1141 1144 1145 Working with Audio Audio Files in Motion Projects Working with Audio Tracks Keyframing Level and Pan Changes Audio Behaviors Audio Parameter Behavior Using Soundtrack Pro with Motion Exporting Audio Chapter 14 1147 1148 1149 1154 1160 1160 1164 1165 Exporting Motion Projects Exporting Your Project Using Export Presets Setting Export Options Export a Selection Exp
1193 1194 1195 1196 Shape and Mask Commands Toolbar 3D Commands Using the Command Editor Appendix B 1203 1203 1206 1210 1212 1213 1215 1215 1215 1216 Video and File Formats Supported File Formats Standard Definition Versus High Definition Video Formats Popular Video Codecs for File Exchange What Is Field Order? Using Square or Nonsquare Pixels When Creating Graphics Differences in Color Between Computer and Video Graphics Using Fonts and Creating Line Art for Video Scaling Imported High-Resolution Graph
Preface Motion 3 Documentation and Resources You can use Motion to create sophisticated motion graphics content for broadcast and video. Discover all the resources you can use to help you learn this versatile application. This preface provides information on the documentation available for Motion, as well as information about Motion resources on the web. Onscreen Help Onscreen Help (available in the Help menu) provides easy access to information while you’re working in Motion.
Supplemental Documentation The Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF contains information about 3D compositing, including the 3D workspace, lights, cameras and camera behaviors, and rasterization. This document also discusses using the Motion Tracking behaviors. To access the supplemental documentation, do one of the following: m In Motion, choose Help > 3D and Tracking m Go to http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Motion_Supplemental_Documentation.
To provide comments and feedback to Apple about Motion, go to: Â http://www.apple.com/feedback/motion.html Apple Service and Support Website The Apple Service and Support website provides software updates and answers to the most frequently asked questions for all Apple products, including Motion. You’ll also have access to product specifications, reference documentation, and Apple and thirdparty product technical articles: Â http://www.apple.
1 Getting to Know Motion 1 This chapter introduces you to the basic concepts of motion graphics and the Motion interface. It also describes how to work with all of the basic tools you need to get started. Motion is a behavior-driven motion graphics application that allows you to create stunning imaging effects for a wide variety of projects, including title sequences, broadcast graphics, and sophisticated simulations. Motion lets you create movement and other effects on the fly and in real time.
Motion can be used for commercials, documentaries, titles, broadcast or web graphics, corporate presentations, DVD menus, or your own personal video projects. Whether you need the precision of keyframed animation, the free-flow animated effects of behaviors, or a little of both—Motion has a flexible toolset to meet your motion graphics needs. This chapter provides an introduction to motion graphics and the Motion workspace and how to navigate and use common tools and controls.
Timing Tools The principal difference between traditional design and motion graphics is that motion graphics is time based. This means that you are concerned with creating a wellcomposed and readable layout, and you must also manipulate that layout over the duration of the show. Motion provides a Timeline that contains tools usually found in a video editing application (such as trimming, markers, slipping, and snapping) to allow you to hone and compose the temporal aspects of your project.
Unique Tools As the field of motion graphics design has evolved, the tool sets in the most common applications have grown, but Motion takes a completely fresh approach to the task. It incorporates the cutting edge of software design and takes advantage of the latest powerful Apple hardware.
Real-Time Feedback With the right hardware configuration, nearly every effect and adjustment you make can be viewed in real time. This means that you can watch how the various elements of your composition interact as you modify them. Not only does this mean less waiting time while the computer converts your various clicks and drags into a viewable movie, it means that you can interact with your creation in a more fluid and engaging way.
About Motion In Motion, you create 2D or 3D motion graphics and compositing projects with imported images (such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator files), image sequences, QuickTime movies, audio files, as well as objects created within Motion. These objects include text, masks, shapes, particles, paint strokes, and so on. A Motion project is made up of groups that contain layers. All media imported into Motion, or elements created within a project, are referred to as layers.
In a simple example, a group contains a single image with applied color correction and blur filters (in that order). The image provides the input data to the color correction filter. The output data of the color correction is the input data for the blur filter. The group represents the result of that image data flow. Groups and layers are also stacked one above the other in a project—the output of the lower layer is the input to the layer above it in the list.
Utility Window When you open Motion, a utility window appears on the left side of the screen and contains the File Browser from which you can add files to your project. The utility window also has tabs to display the Library which contains all of the effects, templates, and other goodies that come with Motion, and the Inspector where you can manipulate individual settings for those effects. Note: In Cinema layout, the Inspector tab appears in a separate utility window, on the right side of the workspace.
When you want to watch your project play back, the transport controls at the bottom of this window (below the Canvas) allow you to play your project at regular speed or frame by frame. The mini-Timeline lies just above the transport controls and below the main body of the window. This control provides a view of where selected layers in the Canvas begin and end in time.
 Project Properties: Opens the Project Properties dialog, which allows you to modify the project’s background color, aspect ratio, field rendering, motion blur, and so on. For more information on the Project Properties, see “Creating Blank Projects from Project Presets” on page 182. The Canvas also contains two additional panes that are hidden in the default view. Project Pane The Project pane contains three tabs, each of which provides access to different aspects of your project.
Window Arrangements Different workflows require different sets of windows to be visible, and in different sizes. For example, when designing a layout for your composition, the bigger the Canvas, the better. However, when tweaking or finessing an animated effect, you may want more room dedicated to the Timing pane and the Inspector. Fortunately, Motion allows you to switch between different layouts quickly and even to save your own custom layouts.
Alternate layout: This layout displays two utility windows on the left, the top one containing the Inspector and the bottom one containing the File Browser and Library. The Canvas fills the remainder of the screen to the right. Cinema layout: The Cinema layout also displays two utility windows. The window on the left side of the workspace contains the File Browser and Library. The window on the right side contains the Inspector.
Basic Window Controls In addition to choosing from the preset arrangements, you can manually arrange your windows, resize them, or minimize them to the Dock. To move a window: m Drag a window by the title bar to the new location. To resize a window: m Drag the resize control in the lower-right corner of the window to resize it to the desired size. To simultaneously resize adjacent windows: m Drag the boundary between the two windows (the black line along the edge of the window).
Tabs Motion uses tabbed windows to provide convenient access to multiple windows at once. You can switch between windows simply by clicking the appropriate tab. In addition, you can drag any tab out of its docked position to show the tabbed window in its own separate window. You can also drag a tab into another window. This lets you view multiple tabbed windows from the same group at one time.
Saving Custom Layouts Once you have the windows arranged to your liking, you can save your screen layout with a relevant title so you can switch back to it later. This makes it easy to set up layouts that help you perform certain tasks. For example, you might set up one layout that is good for editing curves, while another layout has an expanded Timeline for editing keyframes. You can switch between layouts in the Layouts submenu, and you can delete and duplicate layouts in the Manage Layouts window.
You can also create a new custom layout (based on the current state) by clicking the Add button (+) in the Manage Layouts dialog. To switch to a saved custom layout: m Choose Windows > Layouts, then choose the custom layout from the submenu. To delete a saved layout: 1 Choose Window > Manage Layouts. The Manage Layouts dialog opens. 2 Select the layout you want to delete. 3 Click the Delete button (–) to remove the item from the list. 4 Click the Done button.
Full Screen Mode Motion has an option to cover your entire monitor with the Canvas. This is helpful for watching playback of your project without the distraction of the software interface. In this mode, all of the tools and controls that affect the Canvas remain active, though you have to rely on keyboard shortcuts and shortcut menus (Control-click) to change from one tool or control to another. You can access the menu bar by positioning your pointer at the top of the screen where the menu normally is.
Tools are also grouped into categories of use. The first set are called the View tools because they deal with changing the view and manipulation method in the Canvas. The second set are called Create tools, because they add new content to the project, such as text and shapes. The Mask set contains tools that add a mask to an existing layer or group. On the top-right side of the Toolbar is a series of icons that adjust the Motion interface.
Button Tool name Adjust Crop tool Keyboard shortcut Description S (Press Tab to cycle Allows you to hide portions of an object (except through tools.) shapes) by dragging the edge or corner of the object. Adjust Control S (Press Tab to cycle Allows you to modify points and Bezier handles for Points tool through tools.) masks, shapes, and motion paths. Adjust Item tool S (Press Tab to cycle A contextual tool that allows you to modify special through tools.
Create Tools The Create tools generate new layers. You can modify the attributes for the newly created layers in the Inspector. Button Tool name 32 Keyboard shortcut Description Rectangle tool R Creates a new rectangle shape in the Canvas and adds a shape layer to the Layers list. Click at the position where you want one corner to appear and drag to the position of the opposite corner. Pressing Shift while you drag constrains the layer to a square.
Mask Tools The Mask tools can only be accessed when a layer (a visible object in the Canvas, such as an image or replicator) or 2D group is selected. Using a Mask tool creates a new mask that hides portions of the selected layer. By default, the area inside the mask remains visible. Masks have their own set of controls available in the Inspector. Icon Tool name Keyboard shortcut Description Rectangle Mask tool Option-R Creates a new rectangular mask in the Canvas.
Camera and Effects Icons The first icon on the right side of the Toolbar adds a new camera to a project. The next four icons make up the effects controls. These are special controls providing instant access to the most common effects. Because these controls apply effects to existing objects, they are not available unless an object is selected. Icon Icon name Description New Camera Adds a new camera to the workspace.
Interface Icons The interface icons on the far right of the Toolbar provide access to the main elements of the Motion interface. Click any of these icons to show or hide the corresponding window, tab, or pane. Icon Icon name Keyboard shortcut Description HUD F7, D F7 toggles display of the HUD. If the HUD is not displayed, press D. Once the HUD is displayed, pressing D cycles through the HUDs for the selected object. File Browser Command-1 Shows/hides the File Browser.
Spaces and Separators In addition to adding and arranging controls in the Toolbar, you can add spaces, flexible spaces, and separators to arrange and group the contents of your Toolbar. Separator: A separator adds a dotted vertical line between two controls. The separator has no function other than as an organizational tool. The default layout uses a separator between the effects icons and the interface icons. Space: A space adds a single icon’s width of space between other controls.
Button Tool Name Description Audio Shows or hides the Audio tab in the Project pane. Timeline Shows or hides the Timeline in the Timing pane. Keyframe Editor Shows or hides the Keyframe Editor in the Timing pane. Audio Editor Shows or hides the Audio Editor in the Timing pane. Template Browser Opens the Template Browser. For more information on using the Template Browser, see “Creating New Projects from Templates” on page 181.
m Choose an option from the Show pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Customize Toolbar dialog. Icon & Text Icon Only Text Only Hiding the Toolbar Once you get familiar with the common controls and the keyboard shortcuts, you may want to hide the Toolbar altogether to simplify the interface and provide more room for the Canvas. To hide the Toolbar, do one of the following: m Click the Toolbar button in the upper-right corner of the main window. m Choose View > Hide Toolbar.
You can directly manipulate the items in the Canvas to modify physical attributes such as position, scale, and rotation, or use familiar drag-and-drop techniques to apply behaviors or filters directly to the items in the Canvas. See Chapter 5, “Using Behaviors,” on page 369, and Chapter 10, “Using Filters,” on page 841, to learn more about how to use these features.
Color Some motion graphics projects may require you to match or align different colors in your project. The Status Bar can provide visual and numerical information on the color of the pixel currently under the pointer, as well as the value of the alpha channel. No clicking is necessary—as you move the pointer, the Status Bar updates. To display the current pixel color in the Status Bar: m Control-click the Status Bar, choose Color from the shortcut menu, then position the pointer over the Canvas.
Frame Rate Part of the way Motion plays back your project in real time is by lowering the frame rate when the sequence is too complex to render at full speed. You can monitor the current frame rate in the Status Bar. It is measured in frames per second (fps). Note: This number only appears while the project is playing. To monitor the project’s playback frame rate: m Control-click the Status Bar, then choose Frame Rate from the shortcut menu.
There are five pop-up menus at the right side of the Status Bar that provide access to these settings: Zoom Level, Resolution, Channels, View and Overlay Options, and 3D View Options. 3D View Zoom Level Resolution Channels View and Overlay Zoom Level You can zoom in on the Canvas to allow precision alignment and placement of objects, and you can zoom out to get a sense of the big picture or to see the path of a moving object. The Zoom Level pop-up menu offers several different default zoom levels.
To zoom in and out of a specific area of the Canvas: m Press Space bar-Command (in that order), then drag the area of the Canvas you want to zoom. While still pressing the keys, click the mouse button to zoom in 50 percent increments of the current zoom level. Press Space bar-Command-Option (in that order), and click to zoom out in 50 percent increments of the current zoom level. Note: To pan the Canvas without selecting the Pan tool, press the Space bar and drag in the Canvas.
Channels The Channels pop-up menu controls which color channels are displayed in the Canvas. This menu displays the following options: Color: Shows the image just as it would appear on a video monitor. Visible layers appear in natural color and transparent areas reveal the background color as set in the Project Properties dialog. This is black by default. To change the project background color, choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J) and click or Control-click the Background Color well.
Rulers: Toggles display of the rulers along the edge of the Canvas on and off. You can specify where the rulers appear in the Canvas section of Motion Preferences. For more information on using rulers, see “Using the Canvas Rulers” on page 52. Note: You can also press Command-Shift-R. Grid: Turns a grid display on and off over the Canvas. You can set the spacing and color of the grid in the Canvas section of Motion Preferences. Note: You can also press Command-apostrophe (‘).
Show 3D Overlays: Turns all 3D overlays off, including Camera overlays, 3D View Tools, Compass, Inset View, 3D Grid, and 3D Scene Icons. Note: You can also press Command-Option-/. 3D View Tools: Turns the Camera menu and 3D View tools on and off. Pan Dolly Editing camera Orbit Camera menu 3D View tools Compass: Turns the 3D Compass on and off. Using red, green, and blue axes, the compass shows your current orientation in 3D space.
The Inset view displays the Perspective or Active Camera view. The Perspective view dynamically changes to fit the objects in the Inset view (even if objects are no longer visible in the main window). This view is triggered when you are already looking through the camera. The Active view is triggered when you are using a camera view other than the active camera (such as Front). For more information on the Inset view, see “3D” on page 149.
3D Grid: Turns the grid on and off in 3D views. The 3D grid helps you stay oriented and can be used to guide the placement of objects in your project. The 3D grid only appears when you are in a 3D workspace. 3D Scene Icons: Toggles the display of the cameras and lights. The scene icons appear in the Canvas as yellow wireframe icons. Lights appear with red (X), green (Y), and blue (Z) adjust 3D handles that let you transform and rotate the light object.
Show Full View Area: When enabled, this setting lets you see the portion of a layer that extends beyond the edge of the Canvas. This setting is disabled by default, as it slows your project’s interactivity. Render Quality: Sets the display mode for objects in the Canvas, such as text and images, to Draft, Normal, or Best. Â Draft: Renders objects in the Canvas at a lower quality to allow optimal project interactivity. Â Normal: The default setting, renders objects in the Canvas at a medium quality.
4 In the Output tab of the Export Options dialog, turn off “Use current project and canvas settings.” The options in the Output tab become available, including Resolution, Color, Frame Rate, Camera, Lighting, Render Quality, Field Rendering, Motion Blur, and Frame Blending settings. When the Lighting checkbox is turned on in the Output tab, the project is exported with lighting regardless of the Lighting status in the View pop-up menu.
When the Field Rendering checkbox is on in the Output tab, the project is exported with field rendering regardless of the Field Rendering status in the View pop-up menu. Motion Blur: Turning this setting off disables the preview of motion blur in the Canvas. This may result in a dramatic performance improvement. When using a default export preset, this setting does not affect the actual output of your project. None of the default export presets are set to use motion blur.
When this setting is turned on in the View menu and you are using the default export preset (“Movie - current project and canvas settings”), your project is exported with frame blending. (The default codec used is Animation, 8-bit, Color + Alpha.) When this default setting is used, any options chosen in the View pop-up menu (or the View pulldown menu), as well as settings in the Project Properties dialog, are exported.
To add a horizontal or vertical guide to the Canvas: 1 In the Toolbar, click the Select/Transform tool (or press S). 2 Click in the gray area of the horizontal or vertical ruler, and drag into the Canvas. As you drag, the value of the guide is displayed in the Canvas. Note: Guides must be enabled in the View menu (press Command-semicolon) to display the guides. The ruler units are in pixels, with the 0,0 point in the center of the Canvas.
To change the color of the guides: 1 Choose Motion > Preferences. 2 In the Canvas pane, click or Control-click the Guide Color well, then select a color. 3D View This pop-up menu lets you specify how you want to view your project in the Canvas. You can view the Canvas as a single workspace, or choose from the available window arrangements in the menu. The following examples show two of the available window arrangements.
Manipulating the 3D View The 3D workspace provides tools for manually changing your view or viewing your scene from a particular camera view, such as Front, Back, Top, Bottom, and so on. You can also choose to view the scene through any of the cameras added to your project. Note: The Left, Right, Top, and Bottom camera views are orthogonal views. You cannot animate or export these views.
m In the Properties tab of the Inspector, click the Transform parameters reset button. Pan Dolly Editing camera Orbit Manipulating Objects in 3D Space The 3D workspace provides tools for manipulating objects in 3D space. These tools include the 3D onscreen controls that directly manipulate the object, the 3D transform controls in the HUD, and the parameters in the Properties tab for the selected object.
2 Position the pointer over one of the three rotation handles on either side or above the colored arrows. Â The red ring indicates rotation around the X axis. Â The green ring indicates rotation around the Y axis. Â The blue ring indicates rotation around the Z axis. 3 Once the 3D rotation handle is active, drag left or right in the Canvas to rotate the object around the selected axis. 3D rotation handles help you find the right axis. As you rotate, a small info window displays the changed values.
Playing Your Project Use the transport controls at the bottom of the Canvas to play your project and see how it looks over time. You can set playback to loop as well as set playback to begin and end on certain frames in your project. You can also turn audio on and off. Play from start Loop playback Play/Mute audio Record Go to start of project Go to next frame Go to previous frame Go to end of project Play/Pause Play/Pause: Starts and stops playback. The keyboard shortcut is the Space bar.
Record: Enables or disables animation recording. When recording is enabled, the value sliders for all animateable parameters appear with a pink tint in the Inspector. This is to inform you that any change you make to a parameter (such as moving an object in the Canvas or adjusting a slider) creates a keyframe. Note: When “Record keyframes on animated parameters only” is turned on in the Recording Options dialog, keyframes are added only to parameters that are already animated.
When a section of your project is currently stored in RAM, the Timeline and the miniTimeline turn green to indicate which frames are stored. RAM Preview indicators RAM Previewing Regions Previewing large sections of your project using RAM Preview requires large quantities of RAM to store the frames. You may not have enough RAM to store all of the frames you want to preview. You can restrict which frames are rendered either by choosing to preview the play range or a selection.
Clearing the RAM Preview You can manually delete the RAM Preview to make room for a new RAM Preview or to free up RAM for other operations. To clear the RAM Preview: m Choose Mark > RAM Preview > Clear RAM Preview. Mini-Timeline The mini-Timeline lies just above the transport controls and below the Canvas. This control provides an at-a-glance look at where selected objects fit into your overall project.
To add an object to the mini-Timeline: 1 Drag the object from the File Browser to the mini-Timeline. As you drag, a tooltip appears to indicate the frame where your edit will take place. 2 When you reach the desired frame, release the mouse button. The object is added to the project beginning at that frame. You can also add multiple objects to the mini-Timeline at once. You can choose to add the objects sequentially (one after another) or as a composite (all at the same point in time).
A tooltip appears to indicate the new In and Out point of the object, as well as the amount of change from the previous position. 3 When you reach the position you want, release the mouse button. To shorten or lengthen an object: 1 Select the object to display it in the mini-Timeline. 2 Position the pointer over the beginning or ending edge of the object. The pointer changes to a trim pointer. Start of media Trim pointer 3 Drag the edge of the object to change its duration.
A tooltip appears to indicate the new In and Out points. Start of media Slip pointer End of media Note: You cannot slip a clip unless it has been trimmed first. For more information, see “Slipping Clips” on page 345. To snap the playhead to a project marker in the mini-Timeline: m Press Shift and drag the playhead in the mini-Timeline. Timecode and Current Frame Fields There are two timecode fields at the bottom of the Canvas, to the left and right of the transport controls.
To increase or decrease the current frame or duration one frame at a time: m Click the left or right arrow for the field you want to change. Drag pointer Left arrow Right arrow Value slider Note: You can also move the playhead forward and backward one frame at a time by pressing the Left Arrow key (or Page Up key) to decrease, and the Right Arrow key (or Page Down key) to increase.
To modify the current frame or duration dynamically: m Click the center area of the field (where the numbers are), then drag to the left to increase the value, or to the right to decrease the value. Dragging the current frame field in this way is equivalent to dragging the playhead through the mini-Timeline. To switch between timecode and frame numbers, do one of the following: m Click the current frame icon directly to the left of the current frame field.
Project Pane Once you begin building more complex projects, you can view the components of your project in a list. You can view and modify the hierarchy of objects, including grouping layers and changing group order. You can turn certain objects and effects on and off to temporarily simplify your composition. You can view and modify the media files associated with the layers in your project. You can also modify certain attributes of the layers and groups, such as opacity, blend mode, and audio levels.
Layers Tab The Layers tab of the Project pane provides an overview of all the layers, effects, and masks currently used in your project. The hierarchy of items in the list illustrates which objects are above or below other objects in the Canvas. All objects, with the exception of cameras and lights, must reside within groups. Masks, behaviors, and effects can be applied to groups or to individual layers. Applied masks, behaviors, and effects are listed beneath the group or layer to which they are applied.
The information is displayed in a column view and there are many controls to let you customize the view while you are working. You can resize or rearrange the columns and you can hide certain columns and display others that are not visible in the default set. The Layers tab contains the following columns: On: Contains an activation checkbox to turn the visibility of the object on or off.
Status: Contains a number of several possible icons to indicate the status of the object. The lock icon lets you lock an object to prevent any changes from affecting that object. Locking a group prevents changes to all layers and effects within that group. This column may also include a link icon when a layer has a corresponding audio element, such as a multi-channel QuickTime file. The Status column also contains a 2D/3D icon to toggle a group between 2D or 3D mode.
Editing Columns Any window that contains columns of data can be reorganized to suit your needs. You can change the order in which columns appear as well as the size of the cells. For example, in the Layers tab, you may want the Preview column to appear to the right of the Name column instead of to its left. You can also sort the items in the column by type of file. To reorder columns: m Drag the column header left or right to a new position. Columns can be resized in several ways.
To remove an object from the Layers list, do one of the following: m Select the object you want to remove, then click the Delete button (–) in the upper-left corner of the tab. m Control-click the file you want to remove, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu. m Select the file you want to remove, then choose Edit > Delete (or press Delete). The object is removed. This action removes the object from the Canvas as well.
Note: Hiding the effect in the Layers list does not disable it from view in the Canvas nor prevent you from modifying the effect’s parameters or manipulating its onscreen controls. Show Masks Show Filters Show Behaviors To toggle the display of masks in the Layers tab: m Click the Show Masks button. To toggle the display of behaviors in the Layers tab: m Click the Show Behaviors button. To toggle the display of filters in the Layers tab: m Click the Show Filters button.
To turn behaviors off for a layer or group: m Click the Behavior icon. A red slash appears over the icon and the effect is temporarily turned off. To turn filters off for a layer or group: m Click the Filter icon. A red slash appears over the icon and the effect is temporarily turned off. For each of these controls, clicking the icon again turns the effect back on.
Add Image to Mask: Adds an image mask to the selected layer. An image mask creates transparency in another object by deriving an alpha channel from another layer, such as a shape, text, movie, or still image. For more information, see “Applying Image Masks to a Layer” on page 1104. Make Clone Layer: Clones the selected layer. Like the Duplicate command, Make Clone Layer lets you make copies of a selected layer.
Kind: Identifies the type of media, including QuickTime movie, still image, QuickTime audio, or PDF. See Appendix B, “Video and File Formats,” on page 1203 for a list of supported codecs and file types. In Use: When checked, this field indicates that the media is currently being used in your project. When unchecked, it is not used. If “Automatically manage unused media” is turned on in the General tab of Motion Preferences (press Command-comma), Motion removes unused media from the Media tab automatically.
Hiding Columns You can choose which of the columns are displayed by clicking the right angle bracket at the right of the column headers. Items in the list with a checkmark are currently displayed in the Media tab. Items with no checkmark are currently hidden. To hide a column: m Click the right angle bracket at the right of the column headers, then choose the item you want to hide from the pop-up menu.
m With the Media tab active, choose File > Import (or press Command-I). In the Import Files dialog, navigate to the file you want to add to your project, select the file, then click Import. The file is added to the Media tab. Important: Files added directly to the Media tab are not added to the Canvas. To add a file to the Canvas, drag the file from the Media tab to the Canvas.
Delete: Removes the selected file. When no items are selected in the tab, the shortcut menu provides a different set of commands: Import Media: Imports media into the Media tab, but does not place the media into the Canvas. Reconnect Missing Media: When a media file is moved from where it was stored when it was added to your project, you need to reconnect the media to your project. This command displays a dialog that lets you navigate to the new location of the file.
The layers are sorted in the column and a small arrow appears indicating the direction of the sort. The arrow in the column header indicates the direction of the sort. To reverse the direction of the sort: m Click the header of the column that contains the small arrow. The arrow points in the opposite direction, and the data is sorted in reverse order. Audio Tab The Audio tab lists all of the audio files and files that contain audio (such as a multitrack QuickTime movie) in your project.
To display the Audio tab, do one of the following: m Choose Window > Audio. m Press Command-6. m If the Project pane is already visible, click the Audio tab at the top of the pane. The Audio tab contains a number of columns with both display and editable information about the audio components of your project: On: Contains an activation checkbox to turn the audio on or off. Name: Identifies the file by name. To edit the name, double-click the text area of a selected file, type a new name, then press Return.
Editing Columns in the Audio Tab You can control which columns are displayed by clicking the right angle bracket to the right of the column headers. Doing so opens a pop-up menu with a list of columns. Items in the list with a checkmark are displayed in the window. Items without a checkmark are hidden. You can also edit the arrangement and size of the columns. For more on how to hide and show columns, see “Hiding Columns” on page 77. For instructions on how to edit columns, “Editing Columns” on page 71.
Additional Options in the Audio Tab Quite a few additional features are available in the Audio tab, accessible through the shortcut menu that appears when you Control-click files in the list: Cut: Removes the file and places it on the Clipboard. Copy: Copies the file to the Clipboard. Paste: Places the contents of the Clipboard in the current location. Duplicate: Creates a new file identical to the original file. Delete: Removes the selected file.
Timing Pane At some point in most projects, you want to view the contents of your composition represented as a graph over time. This may be to compare when two objects appear or disappear, or when an effect begins or changes. You may want to add or remove objects in your project at a particular point in time to observe or modify how different parameters of different effects occur. You may also want to view your audio waveforms to allow visual events to synchronize with your soundtrack.
The Timing pane contains three tabs: Timeline, Keyframe Editor, and Audio Editor. Each of these allows you to view the elements of your project stretched out over time. Timeline The Timeline is the most general of the Timing tabs. It can display not only the visual elements in your project (the layers), but also audio tracks, cameras, lights, keyframes, and effects such as masks, behaviors, and filters. For more information on using the Timeline, see “Using the Timeline” on page 321.
On (not labeled): This column (identical to the On column in the Layers tab) contains an activation checkbox to the left of each object that turns the visibility of the object on and off. When the object visibility is turned off, you can still modify the object’s parameters and manipulate its onscreen controls. Name (not labeled): Identifies the object by name. (This column is identical to the Name column in the Layers tab.
Timeline Layers List Effects Controls When certain effects are applied to an object, icons appear next to the name of that item. There is an icon for masks, filters, and behaviors. These icons control the visibility of those effects in the Canvas. Masks Behaviors Filters Filter disabled To turn masks off for a layer or group: m Click the Masks icon in the Timeline layers list. A red slash appears over the icon and the effect is temporarily turned off.
Masks, behaviors, and filters can be displayed as layers in the Timeline, just as they are displayed in the Layers tab. Showing or hiding effects in the list does not control whether the effect appears in the Canvas. To toggle the display of masks in the Timeline: m Click the Show/Hide Masks button. To toggle the display of behaviors in the Timeline: m Click the Show/Hide Behaviors button. To toggle the display of filters in the Timeline: m Click the Show/Hide Filters button.
Audio files appear in a separate section from other objects. You can move the divider between the audio and video sections of the Timeline to show more or less of each section. Divider To toggle the display of audio files: m Click the Show/Hide Audio button in the lower-left corner of the Timeline tab. To toggle the display of layers and groups: m Click the Show/Hide Layers button in the lower-left corner of the Timeline tab.
To change the width of the Timeline layers list: 1 Position the pointer over the rightmost edge of the Timeline layers list. 2 When the pointer changes to the column adjust pointer, drag left or right. Adding and Removing Groups The Timeline has controls to add new groups and to remove existing layers from the project. To create a new group in the Timeline layers list, do one of the following: m Click the Add button (+) in the upper-left corner of the tab.
To move backward a specific number of frames: m Type a minus sign (–) and then the number of frames you want to move backward. Track Area The main part of the Timeline, to the right of the Timeline layers list, is called the track area. Objects in your project are each represented by a colored bar. Different colors represent different types of objects. For example, behaviors and filters are purple and audio layers are green.
To collapse or expand a group or layer: m Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the group or layer name in the Timeline layers list. Disclosure triangle A variety of editing tasks can be done in the Timeline, including moving, trimming, and slipping. For more information on how to perform editing in the Timeline, see “Editing Objects in the Timeline” on page 341.
The playhead tracks the frame currently visible in the Canvas. You can drag the playhead or reposition it using the transport controls described in “Playing Your Project” on page 58. The playhead in the Timeline and the playhead in the miniTimeline are linked. Moving one automatically moves the other. The play range indicators limit the area of the project to be played. For more on setting and using the play range, see “Defining the Play Range” on page 359.
m Choose View > Zoom Time View > To Project. Note: An object must be selected in the Timeline layers list in order to access the Zoom Time View items in the View menu. m Control-click the ruler, then choose Zoom to Project from the shortcut menu. To zoom the Timeline to fit the play range, do one of the following: m Click the Zoom Time View button to the right of the ruler. m Choose View > Zoom Time View > To Play Range.
3 In the Timeline section, choose an item from the Timebar Display pop-up menu: Â Name: Displays only the name of the object on the track. Â Name Plus Thumbnail: Displays the name of the object and a single thumbnail on the track. Â Filmstrip: Displays frames of the object over the track. Regardless of the Timebar Display setting, tracks for cameras, lights, behaviors, and filters are always labeled with names only. Note: When the Timebar Display is set to Filmstrip, your processing time is increased.
m If the Timing pane is already visible, click the Keyframe Editor tab at the top of the pane. Keyframe Basics You animate an object by creating at least two keyframes for a parameter, such as Opacity, at different points in time in a project. A keyframe is a point in time that records any change in the value of a parameter.
When the selected object is not animated, nothing appears in the Keyframe Editor. Modified: This option displays only the curves that have been modified for the currently selected object. This includes modifications that are not animated. For example, if you change the color of a shape (without animating the color change), the parameter appears in the Modified list because the color was changed from the default color. Animated parameters also appear in the list.
Opacity: Displays only the Opacity parameters for the selected object. With the Keyframe Editor active, you can also press O to choose Opacity from the Show pop-up menu. New Curve Set: Allows you to create a custom curve set. Manage Curve Sets: Allows you to manage (delete, duplicate, and so on) your custom curve sets. Note: For more information on using curve sets, see “Custom Parameter Sets” on page 533. Parameters List Organization The parameters list is divided into four columns.
 Delete Keyframe: Deletes the current keyframe. The Delete Keyframe command is only available if the playhead is positioned on a frame where a keyframe already exists. Note: You can also Control-click a keyframe and choose Delete from the shortcut menu, or select the keyframe and press Delete to delete a keyframe.  Previous Keyframe: Moves the playhead to the previous keyframe for this parameter. The Previous Keyframe command is only available if a keyframe exists earlier in the project.
Animation Menu States Depending on the current condition of the parameter for the selected object, the Animation menu displays a different icon. The following table shows the Animation menu icons. Icon Name Description No Keyframes The parameter has no associated keyframes. Keyframing Active Keyframing is active on this parameter but the playhead is not currently positioned on a keyframe. Current Keyframe The playhead is currently positioned on a keyframe for this parameter.
Box: Drag a selection box to enclose and manipulate keyframes. Keyframe Editor Control Buttons In the lower-left corner of the Keyframe Editor, five buttons provide additional control over the Keyframe Editor window: Snapping, “Show audio waveform,” “Fit curves,” “Clear curve list,” and “Take/Show curve snapshot.
Take/Show curve snapshots: When this setting is enabled, as you move keyframes in the Keyframe Editor, the original curve—as it appeared when you took the snapshot— appears as a lighter color. As long as you remain in the Keyframe Editor editing the current set of curves, the snapshot curve remains available. Auto-scale vertically to fit curves: Turn on “Auto-scale vertically to fit curves” to continuously stretch the graph vertically to fit all of the curves in view.
Ruler At the top of the keyframe graph is a ruler that provides a visual gauge for the positions and durations of the keyframes and curves. The ruler is identical to the Timeline ruler. For more information on working with the ruler, see “Timeline Ruler” on page 92. Zooming in the Keyframe Editor As you become familiar with the Keyframe Editor, you may want to switch between focusing on an individual keyframe or curve and seeing an overview of your whole project.
Audio Editor The Audio Editor provides a view of your audio elements over time. You can view and modify the level and pan information for the audio files in your project. You can also view the audio waveforms of your layers. In many ways, the Audio Editor is simply a specialized Keyframe Editor just for audio. For more on using the Audio Editor, see “Working with Audio” on page 1117. To display the Audio Editor, do one of the following: m Choose Window > Audio Editor (or Press Command-9).
Audio Editor Controls The left side of the Audio Editor contains four rows of controls for the audio track currently in view. The top row controls playback; the second row controls the In and Out points of the audio track; the third row controls the selected track’s level; and the fourth row controls the selected track’s pan settings. Playback controls Play range controls Level controls Pan controls Audio Playback Controls The playback controls in the Audio Editor do not control playback in the Canvas.
To change the playhead position, do one of the following: m Drag the center of the current frame field. Dragging to the right advances and dragging to the left rewinds. m Click the arrows on either side of the current frame field to move forward or backward by one frame. m Click the current frame field, then type a new number into the value field. Audio Play Range Controls The second row provides two controls to set the In and Out points for the audio file.
Activation checkbox: This checkbox at the left of the row turns the display of the level animation curve on and off. It does not disable existing level settings or prevent you from making new settings. Level: A slider and value slider that control the level (volume) of the track. If the playhead is currently positioned on a keyframe, the slider controls the level of that keyframe. If the playhead is not on a keyframe, the slider adjusts the entire curve.
Level Meters Audio level meters appear at the right side of the Audio Editor controls. There are two vertical bars that show the level at the current playhead position. The left bar shows the levels for the left audio channel and the right bar shows the levels for the right audio channel. As you play, the meters change to indicate the changing audio level. Peak indicators Peak indicators appear at the top of the meters.
At the top of the graph a green bar shows the duration of the audio file. As you change the file’s In and Out points, the bar shrinks or expands to show the new duration. As in the Keyframe Editor, you can manipulate keyframes here also by dragging them in the graph. Moving a keyframe left or right changes its position in time, while dragging it up or down changes its value.
Audio Scrubbing You can choose whether or not you want to hear the audio play when you drag the playhead through the ruler in the Audio Editor. This is called audio scrubbing. To turn audio scrubbing on or off, click the button in the lower-left corner of the Audio Editor. Utility Window The utility window is where you locate, organize, and modify the media, effects, and parameters that go along with your project.
To play a preview of a file on disk: m Select the file in the File Browser. The preview starts playing. Note: If you do not want items to play automatically in the Preview area when you click them (in the File Browser or Library), you can turn off the “Play items automatically on a single click” checkbox in the General pane of Motion Preferences. To import a file displayed in the preview area: 1 Select the file in the File Browser. 2 Click the Import button in the Preview area.
Path pop-up menu: Displays the file system hierarchy (folders inside of folders) for the currently viewed folder. Icon View and List View buttons: Controls the view of the file stack. Click the left button to set the display to icon view. Click the right button to set the view to list view. Search field: Filters the contents of the file stack to include only files whose names contain the text you type into the Search field. Note: Folders are not filtered out.
To rename a folder or file, do one of the following: m Control-click the file or folder, then choose Rename from the shortcut menu. When the text field becomes active, type the new name, then press Return. m In the stack, click the name of the folder or file once to select it, then click it again to activate the text field. Type the new name, then press Return. Warning: Renaming folders or files from within the File Browser renames the item on your hard disk or network.
Icon View and List View The file stack can be displayed in icon view or list view. Each view is useful for different situations. There are certain options that only affect the icon view (such as icon size) and certain options that only affect list view (such as sorting by columns). Icon view List view To view the File Browser in icon view: m Click the Icon View button to the right of the Path pop-up menu above the sidebar.
To sort the File Browser list: m Click the header for the column you want to sort. The column header darkens and the contents of the window are sorted by that column. Collapsing Animations Frequently, animated sequences may be delivered as a series of sequentially numbered still images. Motion can save you time by allowing you to import these sequences as a single object where each image becomes a sequential frame in a movie.
Library content can be expanded by adding certain plug-ins, fonts, music, or photos, as well as by saving content that you create within Motion and modified versions of existing effects (such as customized behaviors or camera animations). The Library is divided into three sections. The top section is the Preview area, the middle section is the sidebar, and the bottom section is the file stack where the actual effects and other objects are displayed.
Note: To add behaviors and filters, a third option is available. You can select an object or objects in the project and use the Add Behavior or Add Filter button in the Toolbar. You can also create custom particles and replicators (using an existing layer in your project) using the Make Particles and Replicator buttons in the Toolbar. For more information on making custom particles, see “Creating a Simple Custom Particle System” on page 692.
Sidebar The middle section of the Library contains navigational controls as well as a list of folders of effect types available in Motion. Path pop-up menu Forward/Back buttons View buttons Theme pop-up menu Search field Clicking a folder in the sidebar displays its contents in the file stack below. Above the Library categories in the sidebar are several controls to navigate and sort the contents of the window. Forward and Back buttons: Step backward and forward through the folders most recently viewed.
Note: Behaviors, filters, fonts, LiveFonts, images, image sequences, and movies cannot be added to a theme. However, layers and groups that contain these types of items may be added to a theme. To create a new custom theme: 1 Choose New Theme from the Theme pop-up menu. 2 In the Create New Theme dialog, type a theme name, then click OK. A new theme is added. New themes appear in the Theme pop-up menu.
Library Content The Library contains all of the effects, presets, fonts, and other content available within Motion. These are grouped into categories that are listed on the left of the sidebar. Choose any of these items to display a list of subcategories on the right. The Library also contains two additional categories—Music and Photos—which provide quick access to your iTunes and iPhoto libraries.
Fonts: Contains all of the fonts available on your system. It includes both TrueType and Type 1 fonts. You can drag the font directly to text in the project, or select the text in the project first, select the font in the Library, then click Apply. For more information on changing fonts in this browser, see “Changing Fonts” on page 578. LiveFonts: Contains all of the LiveFonts currently installed on your computer. LiveFonts can only be applied to text.
Note: The Preview area does not display descriptions of built-in presets copied to the Favorites category. Control-click the favorite, then choose Edit Description from the shortcut menu to add a description that appears in the Preview area of the Library. Favorites Menu: This is another category of favorites. Items stored in this folder appear in the Favorites menu in the menu bar.
Icon View and List View The file stack can be displayed in icon view or list view. Icon view List view To view the Library in icon view: m Click the Icon View button to the right of the Path pop-up menu above the sidebar. To view the Library in list view: m Click the List View button to the right of the Path pop-up menu above the sidebar. Icon view List view In icon view, you can control the size of the icons using the size slider at the bottom of the window.
Although you can save custom objects into their namesake folders, it is generally recommended that you save customized objects that you use frequently in the Favorites category. This is because some Motion Library categories contain so many items that utilizing the Favorites or Favorites Menu categories may save you search time. Within the Favorites category, you can create additional folders to assist you in better arranging your custom items.
Inspector Every effect in Motion, from behaviors to particle systems to gradients, is controlled by a collection of parameters that modify the various attributes for that effect. For example, a Blur filter has an amount slider that controls how much blur is applied. Some parameters are controlled with sliders, some with dials or pop-up menus. In fact, there are thousands of parameters using many types of controls. All of them are accessed in the Inspector.
Because different types of objects and effects require different parameters, varied sets of controls appear in the Inspector depending on what is selected. The following table describes the various types of controls and their usage. Control 126 Control type Description Slider Dragging the slider changes the value of the parameter. Typically, dragging to the right increases the value and dragging to the left decreases the value. An example of a parameter that uses a slider is Scale.
Control Control type Description Value list Another type of pop-up menu. You can click the arrow to the right of the field to display preset values or you can type a value directly into the value field. An example of a value list is Typeface. Activation checkbox An on/off toggle for a parameter. An example of an activation checkbox is Preserve Opacity. Color well The box you click to open the Colors window.
Control Control type Description Parameter selection menu A special type of pop-up menu, specifically for Parameter behaviors. When a Parameter behavior is applied to an object, you need to identify which parameter the behavior should affect. You can either type the name of the parameter directly into the value field, or you can choose from the Go pop-up menu, which lists all current parameters. An example of a parameter selection menu is the Average behavior’s Apply To parameter.
To save a preset: 1 Set the parameter values to the settings that you want to save. 2 Choose Save from the Style Preset pop-up menu. A dialog appears. 3 Type a name for the preset you want to save, then click Save. The preset is now stored in the Library in the appropriate category. It appears when you click the Style Preset pop-up menu in this and future projects until you manually delete it in the Finder. To apply an existing preset: m Choose the preset you want from the Style Preset pop-up menu.
Enable/Disable Animation: Remains unavailable until keyframing is applied to the parameter, either by using the Record button or by adding a keyframe. Once the parameter is animated, the menu item is automatically renamed Disable Animation. Activating it at that point effectively hides the keyframes you have set, restoring the parameter to its default value. However, the keyframes are not thrown away. Choosing Enable Animation restores the channel to its last keyframed state.
Once an operation triggers a rasterization on a group, the rasterization indicator appears next to the parameter in the Properties tab. Rasterization indicator Additionally, a small frame appears around the 2D or 3D group icon (to the left of the group name) in the Layers tab and Timeline layers list. 3D group icon prior to rasterization. 3D group icon after group is rasterized. For more information on rasterization, see “3D Compositing” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF.
 Image: Appears when an image, image sequence, or movie is selected. This tab contains the Drop Zone checkbox, the state of which determines whether the image selected is a drop zone target. The Fit parameter determines how a dropped layer is sized within the drop zone, and the Clear button removes the reference layer from the drop zone. For more information, see “Drop Zones” on page 251.  Group: Appears when a group is the selected object.
 Format: Contains standard type controls such as font, size, tracking, kerning, and so on. It also contains a large text entry box called the Text editor where you can edit the contents of the text (in addition to onscreen editing).  Style: Controls the color, texture, and similar attributes for the typeface, outline, glow, and drop shadow. Each of these sections is grouped and can be turned on or off by clicking the activation checkbox next to the category name.
 Replicator: Appears when a replicator is selected. Replicators can only be selected in the Layers tab or Timeline layers list. This tab contains attributes such as replicator shape, space (2D or 3D), pattern, size, and cell controls. For more information on using the replicator, see “Using the Replicator” on page 753.  Replicator Cell: Appears when a replicator cell is selected. Replicator cells can only be selected in the Layers tab or Timeline layers list.
HUD The HUD is one of the most versatile and handy tools in the Motion interface. It is a dynamically updating floating window that puts the most common controls for any selected object within easy reach. The HUD also contains special controls for certain types of effects such as Basic Motion behaviors and particle systems. These unique controls allow you to set multiple parameters simultaneously and in an intuitive way.
Displaying HUDs When multiple effects are applied to an object, you can quickly cycle through the different effects’ HUDs. A small downward-facing arrow next to the HUD name indicates additional effects are applied to the selected object. The arrow indicates multiple control sets for selected layer. Click the arrow to display a pop-up menu that lists all of the possible HUDs that can be displayed for the selected object. Note: Also, pressing D cycles through all HUDs for the selected object.
Preferences Motion Preferences allow you to customize your workspace, tailor the interface for different types of projects, and define the presets for new projects and for exporting finished movies. There are seven different sets of controls that group the various settings into categories. To open Motion Preferences, choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-comma). General The General Preferences pane contains settings that apply globally to all aspects of Motion.
Browse Templates: This option takes you directly to the Template Browser. For more information on working with templates, see “Creating New Projects from Templates” on page 181. Interface This section of the General pane allows you to set some general options for the interface. Drop Menu Delay: This setting determines how long you must wait before the drop menu appears when dragging to the Timeline, mini-Timeline, Layers tab, or Canvas.
Content Library & Templates When installing, Motion allows you to install its content library, templates, and sample media in a location other than where the application is installed. This setting allows you to point to a folder on your system or network that contains the Motion content library, templates, and tutorial media. This also allows multiple users on a network to share a single, centralized folder. To set the Motion content path: 1 Click Choose (next to Library Path).
Appearance This pane contains settings that control visual elements of the Motion interface. HUD The HUD is a semi-transparent window that floats above the other windows on your screen. Use the Window Opacity slider to set the opacity (transparency) of the HUD. Thumbnail Preview The thumbnails that appear in the Layers tab can provide helpful information about the items selected in that window.
Filmstrip: Bars in the Timeline are displayed as a continuous strip of frames. The name text does not appear. For an example of the different states, see “Specifying the Track Display” on page 330. Note: Only layers (shapes, images, image sequences, text, and so on) display a thumbnail or a continuous strip of frames. Objects such as cameras, lights, and behaviors do not display a thumbnail. Status Bar The Status Bar is the area above the Canvas and below the Toolbar.
Project The Project Preferences pane contains settings such as timing, display, and playback options. Default Settings These controls determine default values for newly created projects. To change these settings for a specific project, modify similar settings in the Project Properties dialog (choose Edit > Project Properties or press Command-J). Note: These settings only take effect in projects created after the preferences are set. Any currently-opened projects are not affected.
Time Display These settings control how the time counters across the application are displayed. Display Time As: You can make one of two choices: Â Frames: Displays all counters as incrementing frame numbers. Â Timecode: Displays all counters as eight-digit timecode numbers. Frame Numbering: This lets you choose whether frame counts begin at zero or one.
 Jump by pages: As the playhead reaches the end of the current view, the window jumps forward. The playhead crosses the screen again, and so on.  Scroll continuously: The playhead remains static and the Timing pane scrolls by behind it. If Audio Sync Is Lost: Motion always attempts to keep audio and video playback locked in sync, but if the project is too complex to play both audio and video smoothly, one or the other must be compromised. You can choose to either Skip video frames or Pause audio playback.
Autosave These settings control how frequently projects are automatically saved, as well as the location of the saved files. Saved projects are time and date stamped. Use Autosave Vault: When this checkbox is turned on, Motion stores auto-saved projects to the location specified by the Autosave Vault Folder path. Save a copy every: Specifies how often, in minutes, a project is saved. Keep at most: Specifies how many versions of the autosaved project to store in the vault.
LiveFonts These settings determine how LiveFonts are cached (stored) by Motion. Cache intermediate LiveFont sizes: This checkbox turns on or off caching of LiveFont data. This option is on by default, as it improves performance if you frequently use LiveFonts. Cache Path: Click Choose to define a custom location to cache your LiveFont data. Because this cache can grow quite large, it is advised that you set this to a drive other than your primary system drive.
Canvas This pane contains settings to customize your Canvas view. Changes made in this pane take immediate effect in your current project. Background This setting allows you to choose a color for the background of your Canvas—the color outside of the project boundaries. This color is not exported with your project, but only acts as a guide for helping identify transparent and colored layers.
Dynamic Guide Color: This color well sets the color for dynamic guides. Ruler Location: This pop-up menu sets the position of the ruler in the Canvas. Choose from Top Left, Bottom Left, Top Right, or Bottom Right. Safe Zones Safe zones are special guides to help you avoid putting layers in areas of the screen that might not appear correctly on consumer television sets. Layers that appear outside the action safe region may be cut off.
3D The 3D Preferences pane lets you control various aspects of working in the Motion 3D workspace. General This area lets you control the Inset view and choose whether new groups default to 2D or 3D mode. Display Inset View: Lets you control whether the Inset view appears on transform changes, on all changes, or manually. Inset view must be enabled in the View menu or View pop-up menu for the Inset view to appear.
3D Grid This area lets you modify settings for the grid that appears in the Motion 3D workspace. 3D Grid Spacing: Specifies the spacing between grid lines, in pixels. 3D Grid Size: Adjusts the size of the visible grid. Larger numbers make the grid extend further into space. Primary Grid Color: Lets you set the color of the main grid lines. The main grid lines appear slightly heavier than the secondary grid lines.
If you have two computer displays, one can be used to view the Motion interface and the Finder while the other can be used as a dedicated video monitor using a cinema display as an external monitor. The following external video monitoring choices are available: Â Digital Cinema Desktop Preview: The video is not scaled unless it is too large to fit on the display. If the video signal is larger than the display, it is scaled to fit on the display.
Options: When a Video Output module is turned on, the Options button becomes active. For monitors connected via FireWire, there is no need to adjust the options. For monitors connected via third-party hardware, the options may have applicable settings. Update during playback: Plays the project out to the external video monitor while the project plays back in the Canvas. This option severely degrades performance.
Presets The Presets Preferences pane contains presets for both project settings and export settings. In this pane, you can choose defaults, as well as create, modify, and delete settings. The default project preset determines the settings assigned when you create a new project. You can change any of these settings while you are working by opening the Project Properties window (choose Edit > Project Properties or press Command-J).
Editing Presets To make changes to a preset, click the Edit button to open the Project Preset Editor and enter the changes in that window. Locked presets cannot be edited. If you attempt to edit a locked preset, an alert dialog appears, a duplicate copy is made, and your edits are applied to the duplicate. To open the Project Preset Editor, do one of the following: m Double-click an unlocked preset in the Preset list. m Select a nonlocked item in the Preset list and click the Edit button.
Export Options Dialog To make changes to an export preset, choose Export Presets from the Show pop-up menu, click the Edit button to open the Export Options dialog, and enter the changes in that window. Locked presets cannot be edited. If you attempt to edit a locked preset, an alert dialog appears, a duplicate copy is made, and your edits are applied to the duplicate. To open the Export Options dialog, do one of the following: m Double-click an unlocked preset in the Preset list.
Video/Audio Tab The Video/Audio tab contains two groups of controls: Video and Audio. Video controls This group of controls allows you to set your video output options. Kind: Choose from QuickTime Movie, Still Image, or Image Sequence. Note: Audio options are only available for QuickTime movies. Compressor: Depending on the Kind setting, different compressor types are available. Quality: For some compressors, you can set a quality setting.
Resolution: You can specify the output size to be relative to the project’s frame size (Full, Half, Third, or Quarter), to be a preset, or you can choose Custom and type a specific number into the width and height value fields. Lower resolutions should be used only for draft versions. Color: Choose whether the exported items include the color data only, color data plus alpha channel (transparency), or just the alpha channel data. Important: Some compressor types do not support alpha channels.
Gestures The Gestures Preferences pane contains settings pertaining to using a graphics tablet to control Motion. You cannot turn on gestures in Motion unless you have a tablet attached to your computer and the Handwriting Recognition is turned on in the Ink preferences in System Preferences. For convenience, you can open Ink Preferences directly from the Gestures Preferences pane by clicking the Open Ink Preferences button.
Many of these commands have shortcut keys that perform the same command from the keyboard. These shortcuts are listed in parentheses after the description. Application Menu The first menu contains general functions to control the application, modify the preferences, and access the Apple website. It also provides access to system level services. About Motion: Opens the About Motion window where you can find the version of Motion you are running, the registration information, and other trademark information.
File Menu This menu contains functions and commands that deal with files on your disk that are associated with Motion. New: Creates a new Motion document (Command-N). Open: Opens a dialog from which you can choose a Motion project to open (Command-O). Open Template: Displays the Template Browser, from which you can choose one of the built-in templates (Shift-Command-O). Open Recent: This submenu lists the ten most recently opened files.
Export Selection: Displays the Export dialog so you can output only your currently selected object to a file on disk (Command-E). Objects that are not selected are not exported. For more information on the various Export settings, see Chapter 14, “Exporting Motion Projects,” on page 1147. Export using Compressor: Outputs your current project to a file on disk using Compressor to make MPEG 2, MPEG 4, or other files for web, DVD, or other computerbased delivery (Shift-Command-E).
Paste: Adds the current Clipboard selection to the project based on the current selection. This command is not available if nothing is on the Clipboard or if the contents of the Clipboard cannot be pasted to the current selection. (For example, text cannot be pasted onto a keyframe.
Check Spelling As You Type: This command turns automatic spelling checking on and off. When active, a checkmark appears next to the menu item. This command only functions on text in the Text editor, not the Canvas. Special Characters: This command is part of Mac OS X. It opens the Character Palette which provides access to nontypical text characters like bullets, arrows, and currency icons. It can only be used in Motion when typing in a text layer.
Mark Play Range Out: Sets the play range Out point to the location of the playhead (Option-Command-O). Reset Play Range: Moves the play range In and Out points to the first and last frame of the project (Option-X). Play: Starts playback of the project (Space bar). Loop Playback: Turns looping on and off. When looping is enabled, playback automatically repeats from the beginning of the play range after the end is reached (Shift-L). Record Animation: Turns keyframe recording on and off.
Selection In Point: Moves the playhead to the first frame of the selected object (ShiftI). Selection Out Point: Moves the playhead to the last frame of the selected object (Shift-O). RAM Preview Submenu This submenu contains commands to play back your project in real time, by temporarily storing the frames in a RAM buffer. For more information on how and when to use the RAM Preview functions, see “RAM Preview” on page 59.
Send to Back: Moves the selected object to the bottom of the layers within a group (Command-{). Bring Forward: Moves the selected object upward in the Layers tab by one object (Command-]). Send Backward: Moves the selected object downward in the Layers tab by one object (Command-[). Alignment Submenu This menu contains all of the commands for aligning and distributing multiple objects within the Canvas.
Distribute Far: Spreads the selected objects evenly between each object’s nearest point. Distribute Near: Spreads the selected layers evenly between each object’s farthest point. Distribute Horizontal Centers: Spreads the selected objects evenly between the leftmost and rightmost objects based on their horizontal center points. Distribute Vertical Centers: Spreads the selected objects evenly between the topmost and bottommost objects based on their vertical center points.
Unsolo Submenu This submenu lets you turn a soloed object back to its normal state. There are three choices: Video Only (Control-Shift-S), Audio Only, or Video and Audio. This menu item is only available when a currently soloed object is selected. 3D Group: Changes the selected group to a 3D group. Deselecting the menu option changes the group back to a 2D group (Control-D). Blend Mode Submenu This submenu sets the blend mode for the selected layer. A layer can only have one blend mode set at a time.
Reveal Source Media: Opens the Media tab and highlights the item that corresponds with the selected item in the Canvas or Timeline. The Inspector is also updated to reveal the properties of the source media (Shift-F). Favorites Menu The Favorites menu remains empty until you create your own favorite effects. Once you have created favorites and stored them in the Favorites Menu folder in the Library tab, they appear in the Favorites menu, grouped by type.
3D View Submenu This submenu sets the view to a scene camera or default camera view in a 3D project. A scene camera is a camera that you add to a project. A default camera view is a builtin camera view, such as Perspective, Right, or Top. This menu is identical to using the Camera menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas. For more information on cameras and views, see “3D Compositing” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF.
Color: Shows the image just as it would appear on a video monitor. Visible layers appear in natural color and transparent areas reveal the background color as set in the Project Properties (Command-J). This is black by default. Transparent: Shows the background area of the Canvas as transparent. A checkerboard pattern appears by default where no images block the background. Alpha Overlay: Displays the image in normal color, but adds a red highlight over transparent areas of the image.
∏ Tip: When exporting a project using the “Movie - current project and Canvas settings” option (from the Use pop-up menu in the Export dialog), set Render Quality to Best prior to exporting. Lighting: Turns off lighting to improve performance. When lighting is enabled, a checkmark appears beside the menu item (Option-L). Field Rendering: Turns off field rendering to improve performance. When field rendering is enabled, a checkmark appears beside the menu item (Option-F).
Safe Zones: Turns the display of title safe and action safe guides on and off. You can customize the safe zones in the Canvas pane of Motion Preferences. When safe zones are displayed, a checkmark appears beside the menu item (apostrophe). Film Zones: Turns display of film-based aspect ratio guides on and off. You can customize the film zones in the Canvas pane of Motion Preferences. When film zones are displayed, a checkmark appears beside the menu item (Shift-apostrophe).
When you pause the pointer over the compass, it changes to a 3D View Selector. Click over any of the colored view icons, such as front, left, right, perspective, and so on to switch to that view. The Canvas animates the view change as it changes to the new view. Inset View: Turns the Inset view on and off.
Layouts Submenu This submenu is where you can choose from existing window layouts. Choose one of the layouts from the submenu to rearrange your windows to that pre-saved state. For more on managing window layouts, see “Window Arrangements” on page 23. Create Locked Inspector: Creates a new Inspector window that doesn’t update based on the selection. To unlock the Inspector, click the lock in the Preview area of the Inspector.
Media: Toggles the display of the Media tab. If the Project pane is not visible, this command causes it to appear. If Media is the only tab in the Project pane, this command closes the pane (Command-5). Audio: Toggles the display of the Audio tab. If the Project pane is not visible, this command causes it to appear. If Audio is the only tab in the Project pane, this command closes the pane (Command-6). Timeline: Toggles the display of the Timeline.
Feedback: This link takes you directly to the Motion feedback page, where you can provide Apple with your valuable insights, suggestions, and feedback about your experience with working in Motion. Create Support Profile: Generates a special file describing the technical details about your workstation such as processor speed, video card specifications, and so on. This file is used only by authorized Apple technical support technicians.
Chapter 1 Getting to Know Motion
2 Creating and Managing Projects 2 Learn how to create, save, and manage project files. In addition, learn how different kinds of objects are put together inside a project to create a composition. A project file consists of a single composition that you are working on. Project files contain objects, which are linked references to source media files on disk, but they contain no media themselves.
Each project has a single group of project properties that define the duration of the project, the size of the Canvas, the frame rate of playback, and other details that affect how your composition is formatted. Later, when you have finished your project and you’re ready to export it, the project properties you select define the media file that is created. Although you can change these settings at any time, it’s best to choose the settings that match your final planned output format.
Browse Templates: Opens the Template Browser, allowing you to pick a template to use. For more information about options available in Motion Preferences, see “Preferences” on page 137. Creating New Projects from Templates The easiest way to create a new project in Motion is to open one of the existing templates and customize it for your own purposes. Motion templates are simply premade projects, available from the Template Browser, that are set up for easy customization.
You can also choose to show All formats or Other formats. Show pop-up menu Preview area Project description appears here. Project properties appear here. The Theme list shows all templates of the selected type. 3 Click a template theme to display its contents at the right. 4 Click an individual template to see a preview of it in the preview area, along with additional information including its resolution, duration, and frame rate.
Because you can have as many open project files in Motion as the amount of RAM in your computer supports, you can create a new project at any time without having to close projects that are already open. To create a new project: 1 Choose File > New (or press Command-N). 2 Choose a preset from the pop-up menu, then click OK. A new project window is created. It is not saved to disk until you choose a save command from the File menu.
3 Choose the appropriate settings in the General and Render Settings tabs, then click OK. A new project window is created using the settings you specified. General Tab of the Project Properties Dialog The General tab allows you to define the most essential properties of the project you’re creating. By choosing different parameters, you can accommodate nearly any video or film format you need to output to.
About Bit Depth When working with images, an increase in bits per pixel for those images means more color information becomes available. A one-bit-per-pixel bitmap image is comprised of purely black or white image pixels (no shades of gray). A grayscale image comprises image pixels with 256 levels of gray. Each pixel requires 8 bits to represent the 256 shades of gray. Therefore, the bit depth of a grayscale image is 8 (28 = 256).
When exporting a 16-bit or 32-bit float project, keep in mind that most file formats available for export do not support float—including QuickTime (8-bit only). OpenEXR is float format. TIFF, PNG, and Adobe Photoshop files support the 16-bit integer format. Note: Depending on your project, dithering can be useful or problematic. For example, enabling dithering in a project in which banding is present may reduce the appearance of the banding.
Project Description: A field into which you can enter a brief description of the project. It may also be useful to call out significant characteristics of that particular preset such as frame size or frame rate. For more information about commonly used frame sizes, frame rates, interlacing, and other project setting information, see “Video and File Formats” on page 1203.
The motion blur section has two parameters: Â Samples: The number of sub-frames rendered per frame, where 1 frame is 360 degrees. Higher Samples values result in a higher-quality motion blur effect, but are more processor intensive. The default Samples value is 8. The maximum possible value is 256. The following image shows a shape that has been keyframed to move quickly across the Canvas horizontally. In the next image, Motion Blur is enabled and Samples is set to the default value of 8.
Creating, Editing, and Deleting Presets If you commonly create projects using custom settings that don’t match any of the available presets, you can create a new preset with these settings for future use. Presets are created, modified, and deleted in the Presets pane of Motion Preferences. To create a new custom preset: 1 Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-comma). 2 In the Presets pane, choose Project Presets from the Show pop-up menu. 3 Click the Add button (+) beneath the presets list.
6 If you’re done creating new project presets, close the Motion Preferences window. Note: For more information on industry-standard frame sizes, pixel aspect ratios, field order, and frame rates, see “Video and File Formats” on page 1203. To choose a custom preset to be the new default, do one of the following: m In the Presets pane of Motion Preferences, click the checkbox to the left of the preset you want to be the default for all newly created projects.
Managing Projects When you work on a project in Motion, it’s important to be organized. This includes keeping careful track of your project files, saving often, and maintaining regular backups. The idea is to make sure that nothing gets accidentally misplaced or deleted, and that you don’t lose work by losing your valuable digital resources. Motion also autosaves projects that can be retrieved at any time.
To save a duplicate of a project: 1 Choose File > Save As (or press Shift-Command-S). The Save As dialog appears. 2 Type a new name into the Save As field, choose a location on your hard drive, then click Save. Important: When using the Save As command, it’s important to use a name that is different from the name of any previously saved versions of the same project. Otherwise, you run the risk of overwriting a previous version of this project file that you want to keep. You’ll be warned if this happens.
Using Autosave Motion automatically saves backups of your project in a folder on your hard drive. In the Project pane of Motion Preferences, you can specify how frequently projects are automatically saved, as well as the location of the saved files. Saved projects are timeand date-stamped. Use Autosave Vault: Instructs Motion to store autosaved projects to the location specified in the Autosave Vault Folder parameter. Save a copy every: Specifies how often, in minutes, a project is saved.
Opening and Closing Projects You can open one or more previously saved project files either in the Finder or from within Motion. You can have as many projects open at the same time as the amount of RAM in your computer can support. Your computer’s RAM is divided up among the operating system, any other applications that are currently open, and all currently open documents.
To clear the Open Recent submenu: m Choose File > Open Recent > Clear Menu. Managing Multiple Open Projects Each open project is self-contained in its own window, and each has its own Layers, Media, Audio, Timeline, Keyframe, and Audio Editor tabs. You can use the Exposé All Windows command (in Mac OS X v10.4 and later) to see all open project windows at once. For more information on how to use Exposé, see Mac Help, available in the Finder Help menu.
Note: If you move a project to another computer without collecting, its media may go offline even though you’ve moved its media files along with it. For more information on how to relink media files to your project, see “Online Versus Offline Media” on page 220. Archiving QuickTime Video If you use QuickTime video clips in a Motion project that you want to archive for long-term storage, whether or not you also archive the video clips themselves depends on how they were captured.
Editing Project Properties Even though every project starts out with a preset group of project properties, you can change them at any time, even after you’ve added objects. To edit the properties of an existing project: 1 Choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J). 2 In the Project Properties dialog, change any necessary parameters, then click OK.
Note: Because Motion is resolution independent, it’s not usually necessary to change your project’s frame size. You can output your projects at any size, regardless of the current frame size, by changing the options in Motion’s export dialogs. For example, if you’re building a project with a frame size for standard-definition broadcast, you can still export a half-resolution version of your project to post on the web simply by exporting to the necessary size.
Navigation Controls in the File Browser Preview area Forward/Back buttons Path pop-up menu View buttons Search field Sidebar File stack New Folder button Scale slider Show Collapsed Image Sequences button File Browser sidebar: This area of the File Browser displays all the hard disks and removable media currently connected to your computer. You can also access networked volumes.
Preview area: Displays a preview of the currently selected file in the file stack. If a movie is selected, the Play button allows you to play through the clip. Information about the clip being previewed appears to the right of the thumbnail preview. Back and Forward buttons: These buttons allow you to navigate your browsing history. Clicking the left arrow moves you to the last item browsed.
Folders in this list can be opened hierarchically, using the disclosure triangle to the left of each folder’s icon, or they can be double-clicked to replace the current contents of the file stack with the contents of that folder. Icon view List view Scale slider: When in icon view, this slider enlarges or reduces the size of all icons displayed in the file stack. The current scale size affects how many icons can be simultaneously viewed within the current area of the file stack.
Different Methods of Browsing, Searching, and Previewing Files This section contains procedures you can use to look for and preview files using the controls in the File Browser. To browse the contents of a disk, do one of the following: m Click the disk’s icon in the File Browser sidebar. m Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to move up and down the sidebar list. To browse the file stack in icon view, do one of the following: m Double-click a folder in the file stack to open its contents into the file stack.
To clear the search results: m Click the Clear button at the far right of the Search field to restore the contents of the file stack to the previously selected file path. To preview a file: m Select any supported media file in the file stack. The Preview area updates with a thumbnail and additional text information about that file. If “Play items automatically on a single click” is turned on in the General pane of Motion Preferences, an animated preview of movie clips and image sequences begins playing.
QuickTime Movies Motion supports QuickTime movies using any codec currently installed on your computer. Examples of QuickTime movies you can import include clips captured with Final Cut Express HD or Final Cut Pro, stock footage from a CD-ROM or DVD collection, or computer-generated animation from a 3D animation package. While you can import movies that use nearly any codec, it’s inadvisable to use highly compressed clips in your projects if you can avoid it.
Using High-Resolution Still Images A common and effective use of still images in motion graphics work is the animation of high-resolution files. The DPI of image files as defined in programs like Photoshop does not apply to video, as the dimensions of each imported still image are defined simply by the number of pixels. If the current dimensions of an image are larger than the frame size of your project, the image appears to be much larger, and by default it appears to be “zoomed in” to its maximum size.
In the following example, an 1146 x 756 image is imported into an NTSC D1 project (720 x 486) with Do Nothing selected in the Preferences. The image is much larger than the Canvas. Scale to Canvas Size: Imports and scales the image to fit the project size while maintaining its aspect ratio. In the following example, a 760 x 1150 JPEG image is imported into an NTSC D1 project with Scale to Canvas Size selected in Preferences.
The image is scaled—the equivalent of using the Transform tool to scale down the image in the Canvas while pressing Shift. To observe that the image is merely transformed and has not changed resolution, select the image file in the Media tab of the Project pane, and then display the Media tab Inspector. The Fixed Width and Fixed Height parameters display the resolution of the original file. The original image resolution remains unchanged.
The image looks identical to an image that is scaled on import. However, its resolution has been changed so that the image fits the Canvas. To observe that the resolution of the image has changed, select the image file in the Media tab of the Project pane, and then display the Media tab Inspector. The Fixed Width and Fixed Height parameters display the new resolution of the imported image. The original image resolution is changed so the image fits the Canvas.
Because image sequences have been around for so long (before QuickTime, they were the only way to store video on a computer), they remain the lowest-commondenominator file format for exchanging video across many different editing and compositing applications. While QuickTime is increasingly used to exchange video clips between platforms, image sequences are still in common use, especially in film compositing.
When you import all layers as individual objects, Motion creates a new group in the Layers tab and Timeline, and nests each layer of the Photoshop file as an individual object within that Motion group. Each resulting object retains the position, opacity, and blend mode of the original Photoshop layer. Furthermore, Photoshop text layers are imported, but appear in Motion as noneditable bitmap graphics.
Fixing the Resolution of a PDF Object Although PDF files have unlimited resolution, large PDF objects can consume a lot of video memory, which could potentially limit Motion’s performance. To avoid this, you have the option of limiting the resolution of each PDF image used in your project in order to save video memory. By using the fixed resolution parameters, the files only need to be rendered once. This allows for faster performance.
Important: Multi-layered PDF files are not currently supported. To import a multilayered illustration, export each layer as a separate PDF file, and import these as a nested group of objects in Motion. More About Alpha Channels Ordinary video clips and image files have three channels of information, one each for the red, green, and blue channels. Many video and image file formats also support an alpha channel, which contains additional information that defines areas of transparency.
Audio Files You can import different audio file formats into your project, including but not limited to: WAV, AIFF, .cdda, MP3, and AAC. Although Motion is not necessarily intended to be a full-featured audio editing and mixing environment such as GarageBand, Soundtrack Pro, or Logic, you can import music clips, dialogue, and sound effects to use in your projects.
Note: Layered Photoshop files have additional import options available from the drop menu. For more information, see “Adding Layered Photoshop Files to a Project” on page 216. The Link Between Motion Layers and Media Files Prior to learning how to add media to your Motion project, it’s important to understand the correspondence between layers and source media. Every time you add a file to your project, you create a link between the layer you see in the Canvas and its corresponding media file on disk.
To select files in the File Browser: 1 Open the File Browser. 2 Select one or more files by doing one of the following: Â Â Â Â Click a single file. While holding down the Shift or Command key, click each file you want to select. While holding down the Shift or Command key, click any selected file to deselect it. In list view, click to the left of any file’s thumbnail, then drag up or down to select multiple consecutive files.
To add one or more files to an existing group: 1 If the Create Layers At setting in the Project pane of Motion Preferences is set to “Current frame,” move the playhead to the frame in the Timeline where you want the first frame of the file to start. Note: If the Create Layers At setting is set to “Start of project,” this step is unnecessary as imported files are always placed at frame 1. 2 Open the File Browser and Layers tab. 3 Select one or more files in the File Browser.
To control how a layered Photoshop file is added to your project using the drop menu: 1 Drag a layered Photoshop file from the File Browser into the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline. 2 Before releasing the mouse button, pause until the Canvas drop menu appears. This menu presents different commands for importing the layered file. 3 Drag the file over the command you want in the drop menu, and when the menu item is highlighted, release the mouse button.
Adding iTunes and iPhoto Files from the Library You can add files from your iTunes and iPhoto libraries to a project via the Motion Library. This is very convenient, as the iTunes library and playlists and iPhoto albums appear in the Library subcategories. Note: Although a connected iPod appears in the File Browser as a hard disk, you can only browse for and import iPod files that are stored as data. Music transferred to the iPod via iTunes cannot be imported into Motion.
Managing Layers in Your Project When you add a file to your project, a corresponding layer appears in the Canvas, Layers tab, and Timeline. Once added, you can duplicate any layer in the Canvas, Layers tab, and Timeline to create as many copies as you need. Each copy you create has individual parameters in the Inspector, which gives you the freedom to individually modify and animate each duplicate layer as necessary.
Seeing the Relationships Between Objects There are two object parameters where you can see the relationship between objects in the Layers tab and objects in the Media tab. Â The Media parameter appears in the Properties tab of the Inspector whenever you select an object in the Layers tab. The Media parameter is an image well that displays the source media in the Media tab to which the currently selected object corresponds.
When you first open a project file with media that is unavailable, a dialog appears listing all the media files that can’t be found. Assuming the media has been moved to another folder or disk instead of being deleted, you have the option to search every disk connected to your computer to find them. If you know the location of the missing media, you can display a manual reconnection dialog to navigate directly to the files without having to search.
To reconnect the media files in this list using Reconnect: 1 Click Reconnect. 2 In the manual reconnection dialog, navigate to the file’s location, then click Open. If a layer in your project file is offline and you do not immediately reconnect it upon opening the project, it appears as a checkered rectangle that occupies the entire bounding box of the layer.
Deleting Objects from a Project There are two ways you can delete an object in Motion. You can delete a single instance of an object from the composition by deleting it in the Layers tab, Timeline, or Canvas. By default, this removes the object from use and removes its source media in the Media tab, if it is no longer used by the project. If other instances of that object appear in your project, those are left alone. You can also delete the object that appears in the Media tab.
The exchange operation allows you to replace layers in your project even after you’ve modified and animated them. If you’re unhappy with a particular element of your composition, exchange it with a new one. Important: You can only exchange layers that are linked to media files on disk. You cannot exchange Motion-generated objects such as particle systems, generators, or text objects. This operation allows you to use temporary layers in your project until the finished layer is available.
Object Media Tab Parameters When you select an object in the Media tab of the Project pane, the Inspector displays a Media tab that contains the properties defining how the object appears in Motion. This includes parameters such as the type of alpha channel used, pixel aspect ratio, field order, and so on. All of these parameters can be edited, which changes the way that object is displayed and composited in your project.
 Premultiplied-Black: This type of alpha channel is multiplied with the clip’s red, green, and blue channels. As a result, objects with premultiplied alpha channels always look correct, even with translucent lighting effects, because the entire image is precomposited against a solid color. This option interprets alpha channels that have been precomposited against black.  Premultiplied-White: This option interprets alpha channels that have been precomposited against white.
Frame Rate: Choose a frame rate in frames per second that matches the clip’s native rate. For example, film is 24 fps, PAL video is 25 fps, and NTSC video is 29.97 fps. Additional frame rates are available for different video formats. If the frame rate you require is not listed, you can type a number in the text field to the right of the pop-up menu. Note: Project frame rates are determined by the project preset.
Replace Media File button: This button allows you to relink a media object in your project to another source file on disk. This feature is primarily useful for relinking offline objects, but it can also be used to substitute the media used by an object in your project with other media. It also lets you replace one object with another, along with all instances of that object in your project. Summary: A separate pane that lists the properties of the media file on disk that’s linked to the selected object.
For more information about behaviors, see “Using Behaviors” on page 369. For more information about filters, see “Using Filters” on page 841. Third-Party Filters If you’ve installed third-party filters on your computer, they appear in this category, ready for use. Image Units (Filters) The Image Units category appears in the Motion Library if you are running Mac OS X 10.4 or later. Motion supports the operating system’s Core Image Units (filters).
Shapes This category contains pre-made shapes that you can use either as visual elements or as image masks. Each shape is a Bezier shape and can be further customized using Motion’s shape editing tools. For more information about editing shapes and masks, see “Using Shapes and Masks” on page 997. Gradients The Gradients category contains gradient presets that you can use in the gradient editor found in particle system emitters and cells, as well as in text objects and shapes.
For more information on importing iPhoto or iTunes files, see “Adding iTunes and iPhoto Files from the Library” on page 218. Content Motion ships with a collection of pre-made graphics and Motion-generated objects that appear in the Content category. Any of these objects can be dragged into the Canvas and used as design elements for your own project. Some of the subcategories contain objects used to make the templates included with Motion.
Adding Your Own Content to the Library You can add your own customized versions of generators, filters, behaviors, and gradients to categories in the Library. Furthermore, if you work on one or more programs that frequently recycle the same graphics elements, or if you have a library of graphics that you use regularly, you can add these media files to the Favorites category. It is recommended that you add custom content to the Favorites category.
3 Rename the new folder to suit your needs. This new folder appears in the subcategory column whenever that category is selected. To remove objects or folders from a Content category: m Select an object or folder in the Library stack, then do one of the following: Â Choose Edit > Delete. Â Press Command-Delete.
Layers, in turn, are nested within containers known as groups. Whenever you create a new layer, that layer is placed within a group. You can drag a layer from one group and place it inside another group, but layers cannot exist on their own, outside of a group. Layers nested inside groups appear indented in the Layers tab and the Timeline layers list. Enclosing group Nested objects A group can also contain other groups nested inside it.
For example, when you select a group that has three layers nested within it, the entire group is selected as a single unit. Layers list with group selected Group selected Moving a selection in the Canvas moves all three layers simultaneously. Before moving group After moving group Regardless of how they’re nested, individual layers can always be animated independently.
The following example shows how you might create a hierarchy of groups to prepare for the animation of a human figure. Each component of the figure is a separate layer. For example, the arm is made up of hand, forearm, and upper arm layers. Each related layer is in a group that’s nested inside a parent group. For the arm, the hand is nested inside the forearm’s group, which is nested inside the upper arm’s group.
Both arms and both legs are also made up of a hierarchy of nested body parts. It then follows that these nested groups of layers, which connect to the torso, are themselves nested inside the Mannequin group. When you collapse the arm and leg hierarchies, you can see the following simplified hierarchy. Nesting groups to simplify a project With all of these objects organized this way, animating the figure becomes easy.
When you rotate the selection in the Canvas, every object nested within that group rotates as a single item. Before rotating Left Arm group After rotating Left Arm group Another example of how you might make use of the group hierarchy can be seen through the application of filters and behaviors. If you apply a filter to a single layer within a group, the filter affects only that layer. All other layers within the group remain unaffected.
However, If you apply the same filter directly to the group, all layers nested within that group are affected by the filter, as if they were a single layer.
To select multiple contiguous layers or groups, do one of the following: m Shift-click any two layers in the Layers list. Doing so selects both layers, and also all layers in between. m Click to the left of any layer’s thumbnail icon and drag up or down to select multiple layers. To select or deselect multiple noncontiguous layers or groups, do one of the following: m Command-click any unselected layer or group to add it to the selection. m Command-click any selected layer or group to deselect it.
When you have more than one group, you can move layers back and forth between them, changing their nested relationship in your project. To move a layer from one group to another: 1 Select one or more layers. 2 Do one of the following: Â Drag the selected layers to a new position underneath another group. A position indicator appears to show the new position the selection occupies when you release the mouse button.
To group selected layers together, nesting them in a new group: 1 Select all the layers or groups that you want to group together. 2 Choose Object > Group (or press Shift-Command-G). A new group is created, and is numbered incrementally based on the number of groups you’ve created so far. The layers or groups you selected are nested within the new group.
To show or hide one or more selected layers, do one of the following: m Click the checkbox to the left of a single object or group in the Layers tab or Timeline. Activation checkbox m Choose Object > Active (or press Control-T) to toggle the layers on or off. m Control-click a layer or group, then choose Active from the shortcut menu.
Fixing the Size of a Group By default, the size of a group is determined by the layers within that group. Because animated objects often grow in size, the active height and width of a group (its resolution) can become quite large. You can constrain the resolution of a group to a specific width and height in the Group tab of the Inspector. The project shown in the following image contains a particle system.
When Fixed Resolution is turned on, objects that are in the group but outside of the Canvas are cropped to the size of the group defined in the parameter. When enabled, the Fixed Resolution parameter crops the group to the size specified in the Fixed Width and Fixed Height parameters. This means that if the group’s anchor point is offset, the cropping may not occur around the edges of the Canvas, and objects may become cut off.
3 Turn on the Fixed Resolution checkbox. Fixed Resolution enabled By default, the group’s resolution is set to the project size. 4 To define a resolution other than that of the project, adjust the Fixed Width and Fixed Height sliders. Note: When a layer within a fixed resolution group is selected, the bounding box around the layer appears at its original size, unaffected by the containing group’s resolution.
m Select one or more layers or groups, then choose Object > Lock (or press Control-L). The locked layer’s bounding box in the Canvas turns red to indicate that it is locked. Collapsing and Uncollapsing Group Hierarchies Groups and layers in the Layers tab appear in a hierarchy that shows which layers are nested inside which groups. Nested layers and groups appear underneath and indented to the right of the group they’re nested within.
3 When you’re finished, press Return to accept the new name. The new name is also automatically accepted when you click another layer or group. Note: Once you change a layer’s name in Motion, there is no automatic way to change it back to what it was originally except for the Undo command. Searching for Groups and Layers If it’s difficult to find a single group or layer in a large project, you can use the Search field at the top of the Layers, Media, and Audio tabs.
Sorting Objects in the Media Tab The Media tab contains 13 columns that provide information about each object in your project. Column Description Preview Displays a thumbnail of the media object. Name Lists the filename of the source media on disk to which the object is linked. If you change the name of corresponding linked objects in the Layers tab, this name doesn’t change. Kind Lists the type of file, whether it’s a still image, QuickTime movie, image sequence, or audio file.
To show or hide a column: m Click the right angle bracket (>) at the right of the column headers, then check or uncheck the columns you want to show or hide in the pop-up menu. To move a column to the right or left: m Drag any column header to the right or left to move it. To increase or decrease the size of each object’s thumbnail, do one of the following: m Use the scale slider at the bottom of the Media tab. m Drag the separator between the rows of objects.
Exchanging Objects The easiest way to customize a template-based project is to exchange the objects used in the template with your own objects, either from the File Browser or the Library. When you exchange an object, the new object appears in your project with the same parameter values used by the previous object. In addition, any filters, masks, behaviors, or keyframed parameters that were applied to the original object remain applied to the exchanged object.
Customizing Text Objects Text objects can be easily updated using the Text tool. Editing a text object does nothing to change the format, style, or layout of the text. Furthermore, simple edits made to text objects have no effect on filters, masks, behaviors, or keyframed parameters that are applied to that object. For more information on editing text objects, see “Working with Text” on page 569.
Templates are simply Motion files that are saved in a special way. To create a new template, create the layout you need just like with any other Motion project. In preparation for using the layout as a template, you should keep the following things in mind: Naming Objects in the Layers List The names you give to the groups and layers in your template should indicate each object’s function. For example, you might name the text objects in a titling template “Main Title,” “Starring,” “Guest Star,” and so on.
Consolidating Media Unless you selected an alternate installation location when you installed Motion, the built-in templates are stored in the /Library/Application Support/Final Cut Studio/ Motion/Templates folder. Customized templates are saved into the /Users/username/ Library/Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion/Templates folder, but any media used by that template remains in its original location on disk.
5 Choose the format that your template conforms to from the Format pop-up menu. 6 If you want your template to play a preview when it appears in the Template Browser, turn on Create QuickTime Preview. 7 Click Save. Your new template is saved into the theme you selected. Customized templates are saved into /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion/ Templates, in a folder that corresponds to the name of the theme you’ve selected.
3 Basic Compositing 3 The most fundamental part of 2D compositing involves arranging the visual elements in your composition by moving, rotating, scaling, and adjusting the transparency of each object in your project. Compositing is the process of combining at least two images to produce an integrated final result. The process can be as simple as placing text over an image, or as complex as combining live actors with drooling space aliens that shoot laser beams from their eyes.
You can use different transform tools, each of which allow you to perform basic compositing tasks such as selecting, moving, rotating, scaling, shearing, corner-pinning, cropping, changing an object’s anchor point, and manipulating drop shadows. The transform tools are available in the View section of the Toolbar. When you switch among the transform tools, different onscreen controls appear in the Canvas. Drag these controls to perform the selected transform action.
When you begin to lay out a composition, it’s a good idea to start by creating a static layout of your project that represents how it looks at the beginning, end, or at a particular moment in time. In addition to manipulating the geometry of objects in your project, you can also alter their opacity. This gives you additional control over how overlapping elements of your layout merge together.
Bring to Front: Places the selected object in front of all other objects within the same group by moving it to the top of the nested group in the Layers tab and Canvas. Before After Send to Back: Places the selected object behind all other objects within the same group by moving it to the bottom of the nested group in the Layers tab and Canvas.
Reordering Nonconsecutive Selections When you apply an arrangement command on nonconsecutive selected layers, the layers move up or down the object hierarchy together, and any space between them collapses. Nonconsecutive layers selected Bring Forward command applied Object and Layer Transforms in the Canvas Transforms are operations that you perform on objects—such as moving, resizing, or rotating.
To deselect one of multiple selected objects in the Canvas, do one of the following: m Shift-click an object you want to deselect. All other selected objects remain selected. m Press Shift or Command, then drag a selection box over one or more objects you want to deselect. To select all objects in the Canvas, do one of the following: m Choose Edit > Select All. m Press Command-A. To deselect all objects in the Canvas, do one of the following: m Choose Edit > Deselect All. m Press Shift-Command-A.
Rules for Transforming Selected Objects and Groups The way you transform selected objects depends on how many objects are selected. Transforming a Single Object If you select a single object, the changes you make only affect that one object. All unselected objects remain unaffected. For example, if you select a single object, transform handles appear around that one object.
Transforming a Group If you select an entire group, all objects and groups that are nested within it are treated as a single object. One set of transform handles appears on a bounding box that encompasses every object within that group. All object transforms occur around a single anchor point belonging to the group. Before scaling After scaling Using 2D Transforms Transforms allow you to arrange and manipulate objects spatially within the Canvas.
Switching Among Transform Tools Before you transform an object, you should make sure that the pointer is set to the correct transform tool. These tools can be selected from the Toolbar. Select/Transform tool Adjust Anchor Point tool Adjust Shear tool Adjust Drop Shadow tool Adjust Four Corner tool Adjust Crop tool Adjust Control Points tool Adjust Item tool (adjusts filters or particle emitter shapes) The six main 2D transform tools are: Select/Transform: Scales and rotates selected objects.
m Control-click any object in the Canvas, then choose a transform mode from the shortcut menu. For more information about 3D transform tools, see “3D Compositing” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF. Using Canvas Compositional Aids When you’re arranging objects directly in the Canvas, take advantage of various compositional aids to help you.
Moving Objects in the Canvas The simplest thing you can do to start arranging the objects in your project is to move them around. With the exception of the Adjust Drop Shadow tool, all transform tools let you reposition objects, so this is the one operation you can perform regardless of the currently selected transform tool. The easiest way to reposition an object is to drag it around within the Canvas.
Note: When repositioning very small objects, it may be necessary to zoom into the Canvas to get a better view. Note: If you press the Up Arrow key or the Down Arrow key while working in the Canvas, the selection is applied to the next object up or down in the Layers tab. To duplicate an object, do one of the following: m Select the object you want to duplicate, then Option-drag the object. m Option-click the object, then choose Duplicate from the shortcut menu.
Align Far Edges: Objects are moved in Z space so that their far edges line up with the furthest object in the selection. Align Near Edges: Objects are moved in Z space so that their near edges line up with the closest object in the selection. Align Horizontal Centers: Objects are moved horizontally so that their centers line up along the center point between the leftmost and rightmost objects in the selection.
Transform Tools The transform controls do double duty, allowing you to both resize (scale) and rotate an object within a single mode. Scale handle Rotation handle Bounding box Anchor point Scaling When you select an object, eight scale handles appear around the edge of the object’s bounding box. Drag the handles to resize the object. By default, the width and height of an object are not locked together when you adjust scale handles. This means that the aspect ratio of an object can be freely changed.
2 Do one of the following: Â Drag one of the corner handles to resize the object’s width and height at the same time. By default, you can resize the width and height independently, by any amount. Â Press Shift, then drag any of the corner handles to resize the object while locking its width and height together, maintaining the object’s current aspect ratio.
 Press Option while dragging any scale handle to resize an object around its anchor point, rather than unilaterally. Resizing while pressing the Option key Resizing without pressing the Option key As you drag the scale handles, an info window appears and shows you the new width and height percentages and the amount by which the object is changing. This amount is represented by a delta symbol. Note: Scaling the width or height of an object by a negative value reverses the image, flipping its direction.
As you drag the rotation handle, the original angle of the object is indicated by a small circle that appears on a larger circle surrounding the object’s anchor point. Additionally, an info window appears, showing you the new angle of rotation and the delta of change between the object’s former angle and the angle to which you’ve dragged it. Changing an Object’s Anchor Point You can move any object’s anchor point, changing the way in which different geometric transforms are performed.
If you move an anchor point, however, the object no longer rotates around its own center, but instead rotates around the new anchor point. This not only affects the rotation of an object, but any moving and scaling operations performed upon that object as well. Changes made to an object’s anchor point are stored in the Anchor Point parameter of the Properties tab in the Inspector.
Shearing Objects The shear handles can be used to slant an object, either horizontally or vertically. This is an isometric operation, so it doesn’t necessarily provide a realistic perspective effect. When you shear an object, this change is stored in that object’s Shear parameter, which can be seen in the Properties tab of the Inspector. Before shearing After shearing To shear an object in the Canvas: 1 Click and hold the Select/Transform tool, then choose the Adjust Shear tool from the pop-up menu.
Adjusting the Drop Shadow of an Object Once an object’s drop shadow is enabled, the onscreen drop shadow handles can be used to change the blur, angle, and distance of an object’s drop shadow. Default drop shadow (before adjusting with the Adjust Drop Shadow tool) After adjusting blur, angle, and distance To adjust the drop shadow of an object in the Canvas: 1 Click and hold the Select/Transform tool, then choose the Adjust Drop Shadow tool from the pop-up menu.
Corner-Pinning Objects You can stretch an object into different polygonal shapes using the Four Corner controls, which allow you to create false perspective effects and simulate 3D effects and placement within your composition. Before corner-pinning After corner-pinning To corner-pin an object in the Canvas: 1 Click and hold the Select/Transform tool, then choose the Adjust Four Corner tool from the pop-up menu.
Cropping Objects Cropping allows you to chop off each of the four edges of an object to eliminate parts you don’t want to see in your composition. Common examples of objects you’d want to crop are video clips with a black line along the right or left edge because of the video format or with vignetting around the edges because of a wide-angle lens. You can use the crop operation to cut these undesirable artifacts out when using them in your composition.
2 In the Canvas, drag one of the eight handles around the edge of the object to crop it: Â Drag the top, left, right, or bottom handle to only crop that side. Â Drag one of the four corner handles to crop both corresponding sides simultaneously. Â Press Shift while you drag to constrain corner edge cropping to the aspect ratio of the object. Note: If an object is corner-pinned, you can no longer enable the Crop mode in the Canvas (onscreen controls).
When you select a single object and open the Properties tab of the Inspector, the object’s parameters are displayed. Making changes to the values in the Properties tab affects the selected object. If more than one object is selected in the Canvas, Timeline, or Layers tab, the parameter values displayed in the Properties tab of the Inspector become inaccessible. However, you can still adjust the onscreen controls. Manipulating any of the onscreen transform handles affects every selected object equally.
Each object’s position is centered on its anchor point. Offsetting the anchor point also offsets the position of the object relative to the X, Y, and Z position values you have set. Rotation: Controls a one-dimensional value representing the number of degrees of rotation. A positive value rotates the object counter-clockwise. A negative value rotates the object clockwise. Rotating an object beyond 360 degrees results in multiple rotations when the Rotation parameter is animated.
Blend Mode: Sets the Blend Mode of the object. For more information, see “Editing Opacity and Blending” on page 285. Preserve Opacity: When this checkbox is turned on, the object appears only where another object is visible behind it in the composite. The front object uses the opacity value of the object behind it. For more information, see “Preserve Opacity Option” on page 289.
Click the disclosure triangle to display four crop parameters. Each defines the number of pixels to be cropped from each of the object’s four sides, relative to the outer edge of the bounding box that surrounds it. These parameters are similar to the crop parameters that appear when an object is selected in the Media tab, except that cropping an object in the Layers tab only crops the currently selected instance of that object in your project. Duplicates of that object remain untouched.
The clone layer inherits the following properties from its source object at the time of its creation: Rotation, Scale, Opacity, Blend Mode, and Drop Shadow. Adjustments made to any of these properties of the source object after clone layer creation do not propagate to any clone layers made from the same source object. The clone layers only inherit changes made to filters and masks in the source object.
Editing Opacity and Blending The opacity and blending controls for each object appear both in the Properties tab of the Inspector, and in the default HUD for any selected object. Opacity By layering together objects with varying opacities, you can merge them together in ways not otherwise possible. For example, if you have two full-screen background images that you want to use together, you can set the opacity of the object in front to 50%, allowing the object in back to show through.
Blend modes can create transparency in an object regardless of the setting of its opacity parameter. This is because the pixels of an image with a selected blend mode are combined with the pixels of any objects lying immediately below it in the Canvas.
Blend modes only affect the combination of an object with the objects below it. Any objects appearing above have no effect on this interaction, even if the object is transparent. In the following example, the text objects on the top level have no effect on the blended images below.
About Rasterization Some operations, as well as the application of certain filters or a mask, cause a group to be rasterized. When a group is rasterized, it is converted into a bitmap image. Rasterization affects 2D and 3D groups in different ways. When a 2D group is rasterized, the blend modes on objects within the group no longer interact with objects outside of the group. In addition, when a 3D group is rasterized, the group as a whole can no longer intersect with objects outside of the group.
Preserve Opacity Option The Preserve Opacity checkbox allows you to limit an object’s visibility to areas of the Canvas where the object overlaps nontransparent regions of other objects. For example, you might place two overlapping objects into your project, as shown below: If you turn on Preserve Opacity for the Dolphin object in front, the result is this: The only area of the Dolphin object that is visible is the area that overlaps the sea life picture object behind it.
Preserve Opacity is an easy way to selectively reveal part of an object. In this example, by setting the blend mode of the top color wash layer to Exclusion, you get the resulting image: By turning on Preserve Opacity for the color wash layer on top, only the overlapping parts are displayed, and the superimposed image only affects the Dolphin layer. To turn on Preserve Opacity: m Turn on an object’s Preserve Opacity checkbox in the Properties tab.
The effect that each blend mode has on overlapping objects depends on the range of color values within each object. The red, green, and blue channels within each overlapping pixel are mathematically combined to yield the final image. These value ranges can be described as blacks, midrange values, or whites. These regions are loosely illustrated by the chart below.
With the enclosing group set to Pass Through, the Swirls object stencils all other objects underneath it, including the Gradient object in the bottom group. The result is that all objects are stenciled against the background color. The Fishes object is likewise added to the combined stack of objects. Normal When a group is set to Normal, the layers nested within that group can only be blended with one another.
The Gradient object in the bottom group is left unaffected, although the transparency in the top group caused by the combination of the Add and Stencil Luma blend modes reveals it in the background. Other Blend Modes When you set a group to any of the other available blend modes, each layer nested within that group is blended according to its blend mode. The resulting image is then blended with the groups underneath, according to the selected blend mode for that group.
Object Blend Modes The following section describes how blend modes affect individual objects. All blend modes are presented in the order in which they appear in the Blend Mode pop-up menu. About the Examples in This Section Most of the examples in this section are created using the following two reference images. The resulting “Mondrian Monkey” illustrates how differently the color values from each image interact when using each blend mode.
Overlapping midrange color values are darkened based on the color of the background image. In areas where the background is lighter than the foreground, the background image is darkened. In areas where the background is darker than the foreground, the colors are inverted. The order of two objects affected by the Subtract blend mode is important. Boxes object on top Monkey object on top Darken Darken emphasizes the darkest parts of each overlapping image.
Suggested uses: The Darken blend mode is useful for using one image to texturize another selectively, based on its darker areas. You can also use Screen, Color Burn, and Linear Burn for variations on this effect. Multiply Like Darken, Multiply emphasizes the darkest parts of each overlapping image, except that midrange color values from both images are mixed together more evenly.
Color Burn Color Burn intensifies the dark areas in each image. Whites in the background image replace the foreground image, while whites in the foreground image become transparent. Midrange color values in the background image allow midrange color values in the foreground image to show through. Lighter midrange color values in the background image allow more of the foreground image to show through.
Add Add emphasizes the whites in each overlapping image and lightens all other overlapping colors. The color values in every overlapping pixel are added together. The result is that all overlapping midrange color values are lightened. Blacks from either image are transparent, while whites in either image are preserved. The order of two objects affected by the Add blend mode does not matter.
The order of two objects affected by the Lighten blend mode does not matter. Screen Like Lighten, Screen also emphasizes the lightest parts of each overlapping image, except that the midrange color values of both images are mixed together more evenly. Blacks in either image allow the overlapping image to show through completely. Darker midrange values underneath a certain threshold allow more of the overlapping image to show. Whites from both images show through in the resulting image.
Suggested uses: The Screen blend mode is especially useful for knocking out the blacks behind a foreground subject, instead of using a Luma Key. It’s mainly useful when you want the rest of the foreground subject to be mixed with the background image as well, based on its brightness. It’s good for glow and lighting effects and for simulating reflections. You can also use the Add, Lighten, and Color Dodge blend modes to create variations of this effect.
The order of two objects affected by the Linear Dodge blend mode does not matter. Overlay Whites and blacks in the foreground image become translucent and interact with the color values of the background image causing intensified contrast. Whites and blacks in the background image, on the other hand, replace the foreground image. Overlapping midrange values are mixed together differently depending on the brightness of the background color values. Lighter background midrange values are mixed by screening.
Suggested uses: The Overlay blend mode is particularly useful for combining areas of vivid color in two images. Soft Light Soft Light is similar to the Overlay blend mode. Whites and blacks in the foreground image become translucent, but interact with the color values of the background image. Whites and blacks in the background image, on the other hand, replace the foreground image. All overlapping midrange color values are mixed together, creating a more even tinting effect than the Overlay blend mode.
Overlapping midrange color values are mixed together differently depending on the brightness of the background color values. Lighter background midrange values are mixed by screening. Darker background midrange values, on the other hand, are mixed together by multiplying. The visible result is that darker color values in the background image intensify the foreground image, while lighter color values in the background image wash out overlapping areas in the foreground image.
Reversing the two overlapping images results in subtle differences in how the overlapping midrange color values are mixed together. Boxes object on top Monkey object on top Linear Light Linear Light is similar to the Hard Light blend mode, except that overlapping midrange color values are mixed together with higher contrast. Whites and blacks in the foreground image block the background image.
The methods used by the Pin Light blend mode to mix two images are somewhat complex. Overlapping midrange color values are treated differently depending on which of the four regions of the luminance chart they fall into. Â Lighter and darker areas of the foreground image falling close to the whites and blacks are preserved. Â Areas of the foreground image falling near the center of the midrange are tinted by the background color.
While the order of two objects doesn’t affect the overall look of two images blended using the Hard Mix blend mode, there may be subtle differences. Difference Similar to the Subtract blend mode, except that areas of the image that would be severely darkened by the Subtract blend mode are colorized differently. The order of two objects affected by the Difference blend mode does not matter. Exclusion Similar to the Difference blend mode, except that the resulting image is lighter overall.
The order of two objects affected by the Exclusion blend mode does not matter. Blend Modes That Manipulate Alpha Channels The Stencil and Silhouette blend modes let you use a single object’s alpha channel or luma values to isolate regions of background objects and groups. Note: Similar effects can be accomplished using shape and image masks. In addition, masks may provide you with a greater degree of control, depending on your needs. For more information, see “Using Shapes and Masks” on page 997.
Silhouette Alpha Silhouette Alpha is the reverse of the Stencil Alpha blend mode and is useful for cutting holes in objects underneath. Object used for silhouette Object underneath End result Silhouette Luma Silhouette Luma is the reverse of Stencil Luma.
Behind The Behind blend mode forces the object to appear behind all other objects and groups, regardless of its position in the Layers tab and Timeline. If multiple objects or groups are set to Behind, they appear behind all other groups that are not set to Behind, in the order in which they appear in the Layers tab. Alpha Add The Alpha Add blend mode works similarly to the Add blend mode, but instead of adding the color channels of overlapping objects, it adds their alpha channels together.
They create the illusion of depth, with the result that the foreground object seems to pop out at the viewer. For this reason, drop shadows are frequently used to create the impression of space between two overlapping objects. Drop shadows also darken overlapping regions of background objects. A good example of when to use this is when you place text over a background that might obscure it. By adding a drop shadow, you can make a foreground text object easier to read.
Adjusting Drop Shadows in the Canvas You can interactively modify an object’s drop shadow using the HUD or the onscreen controls. Drop Shadow Controls in the HUD Whenever you select an object in the Canvas, the HUD displays three drop shadow parameters: Drop Shadow: A checkbox that lets you toggle any object’s drop shadow on or off. Opacity: Lets you set how transparent the drop shadow is. Blur: Lets you adjust how soft the drop shadow is.
To increase or decrease a drop shadow’s blur: 1 Click and hold the Select/Transform tool, then choose the Adjust Drop Shadow tool from the pop-up menu. 2 In the Canvas, drag one of the four corner handles in to decrease a shadow’s blur or out to increase it. To move an object’s drop shadow: 1 Click and hold the Select/Transform tool, then choose the Adjust Drop Shadow tool from the pop-up menu. 2 Drag anywhere within the shadow’s bounding box to move it around.
Timing Controls in the Inspector Each media object has individual timing parameters in the Properties tab: Time Remap: Sets how time is remapped in the clip. Use this pop-up menu to set Constant Speed or Variable Speed. Constant Speed retimes the entire clip using the same value, and Variable Speed allows you to animate the speed of the clip over time. Speed: Sets the speed of the clip as a percentage. The default is 100%.
When selecting Optical flow, an analysis indicator appears to the left of the transport controls underneath the Canvas to show that the clip is being analyzed. Analysis indicator If you play back the project before the analysis is complete, the clip will appear as if Frame Blending is set to None. Once the analysis is complete, the indicator disappears, and the clip will play back properly.
 Ping-Pong: When the last frame of the clip is reached, the next iteration of clip playback is reversed. If you set a clip of a ball rolling on the floor to loop with the Ping-Pong option, it would appear to roll forward, then backward, then forward again for the duration of the object. This allows you to extend the duration of certain video clips more smoothly than with the Loop setting.  Hold: This freezes the last frame of the clip for the amount set in the End Duration slider.
Options in the Export Selection Dialog The Export Selection dialog contains options for filenaming, type of file you wish to create, which elements to include in the export, and options for events that take place when the export operation is completed. The Export Selection dialog contains the following items: Save As: Type the name of the file you wish to export. Where: Choose a location to save the exported file. Export: Choose a file type from the pop-up menu.
After Export: A pop-up menu that sets which additional actions to take with the result file after the export is complete. There are four options: Â Do nothing: When this option is selected, no additional action is taken after export is complete. Â Open in viewer window: The default behavior, this option opens the exported element in a viewer. Â Add to Media: This option adds the exported element to the Media tab of the current project. Note: This element does not appear in the Canvas.
All the layers in the project temporarily scale down and spread out over the Canvas. Each layer in the project is represented by a white frame in the Canvas. Moving the pointer over a frame shows the layer’s name. Canvas before invoking Expose All Layers command Canvas after invoking Expose All Layers command 3 Select the layer you want to work on.
To expose all drop zones in a project: 1 Use the Library or File Browser to locate an object you wish to import into the project. 2 While holding down the Command key, drag the object onto the Canvas. The object you are dragging to the Canvas is displayed as a thumbnail, and a curved arrow replaces the pointer until you drop the object. Active objects explode and rescale in the Canvas so that you can see them all at once. Moving the pointer over an object reveals its Layers list name.
4 Using the Timeline 4 Arrange and edit the assets in your project with flexibility and ease in the Timeline. View your objects spread out over layers and tracks. The Timeline shows all of the objects in your project and provides a “big picture” look at how your project is arranged over time. You can organize your objects to begin and end on the frames you choose. You can also align multiple effects so that they occur simultaneously.
The Timeline is not displayed by default in the Standard layout. It can be viewed by displaying the Timing pane. To display the Timing pane, do one of the following: m Click the Timing icon (in the upper-right corner of the Toolbar). Timing icon m Drag the divider beneath the Play button in the transport controls upward. m Choose Window > Layouts > Cinema. m Press F6. Cinema Layout moves the Inspector to the right side of the interface and displays the Timing pane.
Item How it appears Description Group A double blue bar. The lower bar displays three lines and a value indicating the number of objects in the group. Layers (video, stills, shapes, text, particles, replicators, shapes) A blue bar Masks A gray bar Behaviors and Filters A thin purple bar Camera A blue bar Light A blue bar Keyframes Blue diamonds in a thin bar beneath the object that is keyframed. Selected keyframes appear white. Audio A green bar displaying the audio waveform.
Timeline Layers List The Timeline layers list mirrors the Layers tab in the Project pane and displays your project objects (groups, layers, filters, behaviors, and so on) and their stacking order. Behaviors, filters, masks, and keyframes applied to an object can also be displayed. In the Timeline layers list, you can reorder objects. This change is immediately reflected in the Layers list in the Project pane.
Enabling Timeline Tracks To the left of each track in the Timeline layers list is an activation checkbox that turns that track on and off. When a track is turned off (disabled), it is ignored in the Canvas. Not only can you turn video or audio on and off, but you can also disable or enable effects such as masks, filters, and behaviors. Activation checkbox is turned off. Disabled track To turn visibility for an object on or off: m Click the checkbox at the left edge of the track you want to control.
To collapse or expand a layer or group in the Timeline: m Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the layer or group name. If no disclosure triangle is present, that object cannot be collapsed or expanded any further. Adding and Deleting Groups Motion allows you to add and delete groups directly in the Timeline layers list. If nothing is selected in the list when a new group is added, the new group appears at the top of the list.
Locked tracks still appear in the Canvas and are included in your final output. Although you cannot make changes to a locked object, you can still copy or duplicate that object or change the object’s layer order. To lock a track: m Click the lock icon at the right edge of the Timeline layers list. Audio-Video Links Ordinarily, objects that contain both audio and video are linked together so that they always remain in sync. This link is represented by an icon in the Timeline layers list.
Timeline View Options The lower-left corner of the Timeline contains several controls to customize what elements appear in the Timeline. Audio tracks are displayed in a separate partition in the Timeline. You can resize the partitions by dragging the divider for each partition. Button Button name Function Show/Hide Layers Displays all groups, layers, and objects. Audio tracks must be displayed for this switch to have any effect. Show/Hide Audio Displays audio tracks.
The Zoom/Scroll control appears at the bottom of the Timeline window and lets you scroll through your project when you drag the scroller left or right. It also lets you zoom in and out in your Timeline. It can help you navigate your project more quickly because it provides an overview of your Timeline at a glance. The width of the control represents the entire duration of your project, and the width of the scroller identifies the currently viewed segment.
Specifying the Track Display You can choose several different ways to display the objects within the tracks in the Timeline. You can display just the name of the object in the track, which makes the track thin, and is the easiest way to see many tracks at a time. You can choose to show the name and a thumbnail image of the object, which provides quick visual feedback and lets you identify exactly what each object is.
Adding Objects to the Timeline When you drag a new object to the Timeline, a drop menu appears and lets you choose how it should be incorporated into the project. Once an object is added to a project using the Timeline, it appears in the layers lists and becomes a Timeline track. You have the option to composite the new object over the existing objects (above the existing tracks), insert the new object into an existing track, overwrite an existing object, or exchange the media of an existing object.
Note: If you release the mouse button before the drop menu appears, the default choice of Composite is applied. This means that the new layer appears on top of other objects in the Canvas. Composite When you choose Composite, the new object is added to a new track within the active group and all layers remain onscreen simultaneously. Before After Insert When you choose Insert, Motion leaves the existing object in the track, but pushes it forward in time to make room for the new item.
Overwrite The Overwrite option deletes the existing object, overwriting it with your new object. Before After If the new object is shorter than the one currently in the group, the Overwrite option splits the duration of the existing object and deletes only the frames where the new object appears. Before After Exchange Exchange is a variant of the Overwrite option, but instead of dropping the entire duration of the new object into the project, the duration of the existing object is used.
Sequential This drop menu option is only available when you are dropping multiple objects into the Timeline. Sequential drops objects one after another in the Timeline. For more information, see “Adding Multiple Clips to the Timeline” on page 335. To composite an object: 1 Drag an object from the Library or Media tab into the Timeline tracks area. As you drag, a tooltip appears at the pointer to tell you the frame number at which you are located.
3 Choose Exchange from the drop menu. The old object is replaced by the new object. Adding Multiple Clips to the Timeline When you drag more than one item to the Timeline, the new objects appear in their own tracks above any existing objects. This is equivalent to performing a composite edit with a single object. A drop menu lets you choose whether the additional objects should be stacked up as a composite, or whether they should appear one after another (sequentially).
Setting Drag and Drop Preferences You can set preferences that specify where an item is dropped when you add it to the Timeline layers list. You can choose between dropping items at the start of the project or at the current playhead position. You can also set the delay time before the drop menu appears. To specify where new objects appear in the Timeline: 1 Choose Motion > Preferences. The Preferences window appears. 2 Click the Project icon. The Project preferences appear in the window.
To replace an object in an existing group: 1 Drag an object from the File Browser, Library, or Media tab, and position the pointer over the object that you want to replace. A black highlight box appears around the object. Note: The replace command can be used only for image, image sequence, and QuickTime movie files. 2 Release the mouse button. The new object replaces the old one.
To rearrange objects within a group: 1 Click the icon in the Timeline layers list for the object you want to move. 2 Drag it to the position you want between the other tracks. Before After 3 When the position indicator appears in the location you want, release the mouse button. The tracks are reordered. To move an object from one group to another existing group: 1 Drag the object icon in the Timeline layers list over another group. A black border highlights the group. 2 Release the mouse button.
The object moves into the selected group and is placed above any existing objects within that group. You can also drag an object to a specific place in the new group by dragging it in between existing tracks in the new group. Motion’s groups and layers are “springloaded,” which means that when they are collapsed, dragging an object onto them causes them to temporarily expand, just like folders in the Finder.
To place one group inside another: 1 Drag the group icon in the Timeline layers list onto the group inside of which you want to nest it. A black border highlights the destination group. 2 Release the mouse button. The first group is now nested inside the second group. You can also select the objects you want and choose Object > Group (or press Command-Shift-G). Note: There is no limit to the number of groups you can nest.
Splitting Tracks Occasionally you may want to divide a single object into multiple objects, each in its own Timeline track. You might do this if you want an effect to apply to one portion of a clip but not to another part. Or you might want an object to change layer order midway through, to create the effect that objects are moving in 3D space. When working in 3D, you can split camera tracks as well.
Moving Objects Move an object when you want it to begin and end at a different point in the project. To move an object: m In the track area, click an object bar and drag left or right to move it in time. A tooltip appears that identifies the new In and Out points of the clip, so you can drag the clip to the frame you want. The Delta symbol (the small triangle) indicates the number of frames you are moving.
Trimming Objects Trim an object when you want to shorten or lengthen its duration in the Timeline. You can shorten or lengthen either the beginning or end of the object by dragging from the left or right edge of the object bar in the Timeline (the In and Out points). You can also trim a clip by using the menu items and corresponding keyboard shortcuts to change an object’s In and Out point.
2 Drag the end of the bar until it reaches the frame where you want the clip to start or end. As you drag, a tooltip shows the new In or Out point, and the new duration of the clip. To trim an object and snap to neighboring items: m Press Shift as you drag the edge of the item in the Timeline. Snap-to lines appear, and the edge of the clip you are dragging automatically lines up precisely with these lines. To change an object’s In or Out point: 1 Select the object you want to trim.
Slipping Clips Slip a clip when you want to use a different section of your clip, but you don’t want to change the layer’s duration or where it appears in the Timeline. Slipping is only possible after you have trimmed a clip.
Delete: Removes the object, leaving a gap in the Timeline. Before After Ripple Delete: Removes the object and closes up the gap left behind. If the objects are within a group, the group is split into two objects. Before After Cut: Deletes the object, leaving a gap in the Timeline, and copies the object to the Clipboard for later pasting. To delete an object: 1 Select the object you want to delete. 2 Choose Edit > Delete (or press Delete).
Copy and Paste As in other applications, you can copy an object. Copying leaves the object in place and copies it to the Clipboard for later pasting. When you paste an object, it is placed at the position of the playhead. Before After If a track is selected, the object is pasted into that track above all other objects. If no track is selected, a new track is created for the pasted object (as illustrated above). Change the active track by clicking the Timeline layers list.
Overwrite: Pastes the Clipboard contents into the project, deleting any existing objects at the same point in time. Exchange: Replaces the selected object in the project with the Clipboard contents. To paste an object as an insert: 1 Select the track where you want the object pasted. 2 Position the playhead at the desired time position. 3 Choose Edit > Paste Special (or press Option-Command-V). The Paste Special dialog appears. 4 Select “Insert into time region.” 5 Click OK to confirm your edit.
To display keyframes in the Timeline: m At the bottom of the Timeline layers list, click the Show/Hide Keyframes button. Show/Hide Keyframes button When the button appears dark gray, it is enabled. The keyframes appear below the object tracks. In the following image, the “5-sided star” object has three keyframes. The keyframes appear in the track below the object. To move a keyframe’s position in time: m Drag the keyframe to the left or right. When selected, the keyframe appears white.
Retiming in the Timeline By default, a 60-frame clip played back at 30 frames per second takes two seconds to display its 60 frames. If its In point is frame 1, its Out point is frame 60. Speed and duration are interactive; that is, if you increase the speed at which the clip plays back, its duration automatically decreases. Playing back the same clip at 15 frames per second would take twice as long. The clip’s In point remains the same, but its Out point is now 120.
To loop a clip: 1 With the pointer over the end of the clip, press and hold Option-Shift. The pointer turns into the loop pointer. 2 Drag the Out point of the layer’s bar to the left. As you drag, the tooltip displays the clip’s In and Out points, Duration, and Loop Duration. A looped clip has barriers to indicate where loops begin and end in the Timeline. First loop barrier The first loop barrier in a clip’s bar is interactive. Moving the barrier changes the point at which the clip loops.
Ordinarily the group bar indicates the name of the object if there is only one object and the number of composited items for areas where more than one object overlap. Moving Objects in the Group Track Motion lets you move objects within a group depending on where you click. You can move all of the objects within the group as a single object by clicking the thin blue group bar at the top of the group track. If you click an area where only one clip exists, you move just that item.
2 Drag the section left or right to move the object within the group forward or backward in time. Before After Moving Objects Shortcut In the Timeline, you can quickly move an object forward or backward a specific number of frames, or to a specific frame. To move an object to a specific frame: 1 In the Timeline, select the object you want to move, then type the number of the frame (or timecode) where you want to move the object. A value field appears that displays the number you typed. 2 Press Return.
2 Drag the section to move all of the objects at once. Before After You can also use the shortcut menu to select any one of the overlapping objects in order to edit that object directly. This is one way that you can manipulate individual objects within a group without having to expand the group. To edit one item in an overlapping area of a group: 1 Control-click the overlapping area of the group, then choose the object you want to manipulate from the shortcut menu.
Trimming Objects in the Group Track Trimming the edges of the group bar automatically trims the edges of the objects within the group. If there is only one object, trimming the group bar simply trims that object. If there is more than one object lined up with the edge of the group, trimming the group automatically trims all of those objects. You cannot trim the individual object tracks within the body of the group track.
You can use this same technique to trim an object without automatically changing the duration of masks, filters, or other applied effects. To trim an object without changing applied effects: m Press Command while you drag the edge of the object. Slipping Objects in the Group Track In addition to moving and trimming, you can slip certain objects directly in the group bar. Any portion of the group that contains only one object can be slipped.
Navigating in the Timeline Motion provides many different controls for navigating the Timeline. You can directly drag the playhead to “scrub” through your project as quickly or slowly as you want, or you can jump to a specific frame. Additionally, you can automatically jump to object boundaries, markers, and other important indicators in the Timeline. To move the playhead to a new point in time, do one of the following: m Double-click the current frame field, type a frame number, then press Return.
To move forward or backward one frame at a time, do one of the following: m Click the “Go to next frame” or “Go to previous frame” button in the transport controls (left of the Play/Mute Audio button). m Choose Mark > Go to > Previous Frame or Next Frame. m Press the Left Arrow key to move backward or the Right Arrow key to move forward. To move forward or backward ten frames at a time, do one of the following: m Choose Mark > Go to > 10 Frames Back or 10 Frames Forward.
Defining the Play Range Ordinarily, clicking the Play button plays your project from the first frame until the last. However, you can change the area of your project Motion plays by modifying the In and Out points in the Timeline ruler. You might do this to focus on a particular section as you fine-tune your project or make other changes to it. Once you’re done focusing on that section, you can reset the In and Out points to the beginning and end of your project.
To select a range of frames: m Command-Option-drag in the Timeline. A light blue band appears over the selected frames. To expand or contract a region: m Position the pointer at either edge of a region to modify its end point. Click to the right to make it longer or to the left to make it shorter. Selected regions ordinarily apply to all tracks in your Timeline. However, sometimes you only want to select one or more tracks. This allows you to make complex selections across multiple layers and tracks.
Once you have defined your selection range, you can delete the section or ripple delete the section (to delete it and close the resulting gap). You can cut or copy the section to move it to the Clipboard so you can paste it somewhere else. Note: Pasting a region does not paste at the current playhead location. To quickly move the pasted region to the playhead location, press the Shift key while you drag the pasted object. As you approach the current playhead location, the object snaps into place.
The number of frames in the region is added to the project, beginning at the end of the selected region and pushing any existing objects further out in time. Before After Project Duration Motion projects default to ten seconds in length. You can change this duration to match the needs of your project. To learn how to change the default project duration, see “General Tab of the Project Properties Dialog” on page 184.
You can assign different colors to different types or markers and create marker groups. For example, use green to label all audio markers or gold to identify all temporary object markers. You can add two types of markers: project markers and object markers. Project markers are fixed to a specific timecode value in the ruler. Object markers are attached to an object and move around as you move the object. Object markers appear only in the Timeline.
A green marker is added in the gray bar above the Timeline ruler. Note: You can also press Shift-M to add a project marker at the playhead position, whether or not an object is selected. To add an object marker: 1 Place the playhead on the exact frame where you want the marker to appear. 2 Select the object where you want to add the marker, then do one of the following: Â Choose Edit > Markers > Add Marker. Â Press M. A red marker is added to the group bar.
To delete all project markers only: 1 Choose Edit > Deselect All (or press Command-Shift-A). 2 Choose Mark > Markers > Delete All Markers. To delete all object markers, do one of the following: m Select the group or layer containing the markers you want to delete, then choose Mark > Markers > Delete All Markers. m Control-click the gray marker bar above the ruler in the Timeline, then choose Delete All Markers from the shortcut menu.
5 Type text in the Comment field. This comment appears as a tooltip when you pause the pointer over project markers. 6 Click the Color pop-up menu to display a list of eight possible colors, then choose the color you want for the marker.
You can also navigate to adjacent markers from within the Edit Marker dialog. In that case, the dialog remains open and the contents are replaced with the information for the next marker.
5 Using Behaviors 5 You can use behaviors to animate objects using simple graphical controls. With behaviors, you can easily create basic motion effects or complex simulated interactions between multiple objects. You can add behaviors to objects (cameras, lights, layers, or groups) or properties in a project to create animated effects without needing to create or adjust keyframes. Drag a behavior onto an object, and the object is automatically animated based on the type of behavior you applied.
There are 11 different kinds of behaviors in Motion. Â Audio behaviors are applied to audio files to create simple audio effects, such as fadeins and fade-outs, pans, and fly-bys. There is also a separate Audio Parameter behavior that can be applied to the parameters of nearly any object. For more information on Audio behaviors, see “Audio Behaviors” on page 1139. Â Basic Motion behaviors are among the simplest behaviors. They animate specific parameters of the object to which they are applied.
 Retiming behaviors are applied directly to footage and cloned layers (or groups) in order to create hold frames, reverse the footage, change its speed, create strobe frames or stutter, or to scrub the footage. These behaviors are applied to the footage objects in the Layers list, not in the Media tab. For more information on using retiming behaviors, see “Retiming Behaviors” on page 453.  Shape behaviors are specifically designed to be applied to a shape or mask.
For step-through examples of using behaviors, see “Behavior Examples” on page 483. Behaviors Versus Keyframes It’s important to understand that behaviors do not add keyframes to the objects or parameters to which they’re applied. Instead, behaviors automatically generate a range of values that are then applied to an object’s parameters, animating it over the duration of that behavior. Changing the parameters of a behavior alters the range of values that behavior generates.
Browsing for Behaviors All available behaviors appear in the Library tab. Selecting the Behaviors category in the category pane of the sidebar reveals the behavior subcategories (text behaviors have two categories). Selecting a subcategory reveals all behaviors of that type in the Library stack. Library categories Behavior subcategories Behaviors in the selected subcategory When you select a behavior in the Library stack, a short description and preview of the behavior appear in the Preview area.
Note: To help you understand how each behavior works, the animated behavior previews provide hints in the form of animation paths and color coding. While most previews are self-explanatory, the Parameter previews show before/after examples of the behavior’s effect on an animated object, with the gear graphic turning red to show the object after the behavior takes effect. For Simulation behaviors, the red gear graphic identifies the object in a group with the applied selected behavior.
Where Behaviors Appear When you apply a behavior to an object, it appears nested underneath that object in the Layers tab and the Timeline. Nested behaviors as they appear in the Layers tab Nested behaviors as they appear in the Timeline New behaviors you apply to an object appear above other behaviors that were applied previously. Newly applied behaviors appear above those that have been previously applied. Behaviors appear with all of their editable parameters in the Behaviors tab of the Inspector.
A Behaviors icon also appears to the right of the object name in the Layers tab and Timeline. Clicking this icon enables and disables all behaviors that have been applied to that object. Behaviors icon Note: Behaviors can be hidden from view in the Layers tab using the Show Behaviors button in the lower right of the Layers tab. For more information, see “Hiding and Showing Effects” on page 72.
Behavior Effects in the Keyframe Editor If you open the Keyframe Editor and look at a parameter that is affected by one or more behaviors, you see a noneditable curve that represents the behavior’s effect on that parameter. The noneditable curve appears in addition to that parameter’s editable curve, which can be used to keyframe that parameter. Editable curve Noneditable curve Note: Use the Show pop-up menu in the Keyframe Editor to select what parameters are displayed and to create curve sets.
Note: It is usually easier to drag a behavior to a camera or light in the Layers tab or Timeline than directly to the object in the Canvas. An advantage to applying behaviors from the Library is the ability to preview the animation created by the behavior in the Library Preview area. m Select an object in the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline, then select a behavior from the Library stack and click Apply in the Preview area.
When a behavior is applied to an object, the object parameters affected by that behavior are automatically animated based on the behavior’s default settings. For example, if you apply the Gravity behavior to an object in the Canvas, that object’s position is animated and it moves down, according to the Gravity behavior’s default setting. Default Behavior Duration In most cases, a behavior’s duration is the Timeline duration of the object to which it is applied.
To remove a behavior from an object: 1 Select a behavior in the Layers tab, Timeline, Behaviors tab, or pop-up menu in the title bar of the HUD. In this example, the Gravity behavior is selected in the Behaviors tab of the Inspector. 2 Do one of the following: Â Choose Edit > Delete. Â Control-click the behavior in the Layers tab or Timeline, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Â Press Delete. Applying Parameter Behaviors Parameter behaviors function differently than other behaviors.
A Parameter behavior’s effect on an object depends on the parameter to which it is applied. For example, if you apply the Randomize parameter behavior to a particle emitter’s Position parameter, the emitter drifts around the screen when the project plays. Applying the Randomize parameter behavior to a shape’s Scale parameter makes the shape randomly grow and shrink.
 Control-click a parameter in the HUD, then choose a Parameter behavior from the shortcut menu. In this example, the Randomize parameter behavior is applied to the Feather parameter of a shape.  Control-click a parameter in the Keyframe Editor, then choose a Parameter behavior from the shortcut menu. Note: Use the Show pop-up menu to choose the parameters you want displayed in the Keyframe Editor. For more information, see “Filtering Controls” on page 531.
 Select the Parameter behavior, then choose a parameter from the Apply To (“Go”) pop-up menu in the HUD. In this example, the Randomize parameter behavior is applied to the Opacity parameter of a shape.  Select the Parameter behavior, then choose a Parameter behavior from the Apply To (“Go”) pop-up menu in the Behaviors tab of the Inspector. Once assigned, the parameter to which the behavior is applied appears in the Apply To text field.
This creates an animation in which the image rocks back and forth on the Z axis. To select another parameter for the behavior to affect, use the Apply To parameter in the parameter behavior’s HUD or Inspector. To change the parameter behavior assignment: m In the behavior’s HUD or Inspector, choose another parameter in the Apply To (“Go”) pop-up menu. In this Oscillate example, the oscillation is applied to the X and Y axes of the affected object.
For more information on reassigning parameter behaviors, see “Reassigning a Parameter Behavior to Another Parameter” on page 386. Where Parameter Behaviors Appear Like other behaviors, Parameter behaviors appear nested underneath the objects to which they’re applied in the Layers tab and the Timeline, along with any other behaviors that have been applied to that object.
Opening a parameter’s Animation menu in the Inspector displays the names of all the behaviors currently applied to that parameter. Choosing one automatically opens that item’s Behaviors tab. In this example, the Oscillate and Randomize Parameter behaviors are affecting the Size parameter of the Crystallize filter.
2 In the Behaviors tab in the Inspector, choose a new parameter from the Apply To (“Go”) pop-up menu. The Track Parameter Behavior The Track Parameter behavior allows you to track a parameter of an effect, such as the center of a lens flare, to a reference point on a clip. For example, you can make a light ray emit from a moving object in a clip by tracking the clip and then applying the Track Parameter behavior to the Center parameter of the Light Rays filter.
Modifying Parameters in the HUD In general, the parameters that appear in the HUD are the most essential for modifying that behavior’s effect. Frequently, the controls available in a behavior’s HUD are also more descriptive and easier to use than those in the Behaviors tab, although the Behaviors tab may contain more controls.
To cycle through the HUDs of an object, do one of the following: m Click the disclosure triangle in the title bar of the HUD (to the right of the title) to open a pop-up menu that displays all of the behaviors and filters that are applied to that object. Choose an item from this list to display its HUD. Click the disclosure triangle and select a behavior or filter to display the respective HUD. m Select an object in the Canvas, then press D to cycle forward through all available HUDs for that object.
Activation checkbox: Turns each individual behavior on or off. Behaviors that are turned off have no effect on the object to which they’re applied. Name: Double-click this field to rename the behavior. Lock: Click the lock icon to lock or unlock a behavior. You cannot modify the parameters of a locked behavior.
Show Behaviors button: Appears at the bottom of the Layers tab and Timeline, and lets you show or hide all behaviors. This button neither enables nor disables behaviors that have been applied to objects in your project; it only controls their visibility. Show Behaviors button is enabled. Copying, Pasting, and Moving Behaviors After you have added behaviors to an object, there are a number of ways you can copy and move them among the other items in the Timeline or Layers tab.
Note: If you move a Parameter behavior to another object, it is applied to the same parameter it affected in the previous object—as long as the corresponding parameter exists. If the parameter does not exist, the parameter assignment (Apply To field) is set to none. Dragging a behavior from one object to another You can also duplicate a behavior in place. To duplicate a behavior: 1 Select the behavior you want to duplicate. 2 Do one of the following: Â Choose Edit > Duplicate (or press Command-D).
Applying Multiple Behaviors to an Object There is no limit to the number of behaviors you can add to an object. When multiple behaviors are applied to a single object, they all work together to create a final animated effect. Because each behavior applies a value to a specific parameter, the values generated by all behaviors that affect the same parameters are combined to create the end result.
Changing the Timing of Behaviors You can change a behavior’s timing to control when it starts, how long it lasts, and when it stops. There are several ways to do this. You can use the Stop Parameter behavior to suspend one or more behavior’s effects on a single parameter. You can also trim each behavior in the Timeline.
For more information about applying Parameter behaviors, see “Applying Parameter Behaviors” on page 380. Trimming Behaviors When you apply a behavior to an object, the duration of the behavior in the Timeline defaults to the duration of the object to which it’s applied. The default duration of a behavior matches the duration of the object to which it is applied. A behavior can be modified to limit the duration of its effect.
Note: The Simulation behaviors do not leave the object at the transformed state after the last frame of the trimmed behavior. For more information, see “Controlling Simulation Behaviors” on page 396. Controlling Simulation Behaviors Keep in mind that the ideal use for behaviors (with the exception of the Motion Tracking behaviors) is creating fluid motion graphics that do not require specific timing.
In the next image, the Orbit Around behavior is trimmed in the Timeline to a shorter duration (190 frames) than the object to which it is applied. Notice the change in the shape of the animation path: At frame 190, where the Orbit Around behavior ends, the object (the circle shape) stops moving around its target and continues moving off the Canvas. The Orbit Around behavior—the active force—is no longer present, but the motion of the circle does not stop.
The Start Offset parameter has a slider that lets you delay the beginning of the behavior’s effect, relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline. You can adjust this parameter to make the parameter behavior start later. The End Offset parameter lets you offset the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline.
For example, if you apply the Random Motion behavior to a shape, that shape might weave around onscreen with a completely random animation path similar to the following: Random animation path If you turn the Random Motion behavior off temporarily and create an animation path using keyframes, you can create a completely predictable and smooth movement.
Combining Behaviors and Keyframes in the Keyframe Editor When you display a parameter that’s affected by a behavior in the Keyframe Editor, two curves appear for that parameter. An uneditable curve in the background displays the parameter as it is affected by the behavior. There are no keyframes over this first curve. Superimposed over the curve displaying the behavior’s effect is the parameter’s editable curve.
Raising or lowering a keyframe in the Keyframe Editor also raises or lowers the background curve, since it’s modifying the values generated by the behavior. Important: The value displayed in the Inspector for the affected parameter reflects the final combined result of both keyframes and behaviors that are applied to that parameter. Editing a parameter’s values directly in the Inspector only results in changes made to the underlying parameter value, whether keyframed or not.
You can convert the behaviors that are applied to all parameters of an object into keyframes. Converting behaviors that have already been combined with keyframes turns the sum of all behaviors and keyframes affecting that parameter into a thinned series of keyframes (a curve with less keyframes). This results in a final animation curve that closely replicates the shape of the background curve that appeared in the Keyframe Editor. These keyframes can then be edited directly in the Keyframe Editor.
Applying Parameter Behaviors to a Behavior You can animate a behavior’s parameter by applying a Parameter behavior. For example, you can apply the Oscillate Parameter behavior to the Drag parameter of the Orbit Around behavior, then adjust the Start and End values to increase from 0 to 8 over time. This results in the orbit of the object slowly decaying, causing the object to fall toward the center of the orbit.
For more information about keyframing parameters, see “Animating Behaviors” on page 514. Converting Behaviors to Keyframes Behaviors are best suited for fluid effects in which precise timing is not a requirement. However, there may be projects in which you want finite control over the animated effects created with behaviors. If necessary, several of the behaviors can be baked into keyframes.
All behaviors are converted into keyframes, which appear in the Keyframe Editor. The entire animation of the object is converted into keyframes, even if some of the behaviors fall outside of the object’s time range. Note: You cannot selectively convert individual behaviors. The Convert to Keyframes command converts all behaviors that are applied to an object at once.
When you save a customized behavior, it is saved in the /Users/username/Library/ Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion/Library folder. Note: If a custom behavior is dragged to another subcategory, such as the Glow (Filters) subcategory, it is automatically placed in the Behaviors category and the Behaviors category becomes active. To save multiple behaviors to the Library: 1 Open the Library and select the Favorites, Favorites Menu, or Behaviors category.
To create a new folder in a Behaviors subcategory: 1 Open the Library and select a Behaviors subcategory, such as Basic Motion. 2 Do one of the following: Â Click the New Folder button at the bottom of the window. Â Control-click an empty area of the Library stack (the lower section of the Library), then choose New Folder from the shortcut menu. The new untitled folder appears in the Library stack. The new folder does not appear in the Library sidebar.
Moving Behaviors Among Different Computers Each customized behavior you drag into the Library is saved as a separate file in the /Final Cut Studio/Motion folder of the Application Support directory. For example, a saved custom behavior named My Motion Path in the Favorites folder of the Library appears in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion/ Library/Favorites folder. Items that are saved to the Library appear in the Finder with a .
Fade In/Fade Out Lets you dissolve into and out of any object. The Fade In/Fade Out behavior affects the opacity of the object to which it is applied, fading from 0 percent opacity to 100 percent opacity at the beginning of the object, and then back to 0 percent opacity at the end. You can eliminate the fade-in or fade-out by setting the duration of either to 0 frames. Note: This behavior is multiplicative.
End Offset: A slider that lets you offset the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the actual end of the behavior in the Timeline. Use this slider to offset the end of the Fade Out effect from the end of the object.
Parameters in the Inspector Increment: This pop-up menu lets you choose how the behavior’s effect progresses over its duration in the Timeline. There are three options: Â Continuous Rate: This option uses the Scale Rate parameter to grow or shrink the object by a steady number of pixels per second. Â Ramp to Final Value: This option grows or shrinks the object from its original size to the specified percentage plus the original scale in the Scale To parameter.
You can modify the motion path in 3D space so that an object travels on the path along the path’s X, Y, and Z axes. For more information, see “Adjusting a Motion Path in 3D Space” on page 420. The first point on the path is the position of the object in the Canvas at the first frame of the behavior. Option-click anywhere on the path to add Bezier points, which allow you to reshape the motion path by creating curves.
Additional Onscreen Controls When the Motion Path behavior is added to an object, the Adjust Item tool is automatically selected, allowing you to modify the default path in the Canvas by adding points and using the Bezier (or B-Spline) controls attached to each point to adjust each curve. You can also move and resize preset motion path shapes, such as a rectangle or wave, in the Canvas. Distancing the Object from the Motion Path By default, the object is locked to the motion path by its anchor point.
 Open Spline: The default shape, a straight path defined by two points at the beginning and end of the path. You can choose to work with Bezier or B-Spline control points. Option-click (or double-click) anywhere on the path to add points.  Closed Spline: A closed path in which the last point is in the same location as the first point. You can choose to work with Bezier or B-Spline control points. Option-click (or double-click) anywhere on the path to add points.
 Size: When Rectangle is the defined path shape, this slider allows you to change the size of the rectangular path. Click the disclosure triangle to individually adjust the X scale and Y scale. Note: When the Motion Path behavior is selected, you can also use the onscreen control points to resize the rectangle. Press Shift to resize the X and Y scales uniformly.  Offset: When Circle, Rectangle, or Geometry is the defined path shape, this slider lets you specify where the object starts moving on the path.
 Damping: A slider that progressively diminishes the oscillation of the wave. Positive damping values diminish the wave forward (from left to right); negative values diminish the wave backward (from right to left). Wave shape Damping value set to 0 Damping value set to 3 Damping value set to –3  Geometry: The object travels along the edge of a shape or mask that is used as the source for the path.
 Attach to Shape: When enabled, the motion path follows the source shape at its original location. When disabled, the motion path can exist in a location other than its source shape. Note: When Attach to Shape is enabled, you cannot move the object to another location. To align the rotation of an object to match all changes made to its position along an animation path, apply the Snap Alignment to Motion behavior. For more information, see “Snap Alignment to Motion” on page 425.
Note: You may want to disable the source shape in the Layers tab so it is not visible in your project. To select another geometry source for a motion path shape: 1 Choose the object you want to use as the motion path’s shape source from the To popup menu (located next to the Shape Source image well). Choose another object in your project as the shape source for the motion path, from the To pop-up menu.
 Natural: The speed in which the object moves over the path is determined by the shape of the path. For example, if the path is a U-shape curve, the object moves faster as it moves toward the low point of the U and slower as it moves up the edges.  Custom: Custom allows you to define the movement of the object along its path by setting keyframes for the object’s speed from 0 to 100 percent. In other words, you determine the position of the object along the path in time.
To use the Custom Speed parameter: 1 In the Inspector or HUD, choose Custom from the Speed pop-up menu. The Custom Speed parameter becomes available. By default, a keyframe is set at the first and last points of the behavior to create an animation of 0 percent to 100 percent, where at 0 the object is at the beginning of the path, and at 100 the object is at the end of the path. This is the same velocity used with the Constant preset. 2 Enable Record (press A).
Depending on the camera view, the object on the path may no longer be visible. For example, if the object has not been rotated in X or Y space and you are working in Top view, the camera is looking down perpendicularly (on the Y axis) on the object. The motion path and its points are still visible (as long as the Motion Path behavior is selected). Before the motion path is transformed in 3D space, it appears flat when viewed from above. The affected object only moves in X and Y space.
 Double-click the 3D View tool that you previously adjusted. For example, if you dragged the Orbit tool to rotate the current camera, double-click the Orbit tool to reset the camera.  If you chose (and/or modified) a default camera view (such as Top, Right, Left, and so on), choose Active Camera from the Camera menu, or choose View > 3D View > Active Camera.  With the camera selected, click the reset button in the Properties tab of the Inspector.
HUD Control The HUD has a slider that sets the influence amount (Strength), a Direction pop-up menu that defines whether the object moves toward the null point or away from the point, and a Speed pop-up menu that allows you to define the object’s velocity. Parameters in the Inspector Position: Value fields that allow you to define the X, Y, and Z position of the target point. The target (null object) is added to the center of the Canvas by default.
HUD Control The HUD has an object well, a Transition slider, a Speed pop-up menu that allows you to define the object’s velocity, an Axis pop-up menu to choose which axis should point at the target once the movement is complete, and an Invert Axis checkbox. Parameters in the Inspector Object: A well that defines the target object. To set the target object, drag the object from the Layers tab to the Object well in the Point At HUD or Inspector.
Invert Axis: If the object is aligning on the correct axis, but appears backwards, this checkbox flips the object so that it faces the proper direction. Snap Alignment to Motion This behavior aligns the rotation of an object to match all changes made to its position along an animation path. This behavior is meant to be combined with behaviors that animate the position of an object, or with a keyframed animation path you create yourself.
End Offset: A slider that allows you to offset the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. For example, if End Offset is set to 60, the object actively snaps to the direction of the path until 60 frames before the end of behavior in the Timeline. Related Behaviors “Align To Motion” Spin Apply the Spin behavior to animate the rotation of an object, spinning it around a single axis.
Parameters in the Inspector Affect Subobjects: This parameter appears when Spin is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, particle emitter, or text. When this checkbox is turned on, each object within the layer or group rotates as an individual object. When this checkbox is turned off, the entire layer or group spins. Increment: This pop-up menu lets you choose how the behavior’s effect progresses over its duration in the Timeline.
When Axis is set to Custom, additional Longitude and Latitude parameters become available. These parameters allow the object to spin at an angle (not locked to the X, Y, or Z axes). Drag the axis control in the center of the circle to modify the longitude and latitude of the spin. . The following image illustrates longitude and latitude.
The Throw behavior is also useful when you’re moving an object through a simulation. For example, you might move the object past other objects that have Attractor or Repel behaviors applied to them. Because the Throw behavior only applies a single force to move the target object at the initial frame of the behavior, any other behaviors that interact with the target object have potentially greater influence over its motion.
In the 2D and 3D Throw HUDs, press the Shift key while dragging the arrow to constrain it to 45 degree angles. In the 2D HUD, press the Command key to change the arrow’s direction without affecting its length. Note: The maximum speed you can define with the HUD is not the maximum possible speed. Higher values can be entered into the Increment parameter in the Behaviors tab of the Inspector.
For more information on applying Parameter behaviors, see “Applying Parameter Behaviors” on page 380. Examples of Using Parameter Behaviors To view examples of working with some of the different Parameter behaviors, see “Behavior Examples” on page 483. Audio This behavior allows you to animate nearly any parameter based on properties of an audio file, such as bass frequency.
Clamp This behavior allows you to define a minimum and maximum value for an animated parameter. In the following illustration, the center image has an applied Vortex behavior. The outer images circle around the center image, as indicated by the red animation path. The red lines indicate the animation paths of the outer image. In the next illustration, a Clamp behavior is applied to the X Position parameter of the upper image. The Max value is set to 230 and the Min value is set to 0.
Parameters in the Inspector Clamp At: A pop-up menu in which you choose the option to clamp parameter values at only the minimum, only the maximum, or both the minimum and maximum. Min: A value slider that lets you define the minimum amount of change for an animated parameter. Max: A value slider that lets you define the maximum amount of change for an animated parameter. The value is represented as a percentage, in pixels, or in degrees, depending on the parameter assignment.
To add a parameter you want to animate in a Custom behavior: m Choose a parameter you want to add to the Custom parameter list from the Add Parameter pop-up menu. This menu contains every animateable parameter. The parameter appears in the Behaviors tab below the Custom behavior. The new parameter appears here. Once you’ve added all the parameters you want to animate in your Custom behavior, you can keyframe them in the Keyframe Editor to create whatever animated effect you require.
When you apply a Custom behavior that you’ve saved in the Library to an object in a project, its keyframed animation is scaled to the duration of the object to which it is applied. This means that no matter how long the original Custom behavior was, you can apply it to any object, and the animated effect speeds up or slows down to accommodate the new object’s duration. HUD Control There are no HUD controls for this behavior.
Parameters in the Inspector Start Value: The value that’s added to the parameter at the first frame of the Exponential behavior. End Value: The value the Exponential behavior reaches at the last frame of the behavior. Over the life of the behavior, the parameter the Exponential behavior is applied to makes a transition from the Start Value to the End Value plus the original value.
HUD Control The HUD lets you set the start and end values and change the parameter assignment. Parameters in the Inspector Start Value: The value that’s added to the parameter at the first frame of the Logarithmic behavior. End Value: The value the Logarithmic behavior reaches at the last frame of the behavior. Over the life of the behavior, the parameter the Logarithmic behavior is applied to makes a transition from the Start Value to the End Value plus the original value.
 Learning: This mode is used to “teach” Motion which control (such as a knob, dial, or key) you want to use on the MIDI device to manipulate the parameter to which the MIDI behavior is applied. When in Learning mode, the first knob, dial, or key that you adjust on the MIDI device is set as the control. Note: When the MIDI behavior is first applied, Learning is the default control type. ID: Displays the identification number of the MIDI control (such as a knob, dial, or key) that you are manipulating.
Like all other Parameter behaviors, the Apply To field displays the parameter to which the behavior is applied. 3 On your MIDI device, tweak the control (such as the knob, dial, or key) that you want to use as the controller for the Opacity parameter. Note: When in Learning mode, the first control adjusted on the MIDI device is set as the control. To reset the selected controller, choose Learning from the Control Type pop-up menu, and adjust another control on the MIDI device.
For example, applying the Negate behavior to the Position parameter of an object with an animation path applied results in the animation path moving to the opposite quadrant of the Canvas. Note: If you want to reverse the motion taking place on an animation path, rather than flipping the shape of the animation path itself, use the Reverse parameter behavior. HUD Control The HUD control allows you to change the parameter assignment.
HUD control The HUD lets you adjust the Phase, Amplitude, Speed, and Half Range parameters as well as change the parameter assignment of the Oscillate behavior. Parameters in the Inspector Wave Shape: A pop-up menu that lets you choose the shape of the oscillation’s wave. The choices are Sine (default), Square, Sawtooth, and Triangle. Â Sine: The default wave shape, the sine wave creates a smooth animation between values.
 Sawtooth: The Sawtooth wave ramps upward over time and then drops sharply. For example, when Oscillate is applied to an object’s Opacity parameter, and the Wave Shape is set to Sawtooth, the object fades in slowly and fades out abruptly (like using a light dimmer to fade up a light, and then flicking the power switch off ).  Triangle: Similar to the sine wave, a triangle wave creates a smooth animation between values but with sharper changes at the transitions.
Half Range: When this checkbox is turned on, the sine (or other wave shape) wave is essentially cut in half and does not cross over the value of 0. For example, when Amplitude is set to 100, the parameter oscillates between 100 and –100. When Half Range is turned on, however, the parameter oscillates between 100 and 0. When Amplitude is set to –100, the parameter oscillates between –100 and 0.
Related Behaviors “Ramp,” “Rate” Creating a Decaying Oscillation When you are oscillating an object’s rotation or position, a common effect is to “decay” or “dampen” the animation over time. This means that the animation gradually slows or comes to a stop. You can achieve this effect using keyframes to slow the amplitude of the oscillation. To decay an oscillating rotation using keyframes: 1 Go to the frame where you want the animation to begin, then enable Record (press A).
When the Oscillate behavior is selected, you can see the keyframed Amplitude value in the Keyframe Editor (when Animated is chosen from the Show pop-up menu). Quantize The Quantize behavior lets you create an incremental animation in any keyframed or behavior-influenced parameter. For example, if opacity is animated so that an object gradually fades in over time, you can add the Quantize behavior to make the object become opaque in steps. Note: The Quantize behavior only works with animated parameters.
Offset: A slider that offsets the steps. For example, when Quantize is applied to a Position parameter and Step Size is set to 100, an object “steps” in increments restricted to 100 pixels; thus, the step offset is 100, 200, 300 and so on. If Offset is set to 50, the step offset is restricted to 50, 150, 250, and so on. Apply To: The Apply To (“Go”) pop-up menu shows the parameter being affected, and can be used to reassign the behavior to another parameter.
HUD control The HUD lets you adjust the Ramp’s Start Value, End Value, and Curvature parameters, as well as change the parameter assignment. Parameters in the Inspector Start Value: The value that’s added to the parameter at the first frame of the Ramp behavior. End Value: The value the Ramp behavior reaches at the last frame of the behavior. Over the life of the behavior, the parameter the Ramp behavior is applied to makes a transition from the Start Value to the End Value plus the original value.
The Apply Mode parameter determines how values generated by this behavior are combined with other behaviors and keyframes that affect the same parameter. This provides you with different ways of using a Randomize behavior to modify a parameter’s preexisting values. The Randomize behavior is useful for creating jittery effects, such as twitchy rotation, flickering opacity, and other effects requiring rapid and varied changes over time that would be time-consuming to keyframe.
Random Seed: A button that lets you pick a new random seed number. This number is used to randomly generate new sequences of values, based on the other parameters of this behavior. Start Offset: A slider that lets you delay the beginning of the behavior’s effect relative to the first frame of its position in the Timeline. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior start later. This parameter is in frames.
End Offset: A slider that lets you offset the end of the behavior’s effect relative to the last frame of its position in the Timeline, in frames. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior stop before the actual end of the behavior in the Timeline. Using this slider to stop the effect, instead of trimming the end of the behavior in the Timeline, freezes the last random value generated by this behavior for the remaining duration of the object.
HUD Control The HUD control allows you to change the parameter assignment. Parameters in the Inspector Apply To: The Apply To (“Go”) pop-up menu shows the parameter being stopped and can be used to reassign the Stop behavior to another parameter. Track This behavior allows you to apply tracking data to a parameter of an effect, such as the center point of the Light Rays filter. For more information on using the Track behavior, see “Motion Tracking” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF.
Link: This parameter appears when you apply the Wriggle behavior to a twodimensional parameter (such as Scale) or three-dimensional parameter (such as Position) that consists of X, Y, and/or Z values. Turn this checkbox on to keep the behavior’s effect on each value proportional. Affect Subobjects: This parameter only appears when the Wriggle behavior is applied to a parameter of the Sequence Replicator behavior. When Affect Subobjects is turned on, each object has a different wriggle behavior.
 For more information about Shape behaviors, see “Using the Shape Behaviors” on page 1064.  For more information about Text behaviors, see “Using Text Animation and Text Sequence Behaviors” on page 648. For more information about the Motion Tracking behaviors, including the Track Parameter behavior, see “Motion Tracking” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF. Retiming Behaviors Retiming behaviors are applied to image sequences, QuickTime movies, and clone layers in order to change their timing.
Frame Range: A slider that defines the range from which the random frames are chosen, based around the current frame. The default value is 10 frames. Duration: A slider that sets the duration of the sequence of random frames. The default value is 1, which means 1 random frame is inserted at a time. When Duration is set to 30, for example, 30-frame sequences (chosen from the Frame Range) are randomly inserted.
Parameters in the Inspector Loop Duration: A slider that sets the duration of the looped frames. The default value is 30 frames. Ping Pong This behavior “ping-pongs” a segment of the clip within the duration of the behavior. The ping-pong’s starting frame is derived from the start frame of the behavior.
Reverse This behavior plays the clip or image sequence in reverse. HUD Control There are no parameters for this behavior. Parameters in the Inspector There are no parameters for this behavior. Reverse Loop This behavior loops a segment of the clip in reverse within the duration of the behavior. If Loop Duration is set to 30 and the behavior begins at frame 1, frames 1-30 are played in reverse, then frames 31-60 are played in reverse, frames 61-90 are played in reverse, and so on.
Important: Scrub does not affect clip audio. Set Speed This behavior allows you to change the speed (playback rate) of a clip. The speed specified in the behavior begins at the behavior’s In point and exists for the duration of the behavior. The clip continues playing at its default speed after the behavior’s Out point.
Parameters in the Inspector Strobe Duration: A slider that sets the number of frames to hold. A value of 1 plays the clip at normal speed. The default value is 5 frames. Stutter This behavior randomly inserts hold frames, of random durations, into the playback of a clip. The effect is similar to a tape that sticks during play in a videocassette recorder. HUD Control The HUD contains the Stutter Amount, Duration Range, and Random Seed parameters.
Important: Several Simulation behavior parameters contain object wells into which target objects used as attractors, repellers, orbiters, and so on, are dragged. Dragging an object to a well may be tricky—be sure to click the object name in the Layers tab and immediately drag the object to the object well (without releasing the mouse button). The behavior must remain active even though you are dragging another object in the Layers tab.
Parameters in the Inspector Affect Subobjects: This parameter appears when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is turned on, all objects within the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is turned off, all objects within the parent object are affected by the behavior together, as if they were a single object.
An object with the Attracted To behavior moves toward a single specified target, the object of attraction. Additional parameters allow you to adjust the area of influence that defines how close an object needs to be to move toward the object of attraction, and how strongly it is attracted.
Falloff Type: A pop-up menu that determines whether the distance defined by the Influence parameter falls off linearly or exponentially. Â Linear: Object attraction falls off in proportion to the object’s distance. Â Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is attracted, and the faster it moves toward the object of attraction. Falloff Rate: This value determines how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off.
By default, objects overshoot the object of attraction and bounce around, never coming to rest. The Drag parameter lets you adjust this behavior, changing whether attracted objects overshoot and bounce around, or whether they eventually slow down and stop at the position of the target object. The Attractor behavior can affect all objects in the Canvas that fall within the area of attraction, or you can limit its effect to a specific list of objects by using the Affect parameter.
Falloff Rate: This value determines how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move toward the object of attraction. A high Falloff Rate causes objects to accelerate much more slowly. When set to Exponential, the attraction falls off more quickly than when set to Linear. Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence in pixels.
Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that allow you to specify the space in which drag is in effect. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object drags in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object drags in the YZ plane. Related Behaviors “Rotational Drag” Drift Attracted To Similar to the Attracted To behavior, but by default an object moves toward the object of attraction and comes to rest, rather than overshooting the object of attraction and bouncing around.
Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence, in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction. Objects that are outside of the area of influence remain in place. Drag: A slider that can be used to reduce the distance attracted objects overshoot the object of attraction. Lower Drag values result in the object overshooting the object of attraction, moving past and then careening back around toward the target object again and again.
 Linear: Object attraction falls off in proportion to the object’s distance.  Exponential: The closer an object is within the area of influence, the more strongly it is attracted, and the faster it moves toward the object of attraction. Falloff Rate: This value determines how quickly the force of attraction between objects affected by this behavior falls off. A low Falloff Rate value results in objects quickly getting up to speed as they move toward the object of attraction.
The angle at which the object bounces depends on the angle at which it hits the edge of the frame; the speed it travels after bouncing is set by the Bounce Strength parameter. Note: Edge Collision has no effect on objects that are larger than the Canvas. Important: By default, the Edge Collision behavior uses the size of the project and the bounding box to determine how the object collides with the edge of the Canvas.
Width: A slider that allows you to define a width (the right and left edges of the Canvas) other than the size of project. By default, Width is set to the project size. Height: A slider that allows you to define a height (the top and bottom edges) other than the size of project. By default, Height is set to the project size. Depth: A slider that allows you to define a depth (the back and front faces, in Z space) for the edge collision. By default, Depth is set to 100 pixels.
Parameters in the Inspector Affect Subobjects: This parameter appears when this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects, such as a group, a particle emitter, a replicator, or a text layer. When this checkbox is turned on, all objects within the parent object are affected individually. When this checkbox is turned off, all objects within the parent object are affected by the behavior together, as if they were a single object.
HUD Control The HUD has an object well you can use to assign an object of attraction, as well as controls for Strength, Falloff Type, Falloff Rate, Influence, Drag, axis and Pole Axis assignment, and Direction. When applied to an object that contains multiple objects (such as a group, particles, text, or the replicator), the Affect Subobjects checkbox also appears in the HUD. This image well defines the object of attraction.
Influence: A slider that defines the radius of the circle of influence in pixels. Objects that fall within the area of influence move toward the object of attraction. Objects that are outside of the area of influence remain in place. Drag: The default value for Orbit Around is 0, which results in a stable orbit. Any other value causes the orbit to decay and the object to spiral into the object of attraction. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that allow you to specify the space in which the orbit occurs.
 X: The following image illustrates Pole Axis set to X. The light gray box represents the boundary of the group.  Y: The following image illustrates Pole Axis set to Y.  Z: The following image illustrates Pole Axis set to Z.
 Random: When Random is selected, the axes shift to a different random position. Direction: A pop-up menu that lets you set whether objects move around in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Related Behaviors “Attracted To,” “Attractor,” “Drift Attracted To,” “Drift Attractor,” “Spring,” “Vortex” Random Motion The Random Motion behavior animates the position of an object and makes that object move around the Canvas along a random path.
You can also use the Random Motion behavior to add variation to the animation paths created by other behaviors that affect an object’s position. For example, adding Random Motion to an object with the Orbit Around behavior results in a more erratic animation path, although it still orbits as before. Shape with Orbit Around behavior Orbit Around behavior modified by Random Motion HUD Control The HUD has controls for the Amount, Frequency, Noisiness, Drag, axis assignment, and Random Seed parameters.
Drag: A slider that controls the speed the object moves along the animation path. While the Amount parameter controls the length of the animation path, the Drag parameter shrinks or enlarges the animation path as a whole. Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that allow you to specify the space in which random motion is in effect. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the motion occurs in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the motion occurs in the YZ plane.
Parameters in the Inspector Affect: A pop-up menu that limits which objects in your project are affected by the Repel behavior. There are three options: Â All Objects: All objects in the Canvas are affected by the Repel behavior. Â Related Objects: The default setting. Only other objects that are within the same group as the repelling object are affected. Â Specific Objects: Only objects appearing in the Affected Objects list are affected by the Repel behavior.
Repel From While the Repel behavior pushes other objects away, the Repel From behavior has the converse effect, making the object it’s applied to move away from a selected object in the Canvas. HUD Control The HUD has an image well you can use to assign an object to move away from, as well as controls for Strength, Falloff Type, Falloff Rate, Influence, axis assignment, and Drag.
Include X, Y, and Z: Buttons that allow you to specify the space in which the object moves away from the selected object. For example, when X and Y are enabled, the object moves in the XY plane; when Y and Z are enabled, the object moves in the YZ plane. Related Behaviors “Repel” Rotational Drag This behavior is similar to the Drag behavior, except that it affects Rotation instead of position.
HUD Control An image well in the HUD lets you set the Attract To object. You can also control the Spring Tension and Relaxed Length parameters and axis assignment. A checkbox lets you turn on the Repel parameter. When this behavior is applied to an object that contains multiple objects (such as a group, particles, text, or the replicator), the Affect Subobjects checkbox also appears in the HUD.
HUD Control The HUD has a pop-up menu that lets you limit the objects affected by this behavior, as well as controls for Strength, Falloff Type, Falloff Rate, Influence, Drag, axis assignment, and Direction. Parameters in the Inspector Affect: A pop-up menu that limits which objects in your project are affected by the Vortex behavior. There are three options: Â All Objects: All objects in the Canvas are affected by the Vortex behavior. Â Related Objects: The default setting.
Pole Axis: This parameter becomes available when the X, Y, and Z axes are enabled in the Include parameter. Because all points are at a fixed distance from the target or attractor object (the Pole Axis), the object can be visualized on a sphere of all possible orbits, with the target object at the center of the sphere. The Pole Axis defines the two points on the sphere that the orbit must pass through. For more information, see this parameter’s discussion in “Orbit Around” on page 470.
When you click the 3D button, the HUD allows you to use the center arrow control to define the direction the object is “blown” by the wind in 3D. The Speed slider (on the left side of the HUD) lets you increase or decrease the velocity of the blown object. Adjusts the direction of the wind in X, Y, and Z. Adjusts velocity of the wind. Note: The maximum speed you can define with the HUD is not the maximum speed possible.
Example 1: Creating an Animated Title In this example, multiple Basic Motion behaviors are used to create elements of a title sequence. The background clip fades in, and graphic objects fade in, spin, grow, and move across the screen. To create animated elements of a title sequence: 1 Arrange the first two graphics layers to determine their position in your composition. If you’d like to follow along, this example uses the “dolphin full.
The HUD title bar reads “Multiple Selection” to indicate you are adjusting two behaviors at the same time. 4 Drag the right shaded ramp all the way to the right, until it’s a nonshaded, vertical edge. This eliminates the fade-out part of the effect, so that the layers remain onscreen for the remainder of their duration. 5 Select the “circleText” layer, click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar, then choose Basic Motion from the pop-up menu and Spin from the submenu.
8 Reposition the duplicated layer in the Canvas, press Shift and drag one of the corner handles to uniformly scale down the layer. 9 With the duplicated layer selected, click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar, then choose Basic Motion from the pop-up menu and Motion Path from the submenu. The layer moves from its original position toward the right and off the Canvas. Use the Motion Path’s Direction parameter to change the direction in which the layer travels over the motion path.
You can also shorten the path by moving its starting point closer to the Canvas. Note: You can change the shape of the motion path by adding points or by selecting a preset shape, such as an ellipse or a rectangle. For more information, see “Motion Path” on page 411. 12 With the duplicated layer selected, click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar, then choose Basic Motion from the pop-up menu and Grow/Shrink from the submenu.
4 Apply the Gravity behavior to the “circles 1” group. Gravity behavior applied to group (not to individual layers of the group) The motion path created by the Gravity behavior appears in the Canvas, and the group of circles falls when you play the project. Because the behavior is applied to the group, all layers in the group fall at the same rate.
When the Edge Collision behavior is applied to a group, and the Affect Subobjects parameter is turned off, the entire group is “bounced” off the bottom of the screen at the anchor point of the group. When the Edge Collision behavior is applied to a group and Affect Subobjects is turned off, the object (group) bounces at the edge of the screen at its anchor point. 3 In the Edge Collision HUD (or Inspector), turn on Affect Subobjects.
Other Simulation behaviors that also use the Affect Subobjects parameter include Align To Motion, Drag, Gravity, Random Motion, and Rotational Drag. Example 3: Using the Orbit Around and Vortex Behaviors The Orbit Around behavior makes an object orbit around another object in a perfect circle. The parameters of the Orbit Around behavior can be modified to create a more interesting animation.
The Orbit Around behavior is applied to the group of circles (“circles 1”) in the project. The center circle in the center of the Canvas is in a separate group from the rest of the layers. When the Orbit Around behavior is first applied, no animation occurs. This is because you must specify the layer that the group will orbit around. 5 Drag an object, in this case the “center circle” layer, from the Layers tab and drop it in the Object well of the Orbit Around HUD or Inspector.
Important: Dragging an object to a well may be tricky—be sure to click the object name in the Layers tab and immediately drag the layer to the Object well (without releasing the mouse button). The behavior must remain active even though you are clicking another object in the Layers tab. If you click the object you want to drag to the Object well and then release the mouse button, that object becomes selected, and the behavior’s parameters are no longer displayed.
To use the Vortex behavior: 1 Using the result of the previous example, delete the Orbit Around behavior from the project. 2 Option-drag the “center circle” layer to the “orangeCircles” group in the Layers list. Note: If you want, rename the copied “center circle” layer. In this example, both layers (original and copied) are named “center circle.” 3 Apply the Vortex behavior to the “center circle” layer in the group above the group of circles.
When All Objects is chosen, all objects in the project—regardless of the group in which they exist—are affected and move around the object to which the Vortex behavior is applied. When All Objects is chosen, all layers in the project swirl around the layer with the applied behavior.
Any layers that are added to the Affected Objects list swirl around the layer to which the Vortex behavior is applied. To affect only Related Objects: 1 In the Layers tab, move the object with the applied Vortex behavior into the group that contains the objects you want to affect. In this case, drag the “center circle” object from Group 1 into the “circles 1” group. 2 In the HUD or Inspector, set the Vortex Affect parameter to Related Objects. The objects in the group circle around the target object.
To create a clock animation: 1 Place the graphics layers constituting the hands, face, and pendulum into the Canvas, arranging them to create the clock. The hands are on top, the face in the middle, and the pendulum should be in the back. By default, the anchor point is located at the center of each object. Prior to adding behaviors to animate these layers, you need to move the anchor points so that the layers move the way they’re supposed to.
The Rate Parameter behavior is applied to the Rotation parameter. 4 In the Behaviors tab, set the Rate parameter to –49. This rotates the minute hand clockwise at a continuous rate. 5 Select the hour hand layer, Control-click its Rotation parameter in the Properties tab, then choose Rate from the shortcut menu. 6 In the Behaviors tab, set the Rate parameter to –4.
When you play the project at this point, you can see that the hour hand and minute hand rotate clockwise at rates replicating the relative movement of real clock hands. ∏ Tip: To make the hands of the clock appear to “tick,” you can apply the Quantize Parameter behavior to the Rotation parameter of the hands and adjust the Step Size to accommodate your animation. Now it’s time to make the pendulum swing. You should have already adjusted its anchor point to be at the top.
This keeps with the overall fast-forward motion of the clock.
Chapter 5 Using Behaviors
Chapter 5 Using Behaviors 501
6 Keyframes and Curves 6 Whether you want to send clips flying around the screen or animate individual filter settings on the fly, keyframes allow you to modify any parameter over time with extreme precision. This chapter discusses how to create and edit keyframes in Motion. Although behaviors are ideal for instantly adding complex motion or effects to an object, keyframes provide additional precision and flexibility. Keyframes ensure that a particular event happens on the exact frame you choose.
Animation in Motion There are several different places in Motion where you can create and edit keyframes and the values between them, which are represented by animation curves. For example, you can animate basic properties such as scale, rotation, and screen position by simply manipulating the object directly in the Canvas when the Record button is enabled. Record button When Record is enabled, a keyframe is created for any parameter that is adjusted.
You can also use the HUD and the Inspector to set and modify values for nearly every option in the application. Any time you adjust a slider or other control, you have the option of locking that change to the current frame, thereby setting a keyframe. From that point on, no matter what else you do, that parameter always finds its way to that specific value when playback reaches that frame. You can also view and modify keyframes in the Timeline by clicking the Show/Hide Keyframes button.
In the Keyframe Editor, you can see and manipulate a graph for every parameter in the application. Again, keyframes appear as diamonds, and the lines (or curves) connecting the keyframes indicate the values for the interpolated frames. Selected keyframe You can filter the parameter list to show only the channels and keyframes that you are interested in. Animating in the Canvas The easiest way to perform basic keyframing is to modify objects directly in the Canvas.
When keyframing (Record) is enabled, the changes that you apply to the object are applied at the current playhead position (viewable in the mini-Timeline at the bottom of the Canvas). A keyframe is automatically added (though no indicator appears). If you move the playhead to a new position and change the shape or position of the object, you create a new keyframe. Motion automatically figures out the shape and position of the object during the frames between the two keyframes you set.
You can also Control-click the object to display a shortcut menu with options for modifying the Pivot, Shear, Drop Shadow, Four Corner, and Crop parameters. For example, choose Transform from the shortcut menu to activate scale and rotation handles in the Canvas. For more information on object transformations in the Canvas, see “Object and Layer Transforms in the Canvas” on page 261.
Note: To view the animation paths of keyframed objects, ensure that Animation Path is selected in the View pop-up menu (in the upper-right corner of the main window, above the Canvas). When the Record button is off, changes you make modify the entire animation globally. For example, if an object is keyframed to fly from the lower left to the center of the screen, dragging the object to the right when the Record button is off moves the entire path to the right.
2 Place the playhead at the starting frame. 3 Place the object in a starting position. 4 Move the playhead forward. 5 Drag the object to the ending position you want. 6 Click the Record button (or press A) to turn off keyframe recording. If you play back your project, the object flies from position one to position two over the interval you set. You can see the path the object travels by turning on the Animation Path setting in the View pop-up menu above the Canvas.
Manipulating Animation Paths When the animation path is displayed, you can directly manipulate the keyframes to reposition them and change the path that the object follows. When dragging a keyframe in the Canvas, the control point number, as well as the X, Y, and Z position values, are displayed in an info window at the pointer position. To add keyframes to an animation path: 1 Option-click the path. A new keyframe point is added. 2 Drag the keyframe point to the new position.
To animate a clip’s opacity: 1 Click the Record button (or press A) to turn on keyframe recording. 2 Place the playhead at the frame where you want to begin the fade. 3 Click the Opacity slider handle in the HUD. Even if you don’t change the slider’s value, clicking it sets a keyframe at that point in time. This way the object remains at its previous opacity from the beginning of the clip until that new keyframe, then begins the interpolation toward the next keyframe.
Animating Filters In addition to making changes to a clip’s basic attributes, keyframing can be used to modify nearly every parameter in the application. When the Record button is activated, any parameter displayed on the HUD becomes keyframeable. For example, as you apply filters to objects, the most important parameters are displayed on the HUD. Using keyframes, you can animate those parameters. In this way, you can create a shot that grows more blurry over time, or animate the width of a bevel effect.
8 Click the Record button (or press A) to turn off keyframe recording. The filter now changes over time to reflect your settings. This same technique can be applied to any parameter in any filter that appears in the HUD. Animating Behaviors In addition to animating filter parameters, you can also animate behaviors. Animating behaviors might appear complicated at first because most of the behaviors are already changing, but combining these features is a powerful way to greatly enhance behaviors’ usefulness.
Combining Behaviors and Keyframes Because it is possible to add keyframes to an object that may already have a behavior (or many behaviors) applied, it is possible that these two methods could conflict. For example, you might apply a Throw behavior toward the upper left, and at the same time add keyframes that instruct the object to move to the right.
Once you get the hang of how it works, you can use this method to enhance and control the effects of behaviors. For example, you could apply a Gravity behavior which causes an object to fall toward the bottom of the frame, but keyframe the object’s position to move across the screen from left to right. In this way, you can create the effect of the object falling as it moves.
5 Click the Inspector tab where the parameter you want to modify is located (filters in this example). 6 Set the parameter to the beginning value. 7 Move the playhead to a new position. 8 In the Inspector, change the parameter to a new value. 9 Click the Record button (or press A) again to disable record. The parameter now changes over time. Animation Menu Animating in the Inspector provides additional options, such as the ability to delete or reset keyframe information.
Enable Animation: This menu item remains unavailable until animation is applied to the parameter either by using the Record button or by directly adding a keyframe. Once the parameter has at least one keyframe set, the menu item is automatically renamed Disable Animation. Choosing Disable Animation at that point effectively hides the keyframes you have set, restoring the parameter to its default value. However, the keyframes are not thrown away.
4 To set another keyframe for the same parameter, move the playhead to the next location and adjust the parameter. A keyframe is automatically added when you change the parameter. To navigate to a keyframe: 1 Click the Animation menu for the parameter containing the keyframe you seek. 2 Choose Previous Keyframe if the desired keyframe is earlier in time than the current time position, or choose Next Keyframe if the desired keyframe is later in time than your current time position.
The Reset Button Each parameter set in the Inspector is equipped with a reset button. A parameter set might be a filter, or it might be a category of effects or transformations, such as Transform, Blending, or other items in the Properties tab. Reset button The reset button removes all keyframes applied to all of the parameters within the set and restores those parameters to their default state. Animating in the Timeline When keyframing, it is often very helpful to view your keyframes over time.
To show keyframes in the Timeline: m Click the Show/Hide Keyframes button. Show/Hide Keyframes button You can identify a keyframe’s value in the shortcut menu. Multiple keyframes on the same frame are all listed in the menu. To display a keyframe’s value: m Control-click the keyframe in the Timeline. A shortcut menu appears. The first items in the list are the keyframe values for any keyframes on that frame. Note: There is no way to add keyframes in the Timeline.
2 Identify the object where the keyframe is located. 3 Drag the keyframe to the left or right to move it forward or backward in time. Although moving a keyframe in time does not change the parameter’s value, it can have a significant effect on the nature of the animation.
Note: Control-clicking a keyframe in the Timeline displays a shortcut menu containing the parameter name and value for each keyframe. If more than one keyframe is at the same point in time, the shortcut menu lists all of them. 5 Drag the keyframe until it lines up with the edge of the object. If you press the Shift key while you drag, the keyframe snaps to the edges of other objects. You can use this same technique to align keyframes from one object to keyframes in another object.
One great way to do this is to use time markers. Simply identify the important frame with a marker and drag the keyframe until it lines up with the marker. Markers create snap points, so pressing Shift while you drag a keyframe makes it snap to markers. To learn more about setting markers, see “Adding Markers” on page 362. To align a keyframe with a marker: 1 Click the Show/Hide Keyframes button in the Timeline. Any keyframes in the project become visible.
Trimming Keyframed Effects When the duration of an effect such as a filter or behavior in the Timeline is changed, keyframes applied to that object are scaled accordingly. This means that an effect keyframed to change over time speeds up or slows down if the object it is applied to is shortened or lengthened. Before After Changing the duration of an object does not modify keyframes applied to attributes in the Properties or Object tab in the Inspector.
You can prevent this automatic resizing by pressing Command while resizing an effect object. This changes the overall duration of the effect, but does not alter the speed at which the effect changes as determined by the keyframes. Pressing Command while you resize an object with effects applied trims the object without trimming the effects. This works the same way as trimming a group without modifying the durations of the component elements.
Viewing the curves for your animated parameters gives you another way to understand how your effect is changing over time. The curves are laid out over a graph where you can compare the curves of different parameters. As you get more familiar with “reading” the graphs, you will learn how and why certain effects feel organic or synthetic.
To display the Keyframe Editor, do one of the following: m If the Timing pane is already visible, click the Keyframe Editor tab in the Timing pane. m Choose Window > Keyframe Editor. m Press Command-8. Parts of the Keyframe Editor The Keyframe Editor is made up of a list of parameters on the left and a multifunctional graph on the right.
Box: Drag a selection box to enclose and manipulate keyframes. Box tool Edit tool (default) Sketch tool The Parameter List Any keyframeable parameters of your selected items can be displayed in the list on the left side of the Keyframe Editor tab. This includes object properties, filters, and behaviors. By selecting multiple items in the Layers tab or Timeline, you can compare parameters across multiple objects.
 Reset Parameter: Removes all keyframes and settings for this parameter. The parameter value is reset to its default value.  Add Keyframe: Adds a keyframe at the current frame in the mini-Timeline. If the playhead is positioned on a frame where a keyframe has already been added, this command is unavailable. Note: As mentioned in the Animation menu section, you can use a keyboard shortcut to quickly add a keyframe by pressing Control-K.
 Reduce Keyframes: Applies a thinning algorithm to the keyframes for the chosen parameter. This reduces the number of keyframes in a parameter while attempting to maintain a similar shape to the curve. The thinning algorithm can be adjusted in two ways. Increasing the Maximum Error Tolerance results in fewer keyframes. Increasing the Smoothing Factor makes smoother curves between keyframe values.
By default, only the animated parameters are active in the graph. Turn individual parameters on and off by clicking the checkbox to show or hide them in the graph. You can choose to display all parameters associated with a particular group or object by checking or unchecking the checkbox for that group or object. Alternatively, you can elect to view only the parameters that are currently animated— in other words, parameters that already contain one or more keyframes.
To view only the Position parameters for a selected object, do one of the following: m Choose Position from the Show pop-up menu. m With the Keyframe Editor active, press P. The Position parameters for the selected object are displayed. To view only the Rotation parameters for a selected object, do one of the following: m Choose Rotation from the Show pop-up menu. m With the Keyframe Editor active, press R. The Rotation parameters for the selected object are displayed.
Once your set has been created, you can choose it from the Show pop-up menu. To add parameters to a custom parameter set, do one of the following: m Drag the parameter from any of the tabs in the Inspector directly into the Keyframe Editor. m Click the Animation menu for that parameter, then choose Show in Keyframe Editor. The parameter is added to the custom curve set.
m With the Keyframe Editor active, hold down the Shift key and press one of the keyboard shortcuts for the built-in relative curve sets. Note: If you press the same relative curve set keyboard shortcut more than once sequentially, you create a new custom curve set with a new name each time. To delete parameters from a custom set: m Drag the parameter out of the list. It disappears with a “poof.” To delete all parameters from a custom set: m Click the “Clear curve list” button.
To duplicate a custom parameter set: 1 Choose Manage Curve Sets from the Show pop-up menu. The Manage Curve Sets dialog appears. 2 Select the name of the set you want to duplicate. 3 Click the Duplicate button at the top of the dialog. The set is duplicated. 4 Double-click the set name in the list, then type a new name for the set. 5 Click Done to close the dialog. The new set now appears in the Show pop-up menu.
Although you can save animation curves into the Content category, it is generally recommended that you save items that you use frequently in the Favorites category— some Motion Library categories contain so many items that utilizing the Favorites or Favorites Menu categories may save you search time. Within the Favorites category, you can create additional folders to assist you in better arranging your custom items. You can also create new folders in existing categories.
Note: When you Control-click an animation curve icon in the Library stack, the Edit Description shortcut menu item becomes available. This is a handy tool that allows you to enter custom notes about an item saved in the Library. Once you choose Edit Description, enter your notes in the text field, then click OK.
Important: If you leave the Keyframe Editor, or load a different set of curves into the Keyframe Editor, curve snapshots are taken again, replacing the previous curve snapshots. Using the Edit Tool To use the following set of instructions, first select the Edit tool from the Keyframe tools in the Keyframe Editor. To change the value of a keyframe, do one of the following: m Click the keyframe you want to modify, then drag the keyframe along the Y axis (up and down) to change its value.
This changes the value of the keyframe along the Y axis (up and down). Note: To get out of an active value field without making any changes, press Esc. m Drag in the value slider in the parameter list. Â Â Â Â Drag to the right to increase the value of the keyframe along the Y axis. Drag to the left to decrease the value of the keyframe along the Y axis. Press Shift while dragging to change the value in increments of 10. Press Option while dragging to change the value in increments of .01.
Controlling Keyframes In addition to deleting keyframes, you can lock or disable them. Also, there are special settings in the shortcut menu for keyframes that you can apply to control the shape of your curve. For more information, see “Modifying Curves” on page 545. To lock or disable a keyframe: m Control-click the keyframe you want to modify, then choose Lock or Disable from the shortcut menu. Lock: Prevents any further modification to that keyframe.
m Shift-click the keyframes you want to select. If only the curve (and not the keyframes) appear white, the keyframes are not selected. Selected keyframes appear white. Once you have the keyframes selected, you can cut or copy them to move them to the Clipboard. To copy selected keyframes: m Choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). To cut selected keyframes: m Choose Edit > Cut (or press Command-X).
Note: Pasted keyframes may not make an identical-looking curve to the original if the parameter scales are different. To select an entire animation curve, do one of the following: m Select a parameter row in the parameter list of the Keyframe Editor. m Shift-click or Control-click in the parameters list to select multiple parameters. Once you have the keyframed parameters selected, you can cut or copy them to move them to the Clipboard.
Dragging or clicking anywhere in the Keyframe Editor replaces existing keyframes. Parameter and sketch tool selected Drag in the graph to create a new keyframes for selected parameter. Curve of new keyframes created added to existing animation curve. To add individual keyframes using the Sketch tool: 1 Select the Sketch tool from the Keyframe tools set. 2 In the parameter list, select the parameter you wish to sketch. 3 Click in the keyframe graph to add a keyframe.
Once you have drawn a selection box, there are a number of ways to manipulate the box and keyframes therein. In general, you can drag any of the handles of the selection box to move them. Transforming Keyframes Repositioning the handles of the selection box is the same as dragging the handles of a bounding box of any object. The difference in this case is that the transforms done by moving these handles affect not only the box itself, but the keyframes enclosed therein.
When you set the interpolation for a curve, you select the keyframe you want to modify. The method you choose determines the distribution of values through, into, or out of the selected keyframe. To set an interpolation method for a keyframe: 1 Select the keyframe you want to affect. The keyframe turns white. 2 Control-click the keyframe to display the shortcut menu. 3 Choose an interpolation method from the Interpolation submenu.
When different interpolation methods are applied to the different segments of an animation curve, the methods that are used in the curve appear with a dash next to their name in the Interpolation submenu (in the Keyframe Editor parameter list). In the following image, all interpolation methods are applied to the selected curve. The different interpolation methods are described in the table below.
Interpolation method Example Description Ease In A type of reverse-inertia effect, so that a value change slows coming into a keyframe. When applied to a curve segment, the value change eases into the segment. Ease Out Creates a typical inertia-like lag, so that a value change begins more slowly coming out of a keyframe. When applied to a curve segment, the value change eases out of the segment.
The selected interpolation method (Constant in this example) is applied to the entire curve. To change the interpolation method for multiple parameters: 1 In the parameter list of the Keyframe Editor, Shift-click to select the parameters you wish to change. 2 Click the Animation menu (in the Keyframe Editor) and choose a method from the Interpolation submenu. The selected interpolation method is applied to all of the selected curves.
Bezier handles appear and your mouse movement automatically controls one of the handles. Note: Command-clicking a Bezier point resets it to Linear interpolation. To simultaneously modify the handles for more than one control point, Shift-click to select multiple points, then adjust the tangents. If there are no tangents on the point, drag it while holding down the Command key. To break a handle: m While holding down the Option key, drag the handle.
To apply the Before First Keyframe for a parameter: m In the Keyframe Editor, open the Animation menu for the parameter you want to change, then choose an item from Before First Keyframe submenu. To apply the After Last Keyframe setting for a parameter: m In the Keyframe Editor, open the Animation menu for the parameter you want to change, then choose an item from After Last Keyframe submenu.
Extrapolation method Example Description Repeat Duplicates the curve, applying it again and again. Progressive Extends the curve by repeating the existing shape of the curve, but rather than returning to the exact same values, it begins again from the existing end value. Generate Keyframes Ordinarily the extrapolation occurs without actually creating any new keyframes. This lets you experiment with different methods.
To convert extrapolation data into keyframes: 1 In the Animation menu, choose Generate Keyframes from the Before First Keyframe or After Last Keyframe submenu. The Generate Keyframes dialog appears. 2 Choose the number of cycles you want to be keyframed. 3 Click OK to confirm your selection. Control Buttons In the Keyframe Editor, several buttons provide additional control over the Keyframe Editor window: Snapping, “Show audio waveform,” and “Fit visible curves in window.
Show audio waveform: Turns on display of the audio waveforms for the selected item in the background of the graph. This lets you line up an effect to take place at the same time as an event that occurs in the audio. “Show audio waveform” enabled Note: If there are multiple audio tracks in the project, a pop-up menu at the bottom of the Keyframe Editor allows you to view the waveform of any individual audio track in the project, or the master track.
When you click this button, Motion automatically rescales the graph both vertically and horizontally so that your curve is entirely visible. “Fit visible curves in window” button The values of your keyframes are not changed. Auto-scale vertically: Click the “Auto-scale vertically” button (the magnifying glass in the upper-right corner of the Keyframe Editor) to stretch the graph to fit all of the curves currently in view.
Two Particle behaviors—Scale Over Life and Spin Over Life—have mini-curve editors in the Inspector (when the Increment Type parameter is set to Custom.) Mini-curve editors are also present for paint objects, in the Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector. By default, the mini-curve editor is collapsed and shows a scaled-down representation of the actual animation curve. Collapsed mini-curve editor To expand a mini-curve editor: m Click the disclosure triangle next to the collapsed mini-curve editor.
To add keyframes in the mini-curve editor, do one of the following: m Click the curve in the mini-curve editor. m Double-click the curve in the mini-curve editor to add a keyframe and activate its value field. m Option-click the curve, then choose Add Keyframe from the shortcut menu. The mini-curve editor provides the Edit, Sketch, and Box tools, and each functions in the same manner as it does in the Keyframe Editor. For more information on using the Edit tool, see “Using the Edit Tool” on page 539.
Because so many of Motion’s effects are displayed in real time, you can perform a sort of “visual mix” and modify the various parameters of your effects while the project is playing back. For example, it is not until you see the various elements in your project in concert that you can know whether each part is behaving as it should. One object may be fading too slowly and making another element hard to see, or a text element might come and go so quickly that it cannot be read.
m Select the keyframe, then choose Delete from the Animation menu for that parameter. Note: To delete all of the keyframes for a parameter, choose Reset Parameter from the Animation menu in the Keyframe Editor list or Inspector. Handmade Motion in the Canvas One of the most common uses for animating on the fly is to create handmade animation paths. Although you can choose from a variety of curve types, it is very difficult to get the semi-random movement except by sketching with your mouse or pen.
In many cases, the curve created by your animation can be represented using fewer keyframes. Often, this will provide a smoother rate of change and will enable you to take advantage of the various interpolation methods such as Ease In and Ease Out. You can simplify your keyframes in two ways: either while you are recording them, or afterwards, by simplifying an existing animation curve. For more information about simplifying keyframes after recording using the Reducing Keyframes command, see page 531.
To set the Keyframe Thinning setting: 1 Select Off, Reduced, or Peaks Only. 2 Click OK. Off: No thinning is applied. Keyframes are applied at every frame where the parameter is changed. Reduced: Motion eliminates keyframes that can easily be replaced with a simple curve. Peaks Only: Only keyframes with dramatic value changes are recorded. Disabling Animation While Playing If you leave the Record button on, keyframes are added whenever you make adjustments.
To disable animation recording while playing: 1 Choose Mark > Recording Options. The Recording Options dialog appears. 2 Turn on “Don’t Record keyframes during playback.” 3 Click OK. Recording Keyframes on Animated Parameters Only When “Record keyframes on animated parameters only” is turned on, keyframes are added only to parameters that are already animated.
5 Choose Mark > Recording Options, and turn on “Record keyframes on animated parameters only” in the Recording Options dialog, then click OK. 6 Go to a frame in between the two position keyframes, and move the shape in the Canvas. A third position keyframe is added. 7 At frame 1 (press the Home key), click the Fill color well in the shape’s HUD, then change the color of the object. Fill color well 8 Advance to a different frame, then change the color object again.
7 Using Text 7 Text, one of the most essential motion graphics elements, is more powerfully customizable than ever in Motion. In motion graphics, typography communicates much more than just basic information—titles, dates, and tag lines. Visual and kinetic type on the screen can also provoke an immediate and often powerful emotional response. A title sequence can set the mood of the film it introduces. A specific combination of text and animation can instantly identify a broadcast network.
Using Text in Motion Motion lets you add text to your project directly in the Canvas—select the Text tool, click in the Canvas, then start typing. Once text is created, you can edit it in the Canvas or in the Text editor in the Inspector. Text can be animated using behaviors or keyframes. Text has two special behavior categories: Text Animation and Text Sequence behaviors. These behaviors animate text by generating a range of values in the text parameters specific to titling effects.
After you create the desired text treatment—a customized text behavior or a text style with the perfect gradient colors and glow—you can save the behavior or style in the Library for use on other text or in a future project. Customized text style saved in the Library You can apply filters to text, as well as change and animate text properties such as position, blend modes, and drop shadows. The stacking order of text can be easily changed in the Layers tab or Timeline.
Note: If you have Final Cut Pro with LiveType installed on your computer, all LiveFonts appear in the Motion Library. Using Text as Particle and Replicator Source Objects Text layers can be used as source cells for particle emitters and replicators to quickly create stunning graphics. If you later modify the source text, Motion automatically updates the replicator and particle system.
 To create text at the start of the project, select “Start of project.” This means that all text is created at the beginning of the project by default, regardless of the playhead location. Create Layers At options Working with Text In Motion, you create text directly in the Canvas using the Text tool. Once text is added to your project, you can easily apply filters to the text, or animate the text using behaviors or keyframes.
3 Click in the Canvas. The cursor flashes in the Canvas at the insertion point. Before you enter any text, empty text layer is added to the project and the Text HUD appears. Empty text layer Footage provided courtesy of National Geographic Television and Film Library 4 Type the text you want. The text appears in the Canvas, the Layers tab, and the Timeline. Note: By default, the text Layout Method is set to Type.
Text as a Layer Once created, text becomes a layer. Because text layers share most of the characteristics of other layers in Motion, you can use the transform tools—Select/ Transform, Anchor Point, Shear, Drop Shadow, Four Corner, and Crop—to transform a selected text layer when the Flatten checkbox is turned on in the Layout pane of the Text Inspector. These onscreen tools are shortcuts to the layer controls in the Properties tab of the Inspector.
Note: If no HUD is present when the text is selected, press F7 or D to display the text HUD. Typeface pop-up menu Family pop-up menu When a text layer and the Adjust 3D Transform tool (in the Toolbar) are selected, the 3D transform tools become available in the HUD. These additional controls allow you to transform the text object in X, Y, and Z dimensions, regardless of whether the group is 2D or 3D.
Note: The Properties tab also contains controls to change the blend mode of the text. When you change the blend mode of text in the Text HUD, the blend mode is also changed in the Properties tab and vice versa. Family: By default, the text font family is set to Geneva (if installed on your system). To change the font of the selected text, choose a font from the pop-up menu. Once a font is selected, new text is created using the last selected font.
Note: The text Size sliders (in the HUD and in the Inspector) are limited to 288 points. To set the text to a larger point size, type a number in the Size field in the Format pane of the Text Inspector. Text Size field Tracking: Tracking applies a uniform value between each text character. Tracking is set to 0 by default. To change the tracking value of text, drag the Tracking slider left (for a negative tracking value) or right (for a positive tracking value).
 Click the “i” button on the HUD.  Press Command-3. The Inspector contains all text parameters divided into three panes: Format, Style, and Paragraph. For more information, see “Editing Text in the Inspector” on page 584. Adding Behaviors and Filters to Text Behaviors and filters are applied to text in the same manner as they are to other layers in Motion. This section provides a quick start to applying behaviors and filters to text.
Using the HUDs You can display a HUD for any object in Motion. To display a HUD, select the object (group, layer, filter, behavior, camera, and so on) then press F7 (or D). The HUD represents the currently selected item. The parameters contained in a HUD depend on the type of item selected. For example, a text HUD displays text-specific parameters, such as Typeface and Line Spacing. A particle emitter HUD displays particle-specific controls, such as Birth Rate, Life, and Scale.
To preview a font in the Library: 1 In the Library, click the Fonts category. 2 Click the font subcategory you want to preview. Note: The first subcategory, All Fonts, contains all fonts from the other subcategories. If you are in list view, the font list appears in the stack. If you are in icon view, the font thumbnails appear in the stack. In the images on the following pages, icon view is selected. Icon view List view 3 In the stack, click a font thumbnail or name.
Changing Fonts There are two ways to use the Library to change the font of text in the Canvas. The first method is to drag a font to the text object in the Canvas. The second method is to select text, select a typeface in the Library, then click the Apply button in the Preview area. To change the font by dragging: 1 In the Library, click the Fonts category and then the font subcategory. 2 Drag a font from the stack onto the text in the Canvas.
4 In the Preview area, click Apply. Apply button The text is changed to the selected font. Navigating the Font List To quickly locate a font by its name in the font stack, you can type the first few letters of the font name. To select a font by typing the first few letters of its name: 1 Click a font name or thumbnail in the font stack. 2 Quickly type the first two letters of the font name.
Text Tool and the Toolbar The Text tool is located in the Toolbar above the Canvas in the Create tool set. Note: To customize the Toolbar layout, Control-click in the Toolbar area, then choose Customize Toolbar from the shortcut menu. For more information on the tools and the Toolbar, see “Toolbar” on page 29. Select/Transform tool Text tool Text tool: Use this tool to create text. Click the Text tool, then click in the Canvas and begin typing.
To adjust margin size without scaling the text, do one of the following: m With the Text tool selected, drag one of the scale handles on the text bounding box. With the Text tool, drag a bounding box scale handle. m In the Text Inspector, click the Layout pane and adjust the Left, Right, Top, or Bottom Margin values.
To select text characters, do one of the following: m Select the Text tool, then drag the text you want to select. m Click in between two characters, press Shift, then press the Right Arrow key to select characters to the right of the insertion point to the selection, or press the Left Arrow to select characters to the left of the insertion point to the selection. m Click the Select/Transform tool, then double-click the text.
3 Click in the Text editor and begin typing. Text editor Note: Because the default text Layout Method is set to Type, when text is entered in the Text editor, there are no set margins, and the text continues in one line unless you manually enter a line break. For more information on text layout, see “Editing Text Layout” on page 629. You can also edit existing text in the Text editor, including using the Mac OS X spelling feature.
To use the spelling feature in the Text editor, do one of the following: m Click in the Text editor, then choose an option from the Edit > Spelling submenu. m Control-click in the Text editor, then choose an item from the shortcut menu. Note: The spelling feature is not available when working with text in the Canvas. Editing Text in the Inspector All text controls are located in the Text tab of the Inspector. The Text tab is divided into three panes: Format, Style, and Layout.
To reset a group of parameters, such as the text Face controls or the Sequence controls of a text behavior, click the reset button in the Inspector. To reset a single parameter within a group, click the Animation menu, then choose Reset Parameter. Reset button Editing Text Format The Text Format pane contains the controls for text basics such as font, typeface, size, kerning, and character rotation. Many of the Format parameters can be animated (keyframed).
Text Format Controls This section describes the text Format parameters. Of the following Format parameters, Family, Typeface, Size, and Tracking also appear in the Text HUD. Font Type: This parameter provides two methods for font filtering and selection: Â Make a choice from the pop-up menu (set to System Fonts by default) to filter which fonts appear in the Collection and Family lists (see below). You can choose to show System Fonts or LiveFonts (LiveType).
The font family list appears. Font Family list arrow 3 Drag the pointer in the font list up or down to preview fonts. As you drag through the font family list, the text changes in the Canvas to the currently selected font. 4 Once you have chosen a font, release the mouse button. Note: You can also use the scroll bar to move up and down the font list, or the wheel of a three-button mouse. Typeface: Sets the type style, such as Bold, Condensed, and so on.
Tracking: Determines the spacing between the text characters. Tracking applies a uniform value between each character. Kerning: Adjusts the spacing between individual characters of text. To kern the individual text characters: 1 Click the Text tool (or press T). 2 In the Canvas, position the insertion point (click the mouse button) in between the characters you want to kern, and do one of the following: Â Use the Kerning slider or value field to set a specific kerning value.
Scale: Scales the text characters either proportionately in X space or Y space. To scale in only X or only Y, click the disclosure triangle to enter separate X and Y scale values. In the following image, the text X Scale is set to 50%, and the Y Scale is set to 100%. Scale parameter disclosure triangle Offset: Offsets the text from its original position (anchor point).
Publish To FCP: When using a Motion project as a template in Final Cut Pro, turn on this checkbox to allow editing of certain text parameters from within Final Cut Pro. The editable parameters include the following:  text string (text characters can be modified)  text size  text tracking Editing Text Style Use the Text Style pane to specify the text fill and to adjust its opacity and softness. Text can be a solid color, an image, or a color gradient.
Color: Sets the text fill color. Click the Color disclosure triangle to adjust the individual Red, Green, and Blue color channels for the text. Opacity: Sets the text opacity, regardless of the selected fill option (Color, Gradient, or Texture). Blur: Sets the softness of the text, regardless of the selected fill option. Changing the Text Color You can change text color using the Colors window, the color well in the text HUD, or the color well in the Style pane of the Text Inspector.
To set the text color in the Inspector: 1 Select the text. 2 In the Inspector (press Command-3), click the Text tab. 3 Click Style. 4 In the “Fill with” pop-up menu, ensure that Color is selected. 5 Do one of the following:  Click the color well, then use the Colors window to set the text color. Color well  Click the arrow button to the right of the color well (or Control-click the color well) then click in the pop-up color palette to select a color.
Applying a Gradient to Text In the Inspector, you can apply a gradient fill to a text. The gradient can be customized and animated using the Gradient editor. Note: The text gradient controls are nearly equivalent to the gradient controls for shapes, particles, and replicators, with a few parameter exceptions. For example, the text gradient controls include a dial to specify the direction of a linear gradient.
In the Canvas, the default gradient is applied to the selected text. Applying a Preset Gradient to Text There are two ways to apply a preset (or saved) gradient from the Library to text. The first method is to use the Gradient preset pop-up menu in the Text Inspector. The second method is to drag a gradient from the Library to text. To apply a preset gradient in the Text Inspector: 1 Make sure a gradient is applied to the text to which you want to apply a preset gradient.
The selected gradient is applied to the text. To apply a preset gradient from the Library: 1 In the Library, click the Gradients category. 2 In the stack, select a gradient. A preview of the selected gradient appears in the Preview area.
3 Do one of the following: Â Drag the gradient to the text in the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline. Â Make sure the text is selected, then click Apply in the Preview area. After the preset gradient is applied to text, the preset can be edited with the Gradient editor. Using the Gradient Editor Use the Gradient editor to change the color, color position, number of colors, opacity, direction, and interpolation of a gradient. The color and opacity of a gradient can be animated.
 Linear: Creates a uniform distribution of opacity or color between the tags.  Continuous: The opacity or color changes gradually between color or opacity tags. Location: Sets the location of the selected gradient color or opacity tag, or spread control. Type: This pop-up menu allows you to choose a linear or radial gradient.  Linear: Creates a linear gradient.  Radial: Creates a radial gradient. Angle: Available when Type is set to Linear, this dial/value slider changes the angle of the gradient.
To change gradient colors: 1 Click the Gradient disclosure triangle to show the Gradient editor. Gradient disclosure triangle Gradient editor controls 2 To change the color of a color tag, do one of the following: Â Double-click a color tag. Color tag The Colors window appears. Use the Colors window to set a new color for the tag. Â Click a color tag to enable the Color controls for the selected color, then click the Color well. The Colors window appears.
 Click a color tag, and then use the individual Red, Green, or Blue color channel sliders. Dark blue color tag is selected.  Click a color tag, and then click the arrow button next to the Color well to display the pop-up color palette. Click in the palette to select a new color. Click in the lower palette to set the tag to a grayscale color. Displays original color Displays new color Click here to select a grayscale color.
2 Do one of the following:  Drag the tag left or right. Drag the color tag to change position of the color. Location slider  In the Location parameter, use the slider or value slider to enter a specific value. A value of 100% is the rightmost position of the gradient, and a value of 0% is the leftmost position of the gradient. To change the spread of the gradient color or opacity: m Drag the small triangle (the spread control) between the color or opacity tags to change the location of the spread.
A new color tag is added to the gradient. Click in the lower color bar to add a color. New color tag Note: Although the colors and opacity of a gradient can be animated, the number of color and opacity tags cannot. To add an opacity tag: m Position the pointer in the opacity bar where you want to add the new tag, then click. A new opacity tag is added to the gradient. New opacity tag opacity bar Until the value is adjusted, the gradient opacity is 100%.
The opacity controls are enabled. Selected opacity tag Opacity controls 2 Use the slider or value slider to change the value of the selected opacity tag. The lower the percentage of the opacity, the greater the transparency. The gradient opacity is applied to the area of a gradient, not to a specific color tag. The gradient transparency reflects the new opacity values. In the following image, Opacity is set to 0% at the right side of the gradient (the light pink color), so the color fades out.
The tags are reversed. To evenly distribute the gradient color or opacity tags: m Click the Distribute Tags icon next to the opacity or color bar. Distribute Tags icon (opacity) Distribute Tags icon (color) Saving Gradient Presets As with text styles, once you have created a gradient, you can save it to the Library. For more information on the Library text styles, see “Using and Creating Text Styles” on page 622. To save a gradient to the Library: 1 Select the text with the gradient you want to save.
The custom gradient appears in the Gradients category in the Library. Custom presets can be identified in the Library by the small user icon that appears in the lower-right corner of the larger gradient icon. The new gradient also appears in the Gradient preset pop-up menu.
Like the preset gradients, a preview of the gradient appears in the Preview area when the gradient is selected in the stack. Applying Parameter Behaviors to Gradients To create unique gradient effects, you can apply Parameter behaviors to gradient parameters such as Opacity, Location, Angle, and Color. This is accomplished in the same manner as applying a Parameter behavior to any other parameter in Motion.
Note: The Parameter behavior can be applied to any parameter that appears in the Apply To ("Go") pop-up menu. 5 Click the Play button (or press the Space bar). 6 In the Randomize parameters, do the following: Â Increase the Amount slider to approximately .5. Â Decrease the Frequency to approximately 5 so the color changes occur less often. Â Set Noisiness to 0 so the color changes are smoother.
5 Click the Texture disclosure triangle. Image well By default, no texture is applied to the text. 6 In the Layers or Media tab (of the Project pane), drag the image you want to use for the texture to the Image well. The image appears in the well and is applied to the text. When text is filled with an image, the texture is applied to each text character.
2 In the Layers or Media tab, drag the image you want to use to replace the existing texture to the Image well. The new image appears in the well and is applied to the text. Note: When an image (or a movie clip) is replaced in the Layers tab or Media tab, and that image is used as a texture source, the texture for the text is replaced with the new image. To remove a texture, do one of the following: m Click the Texture parameter reset button.
Editing a Texture If you are using an image sequence or movie as the text’s texture source, you can specify the start frame for the texture, or choose to hold a single frame for the texture. You can also adjust the position of a texture that is applied to text so that it is offset in the text, but not repositioned in your project. If an image used as a texture is cut off, you can specify the edge behavior of the texture. Use the slider or value slider to set a start frame.
 Mirror: Beyond the edge of the source image, the texture source is reflected like in a mirror—duplicated, tiled, and alternately reversed to encompass the full width and height of the text. Animating a Texture You can set keyframes for the offset values of the texture source to create a moving element within text. In the following example, an image of a leopard lying in the grass is used as the texture source for the text “leopard.
4 To position the texture, do one of the following: Â Press Command, then drag in the Image well. Â Use the Offset sliders or value sliders to enter an offset value. The image within the text moves, and a keyframe is created in the Offset parameters. Text layer with texture applied 5 Go to the next frame where you want to set a keyframe. 6 Move the texture to the new position.
7 Go to frame 1 (or the start frame of your animation) and play the clip. The texture offset is animated. 8 Disable Record. Note: You can also use the Animation menu in the Inspector to manually set keyframes without enabling Record. For more information, see “Keyframes and Curves” on page 503.
To use text to mask an image: 1 In the Layers tab or Canvas, select the layer you want to use as the texture. Selected image to be masked by text layer Artwork courtesy of Adam Cetorelli, ©2005 2 Choose Object > Add Image Mask (or press Shift-Command-M). A blank image mask layer is added to the image. 3 Drag the text that you want to use as a mask to one of the following: Â The Mask Source well in the Image Mask HUD.
The text masks the image. For more information, see “Using Shapes and Masks” on page 997. Changing Text Opacity Use the Opacity slider or value field in the HUD or in the Inspector to adjust the opacity of text. To set the text opacity in the HUD: 1 Select the text. 2 Press F7 (or D) to display the HUD. The opacity controls are located at the top of the HUD. 3 Drag the Opacity slider. The text opacity is dynamically updated as you drag the slider. To set the opacity in the Inspector: 1 Select the text.
3 Open the Style pane. 4 In the Face controls, drag the Opacity slider or enter an opacity value in the field. Note: Because a text layer is like other layers in Motion, you can also adjust its opacity in the Properties tab. Setting the Opacity value in the Properties tab and setting the Opacity value in the Style pane are separate controls that have multiplicative effects.
Resetting the Text Face Controls You can reset the text to its original fill, opacity, and blur using the Inspector. To reset the text face parameters: Click the reset button in the Face parameter row. Reset button Text Outline Controls Use the Outline controls in the Style pane to create text outlines. You can change the fill of the outline, as well as its opacity, softness, width, and layer order. With the exception of Layer Order, all of the Outline parameters can be animated.
Adding a Text Outline To create a text outline, turn on Outline in the Style pane of the Text Inspector. To create an outline for text: 1 Select the text. 2 In the Inspector, click the Text tab. 3 Open the Style pane. 4 In the Outline controls, turn on the Outline checkbox. The default outline color is red, with a width of one point. Note: You can display the outline only of text by turning off the Face parameters.
To reset the text outline parameters: m Click the reset button in the Outline parameter row. Text Glow Controls Use the Glow controls to create a glow in front of or behind text. With the exception of Layer Order, all of the Glow parameters can be animated. Glow: A checkbox that enables and disables the text glow effect. Glow is disabled by default. Fill with: Choose and item from the “Fill with” pop-up menu to set the fill for the glow.
4 Turn on the Glow checkbox. The default glow is yellow, with Scale and Opacity set to 100%, and Radius set to 1. Note: You can display just the text glow by turning off the Face parameter (and any other active parameters). Editing Text Glow Use the Glow controls to soften the opacity or blur of the text glow, to change the size of the glow, or to set and edit the fill of a glow. To change the color of the glow: m Click the color well and select a color from the Colors window.
Note: The Glow “Fill with” options—Color, Gradient, and Texture—are equivalent to the controls for the Face parameters. For information on using these controls, see “Text Face Controls” on page 590. To reset the text glow parameters: m Click the reset button in the Glow parameter row. Text Drop Shadow Controls Use the Drop Shadow controls to create a drop shadow on text, and to adjust the shadow color, opacity, offset from the text layer, softness, and angle.
Adding a Drop Shadow To create a text drop shadow, turn on the Drop Shadow parameter in the Style pane of the Text Inspector. To add a drop shadow: 1 Select the text. 2 In the Inspector, click the Text tab. 3 Open the Style pane. 4 In the Drop Shadow parameters, turn on the Drop Shadow checkbox. The default black drop shadow is applied to the text. Adjusting the Drop Shadow Parameters Use the Drop Shadow controls to change the color or opacity of the shadow and to adjust the softness of the shadow.
To change the angle of the shadow from the text: m Drag the Angle dial in a circular motion or use the value slider. Note: The Shadow “Fill with” options—Color, Gradient, and Texture—are equivalent to the controls for the Face parameters. To reset the text drop shadow parameters: m Click the reset button in the Drop Shadow parameter row. Using and Creating Text Styles The Motion Library contains a set of preset text styles that you can easily apply to text in your project.
To apply a text style from the Library: 1 In the Library (press Command-2), select the Text Styles category. 2 Select a style from the stack. A preview of the style is displayed in the Preview area. 3 Do one of the following: Â Select the text to which you want to apply the style, then click the Apply button in the Preview area. Â Drag the style from the stack to the text in the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline.
The text style is applied to the text. To apply a text style from the Text Inspector: 1 Select the text to which you want to apply a style. 2 In the Style pane of the Text Inspector, choose an item from the Style Preset pop-up menu. Style Preset pop-up menu The text style is applied to the text. Resetting Text Style Use the reset button in the Inspector to reset the text style controls to the default parameter settings.
To reset the all text style parameters: m Click the reset button in the Style Preset parameter row. Saving a Custom Text Style Once you have modified parameters in the Style pane (such as Gradient or Glow) or Format pane (such as Tracking or Slant), you can save the style that you have created to the Text Styles category in the Library. These custom styles can then be used and applied just like the preset styles.
The custom preset is saved to the Text Styles category in the Library. Custom presets can be identified in the Library by the small user icon that appears in the lower-right corner of the larger text style icon. Customized text style saved in Library About Rasterization and Groups Some operations, as well the application of certain filters or a mask, cause a group to become rasterized. When a group is rasterized, it is converted into a bitmap image.
Rasterization affects 2D and 3D groups in different ways. When a 2D group is rasterized, the blend modes on objects within the group no longer interact with objects outside of the group. In the following illustrations, the nonrasterized 2D group that contains the text is set to the Add blend mode. The text interacts with the object beneath it in the layer stack. The titles groups is not rasterized. The text and upper leopard image blend modes interact with the group beneath it in the project.
In addition, when a 3D group is rasterized, the group as a whole can no longer intersect with objects outside of the group. The rasterized 3D group is treated as a single object and uses layer order, rather than depth order, to composite the project. Note: When a group is rasterized, cameras and lights in the project still interact with objects within the rasterized group.
 A small frame appears around the icon for the rasterized 2D group, 3D group, emitter, replicator, or text layer (to the left of the group name) in the Layers tab and Timeline layers list. Rasterization frame Editing Text Layout The Text Layout pane contains controls for type layout, such as alignment, justification, and line spacing. You can also create a “typewriter” effect using the Type On parameter in the Layout pane, or set text on a path.
Text Layout Controls Use the Text Layout controls to specify general arrangement of your text. These controls allow you to make text flow in a single line, in a paragraph with set margins, or on a path. Layout Method: Specifies whether the text layout is set to Type, Paragraph, or Path. The default Layout Method is Type, which creates a single line of text. Alignment: Sets the alignment of the lines of text. The alignment choices are Left, Center, and Right.
Once Flatten is turned on, the text characters no longer move in 3D space. Flattened text image only exists in X and Y. It can only interact with other objects as a flat card. Note: When a text layer that is rotated in Z space is flattened, the text that is further away from the camera (further away in Z) appears smaller. For more information, see “3D Compositing” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF.
Note: Because text characters are 2D (flat) objects, the text may not be visible when you use the orthogonal camera views, such as Left, Right, and Top (unless the text layer or characters are rotated in 3D space). This is because orthogonal views are at right angles (perpendicular) to objects in the Canvas. For more information on using cameras, see “3D Compositing” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF.
Fade In: When turned on, fades the text characters on or off. When turned off, the text characters pop on as they appear. Example: Creating a Type-On Effect In this example, text is set to type on from right to left. To create a type on effect: 1 Select the text. 2 Go to the frame where you want the animation to begin. 3 Enable Record. Record button 4 In the Layout pane, set the End value of the Type On parameters to 0. The text disappears (is “typed off”).
The text is appears character by character, from left to right (is “typed on”). To create a type-on effect in which the text characters “pop” on, turn off the Fade In checkbox. Note: You can use the Type On parameter when the text Layout Method is set to Type, Paragraph (multiline text), or Path. ∏ Tip: Remember that you can apply Parameter behaviors to nearly any parameter in Motion.
Using Behaviors with Text on a Path Text, Simulation, Parameter, and Basic Motion behaviors can be applied to text on a path. This allows for the creation of some very clever and complex animation that takes only seconds to create. For more information on using Simulation and Parameter behaviors, see “Using Other Behaviors With Text” on page 676. Creating Text on a Path To place text on a path, you create the text and then apply the Path layout method (via the Layout Method pop-up menu).
The path appears below the text. The default path shape is set to Open Spline and contains three control points. Modifying the Path Shape Keep in mind that the Text tool must be selected to view and edit the text path. Use the following guidelines to modify the shape of the path. To adjust the text path: Â Drag a control point to change the shape of the path. Â Option-click or double-click the path to add a control point. Â To remove a control point, select the point, then press Delete.
Important: Text paths are modified in the same way as shape control points. For a complete information, see “Using Shapes and Masks” on page 997. Note: Clicking any path control point and holding down the mouse button displays an info window containing the point number (based on the order the points are drawn on the path) and X, Y, and Z coordinates. All path control points are also listed by number in the Layout pane of the Text Inspector.
Note: Manipulating text on a path in 3D only works when Path Shape is set to Open Spline. Text on a path in 3D Top view. The right and left control points are set to positive Z values. If you lose the path selection, select the text layer in the Layers list. Note: To enter specific values for the control point locations, click the Control Points disclosure triangle in the Path Options group of the Layout pane. The first value field is X, the second value field is Y, and the third value field is Z.
∏ Tip: When working with text in a 3D project, especially text that moves close to the camera, set the Render Quality in the View pop-up menu or the View pull-down menu to Best before exporting (choose View > Render Quality > Best). Use Normal when working in your project, as Best mode dramatically slows your project’s interactivity. You can also set the Render Quality on export in the Export Options dialog: Choose Export, click Options, then choose Best from the Render Quality pop-up menu.
Contextual Controls Depending on the option you choose in the Path Shape pop-up menu, additional contextual controls become available: Path Type: When Path Shape is set to Open Spline or Closed Spline, the Path Type popup menu becomes available, allowing you to choose one of two ways to manipulate the shape of the path: Bezier or B-Spline. Â Bezier: Lets you manipulate the keyframe curve manually by dragging the handles.
 Amplitude: A slider that defines half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave. Higher values result in more extreme waves.  Frequency: A slider that sets number of waves. Higher values result in more waves.  Phase: A dial that defines the percentage of the offset of the waves from the start and end points of the path. When set to 0% (default), the wave begins and ends at half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave.
Control Points: Displays the X and Y positions for all control points on a path. Use the value sliders to adjust the position of the control points using the Inspector. An additional Z position parameter is available for the Open Spline path shape. Using Geometry for a Path Source The following section describes how to use geometry as the source for a text path. To use geometry for a text path source: 1 Import (or draw) the shape you want to use as the path source.
A thumbnail of the shape appears in the well and the shape is used as the source shape for the text path. Note: You may want to disable the source shape in the Layers tab so it is not visible in your project. To select another geometry source for a text path shape: m Click the “To” pop-up menu (located next to the Shape Source image well) and select the layer you want to use as the text path’s shape source. Editing Text on a Path Text on a path can still be edited.
To extend a text path: m With the Text tool selected, drag the last control point toward the end of the text. When dragging, press Shift to constrain the path to a straight line. Once a path has been extended, you can add control points for extra control over the shape of the path. Animating Text on a Path Text can be animated to move across the text path. To animate text on a path: 1 Create the path for the text to travel along. 2 Go to the frame where you want to begin the animation, and enable Record.
A keyframe is added to the Path Offset parameter. This icon indicates that a keyframe is present at the current playhead position. A positive value moves the text toward the right and a negative value moves the text toward the left. You can enter values greater than 100% or less than 0% in the value slider. A value greater than 100% moves the text completely off the path to the right; a value less than 0% moves the text off the path to the left.
Working with Text Margins By default, the text Layout Method is set to Type. This creates one long string of text until you manually enter a line break. There are several ways to create and adjust text margins, including using the onscreen controls and the Layout pane in the Text Inspector. You can set a margin for text before or after it is created. Margin Options This group of controls, which becomes available when the Layout Method is set to Paragraph, sets the size and location of the text margins.
Note: You can create a text bounding box (create margins) that extends beyond the edge of the Canvas. Once you release the mouse button, the insertion point flashes in the bounding box and you can enter text in the Canvas or the Text editor in the Format pane. The Layout Method is automatically set to Paragraph. 2 To resize the text margins, ensure the Text tool is selected, then drag a scale handle on the bounding box.
Using Text Animation and Text Sequence Behaviors While you can apply any behavior (Basic Motion, Parameter, or Simulation) in Motion to text, text also has its own special behavior categories: Text Animation and Text Sequence behaviors. Text behaviors create animation by applying a range of values to text parameters specific to titling effects—without creating keyframes.
Text Animation Behaviors The Text Animation behaviors create basic text crawls, scrolls, “type-on” effects, and tracking animation. This group also includes the powerful Sequence Text behavior, which allows you to create a custom animation that sequences through the characters of text using all of the Style parameters and most of the Format parameters.
2 Select a text behavior in the stack. Like other behaviors in Motion, a preview of the animation plays in the Preview area. Keep in mind that the preview merely represents the default animation of the behavior, which can be modified. 3 Do one of the following: Â Drag the behavior to the text in the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline. Â Click the Apply button in the Preview area. The Text HUD is replaced with the text behavior HUD.
Note: To show and hide animation paths, use the View pop-up menu in the upperright corner of the main window (above the Canvas). Crawl Left behavior animation path 2 Click Play (or press Space bar). The text moves horizontally across the Canvas over the duration of the text to which it is applied. Modifying the Crawl Left Behavior Use the Crawl Left parameters to modify the speed, start offset, and end offset of the crawl.
Note: Although the slider value is limited to 100, you can enter a higher value in the Offset value slider. In the following image, the Crawl Left Rate is set to 200, and the Position Offset set to 80. Because the Rate is increased, the animation path reflects the distance the text travels over time. Because the Position Offset is set to 80, the position of the text is shifted by 80 pixels. End Offset: By default, the text crawls to the end of the duration of the text.
To change the In point of the Crawl Left behavior: 1 Select the Crawl Left behavior. The Crawl Left behavior is selected in the mini-Timeline. 2 Do one of the following: Â In the mini-Timeline, click the left end (start) of the Crawl Left bar and drag toward the right to the frame where you want the animation to begin. As you drag, the new In point, the duration of the text (Crawl Left behavior), and the delta (amount of change) are displayed.
For more information about the Timeline, see Chapter 4, “Using the Timeline” on page 321 Sequence Text The Sequence Text behavior allows you to select and apply text Format and Style parameters, such as Position, Color, Scale, or Opacity, and animate those parameters in sequence through the text characters. For example, you can create a sequence in which the text characters fall vertically into place as they scale down, fade in, and rotate.
Important: Before any animation can occur, you must explicitly add at least one parameter to the behavior from within the Inspector. Until a parameter is added, adjustments made in the HUD have no effect. 2 With the Sequence Text behavior selected, display the Behaviors tab in the Inspector. The upper area of the Sequence Text controls contains the Add and Remove pop-up menus, which are used to select parameters to add to the behavior, or to remove parameters.
4 Set Scale to the largest (or smallest) value you want the text to become in your animation. In this example, the Scale value is set to 350%. To enter separate values for the X and Y scale, click the Scale disclosure triangle. Note: Often, you can enter values larger than a parameter’s slider allows by typing in the value slider. 5 Click the Play button (or press the Space bar). The first character begins at 100%, scales up to 350%, and then scales back down to 100%.
6 Add the Rotation parameter to the Sequence Text behavior. (Choose Format > Rotation from the Add pop-up menu (in the Parameter row of the Behaviors tab). 7 Set Rotation to the largest (or smallest) value you want the text to rotate in your animation. In this example, Rotation is set to 90 degrees. The first character begins at 0 degrees, rotates to 90 degrees, and then rotates back to 0 degrees.
Note: Make sure that the Map Animation parameter is set to To Entire Object. 9 In the Parameter row, click the Add pop-up menu, choose Face, then choose Opacity. Set the Opacity to the lowest value you want to use in your animation. In this example, Opacity is set to 0% so that the text characters begin completely transparent and fade in to become opaque. To create a softer transition between each character, you can adjust the Spread parameter.
Modifying the Sequence Text Behavior Use the Sequence controls to repeat the animation over the duration of the text, to randomize the order in which the effect is applied to the text characters, to change the direction of the animation, to “soften” the effect between characters, and so on. Parameter: Use the Add and Remove pop-up menus to add and remove text format and style parameters to the sequence.
Loops: Use the slider or value slider to set the number of times the animation sequences through the text layer over its duration. Note: Loops is not available when the Traversal parameter is set to Custom. Random: Turn on this checkbox to randomize the selection of the text sequence. For example, a text sequence (using the Scale parameter) set to Ramp scales the text characters from one end of the text to the other. When Random is turned on, the characters are scaled in a random order.
 Word: Selects the separate words of text to be affected by the values set in the applied parameters.  Line: Selects the separate line of text to be affected by the values set in the applied parameters.  All: Selects all characters of text to be affected by the values set in the applied parameters.  Custom: Allows you to offset the start and end points of the selection (based on the location of the selection). When Select is set to Custom, the Start and End parameters become available.
Map Animation: The Map Animation parameter sets the timing of the animation to either “To Entire Object” or “To Selection.” In a basic example, the Scale parameter is added to the Sequence Text behavior. Next, the Scale parameter is keyframed to animate from 100% to 250% over 10 seconds. With the given example, use the following guidelines to understand the difference between the two Map Animation options.
Using the same 100 to 250% Scale animation example, the first character grows from 100% to 250% and holds at 250%, the second character grows from 100% to 250% and holds at 250%, and so on, until all characters have completed the animation. The Text Sequence behavior Drop & Bounce is an example of the To Selection animation mapping. Important: Using the To Selection option requires a keyframed animation.
3 Choose Custom from the Traversal pop-up menu. In the Canvas, the first few characters are selected by default, and are affected by the Scale value. In the Behaviors Inspector, the Location parameter becomes available. When Traversal is set to Custom, the Location parameter becomes available. Use the Location slider to keyframe how the sequence moves through the text. 4 Enable Record (press A).
In the Inspector, a keyframe is added to the Location parameter. The keyframe icon indicates the parameter is animated. 6 Go to the next frame where you want to set a keyframe, and move the Location slider. 7 Repeat step 6 until you have created all of your keyframes. 8 Play the project (press the Space bar). The selection moves through the text based on its keyframed locations.
Once the Text Tracking behavior is applied to text, the Behaviors icon appears in the Tracking parameter (in the Format pane of the Text Inspector). As the project plays, the change in tracking value over time is displayed in the Tracking parameter field. The change in value is based on the rate set in the Rate parameter of the Text Tracking behavior. Note: Just like the Tracking parameter in the Format pane of the Text Inspector, the Text Tracking behavior respects the Alignment setting of the text.
Type On The Type On behavior quickly creates a “type-on” effect. To use the Type On behavior: m Apply the Type On behavior (from the Text Animation subcategory) to the text. By default, the text “pops” on. To create a softer fade-in effect, enable Fade In in the Type On HUD or Inspector. Because the Type On behavior is applied to the duration of the text layer to which it is applied, it takes the duration of the layer to complete the type-on effect.
To increase the speed of the type on effect: 1 Select the Type On behavior. The Type On behavior is selected in the mini-Timeline and Timeline. 2 Do one of the following: Â In the mini-Timeline, click the right end (end) of the Type On bar and drag toward the left to the frame where you want the animation to end. As you drag, the new In point, the duration of the text layer (Type On behavior), and the delta (amount of change) are displayed.
Example: Using a Text Sequence Behavior In this section, the Drop In From Left behavior is used to illustrate working with the Text Sequence behaviors. In general, the guidelines for modifying the Drop In From Left behavior also apply to the other sequence behaviors.
Because the behavior creates an animation in which the text starts above its original position and drops in, the behavior selection box moves up in the Canvas. Also, the selection bar is located at the left edge of the box because the animation starts at the leftmost text character. This appears and displays the projected motion of the text. Behavior selection box Once applied, the Drop In From Left behavior appears in the Layers tab and Timeline. The HUD also appears (press F7).
As with the Sequence Text behavior, the specific text parameters that the behavior uses to create the animation are listed in the Inspector. Because the Drop In From Left behavior uses the Opacity (from the Face controls) and Position (from the Format controls) parameters, those parameters are listed in the Inspector.
Modifying Text Sequence Behaviors Use the following guidelines to modify the default Drop In From Left behavior. The difference between the parameters that are displayed in the HUD and those displayed in the Inspector is the same as with the Sequence Text behavior (in the Text Animation subcategory): The group of Sequence controls is displayed in the HUD; the affected parameters and group of Sequence controls are displayed in the Inspector.
Changing the Speed of Text Sequence Behaviors With the Drop In From Left behavior selected, notice that the duration of the behavior is much shorter than the duration of the text layer to which it is applied. You can see this in the mini-Timeline or the Timeline. By default, the duration of a Text Sequence behavior is 60 frames. Like the Type On behavior (in the Text Animation subcategory), you slow down or speed up the animation by changing the duration of the behavior.
To add a parameter to a sequence behavior: 1 Select the sequence behavior to which you want to add a new parameter. 2 In the Parameter row, choose a parameter from the Add pop-up menu. The chosen parameter is added to the sequence behavior.
3 Set a value in the new parameter (Scale). In this example, the Scale value is set to 150%. In addition to the text dropping and fading in, the text Scale value begins at 150% scale and changes to 100% as the characters land in place. 4 To remove a parameter, choose a parameter from the Remove pop-up menu. The chosen parameter is removed from the sequence behavior.
The behavior is saved to the Library. A custom behavior is represented by a user icon in the lower-right corner of the Behaviors icon. Customized behavior saved in Library For more information saving items to the Library and organizing your custom content, see “Adding Your Own Content to the Library” on page 232. Using Other Behaviors With Text Because text is like all other layers in Motion, you can apply any Basic Motion, Parameter, or Simulation behavior to text layers.
To create a text animation using non-text behaviors: 1 From the Basic Motion subcategory, apply the Throw behavior to the text. 2 Adjust the Throw so that the text moves across the Canvas. 3 From the Simulations subcategory, apply the Edge Collision and Vortex behaviors to the text. 4 In the Inspector, turn on the Affect Subobjects checkbox for the Edge Collision behavior. 5 Play the project (press the Space bar). The text characters are swept around the screen in a vortex pattern.
Note: Remember that behaviors often contain parameters for how layers to which the behavior is applied are affected. These controls greatly affect the result of a behavior when it is applied to text. For example, if you have text on a circular path and you apply a Spin behavior to the text, the text layer rotates as a whole around its anchor point. To rotate the individual text characters, turn on Affect Subobjects in the Spin parameters.
∏ Tip: When working with text in a 3D project, especially text that moves close to the camera, set the Render Quality in the View pop-up menu or the View pull-down menu to Best before exporting (choose View > Render Quality > Best). Use Normal when working in your project, as Best mode dramatically slows your project’s interactivity. You can also set the Render Quality on export in the Export Options dialog: Choose Export, click Options, then choose Best from the Render Quality pop-up menu.
Using Keyframes Versus Using Behaviors The text animation method you use (keyframing or behaviors) depends on your project, or more specifically, your timing needs. In general, if you need a very specific action to happen at a specific point in time in your project, use keyframing. For example, if you want text to be completely transparent at frame 1, become completely opaque at frame 60, become transparent again at frame 90, and opaque again at frame 120, use keyframing.
To view the keyframes for a text parameter in the Keyframe Editor, click that parameter’s Animation menu icon, then choose Show in Keyframe Editor. For more information on the Keyframe Editor, see “Animating in the Keyframe Editor” on page 526. Using LiveFonts The Motion Library includes ten LiveFonts that can be applied to text. LiveFonts are complete animated character sets that are a part of the LiveType titling application that is included with Final Cut Pro.
To apply a LiveFont to text, do one of the following: m Drag the LiveFont from the Library to the text in the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline. Depending on the frame where you apply the font, the font may not appear, may appear partially drawn, or may appear complete. m Select the text, select the LiveFont in the Library, then click the Apply button in the Preview area.
Modifying Applied LiveFonts Use the following guidelines to modify the default LiveFont animation. The LiveFont parameters only appear in the Format pane of the Text Inspector once a font is applied to text. Because LiveFonts are movies, they are applied with default timing settings. You can modify the timing settings, such as randomness, play direction, start time and so on, using the LiveFont Timing parameters.
Speed: Allows you to play the LiveFont movie more quickly or slowly based on a percentage of the default speed. Play: Sets the LiveFont movie to play Forward, Backward, or Ping Pong. This is not the same as the Direction parameter. Using the Freehand font as an example, when Play is set to Backward, the text begins completely drawn and erases (in the direction specified in the Direction parameter). Loop: Sets the number of times the LiveFont movie plays through.
8 Working with Particles 8 Using particle systems, you can simulate real-world effects such as smoke and sparks, or you can bend the rules and create sophisticated abstract textures. Particle systems allow you to quickly and easily create sophisticated animated effects involving large numbers of automatically animated objects.
For step-through examples of creating particles, including how to set up a 3D particle system, see “Particle System Examples” on page 741. Particle systems consist of two basic elements: a cell and an emitter. Think of the cells as the “mold” for the particles that are generated by the emitter. You can use nearly any layer or group in Motion as a source for a particle cell, including images, shapes, text, movies, and image sequences.
Anatomy of a Particle System Every particle system is made up of an emitter and one or more particle cells. Each cell appears inside of the emitter in the Layers tab and the Timeline. Original objects (now disabled) Emitter Cells Behaviors applied to one particle cell The emitter and cells have separate sets of parameters that control the particle system’s behavior. If you imagine that a garden hose is a particle system, the nozzle acts as the emitter, while the water represents the flow of particles.
You can also track an emitter to a moving object in a clip, or apply existing tracking data in your project to an emitter. For more information on using the Motion Tracking behaviors, see “Motion Tracking” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF. In addition, you can add behaviors to each cell or to the emitter itself to create even more varied effects (simulation behaviors can be especially effective). Any behavior that you apply to a cell is in turn applied to each particle it generates.
Using Particle Systems Despite their sophistication, particle systems are easy to set up and simple to use. This section describes how to use pre-made particle systems from the Particle Emitters category of the Library. Afterward, this section explains how to create a simple particle system of your own. Particle Systems and Layer Sizes Particle systems often create particles that grow or move off the Canvas before they die. This can make the size of a layer or group much larger than that of the Canvas.
Using the Particle Library The easiest way to add a particle system to your project is to use one of the presets from the particle library. The particle library is located in the Particle Emitters category of the Library, and is a collection of pre-made particle effects that you can add to your project. There are many types of particle effects to choose from. If you find one that is close to what you need, you can easily customize its parameters after you add it to your project.
An animated preview of the selected particle emitter plays in the Preview area. While it is playing, you can drag the pointer around in the Preview area to see how the particle looks while in motion. Note: If the preview does not automatically start playing, click the Play button in the Preview area.
The new particle system layer appears in your project, composited against any other layers that you’ve already added.
Note: You can also use a group as the source for an emitter cell, but keep in mind that your project’s interactivity may slow drastically. Particle Particle Emitter To create an emitter: 1 Place a layer that you want to use to generate particles into your project. This example uses an image of a simple white circular gradient, such as the “basic blur.png” image located in the Library (in the Particle Images subcategory of the Content category).
Once an emitter is added to the project, the following occurs: Â An emitter appears in the Layers tab and is selected. Â A cell containing the image to be “particle-ized” appears underneath the emitter. Â The original source layer (the cell source) is disabled. Note: Changes made to the original source layer, such as opacity or shearing, are respected in the particles even after the emitter is created. Â In the Canvas, the emitter bounding box appears, which can be transformed using the onscreen controls.
By default, new cells emit one particle per frame in all directions (for 30 fps projects), and each particle moves 100 pixels per second away from the emitter over a lifetime of 5 seconds (150 frames in a 30-frames-per-second project). Emitter center point Particle system at frame 30 Note: The Initial Number parameter in the Emitter or Particle Cell tab of the Inspector allows you to change the default behavior so that a particle system begins with a burst of particles at the first frame.
Additional cells can be created by either selecting multiple sources when initially creating the emitter, or by dragging additional source layers onto the emitter in the Layers tab. Note: When multiple sources are used to create a particle system, the resulting emitter is positioned at the average of the sources’ position.
When 3D is enabled in the Emitter tab of the Inspector, the Emitter HUD offers additional 3D controls. In 3D, the emission control modifies the Emission Latitude and Emission Longitude parameters. Emission control 3D Emitter HUD When an emitter and the Adjust 3D Transform tool (in the Toolbar) are selected, the 3D Emitter HUD expands to display additional controls that allow you to transform the emitter in X, Y, and Z space, regardless of whether the group containing the emitter is 2D or 3D.
For particle systems containing multiple cells, the Emitter HUD parameters simultaneously modify the effect of each cell’s parameters relative to one another. This means that for a particle system consisting of two cells with different scale values, changing the scale in the HUD resizes both cells simultaneously. For example, increasing the scale in the HUD by 200% does not change the scale of both cells to 200%, but resizes the cells relative to their original scale values.
 Shift (while adjusting Range): When working with a 2D emitter, restricts to 22.5degree increments.  Command: When working with a 2D emitter, adjusts Angle only.  Option: When working with a 2D emitter, adjusts Speed only.  Emission Latitude/Emission Longitude (3D only): When using a 3D particle emitter (when 3D is turned on in the Emitter tab of the Inspector), the emission control of the HUD lets you modify the Emission Latitude and Emission Longitude.
Emission Latitude/Emission Longitude: These combined parameters specify the emission direction (in degrees latitude and longitude) of the particles. You can enter specific values in the Emitter tab of the Inspector. Using the HUD to Create a Simple Smoke Effect In this example, use the Emitter HUD to create a smoke effect. Use the emitter created in “Creating a Simple Custom Particle System” on page 692. A Blur image from the Content category in the Library will serve as the cell source.
2 In the HUD, click anywhere along the outer edge of the emission control and drag to define a narrow segment that limits the range of the angle at which particles are created (the emission range). Both points defining the emission range rotate around the center of the emission control symmetrically, so your initial wedge points to the right. As you adjust the emission range, the particles rearrange themselves in the Canvas, enabling you to see the resulting effect.
4 Drag to lengthen the arrow so that it is approximately halfway between the center and the edge of the emission control to create a slowly drifting column of particles. Remember: While the angle of the arrow controls the emission angle of the particles, the length of the arrow controls the speed of the particles. The longer the arrow, the faster the particles, and vice versa.
Modifying Emitter Properties Emitter parameters can be modified in the Properties tab of the Inspector like any other object in Motion. Note: The only parameter that appears for cells in the Properties tab of the Inspector is Timing. Transform Parameters As a particle system plays, the cells in the system are duplicated, according to the parameters for that system, to create each individual particle in the Canvas.
The Attach to Emitter parameter in the Particle Cell tab of the Inspector modifies this behavior. When set to 0%, the particles are completely independent of the emitter. When set to 100%, the particles try to keep up with the position of the animated emitter. Depending on any applied behaviors, such as Drag, the particles may not be able to keep up with the emitter.
Note: This parameter is not available with the Box or Sphere emitter shapes, or when the 3D checkbox is turned on in the Emitter tab of the Inspector. Four Corner The Four Corner controls in the Properties tab allow you to stretch an emitter into different polygonal shapes by moving the corner points. Adjusting the corners of the emitter affects the entire system.
You can also apply masks to the emitter object itself. Rectangle mask (inverted) applied to the emitter object For more information on working with masks, see “Masking a Layer or Group” on page 1087. Timing Once you create a particle system, its duration can be as long or short as necessary, regardless of the duration of the original layers used to create the particle system. The duration of a particle system is defined by the duration of the emitter object.
For example, you can create a particle system that simulates an explosion by offsetting the appearance of three different types of particles. First, dense white particles emerge from the center. Half a second later, more diffuse orange particles appear around a larger area. One second after that, small sparks emerge from underneath both of these layers as they fade away. You can offset a cell in the Timeline or mini-Timeline to start before the emitter.
Additionally, a 3D emitter (with the 3D checkbox turned on and Render Particles set to In Global 3D (Better) in the Emitter tab of the Inspector) can be rasterized independently of the group in which it lives. This affects how the particles interact with objects within their own group. For example, applying a Circle Blur filter to an emitter causes the particles to no longer intersect with other objects in the same group.
In the next illustrations, the group that contains the emitter is rasterized. The rasterization is triggered by turning on Four Corner in the Group’s Properties tab. The emitter’s Add blend mode no longer interacts with the group beneath it in the layer stack. Notice that the icon for the rasterized group now appears with a frame around its icon. This is called a rasterization frame. The group containing the emitter is rasterized, indicated by the frame around its icon.
Note: When a group is rasterized, cameras and lights in the project still interact with objects within the rasterized group.
Creating Graphics and Animations for Particle Systems Creating a new particle system from scratch begins with designing the particles you want it to emit. You can use any image, shape, text, or movie supported by Motion as a source for a cell. This section presents things to keep in mind when you create particle imagery.
Note: Keep in mind that using a movie as the source cell for an emitter may impact your project’s interactivity. Create Clips That Loop Particles created from QuickTime clips loop over and over for the duration of each individual particle’s life. If the clip you use doesn’t loop well, there will be a jump cut at every loop point. Another option is to use very short movies to introduce randomness into the appearance of the particle system.
Emitter Parameters Several parameters in the Emitter tab are identical to those found in the Emitter HUD, with one difference. While the emission control in the Emitter HUD allows you to manipulate the Range, Angle, Latitude (3D), Longitude (3D), and Speed parameters using a single, graphical control, the Emitter tab uses individual controls for each parameter. Note: There is no way to directly control the animation of individual particles.
The parameter is displayed in the Keyframe Editor in a new, untitled curve set. To open a particle system’s Emitter tab: 1 Select an emitter object in the Layers tab, Timeline, or Canvas. 2 In the Inspector, click the Emitter tab. The Emitter parameters appear. The contents of the Emitter tab are dynamic, and different parameters appear depending on the number of cells in the particle system, the emitter shape that’s used, and whether 3D is turned on or off.
If a particle system has two or more cells, the Emitter tab looks much different. The list of parameters is much shorter, and the majority of the cell parameters are replaced with a smaller group of master controls. Changes made using the master controls modify the effect of each cell’s parameters relative to the other cells in the system.
In addition, when the 3D checkbox is turned on, the Render Particles, Emission Latitude, Emission Longitude, and Depth Ordered parameters become available for all emitter shapes. Point: This is the simplest emitter shape and is the default shape for newly created emitters. It specifies a single point of emission for a particle system. There are no additional parameters for the Point shape. Line: Particles emerge from a line.
Rectangle: Particles emerge from a rectangle along its edge, or in a tile or random fill pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool), you can specify the size and location of the rectangle. Drag the corners to adjust width and height; drag edges to adjust width or height independently. Depending on the selected Arrangement, the Rectangle emitter shape displays additional parameters. In the following image, the Emitter shape Arrangement parameter is set to Outline.
Burst: Particles emerge from a burst pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool), you can specify the size and location of the burst. The Burst shape displays additional parameters. Spiral: Particles emerge from a spiral pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool), you can specify the size and location of the spiral. The Spiral shape displays parameters. Wave: Particles emerge from a waveform.
Geometry: Particles emerge from the edge of a shape, defined by a spline object used as the shape source. The Geometry shape displays additional parameters. Image: Particles emerge from within an area defined by an image or from only the edges of the image. The image may or may not have an alpha channel. If it does, the shape of the alpha channel can also be used to define the emitter shape. The Image shape displays additional parameters.
Box: This option is available when the 3D checkbox is turned on in the Emitter tab. Particles are emitted from a three-dimensional cube along its surface (Outline), or in a tile or random fill pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool), you can specify the size and location of the rectangle. Drag the front horizontal edge to adjust height; drag the front vertical edge to adjust width; drag a back edge to adjust depth; drag a front corner to simultaneously adjust the width and height.
Size (Rectangle, Box): Defines the size of the rectangle or cube from which particles are emitted. This parameter is available whether the Arrangement is set to Outline, Tile Fill, or Random Fill. When Rectangle is the selected shape, the Width and Height parameters are available. When Box is selected, an additional Depth parameter is available. Note: The Height is measured in project pixels; however, the Width is measured in square pixels.
Tile Offset (Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, Sphere): This parameter appears when Tile Fill is chosen from the Arrangement pop-up menu. Values from 0 to 100% offset the rows toward the right, and values from 0 to –100% offset the rows toward the left. A value of 50 or –50% creates a “brickwork” pattern.
Start Point (Line, Wave): Two sliders that define, in X and Y coordinates, the first point of the line used as the emitter shape. Click the disclosure triangle to modify the Z position of the start point. You can adjust these values in the Canvas using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool). End Point (Line, Wave): Two sliders that define, in X and Y coordinates, the second point of the line used as the emitter shape. Click the disclosure triangle to modify the Z position of the start point.
Render Order: A pop-up menu that determines whether new particles are drawn on top of or underneath particles that have already been generated. There are two options: Â Oldest First: New particles appear on top of older particles. Â Oldest Last: New particles appear underneath older particles. Interleave Particles: Turning this checkbox on mixes particles generated from multiple cells together. Turning this checkbox off layers particles in the same order as the cells that generate them.
 In Local 3D (Faster): The default setting, renders particles faster but does not allow for intersections with layers within the particles group or with layers in other groups.  In Global 3D (Better): This setting allows the particles to intersect with layers within the emitter group and with layers in other groups. When turned on, your project’s interactivity is slowed. Emission Latitude: Available when 3D is turned on, this control specifies the emission direction (in degrees latitude) of the particles.
Birth Rate: A slider that defines the birth rate of the cell. In other words, this parameter defines how many particles of this cell emerge from the emitter every second. Higher values create denser particle effects. Low birth rate particle system High birth rate particle system Birth Rate Randomness: A slider that defines an amount of variance in the Birth Rate of generated particles. A value of 0 results in no variance—particles emerge from the emitter at the same rate.
Life: A slider that defines the duration of every particle, in seconds. This parameter specifies how long each particle lasts before vanishing from existence. This effect is similar to how sparks disappear after flying away from a sparkler. Unless the Color Over Life or Opacity Over Life parameters are used to fade each particle out over its life, particles immediately vanish at the end of their lifetimes.
Spin: A dial that animates particles in a system by initially spinning each individual particle around its center. Adjustments to this control are in degrees per second. Spin Randomness: A dial that defines an amount of variance in the spin of generated particles. A value of 0 results in no variance—all particles from the selected cell spin at the same rate. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance defined by the Spin parameter, plus or minus a random value falling within the Spin Randomness.
 Colorize: Particles are tinted using the color specified in the Color parameter. Additional Color and Opacity Over Life parameters appear.  Over Life: Particles are tinted based on their age. The Color Over Life gradient editor defines the range of color that each particle assumes as it ages, beginning with the leftmost color in the gradient, and progressing through the range of colors until finally reaching the rightmost color at the end of its life.
 Pick From Color Range: Particles are tinted at random, with the range of possible colors defined by the Color Range gradient editor. A point on the gradient is randomly chosen, so the relative sizes of each color region determine the frequency of the color being used.  Take Image Color: When you choose this mode, each new particle’s color is based on the color of the image at the position where the particle was generated.
Scale Randomness: A slider that defines an amount of variance in the scale of generated particles. A value of 0 results in no variance—all particles from the selected cell emerge with the same size. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance defined by the Scale parameter, plus or minus a random value falling within the Scale Range. The disclosure triangle of the Scale parameter reveals separate X and Y subparameters, which can be used to set the width and height of the Scale Range separately.
 Lines: Each particle is represented by a line. This is a good preview mode to use to analyze the vector of each particle’s motion. The length of each line is determined by that particle’s speed, and the angle of each line equals each particle’s direction.  Wireframe: Each particle is represented by a bounding box. Because the bounding boxes are good indicators of each particle’s orientation in the system, this preview mode is useful for evaluating the movements of individual particles.
Note: Whatever is selected in the Show Particles As pop-up menu appears in your final render. Random Seed: Although particle systems seem random, they’re actually deterministic. This means that the random variation in each particle system is created based on the number shown here. Unless this seed number is changed, a particle system with the same parameter settings always plays back with the same motion.
Additional Cell Parameters Based on the Selected Color Mode Each of the options in the Color Mode pop-up menu displays a different set of parameters. Color: Color controls available when the Color Mode is set to Colorize. Use them to specify a color to use to tint the particles. You can also modify each particle’s alpha channel, altering its opacity. This parameter is unique to the cell object.
 Gradient preset pop-up menu: Gradients from the Library (default or custom) appear in this pop-up menu. Choose a gradient from this menu to load it into the gradient editor.  Gradient editor: A set of graphical controls that allow you to adjust the color and opacity of particles over time. Note: For more information on using gradient controls, see “Using the Gradient Editor” on page 1033.
The Particle Cell parameters appear. Animating Objects in Particle Systems You can add behaviors to a particle system’s emitter, or to the cells themselves, to quickly achieve sophisticated, organic effects with very little effort. You can animate any emitter using Basic Motion, Parameter, or Simulation behaviors. Emitter parameters and cell parameters can also be animated via keyframes.
Keyframing an emitter’s Emitter tab parameters is a good way to modify the particle system’s overall characteristics over time, such as increasing or decreasing the size, speed, or lifetime of newly generated particles. Particles also have their own category of behaviors. The Particles behaviors include Scale Over Life and Spin Over Life, which allow you to modify and animate the rotation and size of the particles over their lifetime.
Applying Behaviors to Cells Simulation behaviors that are applied directly to cells are in turn applied to each individual particle generated from that cell. This can result in some extremely complex animations as dozens of particles move according to the behaviors you’ve defined. Behaviors applied to cells have no effect on the position of the emitter. Parameter behaviors on a cell only affect particles when they are created.
Scale Over Life This behavior lets you grow or shrink the particles in a system over the duration of each particle’s life. It has one main parameter, and three optional parameters that appear depending on the selected Increment Type. Increment Type: Choose an option from this pop-up menu to determine which method is used to resize particles over their lifetime.
Increment Type: Determines which method is used to spin particles over their lifetime. There are three options: Â Rate: Specifies a steady rate at which particles change spin over their lifetime. When Rate is selected, the Spin Rate parameter becomes available. Â Spin Rate: Allows you to define how quickly each particle changes spins. Positive values spin particles faster over time and negative values spin particles slower over time.
For more information on applying filters to layers in your project, see “Using Filters” on page 841. For more information on keyframing particle system parameters, see “Animating Objects in Particle Systems” on page 736. Particle System Examples This section presents two examples of how to use particle systems to create very different effects. The particle system created in the second example is turned into a 3D particle system after the “pixie dust” is animated.
 A cell containing the image to be “particle-ized” appears underneath the emitter.  The original source layer (cell source) is disabled.  In the Canvas, the emitter bounding box appears, which can be transformed using the onscreen controls.  The first particle appears in the Canvas in the same location as the original object. Although it appears as if the particle is selected, it is actually the bounding box for the emitter.  The Emitter HUD is displayed. If you have hidden the HUD, press D or F7.
 Advance to frame 100. The resulting image now looks similar to this: 7 Apply a filter to the emitter. In this example, adding the Crystallize filter creates an even more abstract effect. You might also consider adjusting the color gradient, or applying color correction to make the background fit more appropriately with your foreground elements. 8 Adjust the Color Range opacity gradient so the particles fade in and out rather than popping into and out of existence.
Example 2: Creating Animated Pixie Dust This example shows you how to create a particle system that uses two different cells to generate a streak of particles that trails behind another animated layer. Using two cells adds more variation to a particle system than can be achieved with a single set of cell parameters. To create a two-cell particle system that leaves a trail: 1 Drag the first image file into the Canvas. This example uses the “Flare01.
Note: If you do not have any additional images in your project, you can create them in the project or search the Content category in the Library for images. Next, drag the new layer either onto the emitter, or below it (but not onto an existing cell). This example uses the “Spark12.png” file, also located in the Content folder in the Library.
The resulting image should look approximately like this: Note: If necessary, disable the original Spark12 source layer. 7 Next, change the color of the particles generated by the Spark12 cell by doing the following: a Choose Colorize from the Color Mode pop-up menu. b Click the color well in the Color section of the Inspector and choose a light red color in the Colors window. c Close the Colors window. All particles generated by that cell are now red.
8 Use the Opacity Over Life control to make this cell’s particles fade out over their life. 9 To make the spark particles spin as they move away, set the Spin parameter value to 60. 10 In the Layers tab, select the Flare01 cell of the particle system. Its parameters automatically appear in the Inspector. 11 Follow the procedure in Step 7 to make these particles light yellow. 12 To make the particles generated from this cell spin in the opposite direction, set the Spin parameter value to –60.
14 Use the following illustration as a guide to adjust the Emission Range and Angle so the particles appear to follow behind the emitter. The result should look something like this: You may want to adjust the Emitter parameters for Birth Rate, Life, and Speed to customize the effect to your liking. To turn the system into 3D particles: 1 In the Emitter Inspector, turn on 3D.
2 If your project does not contain a camera, click the New Camera button in the Toolbar. If your project is a 2D project, a dialog appears asking if you want to switch your 2D groups to 3D. 3 Click Switch to 3D. A camera is added to the project, and your layers are turned into 3D layers. 4 In the 3D View tools (in the upper-right corner of the Canvas), drag the Orbit tool (the center tool). Dolly tool Orbit tool Pan tool As the camera rotates, you can see that the particles are emitted in Z space.
If you want your particles to intersect with other rotated layers, choose In Global 3D (Better) from the Render Particles pop-up menu in the Emitter Inspector. In the following image on the left, the particles intersect with other objects in the project that are transformed in 3D space. In the image on the right, the particles do not intersect with other objects. When Global 3D is enabled, the particles intersect with other rotated objects in 3D space.
You can copy particle presets you create from this location to give to other Motion users, or you can place particle presets that are given to you in this same folder. Whenever you copy a particle preset file, you should make sure that you also copy any graphics or movie files that it uses as well. For more information on saving custom objects to the Library, see “Adding Your Own Content to the Library” on page 232.
9 Using the Replicator 9 The Replicator allows you to easily create patterns of repeating elements that can be quickly animated in mechanical or organic ways. Patterns of repeating elements are prevalent in various types of motion graphics projects, including television title sequences, news graphics, bumpers, and commercials. This type of graphic—created through the careful duplication of elements, followed by animating those elements with keyframes—is usually very timeconsuming.
Once you have replicated a layer, you can quickly change the shape of the pattern and animate its elements by animating the replicator parameters. You can also use behaviors to animate many of the replicator parameters. In addition, the replicator has a special behavior that allows you to animate the pattern’s elements in sequence over the pattern.
You can replicate nearly any layer in Motion, including images, shapes, text, movies, and image sequences. You cannot replicate a particle emitter or replicator layers. Each element that is created is essentially a duplicate of the source layer. Unlike the particles of a particle system, however, the elements are not animated over time by default.
Each cell appears under the Replicator layer in the Layers tab and Timeline layers list. Once replicated, the source layer remains in its original position in the Layers tab. If you clicked Replicate in the Toolbar (or chose Objects > Replicate), the source layer is disabled by default. If you dragged the source to an existing replicator layer, the source remains enabled.
When Spiral is the selected shape, parameters appear that allow you to define the radius of the spiral, the number of twists and arms in the spiral, the number of points (the location on the shape in which the element sits) per arm, as well as the origin of the elements in the spiral (from the center outward, or from the edge inward). Further, different parameters are also available depending on the selected arrangement for the shape.
Very different looks can be achieved by changing only a few parameters. As with any effect in Motion, replicator parameters can be keyframed in order to change a pattern’s dynamics over time. For example, you can create a wave of dots that follow one another across the screen by keyframing the replicator’s Offset parameter. You can add behaviors to the replicator or its cells to create even more varied effects (simulation behaviors can be especially effective).
Note: Keep in mind that replicating a movie, especially with applied filters, adversely impacts your computer’s processing performance. For better performance, output your sequence with the filter applied, then it import and use the movie as a source. Creating Graphics and Animated Clips for a Replicator Creating a replicator from scratch begins with designing the graphic you want to replicate. You can use any image, shape, text, or movie supported by Motion as a source for a replicator cell.
A preview appears in the Preview area. Note: If the preview does not automatically start playing, click the Play button in the Preview area. To automatically play items selected in the File Browser or Library, choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-comma), then enable “Play items automatically on a single click” in the File Browser & Library section of the General pane.
3 When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. The original source object is replaced with the new object. The HUD displays a selected replicator’s most essential parameters. Blend Mode, Opacity, and Shape always appear in the HUD. When a replicator and the Adjust 3D Transform tool (in the Toolbar) are selected, the 3D transform tools become available in the HUD.
As mentioned above, the rest of the controls in the HUD are dynamic—they appear depending on what is selected from the Shape and Arrangement pop-up menus. Select a replicator cell in the Layers tab or Timeline to edit its parameters in the HUD. The angle and scale parameters always appear in the HUD. Creating a Simple Custom Replicator Pattern Creating a custom replicator pattern begins by selecting a layer in your project to use as a source for the cells of a new replicator pattern.
2 Select the object, then do one of the following: Â In the Toolbar, click the Replicate icon. Â Choose Object > Replicate. Â Press L. Once a layer is replicated, the following occurs: Â The Replicator layer appears in the Layers tab and is selected. Â A duplicate of the original layer (the star shape) becomes the replicator cell. Â The original source layer (the star shape) is disabled.
 In the Toolbar, the Adjust Item tool is selected so that you can immediately begin using the replicator’s onscreen controls. Adjust Item tool When the Adjust Item tool is selected, dragging the pattern’s bounding box resizes the replicator. Dragging in the Canvas (not over the bounding box outline) repositions the replicator object as a whole.  The Replicator HUD is displayed. Note: If you have hidden the HUD, press D. By default, the patterns created by the replicator are not animated.
The following example uses two shapes as source layers for a single replicator. To use multiple source layers for a replicator pattern: 1 Shift-click to select the layers you want to replicate. This example uses a white circle shape and a red elliptical shape (both created with the Circle tool). Note: Command-click noncontiguous layers that you want to add to the replicator. 2 Do one of the following: Â In the Toolbar, click the Replicate icon. Â Choose Object > Replicate (or press L).
The cells of the default rectangle pattern are created from the source layers. When multiple cells create a replicator pattern, the elements appear at the same points (the location in which the elements appear) on the pattern. The replicator is positioned at the average of the source’s positions.
The elements in the pattern are stacked according to the order they appear in the Layers tab and Timeline layers list. To change the stacking order of the layers, move the lower cell above the upper cell. Elliptical shape moved below white circle in Layers tab Once the cells are reordered in the Layers tab, the red ellipse element appears in front of the white circle element in the pattern.
To display the Replicator HUD: m In the Layers tab or Timeline layers list, select the replicator you want to display the HUD. Note: If the HUD does not appear, choose Window > Show HUD (or press F7). You can also press D to show the HUD. Replicator HUD Parameters Like all objects in Motion, the Replicator HUD contains frequently used parameters that are necessary to modify the shape and arrangement of the replicator.
For replicators containing multiple cells, the Replicator HUD parameters simultaneously modify the cell’s parameters. Default replicator containing two cell sources (red star and white arc) Replicator set to Burst in the Replicator HUD Important: The Opacity, Blend Mode, and Shape parameters always appear in the Replicator HUD.
Shape: A pop-up menu that defines the shape of the replicator. The default shape is Rectangle. The shape options include Line, Rectangle, Circle, Burst, Spiral, Wave, Geometry, Image, Box and Sphere. Replicator Shape set to Rectangle (default) Replicator Shape set to Circle (Arrangement set to Outline) Replicator Shape set to Spiral Note: Different parameters are available depending on what is selected from the Shape pop-up menu.
Columns: Defines the number of vertical columns in the pattern. Pattern elements are distributed at points along the columns. This parameter is available when the selected shape is closed, such as a rectangle, circle, box, sphere, or image, and when the arrangement is set to Tile Fill. It is also available for box and sphere when Arrangement is set to Outline. Note: The default Columns value limit is 20. You can set a higher number in the value field in the Replicator tab of the Inspector.
About Rasterization and Groups Some operations, as well the application of certain filters or a mask, cause a group to be rasterized. When a group is rasterized, it is converted into a bitmap image. Because all replicators live in groups, this affects how replicators interact with other objects within your project. Note: A replicator can be rasterized independently of the group in which it lives. This affects how the replicator interacts with objects within its own group.
In the next illustrations, the group that contains the replicator is rasterized. The rasterization is triggered by setting the Opacity parameter of the group to 90%. The replicator’s Add blend mode no longer interacts with the group beneath it in the layer stack. Notice that the group icon for the rasterized group now appears with a frame around the icon (the icon immediately to the left of the Elements group. The Elements group is rasterized, indicated by the frame around the group icon.
Note: When a group is rasterized, cameras and lights in the project still interact with objects within the rasterized group.
To display the replicator Properties Tab: m In the Layers tab or Timeline layers list, select the replicator, then open the Properties tab in the Inspector. Note: To transform the replicator pattern in the Canvas, you can also use the transform tools available in the Toolbar. Once a replicator is selected, you can press Tab to cycle through the transform tool modes. The last tool mode is the Adjust Item tool, which can be used to change the size of the replicator shape.
Scale Using the Scale parameter resizes the replicator, affecting the size of the pattern elements in X, Y, or Z space. To modify the size of the pattern without changing the size of its elements, use the parameters in the Replicator tab.
Lighting A 2D or 3D replicator can interact with lights in a 3D project. As with all layers, the Shading pop-up menu (in the Lighting section of the Properties tab in the Inspector) must be set to On or Inherited for the lights to affect the replicator. For more information on using lights, see “3D Compositing” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF. Drop Shadow A Drop shadow can be applied to a 2D replicator.
Note: This parameter is only available when a 2D replicator shape is selected. Crop The Crop controls in the Properties tab allow you to hide portions of a replicator pattern. You can also use the onscreen cropping controls by choosing the Adjust Crop tool from the Toolbar, then dragging any of the replicator object’s four edges or corners. Note: This parameter is only available when a 2D replicator shape is selected. For more information on cropping objects in Motion, see “Cropping Objects” on page 278.
Using the Replicator Onscreen Controls In addition to using the Position parameters in the Properties tab or the Select/ Transform tool to move the replicator in the Canvas, you can also use the Adjust Item tool. This section provides two examples of using the Adjust Item tool to modify a replicator using the onscreen controls. To use the Adjust Item tool: 1 Select the replicator you want to adjust.
If the shape is a rectangle, dragging a corner or edge of its bounding box changes the Size parameter value. You can adjust only the width, only the height, only the depth (for a box [3D] replicator), or all size parameters simultaneously. Drag the left or right edge of the bounding box to adjust its width. Drag the top or bottom edge to adjust its height. Drag the corner handles to adjust width and height simultaneously. Press Shift to adjust width and height uniformly.
The Line and Wave replicator shapes can have start and end points that exist in Z space. In the following image, the Z Start Point (yellow end of the pattern) is set to 20 and the Z End Point is –18 (red end of the pattern). Although the Rectangle, Circle, Line, Wave, Image, and Geometry replicators have no inherent 3D parameters, they can be moved and rotated in 3D space. Pattern elements can also be pulled out of their plane when behaviors are applied.
 Control-click the layer or group, then choose Isolate from the shortcut menu.  Choose Object > Isolate. Click the Isolate button again to return to your previous view. Note: Clicking a camera’s Isolate button activates that camera’s view. Applying Masks to the Replicator As shown in the following images, you can apply masks to the source layer of a replicator.
When a mask is applied to a replicator, the entire pattern is masked. Circle mask applied to the replicator For more information on working with masks, see “Masking a Layer or Group” on page 1087. Advanced Replicator Controls When a replicator is created from a source layer, the default replicator parameters are used, creating a rectangular pattern consisting of five rows and five columns of elements.
Replicator cell parameters control the behavior and appearance of the elements within the replicator pattern. For more information, see “Replicator Cell Parameters” on page 805. For a replicator with only one cell (one source layer), the replicator and replicator cell controls appear in the same Replicator tab. In this case, you can control every aspect of the replicator directly from this single tab, which saves you from having to go back and forth between the Replicator and Replicator Cell tabs.
Each cell has its own Replicator Cell tab that contains all parameters for that cell. To access the cell parameters, you must select a cell in the Layers tab or Timeline layers list (under the replicator layer). Cell selected in Layers tab Replicator Cell tab in Inspector Replicator Parameters The parameters in the Replicator tab give you complete control over every aspect of the pattern created by the selected replicator.
The following options are available in the Shape pop-up menu: Â Line: Elements are positioned on a line. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool) or the Inspector, you can specify the length and location of the line. In the Inspector, you can set a specific number of points on the line—one element is positioned at every point (including the end points of the line). The Line shape displays additional Start Point, End Point, Points, and Offset parameters.
 Circle: Elements are positioned in a circle along the replicator outline, or in a tile or random fill pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool), you can specify the radius and location of the circle. When Circle is selected, the Arrangement parameter becomes available. Depending on the selected Arrangement, the Circle shape displays additional parameters. In the following image, the circle’s Arrangement is set to Outline.  Burst: Elements are positioned in a flare pattern.
 Spiral: Elements are positioned in a spiral pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool), you can specify the radius and location of the spiral. The Spiral shape displays additional Radius, Twists, Number of Arms, Points Per Arm, and Offset parameters in the Replicator tab.  Wave: Elements are positioned on a waveform. Using the onscreen control (with the Adjust Item tool) or the Inspector, you can specify the length and location of the wave.
 Geometry: Elements are positioned along the edge of a shape, defined by a spline object used as the shape source. The Geometry shape displays additional Shape Source, Points, and Offset parameters in the Replicator tab. Cells along the edge of the object defined in the Shape Source image well Object used as the Shape Source For information on using geometry (a shape) as a replicator shape, see “Using Geometry for a Replicator Shape” on page 801.
 Box: This option is available when the 3D checkbox is turned on in the Replicator tab. Elements are positioned in a three-dimensional cube along the replicator outline, or on its surface in a tile or random fill pattern. Using the onscreen controls (with the Adjust Item tool), you can specify the size and location of the rectangle.
Note: Keep in mind that just because a parameter is described in a specific section below does not mean that parameter is exclusive to the shapes discussed in that section. Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, and Sphere Shape Parameters When the selected shape is a Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, or Sphere the following parameters become available: Arrangement: Specifies the layout of the elements in the selected shape. The arrangement options are: Â Outline: Elements are positioned along the edge of the shape.
To use an image for a replicator shape: 1 Import the image you want to use as the pattern source into your project. 2 In the Replicator tab, choose Image from the Shape pop-up menu. The Image Source well appears in the Inspector and HUD. Image Source well 3 From the Layers tab, drag the image to the Image Source well. 4 When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. A thumbnail of the image appears in the well and the image is used as the source shape for the replicator.
Emission Alpha Cutoff (Image): When the Image Source object contains an alpha channel, this slider defines the minimum opacity value that is necessary to create an element at that point on the source image. For example, when set to 25%, elements only appear at points where the alpha value of the image is equal to or greater than 25% opacity. The lower the Emission Alpha Cutoff value, the more cells appear.
Note: When the cell Color Mode is set to Over Pattern, a gradient is applied to the elements over the replicator pattern. In this example, the gradient begins yellow, becomes orange in the middle, and becomes red at its end. Gradient applied to replicator cells When Build Style is set to Clockwise, the gradient is applied to the pattern in a clockwise pattern. When set to Counter Clockwise, the gradient is applied in the reverse direction.
 By Column, Row, Rank: Builds the elements over the pattern by column, row, then rank starting from the Origin.  By Row, Rank, Column: Builds the elements over the pattern by row, rank, then column starting from the Origin.  By Column, Rank, Row: Builds the elements over the pattern by column, rank, then row starting from the Origin.  By Rank, Row, Column: Builds the elements over the pattern by rank, row, then column starting from the Origin.
Tile Offset: Specifies the amount (in percentage points) that the elements are offset from the pattern. Values from 0 to 100% offset the rows toward the right, and values from 0 to –100% offset the rows toward the left. A value of 50 or –50% creates a “brickwork” pattern. This parameter is available when the Arrangement parameter is set to Tile Fill. Circle set to Tile Fill Tile Offset set to a value of 20% Origin: Specifies how the elements traverse across the pattern from a point of origin.
 Lower Left: The elements originate in the lower-left corner of the pattern and end in the upper-right corner.  Lower Right: The elements originate in the lower-right corner of the pattern and end in the upper-left corner.  Center: The elements originate in the center of the pattern and move outward. This is the default Origin option.  Left: The elements originate at the left side of the pattern and end at the right side.
 Back Upper Left: The elements originate in the back upper-left corner of the pattern and end in the front lower right.  Back Upper Right: The elements originate in the back upper-right corner of the pattern and end in the front lower left.  Back Lower Left: The elements originate in the back lower-left corner of the pattern and end in the front upper-right.  Back Lower Right: The elements originate in the back lower-right corner of the pattern and end in the front upper-left.
 Center: The elements originate in the center of the pattern and move outward. This is the default Origin option.  X Axis: The elements originate along the X axis of the pattern and move outward.  Y Axis: The elements originate along the Y axis of the pattern and move outward.  Z Axis: The elements originate along the Z axis of the pattern and move outward. Note: The origin parameter also determines where the Sequence Replicator behavior starts its animation.
Points: Defines the number of evenly distributed element points on the line or wave. When the Adjust Item tool is selected, the points are visible in the Canvas. Offset: Adjusting this value moves the elements along the line or wave. Additional Wave Parameters Amplitude: Defines half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave. Higher values result in more extreme waves. Frequency: Defines the number of waves. The default is value is 1.
Burst and Spiral Shape Parameters When the selected shape is a Burst or Spiral, the following parameters become available: Radius: Defines the size of the burst or spiral shape. Number of Arms: Defines the number of branches on which the elements are positioned. The default value is 3. Points Per Arm: Defines the number of element points on each branch of the burst or spiral. When the Adjust Item tool is selected, the points are visible in the Canvas.
The Shape Source well appears in the Inspector and HUD. Shape Source well 3 From the Layers tab, drag the shape to the Shape Source well. 4 When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button. A thumbnail of the shape appears in the well and is used as the source for the shape of the replicator. Note: You may want to disable the source shape in the Layers tab so it is not visible in your project. Points: Defines the number of evenly distributed element points around the shape.
Other Persistent Parameters In addition to the Shape parameter, Shuffle Order, 3D, Reverse Stacking, and Face Camera also remain available regardless of what is selected in another parameter. Note: This list does not include the Cell Controls, available for all replicator shapes, discussed in “Replicator Cell Parameters” on page 805. Shuffle Order: When enabled, rearranges the order in which the elements appear. When Shuffle Order is turned on, the Replicate Seed parameter becomes available.
Face Camera: When this checkbox is turned on, the pattern elements actively face the camera when the camera or the replicator are rotated. When Face Camera is turned off, the elements face forward in the replicator pattern and appear flat (unless the source layer or pattern elements are rotated in 3D space). Because Motion only supports 2D objects, this option is key to giving 2D objects the appearance of 3D as the camera is animated.
Replicator Cell Parameters The replicator cell parameters apply to the elements (the replicated layers) created within a replicator. In a replicator with only a single cell, the cell parameters appear in the Replicator tab in the Cell Controls group. In a replicator with multiple cells, each cell has its own Replicator Cell tab that contains all parameters for that cell. To display the Cell Controls for a single-cell replicator: 1 Select a replicator layer. 2 In the Inspector, click the Replicator tab.
To display the Cell Controls for a multi-cell replicator: 1 In the Layers tab or Timeline layers list select a cell (located beneath the replicator layer). Align Angle: When enabled, the replicator elements automatically rotate to match the shape on which they are positioned. This parameter is available in all cases but the following: Rectangle, Circle, Image, Box, and Sphere shapes with Tile Fill or Random Fill and Point.
 Animate: This pop-up menu allows you to change the interpolation for animated 3D rotation channels. By default, Method is set to Rotate. Note: The Angle parameter must be keyframed for the Method parameter options to have any effect.  Use Rotation: This is the default interpolation method. Pattern elements rotate from their start rotation to their final rotation. Depending on the animation, the elements may twist this way and that before reaching their final orientation (the last keyframed value).
Angle Randomness: Defines an amount of variance in the rotation of the replicator cells. A value of 0 results in no variance—all elements have the same rotational value. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance. The angle for an individual element is defined by the Angle and Angle End parameter, plus or minus a random value falling within the Angle Randomness. Using the default dial or value slider (when the disclosure triangle is closed), the Z angle is affected.
 Over Pattern: Elements are tinted based on how they are ordered in the pattern. The gradient editor defines the range of color of the pattern, beginning with the leftmost color in the gradient, and progressing through the range of colors until reaching the rightmost color at the end of the pattern. Gradual color changes do not appear in each element, but only across the pattern as a whole. An Opacity control is available at the top of the gradient editor.
∏ Tip: When using images larger than the Canvas as a replicator shape image source, it is recommended that you enable Down-Res to Canvas Size in Motion Preferences (in the Still Images & Objects section of the Project pane) before importing the images. Scale: Defines the scale of the replicator elements. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale parameter to reveal separate X Scaling and Y Scaling subparameters that can be used to scale the width and height of the elements separately.
 Point Size: This parameter appears when Points is selected from the Show Objects As pop-up menu. This allows you to increase the size of the points for easier viewing. In the following image, the Point Size is set to 8.  Lines: This parameter is effective only when the elements of the replicator are animated using Simulation behaviors or the Throw (Basic Motion) behavior. The movement of each pattern element is represented by a line and is useful in analyzing the vector of each element’s motion.
 Wireframe: Each pattern element is represented by a bounding box. Because the bounding boxes are good indicators of each element’s orientation in the pattern, this preview mode is useful for evaluating the movements of individual elements. For example, it’s easy to see the angle of rotation for elements that are spinning or following a complex motion path.  Image: Displays the elements as they are supposed to appear in your final render.
Additional Replicator Cell Parameters Based on the Selected Color Mode Each of the options in the Color Mode pop-up menu displays a different set of parameters. Many of the following options use the opacity or color gradient controls. For more information on using gradient editors, see “Using the Gradient Editor” on page 1033. Color: A color well that becomes available when the Color Mode is set to Colorize. Use it to specify a color to use to tint the replicator elements.
 Gradient preset pop-up menu: Gradients from the Library (default or custom) appear in this pop-up menu. Choose a gradient from this menu to load it into the gradient editor.  Opacity bar: Use it to change the opacity of the replicator elements over the pattern. All color tags are limited to shades of gray.  Color bar: A gradient control that allows you to tint replicator elements over the pattern.
Source Start Frame Offset: Offsets the start frame chosen in the Source Start Frame parameter over the pattern. At their origin, the elements play the animation from the frame specified in the Source Start Frame parameter. Each step away from the origin advances the start frame by the offset amount. This parameter only appears if Random Start Frame is turned off.
You can also use keyframes to animate the parameters in a replicator’s Properties tab. Parameters in this tab affect the replicator as a whole, not the individual replicator elements. This can be useful for changing the replicator’s position or rotation over time. Example: Creating an Animated Replicator The following example demonstrates how quickly you can create attractive, complex animated patterns with minimal effort.
3 In the Replicator tab of the Inspector, do the following: a Select Circle from the Shape pop-up menu. b Select Outline from the Arrangement pop-up menu. The cells appear in a circle. By default, the circle shape contains five points, and its Radius is set to 200. An element appears at every point on the circle. c If necessary, adjust the Radius parameter so that elements are not cut off in the Canvas. In this example, Radius is set to 145. d Increase the Points value until the elements overlap.
f Turn on Additive Blend. Align Angle parameter Additive Blend parameter The color values in every overlapping pixel are added together, and all overlapping midrange color values are lightened.
4 Go frame 1 (press Home), and enable Record (press A). When Record is enabled, the Record button in the transport controls is red and all animateable values in the Inspector appear pink. Keyframes are created for any changes made to a layer. 5 In the Replicator tab, click in the Angle value field, type 0, and press Enter to create a keyframe. Note: You can create keyframes without using the Record button by positioning the cursor over the Animation menu icon and pressing Option.
To change the anchor point of a replicator source layer: 1 In the Layers tab, select the source. Although not required to adjust its anchor point, you can enable the source layer so you can see it in the Canvas. 2 In the Toolbar, select the Adjust Anchor Point tool. Adjust Anchor Point tool Note: You can also press Tab to cycle through the onscreen control modes. 3 In the Canvas, move the source object’s anchor point.
For more information on the Oscillate and other Parameter behaviors, see “Parameter Behaviors” on page 430. Displaying Replicator Animation Curves in the Keyframe Editor The replicator parameters in the Properties and Replicator tabs can be keyframed to create a change in values over time.
The starting point for the sequence animation is based on the replicator’s origin or build style. For example, if a spiral replicator’s Origin parameter is set to Center, the sequence animation begins at the center of the spiral and moves outward; if the Origin of a rectangle replicator with a tile fill is set to Upper Left, and the Build Style is set to Across, the sequence begins with the elements in the upper-left of the pattern, and moves toward the lower-right.
Underneath the Parameter pop-up menus are the Sequence Control parameters, which determine how the added parameters affect the onscreen elements. These controls include options for setting the direction of the animation, whether the animation is applied per element or to the whole pattern, the number of times the animation cycles through the pattern, and so on.
To add and animate Sequence behavior parameters: 1 With the Sequence Replicator behavior selected, display the Behaviors tab in the Inspector. 2 In the Parameter row, do the following: a Choose Rotation from the Add Parameter pop-up menu. b Choose Opacity from the Add Parameter pop-up menu. c Choose Scale from the Add Parameter pop-up menu. The added parameters appear above the Add and Remove pop-up menus. No animation occurs until a value is set for the parameters.
In addition to creating a more graceful animation, changing the Spread value can also dramatically change the appearance of the pattern. 5 Set Opacity to the lowest value you want the elements to become in the animation. In this example, Opacity is set to 0. Each element fades from 100% opacity to 0% opacity over the pattern over the duration of the Sequence Replicator behavior. Note: If the elements already contain some transparency, they fade from their original opacity value to 0%.
The animation begins at the original value for any added parameter, then transforms to the value you specify in the Sequence Replicator parameters. The animation begins at the origin of the pattern (set in the Origin or Build Style parameter of the Replicator tab or HUD) and moves through to the end of the pattern.
4 In the Sequencing pop-up menu, choose Through. The sequence goes through a full animation cycle starting at the original value of the cells, moving to the value set in the Sequence Replicator, then returning to the original value of the cells. This is similar to combining the To and From Sequencing options. 5 Choose All from the Unit Size pop-up menu. The sequence animation affects all replicator elements simultaneously.
For more information the Sequence Replicator parameters, see “Sequence Replicator Parameters” on page 828. Modifying the Sequence Replicator Behavior Use the Sequence Replicator controls to define how the change in cell value animates through the replicator pattern and how many times the animation repeats over the duration of the replicator. You can also use the Sequence Replicator controls to “soften” the effect between pattern elements.
 Position: Defines the offset of the elements from their original position. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Position parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z Position subparameters. For example, to create an animation in which the elements move upward in Y over the replicator pattern, enter a positive value in the Y Position field. In the following images, Y Position is set to 300.
 Through: Specifies that the sequence goes through a full animation cycle starting at the original value of the cells, moves to the value set in the Sequence Replicator, and then returns to the original value of the cells. For example, if the original opacity value of a pattern cell is 100%, and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, the elements begin completely opaque, become transparent, and then become completely opaque again.
 Object: Applies the sequence animation over each element as its own entity. Object is the default setting. When Unit Size is set to Object, each replicator pattern cell is affected individually.  All: Applies the sequence animation to all replicator elements simultaneously. When Unit Size is set to All, every replicator pattern cell is affected simultaneously.
 Custom: Allows you to specify the percentage of elements in the pattern that are affected by the sequence animation at once. Although you can create keyframes for the Custom option, it is not required in order to affect the sequence. As shown in the following images, the Object and All options allow you to sequence the animation only through the origin or build style of the pattern, or through all pattern elements simultaneously.
 End: Specifies the end of the range of elements affected by the sequence animation as it moves over the replicator pattern. By default, End is set to 10%. In the above image, End is set to 30%. Note: If the Sequencing pop-up menu is set to Custom, the Custom option in the Unit Size parameter has no affect. Spread: Controls the amount of falloff of the animation. To create a softer transition between each element, increase the Spread value.
 Ping Pong: Completes the sequence animation cycle forward, then completes the animation backward, then forward, and so on. Using the Sequence Replicator Custom Traversal Option When Traversal is set to Custom, you can create location keyframes to specify where the effect of the sequence is at any given time. This allows you to create a sequence animation that travels through a replicator pattern in a unique way.
5 At the frame where you want to begin the animation, drag the Location slider (or use the value slider) to set where the sequence begins. As you drag the slider, the sequence moves through the pattern elements. Values displayed in the Location parameter specify where in the pattern the sequence is (in percentage points)—0 representing the origin of the pattern, and 100% representing the end of the pattern. In the Inspector, a keyframe is added to the Location parameter.
3 The Parameter behavior is added, and appears above the Sequence Replicator behavior in the Behaviors tab. A Parameter behavior icon appears in the Animation menu of the Sequence Replicator parameter. Note: When the Wriggle or Randomize Parameter behavior is added to a Sequence Replicator parameter, additional Affect Subobjects parameter is available. This allows each object to have a different random behavior. For more information on using Parameter behaviors, see “Parameter Behaviors” on page 430.
For more information on applying Parameter behaviors to the Sequence Replicator behavior, see “Using Parameter Behaviors With the Sequence Replicator Behavior” on page 835. To apply a behavior to a replicator, do one of the following: m Drag a behavior from the Library onto a replicator in the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline. m Select the replicator in the Layers tab, Timeline layers list, or Canvas, click the Add Behavior icon in the Toolbar, then choose a behavior from the shortcut menu.
Remember that behaviors often contain parameters that control how layers are affected. These controls greatly affect the result of a behavior when it is applied to a replicator layer. For example, if you apply a Spin behavior to a replicator, all pattern elements rotate individually (rather than the replicator as a whole) when the Affect Subobjects checkbox is turned on. When Affect Subobjects is turned off, the replicator layer rotates (rather than the individual elements).
Saving Custom Replicators to the Library Once you have created a replicator that makes you particularly happy, you can save it as a replicator preset in the Replicator or Favorites category of the Library for future use. Once you place a custom replicator in the Library, it can be used just like any other replicator preset. To save a custom replicator to the Library: 1 Open the Library and select either the Replicators, Favorites, or Favorites Menu category.
10 Using Filters 10 Filters are an exciting way to spice up any motion graphics project. With the magic of Motion, you can preview and tweak images faster than ever before. About Filters The same way different font choices add flavor to text, filters add flavor to images. Fonts can help to determine mood or style. Much the same way, the filters you select can shape the character of your project. A sepia tone color correction on an object can make the viewer think of days gone by.
Working with Filters You add filters to objects in much the same way as behaviors, and you have the same ability to adjust the parameters of the filters over time without having to adjust keyframes. Filter Types There are 13 categories of filters in Motion, organized alphabetically in the Library. Filter types An Introduction to Filters In this section, you’ll learn how to quickly add, modify, and delete filters in a project.
Once a filter is selected in the stack, a preview and brief description of the filter appears in the Library Preview area. Library To browse for a filter: 1 In the Library, click the Filters category. A list of subcategories appears on the right side of the library. 2 Click a filter subcategory. A list of filters in that subcategory appears in the stack. 3 Click a filter in the stack to select it. A preview and short description of the selected filter appear in the Preview area at the top of the Library.
m Select an object in the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline, and in the toolbar, select the Add Filter icon, then select a category and a filter to apply. To remove a filter from an object: 1 Select a filter that’s been applied to an object in the Layers tab, Timeline, or Filters tab of the Inspector. 2 Do one of the following: Â Choose Edit > Delete. Â Press Delete.
Improving Performance with Filters When applying filters to several different layers in Motion, it is recommended to apply the filters to the layers’ parent group. Also, when applying filters to very large groups (such as a group containing a growing particle system), it is recommended to turn on the Fixed Resolution parameter in the Group tab of the Inspector.
The most recently applied filters appear at the top of the Filters tab of the Inspector. Filters tab When a filter is applied to an object, it is applied with the filter’s default settings. For example, when you apply the Bevel border filter to an object, that object appears with a border with the angle of the light hitting the bevel set to 0 degrees, the width of the bevel set to 0.2, its opacity set to 0.8, and the color of the bevel’s light set to white. See “Bevel” on page 869 for more details.
Using the HUD Each filter has a subset of parameters that appear in its HUD. All of the controls available for modifying each filter also appear in the Filters tab of the Inspector. Both the HUD and the Filters tab reference the same parameters—changing a parameter in one automatically changes that parameter in the other. Frequently, the controls available in a filter’s HUD represent the parameters with the exception of the position parameters.
In most cases, you interact manually with the parameters of a filter. The following image shows the Filters tab in the Inspector for the Hatched Screen filter. The Hatched Screen filter has six controls: Center, Angle, Scale, Skew, Stretch, and Contrast. The Hatched Screen filter in the Inspector Use the dial, slider, the value slider, or value field to set and enter values for each parameter as you see fit.
To animate filter parameters using the Animation menu: 1 Select the filter you want to animate. 2 Go to the frame where you want to add a keyframe. 3 In the Inspector, click the Animation menu for the parameter you want to animate, then choose Add Keyframe from the menu. Adding a keyframe in the Inspector 4 Change the value of the parameter to the desired value. 5 Go to the next frame where you want a keyframe. 6 Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you are finished.
4 Control-click Amount, then choose Randomize from the shortcut menu. Randomize Amount in the Inspector The Behaviors icon appears in the Animation menu, and the Behaviors tab opens in the Inspector. Behaviors icon Adjusting the Amount parameter in Randomize changes the amount of variance between the random values. A small number causes small variations in the random values, and a larger number means larger variations in the values.
Enabling, Renaming, and Locking Filters While the Filters tab in the Inspector contains all of the editable parameters for any filter that has been applied to an object, the Layers tab and Timeline have three primary controls for each filter that appears. Activation checkbox Lock icon Name The following filter controls appear in the Layers tab and Timeline: Activation checkbox: Turns each individual filter on or off. Filters that are turned off are not rendered.
Note: Pasting a filter does not paste it at the current playhead location. To quickly move the filter to the playhead location, press the Shift key while you drag the pasted object. As you approach the current playhead location, it snaps into place. Moving Filters You can move filters from one object to another. To move a filter: m Drag the filter from its current location to the new object to which you want to apply the filter. Original location The destination is highlighted.
To duplicate a filter: m Option-drag the filter from its current location to the new object to which you want to apply the filter. The pointer changes to indicate copying the filter. Note: You can also choose Edit > Duplicate (or press Command-D) to duplicate the filter. Reordering Filters When multiple filters are applied to a single object, they appear beneath that object in the Timeline or Project pane. You can change the order in which they are applied to the object, to change how they interact.
3 Release the mouse button when the position indicator is in the new location. The Circle Blur moves above the Highpass filter. Changing Filter Timing Filters appear as a bar in the Timeline and like other duration bars, can be trimmed or moved in time. Changing a Filter’s Duration When you apply a filter to an object, the duration of the filter defaults to the length of the object to which it is applied. This can be seen in the Timeline. Filter duration defaults to object length.
2 When the pointer changes to the trim pointer, drag the In or Out point to change the duration of the filter. Changing a filter’s Out point As you drag, the new In or Out points are displayed. Also displayed is the delta value, which represents the amount of change for the duration. Slipping Filters in Time In addition to changing a filter’s duration, you can also slip its position in the Timeline relative to the layer it’s nested under.
Rasterization affects 2D and 3D groups in different ways. When a 2D group is rasterized, the blend modes on objects within the group no longer interact with objects outside of the group. In addition, when a 3D group is rasterized, the group as a whole can no longer intersect with objects outside of the group. The rasterized 3D group is treated as a single object and uses layer order, rather than depth order when composited in the project.
Matte  Matte Magic Sharpen  Unsharp Mask Stylize  Bad TV  Circle Screen  Circles  Crystallize  Edge Work  Edges  Extrude  Halftone  Hatched Screen  Highpass  Indent  Lens Flare  Line Art  Line Screen  MinMax  Pixellate  Relief  Slit Scan  Slit Tunnel  Texture Screen  Vignette  Wavy Screen Tiling (All) Time (All) Video  Deinterlace Blur Filters Blur filters take many forms in Motion.
Channel Blur Gives you control over blurring each color channel of an object. The Channel blur can be applied selectively to each of the different color channels of the object: red, green, blue, and alpha. Blurring individual channels allows you to create customized glow effects by retaining sharpness in selected channels while softening others. Original image Amount = 15, Blur Red On Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the radius of the object blur. Values range from 0 (no blur) to 32.
Circle Blur Creates a circular blur within an image, specified by a center point which sets the center of the blur effect, and a radius which sets the size of the affected region. The amount of blur within the affected area can also be customized. This filter is useful for quickly blurring a limited area within an image. For more sophisticated control of the image region to be blurred, try the Compound Blur filter. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
When this filter is initially applied, Compound Blur behaves as if there was a black image applied to the Blur Map well, which will not blur any part of the target. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. To add an image to the Blur Map image well: 1 Use the File Browser to find the object you would like to use as a blur map. 2 In the Project pane, click the Media tab. 3 Drag the desired object from the File Browser into the Media tab.
Use this filter when you are trying to blur one image to match video or stills that were shot with a camera. For example, if you have keyed a woman standing in front of a bluescreen, and you intend to place a background image behind her to make it look like she’s standing in a valley with mountains in the background, use the Defocus filter instead of a Gaussian Blur to create a realistic depth-of-field effect for the mountains in the distance.
Note: Remember that the more filters you use in a project, the more you impact the performance of Motion. Blur Filters Without the Mix Parameter Some blur filters don’t have the Mix parameter. You can duplicate the effects of the Mix parameter by copying the original layer in the Layers tab, then changing the filtered image’s Opacity to combine the original image with the blurred image.
Gaussian blur is entirely appropriate for most motion graphics tasks, and can be animated for a variety of focus-control effects. However, to more accurately simulate camera focus, the Defocus filter may be more appropriate. For more information on the Defocus filter, see “Defocus” on page 860. Original image Gaussian Blur applied Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the radius of the blur. Values range from 0 (no blur) to 64.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Point 1 upper left, Point 2 lower right Parameters in the Inspector Point 1: Sets the position of the first point of the gradient. Point 2: Sets the position of the second point of the gradient. Amount: Sets the radius of the blur. Crop: Sets whether or not the object is cropped at its original boundaries. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Amount and Crop controls.
Display: Sets how the Movement Blur is displayed. Values are “Motion Blur” and “Optical Flow.” Motion Blur shows the blurred image. Optical Flow shows reference points for how the movement of the image was analyzed to determine the application of blur. Grid Size: Sets the size of each panel in the grid overlay used for optical flow analysis. Values range from 1 to 64. Grid Scale: Sets the scale of the entire grid used for optical flow analysis. Values range from 0 to 1000.
Radial Blur This filter creates a rotational blur centered on a point. The effect is similar to the motion blur you would see if an image were spinning quickly. Original image Radial Blur applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the radial blur. Angle: Sets the angle of rotation of the blur. Subsampling: Sets the number of samples. Crop: Sets whether or not the object is cropped at its original boundaries.
Soft Focus This filter creates an effect that’s similar to duplicating an object, using the Screen blend mode to composite it against itself, and then blurring one of the overlapping objects. The advantage of this filter is that you can do this all within a single filter. The Strength parameter controls how much of the blurred image is added back to the original image, while other sliders let you control the overall, horizontal, and vertical amount of blur.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Variable Blur (outside of circle) Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the circle. Amount: Sets the percentage of the blur. Inner Radius: Sets the inner radius of the circle. Outer Radius: Sets the outer radius of the circle. Crop: Sets whether or not the object is cropped at its original boundaries. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Amount, Inner Radius, Outer Radius, and Crop controls.
Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the radius of the blur, ranging from 0 (no blur) to 32. Center: Sets the position of the center of the blur. Crop: Toggles whether the object is cropped at its original boundaries. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the blurred image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Amount control. Border Filters Border filters allow you to frame objects in a composition in various ways.
Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the blurred image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of the Mix control. Simple Border Creates a solid color border of variable width around the edges of an object. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Parameters in the Inspector Size: Sets the thickness of the border. Values can range from 0 (no border) to 100 pixels. Color: Picks the color of the border.
Note: Because the Widescreen filter is masking the object to which it is applied, the object is not cropped and retains its original shape. Original image Widescreen applied Parameters in the Inspector Aspect Ratio: Sets the aspect ratio of the mask. Values can be selected from the following: 1.66:1, 1.70:1, 1.78:1, 1.85:1, 2.35:1, 2.55:1, and 3.00:1. Offset: Sets the position of the mask relative to the Y center of the object. Values range from –1.
Brightness Boosts or lowers the uniform brightness of an image by the specified amount. Although this may seem to be the first filter to use if you want to correct for improper exposure in an image, the drawback of this filter is that it boosts or lowers everything in an image at once. This means that raising the brightness in an image raises it everywhere, including in the shadows. The result is that a brightened image may look washed out.
Parameters in the Inspector Red – Red: Sets the amount of input red added to the output red. The default value is 1.0, which leaves the red channel unmodified. As this value increases, the output value of red increases by the amount of input red multiplied by the value of Red – Red. Values range from –2 to 2. Red – Green: Sets the amount of input green added to the output red. The default value is 0, which leaves the red channel unmodified.
Blue – Green: Sets the amount of input green added to the output blue. The default value is 0, which leaves the blue channel unmodified. As this value increases, the output value of blue increases by the amount of input green multiplied by the value of Blue – Green. Values range from –2 to 2. Blue – Blue: Sets the amount of input blue added to the output blue. The default value is 1.0, which leaves the blue channel unmodified.
Include Alpha: Sets whether or not to include the alpha channel in the mono calculation. The filter must be in monochrome mode for this parameter to be active. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of the Mix control. Channel Swap Substitutes the color value of a color channel with that of either a selected channel, or its inverse.
Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of the mix control. Color Balance Color balance generally refers to the overall tint of an image reflecting the color temperature of the primary source of light. For example, sunlight is generally bluer than interior tungsten light, which tends to be more orange.
Midtone Green: Picks the color gain applied to the midtone range of the green color channel. Midtone Blue: Picks the color gain applied to the midtone range of the blue color channel. Highlight Red: Picks the color gain applied to the highlights of the red color channel. Highlight Green: Picks the color gain applied to the highlights of the green color channel. Highlight Blue: Picks the color gain applied to the highlights of the blue color channel.
Reduce To: Selects the number of colors in the reduced object. Choices are 4 Colors, 3 Colors, or 2 Colors. Match Color 1: Picks the color of the first selection color for reduction. The color picker can be expanded with the disclosure triangle to reveal Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha sliders for more precise color selection. Replace With: Picks the color that is substituted for the selection determined by Color 1. Match Color 2: Picks the color of the second selection color for reduction.
Interesting colorized “negative” effects can be achieved by remapping the blacks in an image to a lighter color than the whites. Original image Colorize with defaults Parameters in the Inspector Remap Black To: Sets the color that is mapped to black. Remap White To: Sets the color that is mapped to white. The color picker can be expanded with the disclosure triangle to include Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha sliders to more precisely select the color. Intensity: Sets the strength of the colorization.
Parameters in the Inspector Contrast: Sets the amount of contrast to be applied to the object. Values range from 0 (no contrast) to 1 (default contrast) to 2.00 (high contrast). Pivot: Sets the point around which the contrast is adjusted. The point of contrast adjustment is the level which is displayed if Contrast is set to 0. Values range from 0 to 1.00. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%.
HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of the mix control. Equalize Remaps the black and white points in an image, resulting in individual adjustments to the contrast in the dark and light parts of an image. The Equalize filter can be used to adjust the overall contrast range of an image, crushing the whites and blacks, or it can be used to create selective washed out or darkened effects. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
This is one the most useful filters for correcting poor exposure in images, and should almost always be used first before trying the Brightness filter. Original image Gamma filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Gamma: Sets the gamma correction. Values range from 0 to 5. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Gamma control.
Offset: Sets an amount, in degrees, that the color wheel is offset to determine color application. Values start at 0 degrees. Repeats: Sets the number of times the gradient repeats over the course of its range. Values range from 1 to 32. Repeat Method: Sets the method by which the gradient is mapped when repeating. Values can be set to either Mirror (default) or Wrap. This parameter only affects the filter when Repeats is set to a number greater than 1.
The saturation controls the intensity of the color in an image, with a high saturation resulting in vivid color, and a low saturation resulting in a grayscale image with no color at all. The Value slider, on the other hand, adjusts the overall brightness or darkness of all colors in an image, including the blacks and whites in a desaturated image.
Invert Inverts all color and brightness in an image. This filter can be used to turn a scanned negative image into a properly displayed positive. Original image Image inverted Parameters in the Inspector Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the mix control.
White In: Sets the In point for white, above which values will not be output. White Out: Sets the maximum brightness value that appears in the output. Other values are scaled between Black Out and White Out values. Gamma: Sets the amount of gamma correction. This parameter ranges from 0 to 5.00. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls There are no controls for this filter in the HUD.
Saturate Increases or decreases the amount of color in an image by a specified amount. This filter can be used to mute the color in an image, making brighter colors less saturated. It can also be used to completely eliminate the color from an image, turning a color image to a grayscale one. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Saturated filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Saturation: Sets the color saturation of the object, ranging from –1.0 (no color information) to 0.
This filter is good for that “old-time western” look. Original image Sepia filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the amount of sepia tone applied to the object. Values range from 0 (no sepia tone) to 1.00 (100 percent sepia). Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the intensity control.
Parameters in the Inspector Threshold: Sets the threshold of selection for color substitution. Values range from 0 to 1.00. The threshold determines what will be considered light and what will be considered dark areas of the object. Smoothness: Sets the smoothness of transition between the two colors substituted, with values ranging from 0 to 1.00. Dark Color: Picks the color used to represent the dark interpreted areas of the object.
Intensity: Sets the amount of tint applied to the object. HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector. YIQ Adjust Allows color adjustment in YIQ color space. The YIQ color space definition was formerly used to describe an NTSC broadcast signal. Parameters in the Inspector Y: Sets the intensity of the Y color channel. Values range from –1.0 to 1.0. I: Sets the phase of the I color channel. Values range from –1.0 to 1.0. Q: Sets the phase of the Y color channel. Values range from –1.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Basic 3D applied Parameters in the Inspector X Rotation: Sets the amount, in degrees, that the object is rotated along the X axis. Y Rotation: Sets the amount, in degrees, that the object is rotated along the Y axis. Z Rotation: Sets the amount, in degrees, that the object is rotated along the Z axis. Distance: Sets the distance the object is pushed away from the Canvas. Values range from 0 to 1.
Black Hole This filter distorts an image by causing part of it to disappear into the specified center point, and by bowing the top, bottom, and sides inward. As the value of the Amount parameter increases, the more the sides bow in, and the more of the image at the center point disappears into it. The Poke filter, on page 903, has a similar effect without removing part of the image. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Bulge applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the bulge. Amount: Sets the amount of the bulge. Values range from 0 (no bulge) to 1000. Scale: Sets the direction and scale of the bulge. Values range from –10 (the maximum bulge inwards) to 10 (the maximum bulge outwards). HUD Controls The HUD contains the Amount and Scale controls.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Bump Map filter applied with a tiger image Parameters in the Inspector Map Image: An image well that displays a thumbnail of the map chosen. Direction: Sets the angle at which the bump map protrudes. Amount: Sets how far the bump map protrudes. Positive values push upward, negative values push downward. Repeat Edges: Sets whether or not the edges of the object are repeated.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Disc Warp applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the disc. Radius: Sets the size of the disc. Values range from 0.01 to 1000. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Radius control. Displace This filter uses an image to define a displacement region within the image, with parameters to control the horizontal and vertical scale of displacement. You can use any image, movie, or shape as the source image.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Displace applied with a jellyfish as map image Parameters in the Inspector Map Image: An image well that displays a thumbnail of the map chosen. Horizontal Scale: Sets the horizontal scaling of the object, ranging from –2.00 to 2.00. Vertical Scale: Sets the vertical scaling of the object, ranging from –2.00 to 2.00. Repeat Edges: Toggles whether or not the edges of the object are repeated.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Droplet applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the droplet effect. Radius: Sets the radius of the droplet effect. Values range from –50 to 950. Height: Sets the height of the droplet ripples. Values range from –50 to 50. Width: Sets the width of the rippling waves from the droplet. Values range from 0 to 100. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Radius, Height, and Width controls.
Parameters in the Inspector Twist: Sets the amount the object is rotated as it is displaced. Values range from 0 to 1. Horizontal Shake: Sets the maximum amount the image is displaced horizontally. Values range from 0 to 1. Vertical Shake: Sets the maximum amount the image is displaced vertically. Values range from 0 to 1. Layers: Sets the number of copies of the original object are overlayed. Values range from 1 to 8. Larger values create a motion-blurred effect.
Parameters in the Inspector Radius: Sets the radius of the fisheye lens effect. Values range from 0 (nothing distorted) to 2 (maximum distortion). Amount: Sets the amount and nature of the distortion. Values range from –100 (completely concave distortion) to 0 (no distortion) to 100 (completely convex distortion). Center: Sets the position of the center of the fisheye effect. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%.
Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the fun house mirror. Width: Sets the width of the fun house mirror. Values range from 1 to 1000. Amount: Sets the amount of distortion of the fun house mirror. Values range from 1 to 100. Angle: Sets the angle at which the fun house mirror is set. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Width, Amount, and Angle controls.
Glass Distortion Simulates the effect of your object being deformed as it shows through a piece of glass. An image well lets you assign an object to use as the pattern in the glass, using any image, movie, or shape. Other parameters let you control the scale and amount of distortion. When this filter is initially applied, Glass Distortion behaves as if there were a black image applied to the Map Image well, which will leave the target object unchanged.
Insect Eye Maps a repeating hexagonal distortion pattern to an image, mimicking the POV of an insect. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Insect Eye applied Parameters in the Inspector Size: Sets the size of the hexagons, in pixels. Values range from 8 to 128. Refraction: Sets the amount of distortion present in each hex. Values range from 0 to 4. Border: Sets the width, in pixels, of the border of each hex. Values range from 0 to 8.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Mirror filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the mirror. Angle: Sets the angle of the mirror’s orientation. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Angle control.
Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the poke. Radius: Sets the radius of the poke effect. Values range from 0 (a point) to 1000. Scale: Sets the scale of the distortion. Values range from 0 (no pinching) to 1. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Radius and Scale controls. Refraction Creates a glass-distortion effect on an image, with an optional height map. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of the Mix control. Ring Lens This filter creates a ring of distortion over the image. The result can be a donut-like bulge in the image. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Ring Lens applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the lens. Radius: Sets the radius of the ring. Values range from 0 to 1000.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Ring Warp applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the rings. Radius: Sets the radius of the rings. Values range from 0.01 to 200. Refraction: Sets the amount of refraction. Values range from 0 to 20. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Radius and Refraction controls. Ripple Creates animated ripples over the surface of an object.
Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the origin of the effect. Amplitude: Sets the width of the waves. Values range from 0 to 100. Crop: Toggles whether the object is cropped at its original boundaries. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Amplitude control. Scrape Smears an image along an angle defined by the Rotation parameter.
Sphere Simulates the effect of an image being wrapped around a sphere. This filter can be used to turn an image of a map into an imprecise globe. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Sphere filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the sphere. Radius: Sets the radius of the sphere. Values range from 0 to 1000. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Radius control. Starburst Radiates solid-colored rays out from the center of your object.
Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the starburst. Radius: Sets the radius of pixel sampling for ray color determination. Values range from 0.01 to 200. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Radius control. Stripes By default, this filter turns your object into a series of vertical stripes. The angle of generated stripes can be changed using the Angle parameter.
Target The Target filter draws bands of concentric circles outward from the center point value. The target colors are derived from pixel values around the selected center point, with the distribution of colors determined by the Angle parameter. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Target applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the target. Angle: Sets the angle of the line used to select pixels for the bands of circles in the target.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Twirl filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the radius of the twirl. Larger values affect more of the image. Values range from 0 (none of the image is affected) to 1.00 (largest amount of the image is affected). Twirl: Sets the amount of twirl. Center: Sets the position of the center of the twirl. Crop: Toggles whether the object is cropped at its original boundaries.
Underwater Applies an animated distortion to your object, as if it is being viewed through water. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Underwater filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Size: Sets the size of the ripples in the water. The smaller the number, the more ripples there are in the water simulation. Values range between 0 and 10. Speed: Sets the speed at which the distortion is animated. Values range from 0 to 2.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Wave filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Amplitude: Sets the amplitude of the waves. Values range from 0 to 100. Wavelength: Sets the length of the waves. Values range from 1 to 100. Offset: Sets the offset of the wave, with values ranging from –500 to 500. Vertical: Toggles whether the waves run vertically or horizontally. Repeat Edges: Toggles whether or not the edges of the object are repeated.
Aura This is a highly stylized filter that adds light or dark halos around well-defined areas of an image. The resulting glow appears solarized, and the underlying image creates outlines that show through the glow effect. Original image Aura applied Parameters in the Inspector Inner Radius: Sets the amount the aura extends inward from their point of origin. Values range from 0 to 32. Outer Radius: Sets the amount the aura extends outward from its point of origin. Values range from 0 to 32.
Bloom This filter simulates the effect of extremely overexposed highlights on film. Highlights above a certain threshold are blurred, brightened, and recomposited with the original. All unaffected regions of the image interact with the glow effect, but otherwise retain their detail. Original image Bloom applied Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the amount of the bloom. Values range from 0 (no bloom) to 32. Brightness: Sets the brightness of the bloom. Values range from 0 to 100.
Dazzle This filter adds glowing star-shaped accents to the highlights in an image. This filter can be customized to create anything from subtle highlights to outrageous, colorful flashes of color. Original image Dazzle applied Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the radius of the spikes from the glow of Dazzle. Values range from 0 to 60. Angle: Sets the angle of rotation of the spikes from Dazzle. Brightness: Sets the amount of brightness of the glow of Dazzle. Values range from 0 to 100.
Gloom This filter creates a muted, dark glow. The image is darkened, and areas of fine detail are evened out into larger regions of color. It’s spooky. Original image Gloom applied Parameters in the Inspector Radius: Sets the radius of the gloom. Values range from 0 to 100. Amount: Sets the amount of gloom. Values range from 0 (no gloom) to 2 (maximum gloominess). HUD Controls The HUD contains the Radius and Amount controls.
Light Rays A glow filter that uses the zoom blur to distribute the resulting glow, instead of a gaussian blur. The effect is that of light rays shining through an object from a specified point. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Light Rays applied Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the amount of the light ray effect. Larger values extend the length of the rays. Values range from 0 to 200. Center: Sets the position of the center point of the light source.
Outer Glow Adds a glow to the alpha channel of an object. The result is a glow around the outside of an object, while the object’s actual image is unaffected. Original image Outer glow filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Radius: Sets the size of the glow. Values range from 0 to 15. Brightness: Sets the brightness of the glow. Values range from 0 to 100. Inner Color: Picks the inner color of the glow.
Overdrive Creates an animated glow effect by compositing numerous glowing tinted duplicates of the original image. Fine detail is lost, and the highlights of the image are emphasized. You can customize the inner glow and outer glow colors. Original image Overdrive applied Parameters in the Inspector Intensity: Sets the number of samples. Values range from 0 to 32. Size: Sets the radius of the effect. Values range from 0 to 32. Rotation: Sets the angle of rotation of the collected offsets.
A common example of color keying is the meteorologist on TV. This person is always seen standing in front of an animated map of the weather, but in reality he or she is standing in front of a big greenscreen. As part of the broadcast, the greenscreen is keyed out, and replaced by the map. You can do the same thing in Motion. Important: Keying a foreground subject is not always easy, and it takes time and patience to learn how to use the parameters in each filter to achieve the best effect.
Color Key This filter can pull a key based on any color you select. Bear in mind that if the color is too close to that of the subject you’re trying to isolate, parts of your foreground subject may disappear as well. The resulting effect renders the selected color transparent, allowing a background image to show through. Original image Color Key filter rendering gray transparent Parameters in the Inspector Color: Picks the color for your key.
Luma Key Luma Key pulls a key from your object based on a selected brightness level. This can be effective if you’re keying a subject that was shot against a solid white or black background, and exposed so that there are no absolute highlights or shadows within the foreground subject. Despite this, shadows and highlights in the image usually make this a difficult filter with which to pull a perfect key.
Primatte RT The Primatte RT filter is a high-quality keying filter, which renders the blue or green areas of the image transparent, allowing one or more background images to show through. Original image Primatte RT filter (Backing Color set to Green), so background tiger shows through Parameters in the Inspector Output Type: Sets the output type of the keyer. Select values from the following: Foreground, Background, Processed Foreground, and Matte. Backing Color: Pick the backing color for the matte.
An Example Using Primatte RT Getting the basics down of using Primatte RT is easy. Here’s an example. To create a simple composite using Primatte RT: 1 Import a background image into your project. 2 Import the foreground image for which a matte needs to be generated. 3 Select the foreground object, and turn off the background to directly observe the filter’s effects. 4 Apply the Primatte RT filter to the object.
The Primatte RT filter makes a guess as to the non-subject color you are trying to remove. It makes a guess based on the dominant color present in the image, which may or may not be the color of the background. For example, if the image is a large red object that obscures most of a greenscreen, Primatte RT selects Red as its base sample. In this case, however, Primatte RT correctly guesses that you’re trying to key out the blue color.
HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of the Mix control. Matte Filters Matte filters are used to modify mattes. Matte Choker This filter increases or decreases the semi-transparent area of an object’s alpha channel by performing a gamma correction (similar to the Gamma color correction filter) to all regions of the alpha channel falling between solid black and solid white.
Parameters in the Inspector Shrink: Shrinks the edges of the matte with a soft edge to eat into the alpha channel, to reduce fringing. Feather: Feathers the edges of the matte. Mix: Sets what percentage of the original image is blended with the filtered image. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Edge Thin and Feather controls. Note: The Matte Magic filter has no effect on images with a solid alpha channel.
Unsharp Mask Similar to Sharpen, this filter provides many more options to refine and control the amount of sharpening applied to the image. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Unsharp Mask filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Radius: Sets the amount of the mask’s effect. Values range from 0 to 32. Amount: Sets the amount of the multiplier used to sharpen the object’s edges. Values range from 0 to 2.
Add Noise This filter adds an overlay noise of the selected type to an image. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Add Noise filter applied Parameters in the Inspector Amount: Sets the amount of noise added to the image. Values range from 0 to 1. Type: Sets the type of noise added to the image. Values can be selected from White Noise (Uniform), Pink Noise (TV Static), and Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). Monochrome: Toggles whether the added noise is monochrome or color.
Bad TV This filter simulates poor analog television reception, adding attributes like exaggerated video field scan lines, static and roll. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Bad TV applied Parameters in the Inspector Waviness: Sets the amount of horizontal offset applied to the video fields. Values range from 0 to 200. Roll: Sets the amount of vertical offset applied to the image.
HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of the Mix control. Circle Screen This filter reduces an image to a high-contrast grayscale version of itself. It then screens it using a pattern of concentric circles, simulating a sort of etched screening technique. The image is represented by varying thicknesses in the circular pattern. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Circles applied Parameters in the Inspector Size: Sets the size of the facets. The facets range in size from 3 (tiny) to 200 (huge). Falloff: Sets the amount of alpha blending done at the edges of the each facet. Values range from 0 to 1. Invert: Toggles whether the facets are elliptical or tiles with elliptical cut-outs. Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame. Values range from 0 to 100%.
Color Emboss This filter traces high-contrast edges in the image with darker versions of the color already in the image. This gives the object the appearance of being stamped into the Canvas, while retaining the colors of the original image. The Direction and amount of Relief can be customized. Original image Color emboss applied Parameters in the Inspector Direction: Sets the angle of direction of the offset emboss. Relief: Sets the amount of the offset. Values range from 0 to 3.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Crystallize applied Parameters in the Inspector Size: Sets the size of the facets. The facets range in size from 3 (tiny) to 64 (huge). Speed: Sets the speed of the animation of the facets. Values range from 0 to 2. Smooth: Toggles whether facet colors are based on average values in the area they are replacing, or single samples taken from the center of the facet.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Edge Work applied Parameters in the Inspector Radius: Sets the radius of transition between light and dark areas. Values range from 0 to 100. Blur: Sets the amount the image should be blurred before edge detection. Values range from 0 to 3.5. Amount: Sets the amount of contrast between light and dark areas. Values range from 0 to 30. Smoothness: Sets the smoothness of the edge lining, ranging from 0 to 5.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Edges applied Parameters in the Inspector Intensity: Sets the intensity of the edges. Values range from 0 to 50. Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Intensity control. Extrude Gives an object simulated depth, by creating a “front” and “back” side, then offsets them and extrudes the edges so they connect.
Parameters in the Inspector Angle: Sets the angle at which the object is extruded. Distance: Sets the distance the object is extruded. Values range from 0 to 100. Clipping: Sets the distance at which the extrusion is clipped. Values range from –100 to 100. Back Size: Sets the size of the back object, as a proportion of its original size. Values range from 0 to 2. Face Brightness: Sets a brightness level applied to the face of the object. Values range from 0 to 2.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Halftone applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the halftone dots. Angle: Sets the angle of the alignment of the dots. Scale: Sets the scale of the halftone dots. Values range from 2 to 100. Contrast: Sets the amount of contrast between the lightest and darkest dots. Values range from 0 to 0.99. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Angle, Scale, and Contrast controls.
Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the hatched screen. Angle: Sets the angle of the hatched screen. Scale: Sets the scale of the hatched screen. Values range from 1 to 100. Skew: Sets the amount of skew of the hatched screen. Values range from –3 to 3. Stretch: Sets the amount of skew of the hatched screen. Values range from –2 to 2. Contrast: Sets the relative amount of contrast between light and dark areas. Values range from 0 to 0.99.
Indent Creates a shiny, bump-mapped appearance on an image, giving the appearance of “depressed” and “flat” areas. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Indent applied Parameters in the Inspector Softness: Sets the softness of the transition between the flat and raised areas. Values range from 0 to 1. Brightness: Sets the level of brightness of the object. Values range from 0 to 10. Ambient: Sets the amount of ambient light hitting the object. Values range from 0 to 1.
 Height Map X Scale: Sets the scaling used to determine the width of the Height Map. Values range from 0 to 10.  Height Map Y Scale: Sets the scaling used to determine the height of the Height Map. Values range from 0 to 10.  Height Map X Offset: Sets the amount of offset used to position the Height Map horizontally. Values range from 0 to 100%.  Height Map Y Offset: Sets the amount of offset used to position the Height Map vertically. Values range from 0 to 100%.
Paper Color: Sets the color of the paper. The color picker can be expanded with the disclosure triangle to include Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha sliders to more precisely select the color. Paper Opacity: Sets the opacity of the paper. Values range from 0 to 1. Ink Color: Sets the color of the ink used in the line drawing. Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame. Values range from 0 to 100%.
HUD Controls The HUD contains the Angle, Scale, Skew, Stretch, and Contrast controls. MinMax This filter softly patterns an image by choosing a maximum or minimum color value for pixels within the specified radius. The result erodes or dilates the light or dark areas of your object into soft, blocky regions. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image MinMax dilating dark areas Parameters in the Inspector Mode: Sets the mode of the minmax.
Noise Dissolve Dissolves an object by adding a pattern of noise to it. Raising the value of the Dissolve Amount parameter gradually eats away at more and more of the image. The alpha channel is set to zero within the noisy areas, so background images are revealed as the Dissolve Amount increases. Original image Noise Dissolve at 50% Parameters in the Inspector Dissolve Amount: Sets the percentage of pixels dissolved by noise. Random Seed: Sets a number to be used as a seed for noise placement.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Pixellate applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the pixellation effect. Scale: Sets the scale of the pixellation. Values range from 1 to 100. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Scale control. Posterize This filter reduces the number of colors in your object to a set number per color channel, adjustable using the Levels parameter.
HUD Controls The HUD contains the Level control. Relief Uses the color values of an object or height map to calculate height vertices, creating the appearance of a 3D height map. Note: As this filter simulates depth, an object with the Relief filter applied does not interact with 3D aspects of Motion. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
Map Channel: Sets the channel used to calculate the height vertices. If a height map is present, the channel is selected from the height map, otherwise the channel is selected from the source object. Values can be selected from the following: Luminance (default), Red, Green, Blue, or Alpha. Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame. Values range from 0 to 100%.
Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Rotation, Speed, Perspective, Glow, Glow Color, and Offset controls. Slit Tunnel Simulates a circular version of the slit scan process used to create “warp tunnel” images in science fiction films. This filter is automatically animated to create a fly-through effect. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
Texture Screen This filter uses a source object specified by the Map Image parameter to screen the target. The source object used can be any image, movie, or shape you want. By default, Texture Screen behaves as if there were a black image applied to the Map Image well, which makes the target appear desaturated and washed out. To learn how to add an object to the Map Image well, see “Compound Blur” on page 859. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
Noisiness: Sets the amount of noise. Values range from 0 to 20. HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of Center. Vectorize Color Makes the object appear as multicolored polygons. Four colors are substituted over the entire color range of the object. Original image Default colors set in Vectorize Color Parameters in the Inspector Resolution: Sets the resolution of the polygons. The smaller the value, the smaller the size of polygons in the resulting image.
HUD Controls The HUD contains the same controls as the Inspector, with the exception of the Mix control. Vignette Simulates the light fall-off and blurring that can be seen in the corners of images as seen through some camera lenses. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Vignette applied Parameters in the Inspector Size: Sets the size of the vignette. The larger the size, the more of the object is affected by the vignette. Values range between 0 and 1.5.
Wavy Screen This filter reduces an image to a high-contrast grayscale version of itself. It then screens it using a pattern of angled lines, simulating a sort of etched screening technique. The image is represented by varying thicknesses in the pattern of the zigzagging lines. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Wavy Screen applied Parameters in the Inspector Amplitude: Sets the amplitude of the waves. Values range from 0 to 100. Wavelength: Sets the wavelength.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Kaleidoscope applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the kaleidoscope. Segment Angle: Sets the angle at the tip of each triangular tile. Values range from 0 to 360. Offset Angle: Sets the rotation of the whole kaleidoscope. Values range from 0 to 360. Partial Segments: Toggles allowing partial segments to complete the radius of the kaleidoscope.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Kaleidotile applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the origin of the kaleidotile. Width: Sets the width of the panels of the kaleidotile. The panels range in size from 8 to 256. Height: Sets the height of each of the panels. The panels range in size from 8 to 256. Angle: Sets the angle of rotation of the panels. The panels range in size from 0 to 360.
Parameters in the Inspector Horizontal Offset: Sets the horizontal offset of the object. Vertical Offset: Sets the vertical offset of the object. Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset controls. Parallelogram Tile Simulates looking through a kaleidoscope with facets made of parallelograms.
This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Perspective Tile applied Parameters in the Inspector Top Left: Sets the position of the top-left corner of the grid. Top Right: Sets the position of the top-right corner of the grid. Bottom Right: Sets the position of the bottom-right corner of the grid. Bottom Left: Sets the position of the bottom-left corner of the grid. HUD Controls The HUD has no controls for this filter.
Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the center point on the object from which the tiles are generated. Values are coordinates. Radius: Sets the radius of each tile. Values range from 4 to 32. Feathering: Sets the amount of feathering applied to the edges of each tile. Values range from 0 to 1. Seed: Sets a number to be used as a seed for tile placement and stacking. Values range from 0 to 1000. Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame.
HUD Controls The HUD contains the Skew, Scale, Stretch, and Angle controls. Triangle Tile Tiles your object with triangular shaped panels. The effect is similar to one of the kaleidoscope filters. It is not automatically animated, but by animating the Angle parameter you can simulate the effect of twisting the kaleidoscope to rotate the image pattern. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Original image Triangle Tile applied Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the origin of the tile.
Parameters in the Inspector Delay: Sets the amount of delay between echoes. Values range from 0 to 1. A value of 0 is a zero frame echo, and a value of 1 represents a 60 frame echo. Number: Sets the number of echoes. Decay: Sets the amount of time it takes for an echo to decay. Amount: Sets the relative opacity of each echo. Values range from 0 to 1. Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame. Values range from 0 to 100%.
Parameters in the Inspector Strobe Rate: Sets the number of frames of each strobe. Values range from 1 to 60. Mix: Sets the amount of the filtered frame to be mixed with the original source frame. Values range from 0 to 100%. HUD Controls The HUD contains the Strobe Duration control. Trails Draws light or dark trails following an object’s movement. This filter is only effective with moving images. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups.
WideTime Similar to the Echo filter, but WideTime holds frames both before and after the current frame to stretch the image’s motion out in time. This filter causes rasterization in 3D groups. Parameters in the Inspector Duration: Sets the number of frames before and after the current frame that are blended. Values range from 0 to 1. Decay: Sets the amount of time the added frames are held. Values range from 0 to 1. Amount: Sets the amount of opacity of the delayed object being overlaid.
Parameters in the Inspector Dominant Field: Selects the dominant field. Value can be Upper or Lower. Method: Sets how the object is interlaced. The method can be Duplicate, Interpolate, or Blend. Â Duplicate: The non-dominant field is eliminated, and the data from the dominant field is duplicated to fill in the missing lines. Â Interpolate: The non-dominant field is eliminated, and a new field is created by averaging each pair of adjacent video lines to create new ones.
11 Working with Generators 11 Use the generators in the Motion Library to quickly add life to your project. About Generators Generators are objects in the Library that you add to your project to instantly create solids or patterns such as colors, bars, stripes, noise, or gradients. Some generators create animated patterns, while most create static, patterned images.
Like all other objects in Motion, generators can be moved, rotated, duplicated, copied and pasted, and animated. Generators can be reordered and set to different blend modes. Also, like other objects, you can apply behaviors to generators and apply Parameter behaviors to the parameters of a generator. You can also apply filters to generators, or use a generator as the source for a particle cell.
Note: Generators that are added to a project are not added to the Media tab. The Media tab only includes media files that are imported into Motion, such as image sequences, Photoshop files, and audio files. 4 Click Play (or press the Space bar). Generator Types There are two types of generators in the Library: animated and static. Both types of generators create images on the fly, but an animated generator creates a moving pattern by default.
Caustics The Caustics generator creates an animated, simulated water surface. The size, speed, refraction, brightness, and color of the Caustics pattern can be modified and animated. You can use the Caustics generator to add light patterns to a project, or as the source object for an image map. Default Caustics generator Modified Caustics generator over an image Parameters in the Inspector Size: Sets the size of the shapes and spaces in the pattern. Values range from 0 to .5.
Cellular The Cellular generator creates an animated pattern that looks like cells moving under a microscope. You can change the color, size, and speed of the cells. Default Cellular generator Modified Cellular generator Parameters in the Inspector Size: Sets the size of the cells in the pattern. Values range from 0 to 64. Speed: Sets the speed of movement of the light patterns. Values range from 0 to 2. Gradient: Sets the color gradient used for the cells.
Color 1: Picks the first color in the checkerboard. Use the disclosure triangle to display Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha sliders for more precise color selection. Color 2: Picks the second color in the checkerboard. Use the disclosure triangle to display Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha sliders for more precise color selection. Size: Sets the size of the squares in the checkerboard. Values range from 0 to 800. Contrast: Sets the sharpness of the division between squares. Values range from 0 to 1.
First Layer Strength: Sets the strength of the first layer of clouds. Values range from 0 to 1. Second Layer Strength: Sets the strength of the second layer of clouds. Values range from 0 to 1. Third Layer Strength: Sets the strength of the third layer of clouds. Values range from 0 to 1. Fourth Layer Strength: Sets the strength of the fourth layer of clouds. Values range from 0 to 1. Color Solid The Color Solid generator creates a single-colored object.
Gradient The Gradient generator initially creates a nonanimated blue-and-red linear gradient. You can change the gradient from linear to radial, add and remove colors in the gradient, and change the gradient start and end points. You can save a modified gradient to the Gradient category in the Library and later apply it to shapes, text objects, or particle cells. The gradient controls can be keyframed to create a moving, color-changing gradient.
Parameters in the Inspector Offset: Sets the coordinates of the center of the grid. Coordinates are calculated from the center of your object, which is the coordinate origin. Line Color: Sets the color of the grid lines. Background Color: Sets the color of the grid background. Background Opacity: Sets the opacity of the background. Values range from 0 to 1. Feather: Sets the feathering or sharpness of the grid lines. Values range from 0 to 1. Line Width: Sets the width of the grid lines.
Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the lens flare. Size: Sets the radius of the ring of the lens flare. Values range from 0 to 400. Intensity: Sets the intensity of the lens flare. Values range from 0 to 4. Falloff: Sets how fast the lens flare falls off. Values range from 0 to 10. Color: Picks the color of the lens flare. Use the disclosure triangle to display Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha sliders for more precise color selection.
Membrane The Membrane generator creates a sheer, animated sheet that appears to move gracefully about in 3D space. The speed, start and end points, offset, brightness, and color can be modified and animated. To expand the animation beyond the Canvas borders, increase the Width and Height parameters in the Inspector. Default Membrane generator Modified Membrane generator (composited over a gradient) Parameters in the Inspector Speed: Sets the speed of movement of the sheet. Values range from 0 to 2.
Noise Where would motion graphics artists be without a noise filter or generator? To make animated noise, you can keyframe the Random Seed parameter in the Noise HUD or Inspector. When filters are applied to an animated Noise generator, you can create some unique textures. In the second image below, the Scrape distortion filter is applied to an animated Noise generator to create a vibrant, electric light-type texture.
Parameters in the Inspector Color Space: Sets the color space. Generally, if you are working in NTSC, use YIQ. If you are working in PAL, use YUV. Offset: Sets the coordinates of the ray pattern’s center. Coordinates are calculated from the center of your object, which is the coordinate origin. Color: Picks the base color for the one color ray. Color Variance: Sets how much the colors differ from each other. Divisions: Sets the number of divisions in the ray pattern.
Amplitude: Sets the amplitude of the waves. Roundness: Sets the shape of the wave. Op Art 2 Default Op Art 2 generator Modified Op Art 2 generator (with Blend Mode set to Soft Light in Properties tab over image) Parameters in the Inspector Scale: Sets how close or far away the dots appear. Angle: Sets the angle of the dot rows. Contrast: Sets how sharp or blurred the division is between the dots and the background. Dot Size: Sets how much the colors differ from each other.
Parameters in the Inspector Line Thickness: Sets the thickness of the lines in the pattern. Contrast: Sets how sharp or blurred the division is between the lines and the background. Wavelength: Sets the frequency of the wave. Amplitude: Sets the number of amplitude of the wave. Skew: Sets rotation of the wave pattern. Roundness: Sets the shape of the wave. Soft Gradient The Soft Gradient generator creates a soft-edged, radial gradient.
Star The Star generator creates a glowing star shape that contains an alpha channel. The scale, width, angle, epsilon (which fine-tunes the size of the star spikes), and opacity of the spikes can be modified and keyframed, as well as the position, color, and radius of the star. Default Star generator Multiple modified Star generators over gradient Parameters in the Inspector Center: Sets the position of the center of the star. Color: Picks the halo around the star.
Stripes The Stripes generator creates a default image with vertical bands of two alternating colors. You can change and keyframe the position, colors, size, and contrast of the stripes. By animating the Center parameter, you can create an animation in which the stripes continuously move across the screen without the need to resize and pan the object across the Canvas. In the second image, the generator object is rotated so the stripes are horizontal.
Swirly The Swirly generator creates an animated pattern in one of three different styles called Pulse, Spiderweb Spin, and Spiky. Once you select a style, you can modify and animate the scale, rotation, persistence, radius, amplitude, and number of passes of the pattern. Default Swirly generator Modified Swirly generator Parameters in the Inspector Scale: Sets the size of the swirly shape. Rotation: Sets the rotation of the initial shape. Persistence: Sets the number of times the shape is repeated.
Two Color Ray The Two Color Ray generator creates a ray pattern alternating between two colors. You can select the colors, the number of divisions represented, and rotation of the pattern. Default Two Color Ray generator Two Color Ray generator modified Parameters in the Inspector Offset: Sets the coordinates of the center of the ray pattern. Coordinates are calculated from the center of your object, which is the coordinate origin. Color 1: Picks the base color for the two color ray.
The default Checkerboard generator appears in the Canvas, Layers tab, and in the Timeline, and the HUD appears. Checkerboard generator in Layers tab Checkerboard generator HUD The Checkerboard generator HUD contains controls for editing and animating the checkerboard, such as Opacity, Blend Mode, Width, Height, Color, Size (of the checkers), and Contrast. The only Checkerboard parameter that does not appear in the HUD is Pixel Aspect Ratio (which appears in the Inspector).
Color 1 is replaced with the new color. Note: You can save a color in the swatches along the bottom of the Colors window. Click in the color bar (to the right of the color picker tool), then drag the color chip to a white swatch, and release the mouse button. Drag a color chip from here. Position the color chip over a white swatch and release the mouse button.
3 Click the Color 2 color well and select a new color. Color 2 is replaced with the new color. 4 Drag the Size slider to change the size of the checkers. The checker size is 80 by default. Drag the slider to the left to make smaller checkers, and to the right to make larger checkers. To scale the generator (rather than the size of the checkers), use the Width and Height parameters.
Although the checkerboard pattern is not changing, adjusting the Contrast parameter creates the appearance of a different texture. Animating Generators Although most generators create static images, you can animate the parameters of a generator to create a moving texture over time. This section discusses using the HUD to animate the Checkerboard generator from the above example. Note: You can also animate the parameters of an animated generator.
The animated generator parameters create a moving, changing texture. Saving Modified Generators Once you have modified the parameters of a generator, you can save the generator to the Library. For organizational purposes, it is recommended that you name objects that you save back to the Library with a descriptive name. For example, if you save a Checkerboard generator, it is named “Checkerboard 1” by default.
4 From the Layers tab, drag the modified generator to the Library stack. The modified generator is saved in the Generators category and appears organized alphabetically in the stack. Custom items saved in the Library are identified with the user icon in the lower right of the icon.
Sharing Saved Generators By default, any generator that you save in the Library is stored in your user folder: /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/Generators. To share custom presets, templates, layouts, behaviors, filters, or Library content with another user, the other user must copy the files into his or her home directory. Applying Behaviors to Generators Like all other objects in Motion, you can apply Basic Motion, Parameter, or Simulation behaviors to a generator.
The Randomize parameter behavior is applied to the Spike Opacity parameter, and the Behaviors tab is automatically displayed so you can adjust the Randomize parameters. When a Parameter behavior is applied to a parameter, a Behaviors icon appears in the Animation menu for that parameter. In the Generator tab, the Behaviors icon appears in the Animation menu for the Spike Opacity parameter. Behaviors icon 4 Click Play (or press the Space bar).
Because the Randomize parameter behavior is applied to the opacity of the star spikes, the star appears to flicker. Flickering star over a background image To increase or decrease the effect of the flicker, you can modify the Randomize parameters. To quickly jump to the Randomize parameters from the Generator tab, click the Behaviors icon, then choose Randomize from the shortcut menu.
For more information on using Parameter behaviors, see “Parameter Behaviors” on page 430. Using Generators as Particle Cell Sources Like other objects, generators can be used as a source for particle cells. The following example uses the Soft Gradient generator. It is recommended that you scale the generator down in the Generator tab of the Inspector to give your particle system more flexibility and to keep the project from taking too much processing power.
The size of the gradient and its bounding box are scaled down. 4 With the generator still selected, do one of the following: Â Press E. Â In the Toolbar, click the Make Particles icon. Once an emitter is added to the project, the following occurs: Â In the Layers tab, the Emitter object appears selected. Â The generator object (the Soft Gradient) becomes an emitter source for the new particle cells. Â The original reference object (the Soft Gradient) is disabled.
5 Play the project (press Space bar). Soft gradient particles are emitted. You can change the particle color, emitter shape, scale, emission angle, birth rate, and so on in the Emitter controls. For more information on working with particles, see “Working with Particles” on page 685.
12 Using Shapes and Masks 12 Motion has a flexible tool set that you can use to create simple shapes, complex illustrations, and paint effects right in your project. The same techniques you use for drawing can also be used to mask objects to produce a wide variety of transparency effects, to crop out parts of still images, and to rotoscope moving subjects. Shapes and masks are vector-based objects that are drawn and edited using control points that define mathematical curves.
Note: Using a stylus and graphics tablet is recommended when using the paint feature. While you can create paint strokes using the mouse, a pen allows for a more fluid creation of strokes. Because shapes are mathematically defined, you can take advantage of the vector nature of shapes to resize them by any amount, without introducing unwanted artifacts. Shapes are similar to imported PDF objects in that they’re completely resolution independent.
Masks, on the other hand, are used to create regions of transparency in layers. While shapes work as objects by themselves, masks must be assigned to an object to have an effect. For example, if you have a picture in which you want to isolate the foreground subject, you can create a mask to cut out the background. Object Mask Masked object Shapes and masks can be animated using behaviors and keyframes, like other layers. Shapes also have their own special category of behaviors.
B-Splines can also be used to draw shapes, but unlike Bezier controls, B-Splines are manipulated using only points—there are no tangent handles. Furthermore, the points themselves do not lie on the surface of the shape. Instead, each B-Spline control point is offset from the shape’s surface, pulling that section of the shape toward itself as if it was a magnet, in order to create a curve. By combining the influence of multiple BSpline points, you can create different curves.
The Bezier Tool HUD appears. To change the color of the shape before it is drawn, use the color controls in this HUD. Select the Outline checkbox to create an outline with the shape. The Width slider adjusts the width of the outline. Once the shape is created, the Shape HUD appears. Note: Outlines can be added and edited after a shape is drawn. 2 Click in the Canvas to draw the first point.
 Click the first point you drew to create a closed shape.  Press C to close the shape, joining the first point you created to the last.  Double-click anywhere in the Canvas to create the last point of an open shape, creating a line with a default width of 3 pixels.  Press Return to create the last point of an open shape, creating a line with a default width of 3 pixels. Note: Before a shape is closed, you can press Esc at any time to cancel the entire operation, deleting the shape.
To draw a B-Spline shape: 1 Click the B-Spline tool in the Toolbar (or press B). B-Spline tool Note: The B-Spline Mask tool is located in the Mask tools. B-Spline Mask tool The B-Spline Tool HUD appears. To change the color of the shape before it is drawn, use the color controls in this HUD. Select the Outline checkbox to create an outline with the shape. The Width slider adjusts the width of the outline. Once the shape is created, the Shape HUD appears. 2 Click in the Canvas to draw the first point.
 To create more detailed curves, create more points. However, it’s a good habit to use the fewest number of points necessary to create the amount of detail you need. Shapes with an excessive number of points can be difficult to edit later on. Simple B-Spline curve Multi-point B-Spline curve  In many instances, it is easier to create a loose group of control points first, and then adjust them afterwards to create the precise curve you need in a later step.
 Press C to close the shape, joining the first point you created to the last.  Press Return to finish an open shape at the last point you made.  Double-click anywhere in the Canvas to define the last point of an open shape, creating a line with a default width of two pixels. Note: You can press Esc at any time while drawing a shape to cancel the entire operation and delete the shape.
Immediately after finishing a shape, the Shape HUD appears and the Adjust Control Points tool is selected, which allows you to edit the shape you’ve just created. Drawing Masks Using the Freehand Mask Tool This section describes how draw a freehand mask. Like the Paint Stroke tool, the Freehand Mask tool allows you to create a shape in one movement, rather than drawing the shape in a point-by-point fashion (like a Bezier or B-Spline shape).
Continue drawing around the object you are masking. To close the mask, finish the line at the mask’s starting point. Note: If you don’t close the mask at its starting point, the mask is automatically closed when you release the mouse button. A small circle indicates target to close mask. The mask is completed. 4 Edit your control points to fine-tune the mask. For more information on editing control points, see “How to Edit Shapes” on page 1017.
By default, the Outline checkbox is selected for open shapes. To edit a shape’s outline: 1 Select a shape, then open the Shape tab in the Inspector. 2 To manipulate the shape’s outline, do one of the following: Â To toggle a shape’s outline on or off, click the Outline checkbox. Â To change the color of the outline, use the Brush Color parameter in the Outline controls. Â To change the width of the outline, drag the Width slider.
To edit a shape’s fill: 1 Select a shape, then open the Shape tab in the Inspector. 2 Do one of the following: Â To toggle a shape’s fill on or off, click the Fill checkbox. Â To change a shape’s fill mode from a solid color to a gradient, choose an option from the Fill Mode pop-up menu. Â If the shape’s fill mode is set to a solid color, you can choose the color using the Fill Color controls.
Creating Rectangles, Circles, and Lines The Rectangle and Line tools create simple linear shapes. The Circle tool creates a simple Bezier shape. Once drawn, a shape can be converted to a Linear, Bezier, or BSpline shape in the Inspector. The resulting shapes can be edited just like any other Bezier shape, using the methods described in “How to Edit Shapes” on page 1017. To make a rectangle: 1 Click the Rectangle tool (or press R). The Rectangle Tool HUD appears.
The Circle Tool HUD appears. To change the color of the shape before it is drawn, use the color controls in the HUD. Select the Outline checkbox to create an outline with the shape. The Width slider adjusts the width of the outline. Once the shape is created, the Shape HUD appears. 2 Click in the Canvas to define the start point of the bounding box that defines the circle, then drag until the resulting circle is the size you want, and release the mouse button to finish drawing.
3 Once the shape is created, press S or Esc to select the Select/Transform tool to exit linedrawing mode. The Shape HUD appears. Note: Rectangles and circles can be converted into paint strokes by selecting the shape’s Outline checkbox and choosing a different brush type in the Inspector. By default, a line is an outline. For more information, see “Using a Shape Outline as a Paint Stroke” on page 1027.
Note: The strokes’ shape (defined by its control points) and open/closed state can be modified in the Canvas or Inspector. Because a stroke is a shape, it can be edited just like any other shape, using the methods described in “How to Edit Shapes” on page 1017. Once you click the Paint Stroke tool in the Toolbar and prior to drawing the stroke in the Canvas, you can define the color and other attributes of the stroke in the Paint Tool HUD.
To make a paint stroke: 1 Select the Paint Stroke tool (or press P). Paint Stroke tool Important: The Paint Stroke tool HUD appears. Like the other drawing tool HUDs, this HUD is available only after the Paint Stroke tool is selected and before you create your stroke in the Canvas. The Paint Tool HUD allows you to determine the properties derived from the pressure and speed of the stylus before the stroke is drawn.
The Paint Stroke Tool HUD is replaced with the Shape: Paint Stroke HUD. The Paint Stroke HUD parameters are identical to all other shape HUDs. Once a stroke is drawn, you must use the Inspector to modify parameters unique to the paint stroke and its dabs. Paint Stroke Tool HUD Parameters The Paint Stroke Tool HUD is displayed after the Paint tool is selected in the Toolbar and before a stroke is drawn.
Pen Speed: When you are using a pen and tablet or mouse to create paint strokes, this pop-up menu allows you to affect the stroke’s width, opacity, spacing, angle, and jitter based on the speed of your pen strokes. This parameter is not available for solid brush types. Â Nothing: Pen speed is ignored. Â Width: The faster you move the pen, the more narrow the stroke; the slower you move the pen, the wider the stroke.
To preview the paint stroke in the Paint Stroke Tool HUD’s sketch area: 1 Click the Paint Stroke tool in the Toolbar. 2 Do one of the following: Â Draw a stroke in the sketch area of the Paint Stroke Tool HUD to see a preview of the paint stroke. Â Turn on the Write On checkbox, draw a stroke in the sketch area, then click the Play button to see a preview of the write-on stroke. Â Choose a preset from the Shape Style pop-up menu.
Note: If you press Command and then drag a control point, adjustable tangent handles are created. If you press Command and click a curved point, it turns into a corner point. For more information on editing Bezier curve control points, see “Editing Bezier Control Points” on page 1023. To transform a Bezier or B-Spline shape: 1 Click the Select/Transform tool. 2 Click a shape. 3 Move, resize, or rotate the shape.
m Click and hold the Select/Transform tool, choose the Adjust Control Points tool from the pop-up menu, then select a shape in the Layers list or Timeline layers list. m Control-click an object in the Canvas, then choose Edit Points from the shortcut menu. Note: Overlays must be enabled in the View menu (or the Canvas View menu) in order to see the control points and outline of a shape.
To select a specific control point (based on the order the shape is drawn): m Click any control point to display its control point number. Note: All shape control points are also listed by number in the Geometry tab of the Shape Inspector. Moving Control Points to Adjust a Shape Because the control points define the shape, simply move control points to change the shape. To move one or more control points: m Select one or more points, then drag them to a new position.
 Control-click the edge, then choose Add Point from the shortcut menu. Adding more control points does not immediately change a Bezier shape, unless you drag Bezier curve points as you create them. Before adding Bezier point After adding Bezier point Adding more control points to a B-Spline shape, on the other hand, nearly always changes its shape.
m Display the Geometry pane in the Shape tab of the Inspector, then select Closed. You can reopen the shape by deselecting the Closed checkbox. To create an open shape from a closed shape, do one of the following: m Control-click a point on the shape, then choose Open Curve from the shortcut menu. The segment before the point (in a clockwise order) is removed from the shape. If the originally closed shape was filled, the Fill checkbox remains selected.
Locking Control Points You can lock individual control points in a shape to fix them in place and prevent them from being accidentally adjusted. A shape with locked points can still be moved. Locking a control point simply prevents it from being adjusted while you edit a shape using the Adjust Control Points tool. To lock and unlock points: 1 Choose the Adjust Control Points tool, then select a shape. 2 Control-click a control point, then choose Lock Point from the shortcut menu.
To toggle control points between corners and curves, do one of the following: m Command-click a curved point to turn it into a corner (Linear) point. m Command-drag a corner point to turn it into a curved (Bezier) point, creating adjustable tangent handles. m Control-click one or more selected points, then choose Linear or Smooth from the shortcut menu to change the control point type.
m Control-click a handle control point and choose Break Handle from the shortcut menu to break the relationship between opposing handles. m Control-click a handle control point and choose Link Handle from the shortcut menu to lock the two handles in their current angle. The tangents now maintain their relationship when moved and rotated. Note: You can also press Command-Option and drag a control point so the tangents maintain their broken relationship when moved and rotated.
The simplest, and usually fastest, way to manipulate B-Spline curves is to move one or more B-Spline points closer to or farther away from one another. When B-Spline points are moved closer to one another, a sharper curve is created. B-Spline points that are farther away from one another create shallower curves. Shallow curve Sharper curve (B-Spline points are closer.) Each B-Spline control point tugs on a section of the shape, pulling it toward itself.
To switch a B-Spline control point among three degrees of curvature, do one of the following: m Command-click one or more selected B-Spline control points to toggle three progressively sharper amounts of curvature. Very Smooth B-Spline point Smooth B-Spline point Linear B-Spline point m Control-click a B-Spline point, then choose Very Smooth, Smooth, or Linear from the shortcut menu. You can also adjust B-Spline control points along a sliding scale by pressing the Command key and dragging.
Modify any Outline parameter you want. In this example, the outline is widened and colored orange. Default circle shape with Outline checkbox deselected Circle shape with Outline checkbox selected Note: A line shape has no fill and is a paint stroke upon creation. 3 If you don’t want the shape filled, deselect the Fill checkbox in the Shape HUD or Inspector. Note: Solid must be chosen from the Brush Type pop-up menu in the Style pane of the Shape Inspector for the shape fill options to remain available.
4 In the Shape tab of the Inspector, choose Airbrush from the Brush Type pop-up menu. Once the Brush Type is changed to Airbrush (or Image), the following occurs: Â The stroke softens because it is using a soft brush type. A paint stroke is comprised of dabs and the brush type is the source for the dabs. The brush profile can be modified to vary opacity within the brush. You can apply a custom opacity gradient to the brush profile. Â The Stroke pane becomes available.
For a complete description of these parameters, see “Style Pane Outline Controls” on page 1043, “Stroke Pane Controls” on page 1049, and “Advanced Pane Controls” on page 1057. In this example, the Additive Blend is enabled in the Style pane. Additionally, the Color Over Stroke, Spacing Over Stroke, Width Over Stroke, Brush Scale, and Brush Scale Randomness parameters are modified in the Stroke pane.
Shape Parameters in the HUD Once a shape (including paint strokes) is created and selected, the Shape HUD appears. Additional parameters appear in the HUD along with the standard Opacity, Blend Mode, and Drop Shadow controls. For more information on these standard parameters, see “Parameters in the Properties Tab” on page 280. Note: Like all other layers, you can adjust the opacity of a shape (with its outline) in the Properties tab of the Inspector.
Style Pane Parameters The Shape tab’s Style pane contains controls to modify the fill and outline of a shape, including changing the brush type for an outline or paint stroke. The parameters are grouped into two main categories of controls: Fill and Outline. Shape Style: This pop-up menu allows you to apply a preset shape style (from the Shape Styles category in the Library) to the selected shape. In addition to the preset styles, any custom styles you have saved to the Library also appear in this list.
Fill Color: These controls let you pick a color fill for the shape. To define a color, do one of the following: Â Click the disclosure triangle to the left to display Red, Green, and Blue sliders that allow you to choose a color mix. Â Click the color well to use the Colors window to select a color. Â Click the triangle to the right of the color well to display the pop-up color palette. Drag the eyedropper in the palette to select a new color. Drag in the lower palette to select a grayscale color.
Opacity: Sets the transparency of the selected opacity tag (in the bar above the gradient bar). The opacity tags control the opacity of the gradient. You can add multiple opacity tags to create a gradient of varying levels of transparency. By default, the opacity of a gradient is 100%. Interpolation: Sets the interpolation of the gradient tag to Constant, Linear, or Continuous. Â Constant: Creates a constant color distribution between two color or opacity tags.
Feather: Use the slider or value field to soften the gradient fill. Positive values soften the shape outward; negative values soften the shape inward. Important: The following sections assume that the shape is selected and Gradient is chosen from the Fill Mode pop-up menu in the Style pane of the Shape Inspector. To change gradient colors: 1 Click the Gradient disclosure triangle to show the Gradient editor.
 Click a color tag, then use the individual Red, Green, or Blue color channel slider. Red gradient color tag is selected  Click a color tag, then click the triangle next to the color well to display the pop-up color palette. Drag the eyedropper in the palette to select a new color. Drag in the lower palette to set the tag to a grayscale color.  Click a color tag, then Control-click the color well to display the pop-up color palette.
The Location parameter is also updated as you move the spread control, indicating its position on the gradient. Spread control Note: The Spread control does not appear for color or opacity tags that are set to Linear or Constant. To change the color or opacity tag interpolation, do one of the following: m Control-click a tag, then choose Constant, Linear, or Continuous from the shortcut menu. m Click a tag, then choose Constant, Linear, or Continuous from the Interpolation pop-up menu.
The tag is removed with a “poof.” To change the opacity of a gradient color: 1 Click an opacity tag. The opacity controls are enabled. Selected opacity tag Opacity controls 2 Use the slider or value field to change the value of the opacity. The lower the percentage of the opacity, the greater the transparency. The gradient transparency reflects the new opacity values.
To change the direction of a shape’s gradient: 1 With the shape selected, click the Gradient disclosure triangle to show the Gradient editor. 2 Use the Start and End value sliders to change the direction of the gradient. The left value slider is X and the right value slider is Y. Saving Gradient Presets As with shape styles, once you have created a gradient, you can save it in the Library. To save a gradient in the Library: 1 Select the text with the gradient you want to save.
The custom gradient appears in the Gradients category in the Library. Custom presets can be identified in the Library by the small user icon that appears in the lower-right corner of the larger gradient icon. The new gradient also appears in the Gradient preset pop-up menu. Custom gradient saved in Library Like the preset gradients, a preview of the gradient appears in the Preview area when the gradient is selected in the stack.
To change the location of the gradient tags: m To change the location of the gradient color, drag the color tags along the gradient line. m To change the location of the gradient opacity, drag the opacity tags along the gradient line. To remove a color or opacity tag: m Drag the color tag or opacity tag away from the onscreen controls and release the mouse button.
To add an opacity tag, do one of the following: m Control-click the gradient control line at the location you want the new tag, then choose Add Opacity Tag from the shortcut menu. By default the new tag is set to 100% opacity. m Shift-Option-click the gradient control line at the location you want the new tag. To change an opacity tag’s transparency: m Control-click the tag, then drag the eyedropper in the pop-up palette to set a new opacity value for the tag.
Style Pane Outline Controls The shape Outline controls allow you to customize the outline of a shape. You can create a solid outline or use the outline as a paint stroke. When you select the Outline checkbox, the Brush Type, Brush Color, Brush Opacity, Width, First and Last Point Offsets, Order, and other controls become available. Outline: When this checkbox is selected, the shape outline appears in the Canvas and the outline controls become available.
 Airbrush: Creates an outline made up of editable brush strokes referred to as dabs. You can set the dabs to be close together so that the line appears solid, or you can space the dabs further apart. When Brush Type is set to Airbrush, the Stroke and Advanced panes become available in the Shape Inspector.  Image: Allows you to use a layer as a dab source. When Brush Type is set to Image, the Stroke and Advanced panes become available in the Shape Inspector.
This parameter allows you to define a different opacity value for a shape and its outline. Outline opacity set to 100% Outline opacity set to 50% Width: A slider that changes the width of a shape’s outline or width of a paint stroke’s dabs. Note: If you used the pressure parameters in the Paint Stroke Tool HUD to create variations in the stroke when the stroke was created, adjusting the Width parameter affects the width of the stroke uniformly.
 Over Fill: Outlines appear on top of the selected fill of the shape.  Under Fill: Outlines are obscured beneath the selected fill of the shape. Over Fill Under Fill Solid Brush Additional Parameters The following parameters are available when Solid is the selected Brush Type. Preserve Width: When this checkbox is selected, the defined width of the outline/ stroke does not change when the shape is scaled. This option is only available when Solid is the selected Brush Type.
There are four options: Â Â Â Â Square: The cap is squared off. Round: The cap is rounded. Bevel: The cap is cut at an angle. Arrow: The cap is a customizable arrow. Â Arrow Length: Adjust the sliders to set the length of the arrow. Â Arrow Width: Adjust the sliders to set the width of the arrow. Airbrush Additional Parameters The following parameters are available when Airbrush is the selected Brush Type.
 Play Frames: A checkbox that controls playback. If the checkbox is selected, it loops the playback of the animation or movie clip. If it’s turned off, the paint dabs use the still frame specified by either the Random Start Frame parameter or the Source Start Frame parameter.  Random Start Frame: A checkbox that introduces variation using QuickTime objects as the dabs’ source objects. If the checkbox is selected, each dab begins at a different frame of the animation.
Stroke Pane Controls Once an airbrush or image paint stroke has been created using the Paint Stroke tool, a set of paint stroke controls becomes available, combining controls similar to those of a particle system or replicator. Use these controls to set the Stroke Color Mode and Brush Scale parameters, and to adjust the Opacity, Spacing, Width, and Angle Over Stroke parameters. The Width Over Stroke parameter can be adjusted directly on the selected paint stroke in the Canvas.
Opacity Over Stroke: An opacity control that appears when Stroke Color Mode is set to Use Brush Color. Use it to change the opacity of dabs based on their location on the stroke. This gradient control is limited to grayscale values, which are used to represent varying levels of transparency. White represents solid dabs, progressively darker levels of gray represent decreasing opacity, and black represents complete transparency.
 Color Repetitions: Drag this slider to increase the number of times the gradient is repeated over the stroke.  Pick From Color Range: The third option in the Opacity Over Stroke pop-up menu. Dabs are tinted at random, with the range of possible colors defined by a gradient editor. A point on the gradient is randomly chosen, so the relative sizes of each color region determine the frequency of the color being used.
In the following illustrations, the Spacing Over Stroke curve is adjusted so that a greater value is used at the start of the stroke, and 100% is used at the end of the stroke. The dabs at the beginning of the stroke are spaced more widely apart and get closer at the end of the stroke. Spacing Over Stroke mini-curve editor Modified curve yields more spacing toward the beginning of the stroke and less spacing toward the end of the stroke.
Width Over Stroke: This mini-curve editor allows you to customize the width of the dabs over the length of the stroke. You can create a curve that gradually increases the dabs’ width over the length of the stroke, create a curve that varies the dabs’ width over the length of the stroke, and so on. Select or add a keyframe in the graph to make changes to the Width Over Stroke and Stroke Length parameters. The start value for the dab width is based on the value set in the Width parameter in the Style pane.
Brush Scale: A slider and value field that allow you to change the size of the brush (the source of the dabs). Click the disclosure triangle to adjust the X and Y scale values independently. By default, Scale is set to 100%—the size of the dabs is equal to the size of the source brush. Brush Scale Randomness: Defines an amount of variance in the scale of the stroke’s brush. A value of 0 results in no variance—all dabs in the stroke are the same size. A value greater than 0 introduces a variance.
 Stroke Length: Stroke Length is mapped horizontally on the mini-curve editor graph and provides a visual representation of the position of the changes in angle value (keyframes) over the length of the stroke. Use the sliders or enter a number in the value field to change the value of the selected keyframe. Brush Angle Randomness: Defines an amount of variance in the rotation of the stroke dabs. A value of 0 results in no variance—all dabs have the same rotational value.
Important: Although the Local 3D checkbox is turned on, paint strokes do not intersect with the "global" 3D world. This means that paint strokes can exist in 3D space, but do not intersect with objects that exist inside their own group, or objects in other groups. A 3D paint stroke is composited with the rest of the objects in the project based on layer order. Note: Lighting has no effect on 3D paint strokes.
 Stroke Length: Stroke Length is mapped horizontally on the mini-curve editor graph and provides a visual representation of the position of the changes in jitter value (keyframes) over the length of the stroke. Use the sliders or enter a number in the value field to change the value of the selected keyframe. A green line represents the stroke length.
Emission Range: A dial and value slider that restrict the area in which the dabs travel, in the direction of the Emission Angle. Setting the Emission Range parameter to 0 degrees keeps dabs perpendicular to the paint stroke. Life: A slider that defines the duration of each dab, in seconds. This specifies how long each dab lasts before disappearing. This is similar to how sparks disappear after flying away from a sparkler.
These controls are identical to the Apply Pen Speed (Shape behavior) parameters. For a description of the Pen Speed parameters, see “Apply Pen Pressure” on page 1064. Geometry Pane Controls The Shape Inspector’s Geometry pane controls allow you to change the shape type, to close or open a shape, and to individually adjust the position of a shape’s control points using value sliders. Shape Type: Use this pop-up menu to change the type of control points that are used to define the shape.
The Control Points parameter also contains an Animation menu, which allows you to add keyframes, reset the shape’s animation, display the animation curve in the Keyframe Editor, and so on. For more information on using the Animation menu, see “Animation Menu” on page 517. Creating Illustrations Using Multiple Shapes You can use groups of shapes to create more detailed shapes and even complete illustrations. For example, the following illustration was created using nested groups of Bezier shapes.
Each of these groups can in turn be nested inside a larger enveloping group that can be used to transform or animate the entire illustration. Within each group, you can use the Bring and Send commands in the Object menu to reorder objects, controlling which layers are in front of others. By nesting layers that belong together within the same group, you gain the ability to control the ordering of each shape group relative to one another.
Creating Holes and Transparency in Shapes There are several ways you can create holes and transparency within shapes. You can use the Opacity, Blend Mode, and Preserve Opacity parameters in the Properties tab to modify a shape’s overall transparency. Shapes with multiple blend modes For more information on using object blending parameters, see “Blend Modes” on page 285. You can also use one or more masks to punch holes inside shapes using the mask drawing tools.
Applying Filters to Shapes You can apply filters to shapes, just like any other layer. When you apply a filter to a shape, it remains editable, even though the filter changes it from a vector-based object into a bitmapped object in order to perform the operation. Original shape Shape with filter applied You can apply filters to individual shapes or to a group that contains a number of shapes.
Basic Motion and Simulation behaviors animate multiple parameters of a shape parameters, such as Position, Rotation, and Scale. Applying behaviors to shapes works the same as with any layer in Motion, and keyframed animation of any of these parameters is stored in the Keyframe Editor. For more information on using Basic Motion, Parameter, and Simulation behaviors, see “Using Behaviors” on page 369.
Min Pressure: Adjusts the minimum threshold of pressure sensitivity. Pressure values below the minimum value are remapped to 0. For Opacity and Width, that section of the stroke does not appear. For Spacing, Angle, and Jitter, the values will not be modified. If the Min and Max pressure are plotted on a graph, Min Pressure represents the minimum value, or 0. The area of the graph between Min and Max is remapped to the output values. Max Pressure: Adjusts the maximum threshold of pressure sensitivity.
 Angle: The faster the movement of the pen, the greater the angle of the stroke dabs.  Jitter: The faster the movement of the pen, the larger the amount of jitter on the stroke. Jitter randomizes the position of the paint dabs so they appear more like particles. Min Speed: Adjusts the minimum threshold of speed sensitivity. Speed values below the minimum value are remapped to 0. For Opacity and Width, that section of the stroke does not appear.
 Jitter: The greater the tilt of the stylus, the larger the amount of jitter on the stroke. Jitter randomizes the position of the paint dabs so they appear more like particles. Calculate Tilt: The pen tilt is measured on two axes: X and Y. X represents the stylus tilting to the right and left (toward the right or left side of the tablet); Y represents the stylus tilting up and down (toward the top or bottom of the tablet). Use this pop-up menu to select how the tilt of the stylus affects the stroke.
When the Oscillate Shape behavior is applied to a shape, all control points of the shape are affected by default. When the behavior is selected in the Layers list, affected control points appear white. To disable one or more control points, click the control points. A disabled point appears blue. Drag to select multiple control points. The Oscillate Shape HUD contains the Wave Shape, Phase, Amplitude, Speed, and Alternate Phase parameters.
 Point Origin: Each vertex’s oscillation is generated from a point. You can change the location of the point using the onscreen controls (dragging the small blue circle at the center of the shape) or using the X and Y Origin parameters in the Inspector. The shape oscillates around the location of the point. The point’s origin can be animated to create a more varied oscillation effect.  Line: Each vertex’s oscillation is generated from a line.
When the Randomize Shape behavior is applied to a shape, all control points of the shape are affected by default. When the behavior is selected in the Layers list, affected control points appear white. To disable one or more control points, click the control points. A disabled point appears blue. Drag to select the points to select multiple control points. The white control point is enabled and affected by the behavior. The blue control points are disabled and not affected by the behavior.
Apply Mode: A pop-up menu that determines how values generated by this behavior are combined with other behaviors and keyframes that affect the same parameter. This provides you with different ways of using a Randomize behavior to modify a vertex’s preexisting values. The options are Add, Subtract, Multiply, or Add and Subtract. Frequency: A slider that lets you adjust the amount of random variation per second. Higher values generate faster variations, whereas lower values generate slower variations.
For an example of using a sequence behavior, see “Using the Sequence Replicator Behavior” on page 821. The Sequence Paint HUD contains the Sequencing, Unit Size, Spread, Traversal, Loops, and End Condition parameters. These controls, and the additional parameters in the Inspector, are described below. Parameters in the Inspector Sequence Paint: A checkbox that turns sequencing on or off.
Sequence Control The Sequence Control section of the Sequence Paint behavior parameters contains controls that allow you to modify the way the animation moves through the paint stroke, such as changing the direction of the animation. Sequencing: Specifies how the sequence animation—the value change from the original parameter value to the value set in the Sequence Paint parameters—moves through the dabs of the stroke.
Unit Size: Specifies whether the sequence animation is applied to the stroke as a whole, to its individual dabs, or to a keyframed range. The Unit Size options are: Â Dab: Applies the sequence animation over each dab as its own entity. Dab is the default setting. Â All: Applies the sequence animation to all stroke dabs simultaneously. Â Custom: Allows you to specify the percentage of dabs on the stroke that are affected by the sequence animation at once.
Loops: Sets the number of times the animation sequences through the paint stroke over its duration. Note: Loops is not available when the Traversal parameter is set to Custom. End Condition: Determines how the sequence animation is repeated over the duration of the sequence behavior. This parameter has no effect for Loop values less than or equal to 1.
Parameters in the Inspector Amount/Multiplier: This parameter is set to Amount when the Apply Mode is set to Add, Subtract, Add and Subtract; it is set to Multiplier when the Apply Mode is set to Multiply. This parameter defines the maximum value the Wriggle behavior generates. Apply To: A pop-up menu that defines whether the behavior is applied to the shape’s control points, tangent handles, or both points and handles.
Write On The Write On behavior provides a quick way to draw a paint stroke or outline on the Canvas over time. This allows you to create a handwritten text effect, create the everpopular old serial travel map effect, create a hand-sketched alpha mask for a transition or reveal, create an animated graph for a business presentation, produce graphics to prevent monitor burn-ins, and so on.
 Constant: The stroke is drawn at a steady speed from the first to the last point in the stroke.  Ease In: The drawing of the stroke starts at a slow speed, then reaches and maintains a steady speed through the last point on the stroke.  Ease Out: The drawing of the stroke starts at a steady speed, then slows down as it gradually decelerates to a stop at the last point of the stroke.
3 In the Canvas, create your stroke. 4 Once the stroke is complete, press Esc to exit the paint mode. The Paint Tool HUD is replaced with the Paint Stroke shape HUD. In the Layers list, a Write On Shape behavior is automatically applied to the stroke. To modify the Write On parameters, select the behavior and use the HUD or the Behaviors tab in the Inspector.
Note: You can leave the Fill checkbox selected, but only the outline is affected by the Write On behavior. 2 In the Toolbar, click Add Behavior and choose Shapes > Write On. The Write On behavior appears in the Layers list. If the playhead is located at the start of the shape, the visual shape disappears and only the path is visible. 3 Play the project (press the Space bar). The outline is drawn on over the length of the behavior.
The shape’s control points appear in the Canvas. In this example, the selected shape is the lower lip of the mouth illustration. 2 Enable Record (press A). Record button 3 Move to the frame where you want to change the shape, then make any necessary changes to the shape’s control points. In the Keyframe Editor (and also in the Timeline, if the Show/Hide Keyframes button is turned on), a keyframe appears for each adjustment you make at a new frame.
4 Continue advancing frames and making changes as needed. Every time you make a change to the shape at a new frame, you automatically create a keyframe in that shape’s Shape Animation parameter. 5 When you are done animating the shape, disable Record. The animated shape object interpolates between each keyframed shape. If you don’t like how the interpolation is working, you can add more keyframes to force the control points to follow the path you want.
Each customized shape or shape style saved to the Library is saved as a separate file in the Motion folder of the Application Support directory. For example, a saved custom shape named “red heart” in the Shapes category of the Library appears in the Users/ username/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion/Library/Shapes folder. Items that are saved to the Library appear in the Finder with a .molo extension (“Motion Library object”). These items cannot be opened from the Finder.
Saved Shape Positions When you drag a custom shape from the Library to the Canvas, the center of the shape is dropped at the location in which you release the mouse button. If you use the Apply button in the Preview area to add the shape, the shape is added at the center of the Canvas.
To apply a shape style to a shape, do one of the following: m With the shape selected, click the Style pane in the Shape Inspector, then choose a style from the Shape Style pop-up menu. m Drag a shape style from the Library to a shape in the Canvas, Layers tab, or Timeline. To create a new folder in a Library category: 1 Open the Library and select the Shapes, Shape Styles, Favorites, or Favorites Menu category. 2 Do one of the following: Â Click the New Folder button at the bottom of the window.
To move a shape to a custom folder in a Library subcategory: m Drag the shape to the new folder in the Library stack. The custom preset is added to the new folder and to the All subcategory. To move a shape style to a custom folder in a Library category: m Once the new preset is saved via the Shape Style pop-up menu in the Style pane of the Shape Inspector, drag the custom behavior from the All subcategory in the Library stack to the new folder in the Library sidebar.
Masking Layers to Create Transparency When you create a mask to define transparency within a layer, you’re drawing a shape to use as that layer’s alpha channel. Because a layer’s alpha channel is a grayscale channel, masks are grayscale objects, where white defines solid areas, progressively darker levels of gray define decreasingly opaque areas, and black defines areas of complete transparency.
Important: A mask cannot be applied to a nonflattened 3D group. (To flatten a 3D group, turn on the Flatten checkbox in the Group tab of the Inspector.) A mask can be applied to a layer within a 3D group. To add a mask to a layer that has been manipulated in 3D space, use the Isolate button. Masks cannot be manipulated in 3D space.
2 Choose a mask drawing tool (the Rectangle Mask tool, the Circle Mask tool, the Freehand Mask tool, the Bezier Mask tool, or the B-Spline Mask tool). Note: If you haven’t selected a layer, the mask tools are not available. 3 Begin drawing the shape you need in order to mask the layer. For more information about how to draw and edit shapes, see “Shape and Mask Drawing Tools” on page 999.
After you’ve finished drawing the mask, its effect is immediate, and the mask you created appears nested underneath the layer to which it’s applied in the Layers tab and Timeline. You can create multiple masks for a single layer. To add additional masks, select the object again, then follow the above procedure. By default, all new masks are set to the Add blend mode. You can change the Mask Blend Mode parameter in the Inspector to combine masks for different effects.
To isolate a layer: 1 In the 3D project, select the layer that you want to mask. In this example, the center leopard image is the layer to be masked. The Isolate button appears to the right of the layer name. Note: A project must contain a camera in order to access the Isolate option. 2 Click the Isolate button or choose Object > Isolate. Inactive Isolate button Note: You can also Control-click the layer or group and choose Isolate from the shortcut menu.
3 To return to your previous view (the view before you isolated the layer), click the Isolate button again. Active Isolate button Note: Clicking a camera’s Isolate button activates that camera’s view. Mask Parameters A selected mask’s parameters appear in the Mask tab of the Inspector. These parameters allow you to adjust how the mask is drawn, how each mask operates upon an object, and how masks are combined with one another.
 Add: This is the default selection for new masks. Each new mask adds to the existing alpha channel. This is useful for adding back regions of an image that other masks are cutting out. In this example, both the rectangle and circle masks are creating opaque regions. If the layer already contains an alpha channel, a mask set to Add mode isolates only the masked section of the original alpha channel. Original alpha channel of butterfly clip Chapter 12 Using Shapes and Masks Circle mask set to default.
 Subtract: Subtracts a mask from the alpha channel. This is useful for creating holes in the middle of objects, or for masking out additional regions of an image that are untouched by other masks. In this example, both the rectangle and circle masks are creating transparent regions.
 Intersect: Masks that are set to intersect do not replace an object’s original alpha channel. Instead, they mask out all regions of the object that do not overlap the mask itself. This includes other masks applied to the same object that appear nested underneath the intersecting mask in the Layers tab. In the following example, only the overlapping areas of the rectangle and circle masks are opaque. Everything else is transparent.
Combining Multiple Masks Often, you may find that it is impossible to create the mask shape you need using only a single mask. For example, when masking something that has a hole in it, you need to use at least two masks—one set to Add to mask the overall object, and a second one set to Subtract to cut the necessary hole in the middle of it. In the following example, the only way to mask the space between the diver’s arms and legs is to create three overlapping masks set to Subtract.
Each mask’s blend mode determines whether the mask adds to, subtracts from, or replaces a layer’s previously existing alpha channel. Additionally, blend modes affect how masks interact with one another. Ultimately, every mask applied to a layer combines according to the specified blend modes to create that layer’s final alpha channel. Mask Blend Modes can be changed at any time.
Predictably, masks set to Subtract have the opposite effect, creating black areas in the layer’s alpha channel and making those parts of the object transparent. This is particularly useful for cutting holes in an object. Result of first mask Additional masks subtracted from the first Intersecting Masks In many instances, you may find that you want to cut out parts of an object, while leaving the rest of the object alone. Using a mask set to Intersect is a good way to do this.
Feathering Masks One of the easiest ways to adjust a mask is to feather its edges. Feathering a mask by a few pixels can make the masked object blend more seamlessly with a background. Feathering a mask by larger amounts allows you to create progressively softer edges for a variety of design purposes. You can feather mask edges either outward or inward. The direction in which you feather a mask is dictated by the subject you’re masking.
Applying Filters to Masks As with shapes, you can apply filters to masks, which remain editable even after the fact. Although uses for this technique might not be immediately obvious, it’s actually an extremely powerful way to further manipulate the alpha channel created by one or more masks. For example, you could apply the Crystallize filter to a mask to stylize its edges. This results in jagged edges that resemble facets of crystal around the edges.
Applying Behaviors to Masks You can apply behaviors directly to masks. When you apply a behavior to a mask, the mask is animated like any other layer. However, since the mask only affects the transparency within a layer, and not the position, rotation, or scale of the layer itself, the result is similar to that of a “traveling matte,” where the mask moves within the layer to which it’s applied, hiding and showing different areas of the image as it moves.
To rotoscope a subject by animating a mask: 1 Choose View > Resolution > Full to ensure that you are viewing the Canvas at full resolution. Warning: If the Canvas resolution is not set to full, the outlines of objects and images may shift slightly. As a result, masks created to trace a subject at less than full resolution may not be accurate. 2 Move to the first frame where the mask animation should begin, then draw a mask that accurately isolates the subject.
In this example, the best place to start when rotoscoping the dolphin is the frame in which all the fins are showing. When rotoscoping a moving subject, it’s a good idea to play through the clip and examine its direction and speed to get a sense of how the mask needs to be animated. In particular, you may find it helpful to place markers indicating frames where the subject or camera stops, changes direction, or changes speed, since these are likely candidates for your first pass of keyframed mask changes.
Every time you move the playhead to a new frame and make a change to the mask’s shape, a keyframe is automatically created in that shape’s Shape Animation parameter. If you move the playhead directly on top of a previously existing keyframe, you change the mask’s shape at that point without creating a new keyframe. Note: You can also transform and shear masks as you would any other layer.
The power of image masks is that they do not have to be drawn or animated. Instead, you can use virtually any image or movie clip to create transparency in another layer. By default, movie clips create animated image masks, but you can also set an image mask to use only a single frame. Image masks can also be used to assign masks that were created in other applications.
 Open the Image Mask tab in the Inspector, then drag the layer you want to use as the mask into the Mask Source well. Mask Source well  Drag the layer you want to use as the mask into the Mask Source well in the HUD. Important: Be sure to click and drag in one movement to successfully drop a layer in an image well. If you select the layer to use as the source, then release the mouse button, you lose the selection. In this example, text is used as the mask layer.
Frame: When you use a movie or image sequence as the assigned image, this slider allows you to select the start frame for playback. Hold Frame: When you use a movie or an image sequence as the assigned image, selecting this checkbox freezes the frame specified in the Frame parameter. That frame is then used as the mask for the masked layer’s total duration. Offset: Offsets the X and Y values of the mask’s position, relative to the layer it is masking.
 Replace: This setting uses the current mask to completely replace the layer’s original alpha channel, as well as any other masks that are applied to the same layer that appear underneath the current mask in the Layers list. You can add additional masks above, set to whatever blending mode you like.  Intersect: Masks that are set to Intersect do not replace a layer’s original alpha channel. Instead, they mask out all regions of the layer that do not overlap the mask itself.
Garbage Masks The second step in many keying shots is to create a garbage mask to crop out unwanted objects in the shot that can’t be keyed, such as the edge of a bluescreen stage, lighting rigs, or tape that appears in the background. You can also use a garbage mask to conceal parts of the background that are too difficult to key without the loss of foreground detail. To create a garbage mask: m Select a keyed layer, and use one of the mask tools to draw a mask around the foreground subject.
Holdout Masks Sometimes, while pulling a key, you lose part of the image you’re trying to keep. This can happen when the color of the subject’s clothes is too close to the color of the background being keyed out, or when you need to use keying values that are too aggressive. In this example, very small parts of the lioness’s head and face are getting removed with the key, rather than just the blue sky. Original image of lion The lion image key leaves black spots or “dirt” on the key.
Make sure that the mask is entirely within the subject being keyed. Note: You may need to animate the holdout mask if the subject is moving. 4 On the newly duplicated layer, delete the original keying filters since they’re unnecessary. If you’ve used a Spill Suppressor filter, don’t delete it, since it’s probably changing the color of the subject. 5 Feather the edge of the holdout mask you’ve just created, to make sure that it blends in with the object you initially keyed.
Performing Multiple Keys on a Single Subject In some instances, it may be difficult to key an entire subject with a single keying filter while retaining fine details. For example, uneven lighting or background color might mean that the best settings to key a subject’s hair may not work elsewhere. If you attempt to key the entire subject with a single keying filter, chances are that you need to use such extreme settings that a lot of edge detail is lost.
The process of improving a keying effect, or of customizing an alpha channel created using one or more shape or image masks, may require the use of special filters. Although you can apply any filter directly to a shape or image mask to modify that particular mask’s effect, the filters described in this section modify a layer’s entire alpha channel directly, including the sum total of all masks and other filters that have been applied to that layer.
Matte Choker: This filter, found in the Matte subcategory of the Filters library, increases or decreases the semi-transparent area of a layer’s alpha channel by performing a gamma correction (similar to the Gamma color correction filter) to all regions of the alpha channel falling between solid black and solid white. This allows you to widen or narrow the semi-transparent areas within a layer, while leaving all 100 percent solid and transparent areas unaffected.
About Rasterization and Groups Some operations, as well the application of certain filters or a mask, cause a group to be rasterized. When a group is rasterized, it is converted into a bitmap image. Because all shape (masks, shapes, and paint strokes) layers live in groups, this affects how shapes interact with other objects within your project. Note: Paint strokes render in a plane, so they can always be thought of as rasterized. This is independent of other objects within the group in which it lives.
 A small outline appears around the rasterized 2D group, 3D group, emitter, replicator, or text icon (to the left of the group name) in the Layers tab and Timeline layers list. Note: Because a paint stroke is always rasterized, no rasterization indicator appears around the paint stroke icon. For more information on rasterization and 3D groups, see “3D Compositing” in the Motion Supplemental Documentation PDF.
13 13 Working with Audio Sound is an integral part of many motion graphics projects. Use audio in your project for background music, dialogue, or scratch tracks. You can add audio files to your project and use markers and keyframes to sync the audio with other events in your project. You can import several different types of audio files, including the audio tracks from QuickTime movie clips. For each mono audio file you add to a project, Motion creates a single audio track.
You can add keyframes for volume and pan to an audio track and trim an audio track in the Audio Editor or in the Keyframe Editor. You can also trim an audio track in the Timeline. Audio Editor You can export audio with video, or export audio alone, in a variety of formats. See “Exporting Audio” on page 1145 for a list of the audio export formats Motion supports. If you have Soundtrack Pro installed, an audio file that exists in a Motion project can be opened and modified in Soundtrack Pro.
When you add an audio file to your project, Motion converts it to its own internal format. This allows you to use audio files with different formats, sample rates, and bit depths in the same project. When you export your project, the audio is exported according to the current audio settings in the Export dialog. Previewing an Audio File You can listen to, or preview, an audio file in the File Browser before adding it to a project.
 Dragging the file to the Audio tab adds the audio file to the Media tab and the Audio tab. m Drag the file from the File Browser or the Finder into the audio area of the Timeline (not the Audio Editor). Note: To display audio in the Timeline, click the Show Audio button in the bottom of the Timeline layers list. Click to display audio tracks in the Timeline. When a black border appears around the audio section, release the mouse button.
The audio file is added to the project and appears in the Audio tab of the Project pane, the Audio Editor, and the Timeline (if the Show Audio button is turned on). The start point of the audio file is determined by the Create Layers At preference in the Project pane of Motion Preferences. If set to “Start of project,” the file starts at the beginning of the project. If set to “Current frame,” it starts at the current location of the Timeline playhead. A HUD for the audio appears in the Canvas.
When you add any media file to Motion, an audio track appears that can be used independently of the video file. When the file is unlinked from its source, a track can be individually enabled, disabled, or deleted. Deleting a source QuickTime movie file from the Media tab, however, deletes all audio and video that originated from that file. Important: Because Soundtrack Pro also supports multichannel and multitrack audio files, you can open a multichannel file in Soundtrack Pro from Motion.
In the Layers tab, the link icon also appears in the Lock column for the object, indicating the object has a corresponding audio element. When you choose Import All Tracks from the drop menu, the file appears in the Audio tab with an individual audio track for each track in the file. The following image shows the Audio tab after importing a multitrack QuickTime movie file that contains six channels with a single channel in each track.
Viewing Audio Files You can view a listing of all the audio tracks in your project and view the audio waveform for an individual track. You can also view information about each track, including its duration, sample rate, and file size. In the Audio tab, each channel in a multichannel audio file—or each track in a multitrack file—can be selected separately. To view a listing of your project’s audio tracks: m In the Project pane, click the Audio tab to see the audio files in your project.
Viewing the audio waveform can be useful in the Keyframe Editor to synchronize motion and other parameter changes with audio events such as peaks or points of silence, and in the Audio Editor to synchronize level and pan changes with audio events. To view information about your project’s audio files, do one of the following: m In the Project pane, click the Media tab. m In the Media tab of the Project pane, select the audio file, and then display the Inspector (press Command-3).
Deleting an Audio File There are two ways to remove an audio track from your project. To delete an audio track: m In the Audio tab, select the audio track, then do one of the following: Â Press the Delete key. Â Click the Delete button (–) at the top of the Audio tab. Â Control-click the file you want to remove, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
To turn an audio track on or off, do one of the following: m In the Audio tab of the Project pane, click the activation checkbox on the left side of the track. Click the checkbox again to return the track to its previous state (on or off ). m In the Timeline, with the Show/Hide Audio button turned on, click the activation checkbox (in the left column). Click the checkbox again to return the track to its previous state. Turning an audio track off removes it from the overall audio mix.
Muting and Soloing Tracks When you mute an audio track, it is silent during playback, but is still part of the mix when you export your project. When you solo an audio track, all other audio tracks are muted, which lets you hear the soloed track more clearly. Name field Lock icon Link icon Activation checkbox Level slider Pan slider Output Channel pop-up menu Solo button Mute button You can mute, unmute, solo, or unsolo an audio track at any time, even during playback.
Selecting Output Channels If you’re working with multichannel audio, you can adjust which tracks are assigned to which output channels, or you can create your own multichannel file from mono tracks. To set or change output channels for an audio track: 1 Choose 5.1 Surround from the Master Output Channel pop-up menu at the bottom of the Audio tab. 2 Choose an output channel for the specific audio track from the Output Channel pop-up menu (in the track list of the Audio tab).
Working with the Master Track Each project has a Master audio track. The controls for the Master track are located at the bottom of the Audio tab, below the individual audio tracks. Using the Master track’s controls, you can make changes that affect the final mixed output of all audio tracks. For example, you can lower the volume of all tracks at once, or pan all tracks to the left or right. In addition, you can turn the Master track on or off, or mute it.
Viewing the Master Level To the right of the Master track controls is a pair of stereo level meters that display the combined level of all the audible tracks. If either of the two red dots above the level meters (called clipping indicators) light up during playback, this indicates that your master levels are too high, causing audio distortion or clipping. Preventing Clipping Typically, when working with digital audio, audio engineers set the overall volume level as high as possible without causing clipping.
The Master pan slider works in conjunction with the pan setting for each individual track. For example, if you pan a track to –100 (hard left) and you pan the master to 100 (hard right), the track is inaudible. Slipping Audio Tracks When you import an audio file, its start point is set to the location based on the setting of the Create Layers At parameter in Motion preferences. You can slip an audio track so it starts playing at a different point in time.
2 In the Audio Editor or the mini-Timeline, position the pointer over the beginning or end of the timebar, and the trim pointer appears. Trim pointer 3 Drag the beginning or end of the timebar to the point where you want to set the In or Out point for the file. The progress of your trim is displayed in the Audio Editor and lets you see the time markers, so you can trim more precisely.
3 Drag the playhead in the Audio Editor left or right. Keep the pointer still to loop continuously on the frames adjacent to the current frame. Note: By default, audio scrubbing loops continuously on the 5 frames adjacent to the current frame when you keep the pointer still. You can turn off looping by choosing Motion > Preferences, clicking the Project icon, then turning off the “Loop audio while scrubbing” checkbox under Playback Control.
3 Drag the keyframe up or down to set the level you want at a specific time. Drag down to lower the level, or drag up to raise the level. 4 Add any other keyframes you need, and drag each one to set its value. You can use curves to create fade-ins, fade-outs, and other level changes in the Audio Editor. Note: You can also perform these operations in the Keyframe Editor. To add keyframes to a pan curve: 1 Turn on the Pan checkbox.
Syncing Audio and Video Tracks Motion lets you determine how to handle the playback of audio if the audio tracks are not in sync with the video. You can choose to skip video frames in order to re-sync with the audio, or to pause audio playback to avoid skipping frames if the video is out of sync. To set audio sync preferences: 1 Choose Motion > Preferences, then click the button for the Project pane.
 Loop: When the last frame of the audio clip is reached, it loops back to the first frame and plays again. This can cause a jump in the audio clip’s apparent playback unless it was designed to be looped seamlessly.  Ping-Pong: When the last frame of the audio clip is reached, the next iteration of clip playback is reversed. This is mainly for reference, as Motion does not support true reverse playback.  Hold: With this selected, the audio stops at the loop point.
Looping an Audio Clip Another way of extending a clip’s duration is by looping it. You can easily loop a clip by adjusting it in the Timeline. When a looped audio clip reaches its last frame, the audio starts playing again from its first frame. To loop an audio clip: 1 Move the pointer close to the Out point of the audio track in the Timeline. 2 Press and hold down the Option and Shift keys. The pointer turns into the loop pointer. 3 Drag the Out point of the layer’s bar to the left.
For information on adding and deleting markers, moving markers, editing marker information, and using markers, see “Adding Markers” on page 362. Audio Behaviors Audio behaviors can be applied either to audio tracks from movie clips with sound or standalone audio tracks.
Peak type Description Crescendo A logarithmic animation curve that creates a slowly-accelerating increase in volume Descrescendo A logarithmic animation curve that creates a slowly-decelerating decrease in volume Gain: Sets the target gain used for volume. Values range from –96 dB to +6 dB. Loops: Sets the number of times the auto pan effect repeats. Values range from 1 to 30. Apply Volume: Sets how the audio levels change when the Auto Pan effect repeats.
End Offset: Sets the number of frames from the end of the audio before which the animation stops. Adjust this parameter to make the behavior end before the end of the audio track. HUD Controls This behavior has a custom HUD, shown below. Audio Parameter Behavior Motion provides an easy and automated way for you to generate audio-driven animations in your projects, using the Audio parameter behavior.
Graph Range: Sets the initial range of frequency values to be analyzed by the behavior. Can be set to All Frequencies, Bass, Mid, or Treble. The choice of display affects the frequency range of the Low Frequency and High Frequency parameters below. Audio Graph: Displays a visual representation of the Source Audio data analyzed by the behavior per frame. During playback initiated by the Play button beneath the Audio Graph, the selected Source Audio data is displayed.
Sensitivity: Sets the sensitivity of the transient detection. Values range from 0% to 100%. This parameter is only available if Respond To is set to Transients. Channel: Sets the audio channel to analyze. Value can be set to Mix/Mono, Left, or Right. Note: With a multichannel audio file used as a source, Mix/Mono must be selected in order for audio analysis to be performed properly. Peaks: Sets the way the key points are linked when drawing the peak curves generated by the audio analysis.
Attack: The amount of the offset in frames between the first keyframe of the curve and the peak of the curve generated by the Audio behavior. The number of frames that the curve takes to reach its peak from its initial value is called the Attack. This parameter is only available if Respond To is set to Transients. Attack side of the curve Release: The amount of the offset in frames between the peak of the curve generated by the Audio behavior and the last keyframe of the curve.
The Save As dialog appears. Note: If Soundtrack Pro is not installed on your system, Send to Soundtrack Pro is not available in the menu. 3 If needed, type a name for the modified audio track and select a location in which to save the file. Note: Because this process creates a modified copy of the original audio file, the source audio is not changed. 4 Click Save as Soundtrack Pro Audio. A project that contains the audio track is opened in Soundtrack Pro.
3 Choose QuickTime Movie from the Kind pop-up menu. 4 Choose an export preset from the Export Preset pop-up menu, or click the Options button to view and select export options. 5 Choose Audio Only from the Include pop-up menu to export audio only, or choose Video and Audio to export a movie with both video and audio. 6 If you want to export only the marked play range instead of the entire project, click the “Use play range” checkbox. 7 Click Export. Your exported file is saved to the specified location.
14 Exporting Motion Projects 14 Exporting your project renders it into a movie or series of still frames, based on your export choices. You can also render out audio tracks to a sound or movie file. When it’s time to share your project with the rest of the world (either the finished version or a draft), you export your project. When you export your project, all of your project’s media, and all edits you have made, are rendered to an export file or series of files.
Exporting Your Project When you export your project, you can choose the kind of export and which media to include in the exported file. You can choose an export preset, or set video, audio, and output export options individually. You can export the entire project or, if you have marked a play range, export only the play range. To export your project: 1 Choose File > Export (or press Command-E). The Export dialog appears and the project name appears in the Save As field.
9 Click Export. An Export progress window appears, and shows the time elapsed and time remaining. Depending on the size and complexity of your project, exporting may take some time. When the export is finished, the window closes. Choosing the Export Type You can export your project as a QuickTime movie or as a numbered sequence of images, and can also export the current frame as a still image. QuickTime Movie When you export your project as a QuickTime movie, the project is rendered as a movie file (.mov).
Choosing an Export Preset Motion includes export presets for many typical work situations. There are presets for QuickTime movie, image sequence, and current frame export.
Image Sequence presets  JPEG Sequence  OpenEXR Sequence  Photoshop Sequence  PICT Sequence  PNG Sequence  TGA Sequence  TIFF Sequence Current Frame presets  JPEG  OpenEXR  Photoshop  PICT  PNG  TGA  TIFF Note: The Photoshop export preset supports only a single-layer image, not multiple layers. Exporting with Alpha Channels To export your project with an alpha channel, use a preset that supports alpha channels, such as Lossless+Alpha Movie.
3 Click a preset in the list, and its settings appear in the Summary field at the right, along with a brief description. The preset selected in Motion Preferences is also displayed in the Export Options dialog. To choose an export preset: m In the Export dialog, choose a preset from the Use pop-up menu. Editing an Export Preset You can edit an existing preset. When you edit an existing preset, you replace the original preset settings with your changes (unless you rename the preset).
Duplicating an Export Preset You can duplicate an existing preset, and use it as the starting point for creating a new preset. To duplicate an export preset: 1 Choose File > Export, then click the Options button in the Export dialog. The Export Options dialog appears, with the Video/Audio pane visible. 2 In the Video/Audio pane, edit the video and audio settings you want to change. Click the Advanced buttons for video and audio to edit advanced export options.
Deleting an Export Preset If you decide you no longer need an export preset, you can delete it. You can delete only user-created export presets, but not the default export presets that come with Motion. To delete an export preset: 1 Choose Motion > Preferences, then click Presets. 2 Choose Export Presets from the Show pop-up menu. 3 Select the export preset you want to delete. 4 Click the Delete (–) button.
 Drag the Quality slider to adjust the level of compression. You can also type a value between 1 and 100 in the field next to the slider. The lowest level of quality is 1, and the highest level of quality is 100. Some codecs may not allow you to adjust the quality level.  If you are exporting an image sequence, type a number for the starting frame of the sequence in the “Start number” field. Turn on the “Add spaces” checkbox to add an extra space to the filename between the name and number.
 Turn on the “Use current project and canvas settings” checkbox to use the current project settings as displayed in the Project Properties dialog or turn it off to specify different settings. Note: Export presets are exported with “Use current project and canvas settings” turned on by default. When this checkbox is turned on, the Color option is set to Color + Alpha, and the “Premultiply alpha” option is turned on. All other fields are disabled.
3 In the Compression Settings dialog, choose the settings you want: Â Choose a codec from the “Compression type” pop-up menu. Â Choose the frame rate for your exported video in the “Frames per second” pop-up menu, or choose Custom, then type a number in the field that appears next to the pop-up menu. Â If the codec you choose uses temporal compression, you can set the frequency of keyframes by turning on the “Key frame every” checkbox and typing the number of frames you want in the field.
4 In the Sound Settings dialog, choose the settings you want: a b c d e f Choose a codec to compress the audio from the Format pop-up menu. Choose an audio export format from the Channels pop-up menu. Choose a sample rate for audio export from the Rate field. Choose a quality from the Render Settings pop-up menu. Specify any additional export options relevant to the codec format. If there is an Options button, select it to view and set additional export options. 5 Click OK.
Format Additional settings Options AMR Narrowband Bit Rate 4750, 5150, 5900, 6700, 7400, 7950, 10200, or 12200 bps Frames Per Packet 1-15 Qdesign Music 2 Bitrate 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24,32, 40, or 48 kbps Qualcomm PureVoice™ Compression Options PureVoice™ Full Rate, Qualcomm Half Rate Apple Lossless IMA 4:1 MACE 3:1 MACE 6:1 Optimize compression for streaming μ-Law 2:1 If you choose Stereo mix, you can export your project from Motion in either mono or stereo. If you choose 5.
Exporting a Play Range If you have defined a play range for your project, you can export the entire length of the project, or export only the play range. To export a play range: m Choose File > Export, then turn on the “Use play range” checkbox. For information about setting a play range, see “Defining the Play Range” on page 359. Export a Selection The Export Selection option allows you to export only certain elements in your project.
To export a project using Compressor from within Motion: 1 Choose File > Export Using Compressor. The Compressor Export Options dialog appears. 2 Choose an export preset from the Export Preset pop-up menu. To see a summary of the Compressor settings, click the Summary button. 3 Choose which media to include in the export from the Include pop-up menu.
9 Click the Submit button. The Submit dialog appears. 10 Check the Name field to confirm the batch name. 11 Use the Cluster pop-up menu to choose a computer or cluster to process the batch. The default Cluster setting is This Computer, which means Compressor will not involve any other computers in completing the batch. You can choose from any other available clusters that appear in this list.
To export a project from within Compressor: 1 Open Compressor. The Batch window appears. 2 Drag the project from the Finder into the Batch window. 3 In the Settings tab, locate the Compressor preset you want, then drag it to the Batch window. You can choose multiple presets. 4 Choose a location in the Destinations tab, then drag it to the file destination in the Batch window you want to affect. 5 Optionally, select the output filename and type a new name for the export file. 6 Click the Submit button.
10 Use the Priority pop-up menu to choose the priority level for the batch. 11 Click Submit to submit the batch for processing. If Auto Launch Batch Monitor is selected in Compressor Preferences, Batch Monitor opens on submission. If Auto Launch Batch Monitor is not enabled, click the Batch Monitor icon to open Batch Monitor and track the progress of the export. 12 When you are finished, choose Compressor > Quit. If you opened Batch Monitor, choose Batch Monitor > Quit.
If your new projects are defaulting to a different project size, choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J) once the project is open. In the General pane of the Project Properties window, choose iPod Video from the Presets pop-up menu. You can change the default new project size in the Presets pane of Motion Preferences. Note: If you prefer (and because the iPod Video format is small), you can create a larger project format in which to work and then proceed to step 3.
Your exported file is saved to the specified location. After you export audio as a QuickTime movie, you can convert the QuickTime movie file to another format using QuickTime Pro, Compressor, or another audio application. There are no audio-only export presets. However, you can use any QuickTime movie export preset and edit the audio export options. For more information on working with audio files, see “Working with Audio” on page 1117.
Keyboard Shortcuts A Appendix A Use keyboard shortcuts to streamline your work in Motion. The following tables organize the keyboard shortcuts by menu, component, and task. Some keyboard shortcuts are always active, whether or not you are working in the group that they are listed in, while other keyboard shortcuts are only active under special circumstances. Note: Some keyboard shortcuts described in this chapter may conflict with system commands assigned to the Mac OS X Finder.
Key command Function Save all open projects. option S Close a project. W Close all open projects. option W Import a file. I Export a project. E Export a project using Compressor. shift E Print the current view of the Canvas. P Import files as a project. shift I Undo the last change. Z Redo the last change. shift Z Cut X Copy C Paste V Duplicate D Select all items. A Deselect all items. shift A Delete delete W M Close the active window. Minimize the active window.
Key command Function Open Motion Preferences. , Open Motion Help. ? Display Page Setup dialog. shift P Hide Motion. H Hide other open application files. option H Quit Motion. Q Play/Pause a project. space Record animation. A Go to the start of a project. home Go to the end of a project. end Motion Menu Key command Function Open Motion Preferences. , Hide Motion. H Hide other open application files. option H Q Quit Motion.
Key command Function Open a template. shift O Close a project. W Save a project. S Save a project as a new project. shift S Import a file. I Import files as a project. shift I Export a project. E option Export selection. E Export a project using Compressor. shift E shift P Display Page Setup dialog. Print the current view of the Canvas. P Create a new project from a list of project presets. option N option W option S Close all open projects. Save all open projects.
Key command Function Paste V Paste special. option V Duplicate D Delete delete shift Perform a ripple delete which removes the selected object and closes the gap left behind. delete Select all items. A Deselect all items. shift A Send Audio to Soundtrack Pro. U Open the Project Properties dialog. J Mark Menu Key command Function Mark In point. I Mark Out point. O shift [ shift ] Move the selected object to the In point. Move the selected object to the Out point.
Key command option Function Reset the play range by moving the In and Out points to the first and last frame of the project. X Play/Pause a project. space Enable/Disable loop playback. shift L Record animation. A Open the Recording Options dialog. option A Go to the start of project. home Go to the end of project. end Go to the start of play range. shift home shift end Go to the end of play range. Go to the previous frame. Go to the next frame. Go backward ten frames.
Key command Function Render a RAM Preview for the selected object. option R Render a RAM Preview for the entire project. shift option R Object Menu Key command Function Add a new empty group to the project. shift option N L shift option Add a new camera to the project. C Add a new light to the project. Add a new drop zone to the project. D shift ] shift [ Move the selected object to the top of the Layers list. Move the selected object to the bottom of the Layers list.
Key command Function Add an image mask to the selected object. shift control M Add keyframe (to the last modified parameter for the selected object). K Convert the applied behaviors to keyframes. K Make the selected object the cell source for a particle emitter. E Replicate the selected object. L Clone the selected layer. K shift F Open the Media tab and Inspector to display the source and properties of media objects. View Menu Key command Function Zoom in. Zoom out. Zoom to 100 percent.
Key command Function Show all color channels. shift C shift T shift option T shift option C shift R shift G shift B shift A shift option Show the transparent channel. Show the alpha channel overlay. Show the RGB channels only. Show the red channel. Show the green channel. Show the blue channel. Show the alpha channel. Show the inverted alpha channel. A Toggle between the current channel and alpha channels. V Show the Canvas at full resolution.
Key command Function ; shift Show/Hide the Dynamic Guides. Show/Hide the Safe Zones. ' Show/Hide the Film Zones. ' shift option Lock the guides. ; Enable/Disable snapping to guides. N ` shift Show 3D grid. Show the Font dialog. T Show the Colors window. shift C Show/Hide the Toolbar. option T Window Menu Key command Function Minimize the active window. M Show the project in Standard layout. control U Show the project in Alternate layout.
Key command Function Show/Hide the Timing pane. F6 Show/Hide the HUD. F7 Show/Hide the File Browser. 1 Show/Hide the Library. 2 Show/Hide the Inspector. 3 Show/Hide the Layers tab. 4 Show/Hide the Media tab. 5 Show/Hide the Audio tab. 6 F6 Show/Hide the Timeline. or 7 8 9 Show/Hide the Keyframe Editor. Show/Hide the Audio Editor. Help Menu Key command ? 0 Function Open Motion Help. Show the Welcome Screen. Audio Editor Key command 9 Function Show/Hide the Audio Editor.
Key command Function Record animation. A Add a marker at the current frame. or M Audio Tab Key command Function Show/Hide the Audio tab. 6 Make the object active or deactivate the object. control T control L control S Lock/Unlock an audio file. Enable/disable the Solo button of a selected track. Move up one level in the Audio list. Move down one level in the Audio list. Import.
Key command Function Override snapping while moving an object. drag option Duplicate a selected object. drag Select/Transform Tool drag handle shift option drag handle shift option drag handle drag rotation handle shift Scale an object proportionally. Scale an object from its center. Scale an object proportionally from its center. Snap the rotation of an object to 45° increments.
Key command Function Toggle a B-Spline point bias. click option shift Break or relink a tangent handle. drag Constrain a tangent to 45° and original value. drag Pan & Zoom Tools Select the Pan tool. H Select the Zoom tool. Z option Zoom Out with the Zoom tool selected. click Create Group Key command Function Rectangle & Circle Tools Select the Rectangle Shape tool. R Select the Circle Shape tool. C shift option shift shift Draw a shape proportionally.
Key command click Convert a point to linear. drag Create tangents on point. drag option Function drag drag shift Scale tangents proportionally. Break or relink a tangent handle. Constrain a tangent to 45° and original value. Cancel shape drawing and delete the open shape. esc Exit shape drawing mode. return B-Spline Tool Select the B-Spline tool. B Toggle between the Bezier and B-Spline tools. B Close shape. C Double-click or option Add a point to path.
Key command , , , option Function Move the insertion point by character. or , , , Move the insertion point by word. or Move to the beginning of a line of text. Move to the end of a line of text. shift , , , Select one or more characters from the insertion point. or Select one or more words from the insertion point. shift option , , , , , or Select a line of text from the insertion point. shift , or Increase kerning from the insertion point.
Key command option Function Draw a shape from its center. drag shift option drag drag rotation handle shift Draw a shape proportionally from its center. Snap the rotation of an object to 45° increments. Bezier Mask Tool Select the Bezier Mask tool. option B option B Toggle between the Bezier Mask and B-Spline Mask tools. Close mask. C Double-click or option Add a point to path. click click drag drag drag option drag shift Convert a point to linear. Create tangents on point.
Key command Function Double-click or Add a point to path. option click drag click Adjust a B-Spline point bias. Toggle a B-Spline point bias. Cancel shape drawing and delete the open shape. esc Exit shape drawing mode. return Select the Bezier Mask tool. option B Transport Controls Key command Function Play/Pause a project. space Record an animation. A Enable/disable loop playback. shift L Go to the start of a project. home Go to the end of a project.
View Options Key command Function Zoom In. Zoom Out. option Zoom Out with the Zoom tool selected. click Zoom to region. drag Zoom to 100 percent. option Z Zoom to fit in the Canvas. shift Z shift C shift T shift option T shift option C shift R shift G shift B shift A shift option shift Q Show all color channels. Show the transparent channel. Show the alpha channel overlay. Show the RGB channels only. Show the red channel. Show the green channel. Show the blue channel.
Key command Function Lock the guides. ; option Show/Hide the grid. ' Show/Hide the guides. ; Show/Hide dynamic guides. ; shift Show/Hide film zones. ' shift Show overlays. / Toggle between the current channel and alpha channel. V Show/Hide safe zones. ' Enable/Disable snapping to guides. N Expose active layers. X Expose all layers. X shift Miscellaneous Key command Function Create particle emitter. E Import an image mask to the selected object.
Key command Function Add/Remove selected objects using the region box. drag shift Select multiple objects in a group or layer. click Add to selection. click shift HUD Key command Function Show/Hide the HUD. F7 Cycle through the HUDs from top to bottom (when more than one effect is applied to an object). D shift Cycle through the HUDs from bottom to top (when more than one effect is applied to an object). D File Browser Key command Function Show/Hide File Browser. 1 Open project.
Key command Function Select first item in the file stack. space Move up one level in the folder hierarchy of the file stack. Inspector Key command Function Show/Hide the Inspector. 3 Increase a slider value by an increment of one. or Decrease a slider value by an increment of one. or shift or shift or Increase a slider value by an increment of ten. Decrease a slider value by an increment of ten.
Key command Function Show shear curves. H Show anchor point curves. A Show opacity curves. O Layers Key command Function Create a new group. shift N Bring the object to the top of the group. } Send the object to the bottom of the group. { Bring the object up one level in the Layers list. ] Send the object down one level in the Layers list. [ Place the selected objects in a new group. shift option G G Ungroup a group of objects so you can manipulate the objects individually.
Key command Function Collapse a group in the Layers list. Import I Add an image mask to the selected object. shift M Convert the applied behaviors to keyframes. K shift F Open the Media tab and Inspector to reveal the source and properties of media objects. Clone the selected layer. K Library Key command 2 Function Show/Hide the Library. Select the first item in the sidebar or file stack. space Move up one item in the sidebar or file stack. Move down one item in the sidebar or file stack.
Key command Function Move down one level in the Media list. Import I Timeline Editing and Navigating Key command Function Nudge one frame forward. Nudge one frame backward. Nudge ten frames forward. shift Nudge ten frames backward. shift shift [ shift ] Move the selected object to the In point. Move the selected object to the Out point. Mark the In point of the play range. option I option O Mark the Out point of the play range.
Key command Function Go to the Out point of the selected object. shift O Go to the previous frame. Go to the next frame. Go backward ten frames. shift Go forward ten frames. shift Go to the next marker. option Go to the previous marker. option Render a RAM Preview for the play range. R Render a RAM Preview for the selected object. option R Render a RAM Preview for the entire project. shift option R Mark an In point. I Mark an Out point. O Add a marker at the current frame.
Key command Function Perform a ripple delete. shift delete Paste special. option V Keyframing Commands Key command Function Double-click or Add a point to path. option click Convert a point to linear. click Create tangents on point. drag Adjust a B-Spline point bias. drag Toggle a B-Spline point bias. click Break a tangent handle. drag shift Constrain a tangent to 45° and original value.
Key command Function Double-click or Add a point to path. option click Convert a point to linear. click Create tangents on point. drag Scale tangents proportionally. drag Adjust a B-Spline point bias. drag Toggle a B-Spline point bias. click option Break or relink a tangent handle. drag Constrain a tangent to 45° and original value. drag shift Toolbar Key command Function Show/Hide the Toolbar. option T Choose the selected transform mode.
Key command Function Select the Text tool. T Select the Rectangle Mask tool. option R option C option B Select the Circle Mask tool. Toggle between the Bezier Mask and B-Spline Mask tools. Show/Hide the HUD. F7 Show/Hide the File Browser. 1 Show/Hide the Library. 2 Show/Hide the Inspector. 3 Show/Hide the Project pane. F5 F6 Show/Hide the Timing pane. or 7 Show the Fonts dialog. T Show the Colors window. shift C 3D Commands Key Command Select the 3D transform tool.
Key Command control P control C control R control D shift Function Set 3D View to Perspective. Set 3D View to next camera. Reset 3D camera view. Create 3D Group of the selected objects. ` Toggle the 3D grid on and off. Using the Command Editor Motion provides a wide variety of menu commands and keyboard shortcuts that let you control almost every aspect of your project, from playback to displaying windows and inspectors to working with tools.
The Command Editor appears. Command Set options Modifier key buttons Keyboard Highlight button Search field Command groups Command list Detail area Command Editor Interface The upper half of the Command Editor displays a virtual keyboard. The lower half contains a Command List that sorts menu commands by group and offers a brief description of each command, along with its associated key combination, if any.
Choosing a Set By default, Motion uses the Standard Set of commands, with the language choice that you specified when you set up your computer. To choose a key command set, do one of the following: m Choose Motion > Commands, then choose a set from the submenu. m If the Command Editor is already open, choose a set from the pop-up menu in the upper-left corner. Once you choose the command set you want, the keyboard shortcuts in the set become active in Motion. Saved sets appear at the bottom of the menus.
The Command List immediately displays the search results, listing all commands and key combinations related to the search term. You can further narrow your search by choosing a category from the Search field popup menu. The menu options include All, Command, Description, and Key Equivalent. Note: Do not use the Shift key to capitalize letters when typing in the Search field. The Search field recognizes the Shift key as a modifier key in a keyboard shortcut.
Filtering the View by Modifier Keys You can use the Modifier buttons (Command, Shift, Option, and Control) at the top of the Command Editor to quickly see which keys work in conjunction with the various modifier keys. To filter by modifier keys: 1 Click one of the four modifier buttons at the top of the Command Editor (or click one of the modifier keys on the virtual keyboard). Keys assigned to work in conjunction with the selected modifier key appear marked with a dark gray dot.
Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts Customizing shortcuts in the Command Editor is fast and easy. Because the default Standard Set includes commands for which no shortcut is defined, you may want to apply a new shortcut to them. Because you cannot modify the Standard Set, you must first duplicate that set and then customize new duplicate set. To duplicate the currently active command set: 1 Choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu at the top of the Command Editor.
Importing and Exporting Command Sets Once you save a command set, you may want to export it to create a backup or to share the new set with another user. Exported sets are saved in a file that can be imported back into Motion at a later time. To export a set of keyboard shortcuts: 1 If necessary, use the pop-up menu to activate the command set you want to export, then do one of the following: Â In the Command Editor, choose Export from the pop-up menu. Â Choose Motion > Commands > Export.
Video and File Formats B Appendix B Motion supports a wide variety of media and video formats for broadcast and multimedia. This appendix covers the technical specifications for the most popular video formats in use today. Motion allows you to create projects that integrate many media types using a wide variety of formats. This appendix provides an overview of the most popular file formats that are supported.
                             DV/DVCPRO - NTSC DVCPRO - PAL DVCPRO HD 1080i50, 1080i60, 1080p25, 1080p30, and 720p50, 720p60 DVCPRO50 - NTSC DVCPRO50 - PAL Uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 4:2:2 Graphics H.
      MacPaint TIFF TGA JPEG-2 QuickTime Image Files Open EXR Other Image Formats In addition, Motion includes special support for the following image types:  Layered Photoshop files  PDF files Audio Formats You can import audio files with sample rates up to 192 kHz and with bit depths up to 32 bits. Mono and stereo files are supported. Multichannel audio files are also supported. Motion supports the following audio file types:  WAV  AIFF  .
For more information about the file formats supported by Motion, go to the Motion website at: http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/motion. Standard Definition Versus High Definition Video Formats Motion is extremely flexible and can work with both highly compressed and uncompressed video. Standard Definition Video Despite having differing frame sizes, NTSC and PAL standard definition video share certain characteristics.
Standard definition DV formats include DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO25, and DVCPRO50. Digital format Maker Color sampling Compression ratio Compression type Recorded bit rate DV Sony 4:1:1 5:1 DV 3.6 MB/sec. DVCAM Sony 4:1:1 5:1 DV 3.6 MB/sec. DVCPRO 25 Panasonic 4:1:1 (NTSC) 4:2:0 (PAL) 5:1 DV 3.6 MB/sec. DVCPRO 50 Panasonic 4:2:2 3.3:1 DV 7 MB/sec. High Definition Video All high definition formats use a nonanamorphic, 16:9 aspect ratio using square pixels, just like a computer display.
Frame rates intended for broadcast video use can be interlaced, similar to standard definition video on a television, or progressive like a computer display. Frame rate Video format 23.98 A progressive frame rate intended for HD video transfer to film. 23.98 is rounded up from the actual frame rate of 23.976. This frame rate is useful in post-production since it can be converted easily by hardware to the interlaced 59.94 frame rate for video viewing purposes.
Supported DVCPRO HD Formats Motion natively supports the following DVCPRO HD formats. Format Motion Easy Setup Dimensions Scanning method 1080i60 DVCPRO HD - 1080i60 1920 x 1080 Interlaced 720p60 DVCPRO HD - 720p60 1280 x 720 Progressive 720p30 DVCPRO HD - 720p30 1280 x 720 Progressive 720p24 DVCPRO HD - 720p24 1280 x 720 Progressive Format Timebase (on tape) Timebase (in Motion) Source timecode (in Motion) 1080i60 29.97 fps 29.97 fps (59.94 fields per second) 30 fps 720p60 59.
Format Bits per second (video only) Bytes per second DVCPRO 50 50 Mbps 6.25 MB/sec. Digital Betacam 95.2 Mbps 11.9 MB/sec. D-1 172 Mbps 21.5 MB/sec. Choosing a Frame Rate Most DVCPRO HD cameras and decks allow two types of video frame rates:  Integer frame rates such as 60, 30, and 24 fps  NTSC-related frame rate variants such as 59.94, 29.97, and 23.98 fps Note: If you are outputting via Final Cut Pro, Motion only supports NTSC-related timebases such as 59.94, 29.97, and 23.
Video footage, which generally has more grain, noise, and variations of texture and color than animated material, may not be compressed as much with the Animation codec as with other methods. Because some lossless compression is better than none, this codec is used more frequently than Uncompressed. Note: Animation movies can have alpha channels. This codec is the most common QuickTime format supporting alpha channels.
JPEG JPEG is similar to M-JPEG, except that the compression artifacts can be less severe at similar data rates. JPEG movies may play back in real time on your system, depending on your system’s speed and the data rate of the movie. Note: JPEG movies cannot have alpha channels. Third-Party Codecs There are several manufacturers of video-editing solutions, most of whom use different variations of the M-JPEG codec.
Using Square or Nonsquare Pixels When Creating Graphics When you’re preparing to import graphics into Motion, it’s important to be aware of the pixel aspect ratio you’re using and whether your project requires you to work with square or nonsquare pixels. Nonsquare pixels: Use this for standard definition projects in NTSC or PAL. Square pixels: Use this for high definition projects, as well as multimedia video that will be played back only on computers and doesn’t use any captured video footage.
Working with Standard Definition (SD) Video Monitors and Computer Displays Standard definition (SD) video monitors differ from computer displays in a significant way (aside from interlacing): computer displays represent images using a grid of square pixels, while video monitors use pixels that are rectangular in shape. 720 x 486 Broadcast (720 x 480 DV) 640 x 480 SD NTSC pixels are narrower than computer pixels and SD PAL pixels are wider than computer pixels.
Differences in Color Between Computer and Video Graphics You should also be aware that the range of colors that can be displayed on a broadcast video monitor is much smaller than that which can be displayed on your computer. For this reason, colors that appear bright and clean on NTSC or PAL video can seem duller when viewed on your computer. If you output graphics images with colors that go outside the “legal” range for video, they will appear oversaturated, and may “bleed” into other parts of the image.
Frame size (pixels) Type of video 720 x 486 Standard definition, 4:3, nonsquare pixel for NTSC 720 x 480 Standard definition DV, 4:3, nonsquare pixel for NTSC 720 x 576 Standard definition, 4:3, nonsquare pixel for PAL 640 x 480 Multimedia, 4:3, square pixel 480 x 360 Multimedia, 4:3, square pixel 320 x 240 Multimedia, 4:3, square pixel 240 x 180 Multimedia, 4:3, square pixel 160 x 120 Multimedia, 4:3, square pixel Creating Graphics for HD Projects Creating graphics and still images for hi
Working with Final Cut Pro C Appendix C You can add Motion projects directly to sequences in Final Cut Pro and send Final Cut Pro sequence clips directly to a new Timeline in Motion. This appendix covers the following: Â Using Motion with Final Cut Pro (p. 1217) Â Using Motion Templates in Final Cut Pro (p.
Importing a Motion Project into Final Cut Pro You can import Motion projects into Final Cut Pro to quickly add motion graphics, title sequences, and animations to your sequence. To import a Motion project into Final Cut Pro, do one of the following: m Drag the Motion project from the Finder to the Final Cut Pro Browser or Timeline. m Choose File > Import > Files, then select the Motion project in the dialog that appears and click Choose.
To reconnect a Motion clip to an updated Motion project, do one of the following: m Initiate the Motion project update from within Final Cut Pro by selecting the Motion clip and choosing View > Clip in Editor. This method informs Final Cut Pro that the Motion project may be updated; as a result, the Motion clip is automatically reconnected when you return from Motion to Final Cut Pro.
Selecting Clips or Sequences to Send to Motion The Send To Motion Project command behaves slightly differently depending on what you select in Final Cut Pro and where you select it. Â Browser clips: When one or more clips are selected in the Final Cut Pro Browser, the Send to Motion Project command sends the clip or clips to a new project in Motion; the Motion Timeline remains empty and the clips appear in the Motion Media tab.
A new Motion project is created. If you selected the Launch Motion option, the new project opens in Motion. For more information about the results of sending different kinds of selections to Motion, see the following sections. Sending Browser Clips from Final Cut Pro to Motion When you send Browser clips from Final Cut Pro to Motion, a new Motion project is created with an empty Timeline and the media from each selected Final Cut Pro clip displayed in the Motion Media tab.
If you don’t select turn on the Embed Motion Content checkbox, the selected sequence clips are still copied into a new sequence in the Browser, but they are not replaced. Furthermore, the new Motion project is not imported into Final Cut Pro, so your original sequence remains unchanged. What Properties Are Exported to Motion? When you send sequence clips from the Final Cut Pro Timeline to Motion, the following properties are retained in the exported Motion project.
Using Motion Templates in Final Cut Pro In Motion, templates are useful when you are creating a number of projects that share elements like text or media. You can use a Motion template as a starting point for project customization. A Motion template used in Final Cut Pro can be used in any number of projects and sequences, and each instance can be customized.
 Text: You can edit the content, Text Size, and Text Tracking of text in template clips in Final Cut Pro. There are templates that are installed when Motion is installed. These templates already appear in the Effects tab in Final Cut Pro, in the Master Templates bin.
m Select an existing object in the canvas, then turn on the Drop Zone checkbox in the Image tab of the Inspector. The Image tab of the Inspector contains controls to adjust the drop zone: Drop Zone: A checkbox that toggles whether an object is a drop zone. Fit: A pop-up menu where you can choose between three different methods of object placement within the drop zone: Fit, Center, and Stretch.
The Save dialog appears. Note: It is recommended that you create a new custom theme in which to save your own templates. 2 If you want to create a new theme category for your template, click New Theme, type a name in the New Theme dialog, then click Create. 3 In the Save dialog, type a name for the template. 4 In the Theme pop-up menu, choose a theme category in which to store your template. 5 Choose a template format from the Format pop-up menu.
Master Templates in Final Cut Pro Master templates can be used in any number of sequences within any number of Final Cut Pro projects. If the Motion template is edited in Motion, any template clip that refers to that Motion template file is updated. Adding Master Templates to a Sequence You can add master templates to your sequence from four different locations within Final Cut Pro. Try out the following methods to see which one works best for you.
To replace the media in a drop zone: 1 Open the clip containing media you wish to replace in the Viewer. 2 Select the Controls tab. 3 Find the media you wish to replace. 4 Drag the new clip into the image well in the Parameters column. The new media replaces what was previously in the drop zone. To change the position of a drop zone: 1 Move the playhead to the clip containing drop zone you wish to move. 2 Double-click the clip in the Timeline. 3 In the Viewer, select the Controls tab.
To open a master template from within Final Cut Pro, do one of the following: m Select the master template and then choose View > Master Template in Editor. m Control-click a master template and then choose Open in Editor from the shortcut menu. The master template opens in Motion. Once you make changes in Motion and save the project, Final Cut Pro automatically reconnects the master template to the updated project so you can see the changes.
Using Float Precision with Motion Content in Final Cut Pro When embedding Motion content in Final Cut Pro, you can take advantage of the rendering benefits of Motion’s 16- or 32-bit float rendering modes. To do this, go to your the Video Processing tab of Sequence Preferences in Final Cut Pro and enable “Render all YUV material in high-precision YUV.” Once this is set, Final Cut Pro forces Motion elements in the sequence to render in 32-bit mode.
Using Gestures D Appendix D If you use a Wacom tablet and pen with your computer system, you can use gestures to navigate within Motion and to perform tasks such as editing, copying and pasting, and so on. Gestures are continuous, uninterrupted patterns that are drawn in the Motion user interface (using your tablet). Note: The supported tablet for using gestures in Motion is the Wacom Intuos tablet family.
Important: Gestures in Motion use the Inkwell technology in the Mac OS X operating system. In order to use gestures, you must first enable Handwriting Recognition in Motion Preferences. If you cannot turn gestures on at this point, or perform the following steps, click Open Ink Preferences and follow the instructions in the section, “To set up Ink Preferences” on the next page. Once you have enabled Handwriting Recognition, complete the following steps. 3 For “Gestures are,” ensure that On is selected.
By default, a “whoosh” sound is played when gestures are drawn. To disable the default gesture sound: 1 Click the Options button in Ink Preferences. 2 In the Ink dialog, turn off “Play sound while writing.” Turn “Play sound while writing” on and off. Wacom Settings In the Wacom Tablet application, you can create customized tool settings for individual applications. For example, you can disable the pen buttons for use in Motion, but have button 1 set as “Double-Click” for another application.
Using Gestures The following illustration shows the basic gesture anatomy. The green dot represents the start of the gesture, the blue arrow is the direction of your gesture, and the red dot the end of the gesture. Draw the gesture on the tablet, with your pointer in the Motion Canvas or Timeline. Direction of movement Gesture start position Gesture end position Modifier Keys Many gestures have additional functionality when used in combination with a key on the keyboard.
Gesture Description Modifier keys Play forward at normal speed. Â To play from start, press Shift. Â To toggle loop, press Option. Stop or pause playback. General Navigation Use the gestures in the following table for general navigation, such as zooming the Canvas and displaying the different panes in the Motion user interface. Gesture Description Modifier keys Zoom in to the Canvas. Â To zoom to the area within the gesture, press Shift.
Gesture Description Modifier keys Set the Canvas to Home (100 percent). Fit the Canvas in the window. Show or hide the Timing pane. Show or hide the Project pane. Show or hide the Inspector. Show or hide the File Browser. Show or hide the Library. 1236 Appendix D Using Gestures To toggle the Canvas to full-screen mode, press Shift.
General Commands The following table describes the gestures for general commands, such as undo, select, and copy and paste. Gesture Description Modifier keys Undo Redo Delete the selected object. Choose the Select tool. If a Select tool mode is enabled, such as Shear, when the gesture is drawn, the Select mode is enabled. Show and hide the HUD. Copy Paste Note: The Paste command may be a bit tricky to master.
Timeline Navigation and Editing Gestures The following table describes the gestures used for Timeline navigation and editing. Gesture Description Go to start of play range. Go to end of play range. Go to the start of the project. Go to the end of the project. Go to start of the currently selected object. Go to end of the currently selected object.
Gesture Appendix D Using Gestures Description Modifier keys Set a local In point for the currently selected object. To move the In point to the current playhead position, press Shift. Set a local Out point for the currently selected object. To move the Out point to the current playhead position, press Shift. Bring the selected object forward in the stack. To bring an object to the front of the stack, press Shift. Send the selected object backward in the stack.
Using Motion and After Effects E Appendix E Adobe After Effects integration You can import a Motion project directly into an After Effects project, preserving its quality without intermediate rendering of QuickTime movies or image sequences. Because After Effects interprets the Motion project as a movie, any operation that can be applied to a QuickTime movie can be applied to a Motion project.
7 Click OK to import the Motion project. The Motion project, identified by the Motion icon, is listed in the After Effects Project window. 8 Drag the project into the Timeline or composition. The Motion project is treated like a QuickTime movie. Therefore, it can be composited with other elements, and effects can be added. To modify a Motion project once it has been imported into After Effects: 1 In After Effects, select the layer containing the Motion project.
2D compositing 15 2D groups defined 18 rasterization and 708, 709, 772 triggering rasterization 288 2D mode 2D/3D status 68 flattened text 630 switching to 3D mode 70 2D object views 47 2D transforms 264 3D animation Parameter behaviors and 383 software packages 204 text 1243 3D axis handles 56 3D clone layers 284 3D Compass 46 3D compositing 15 3D effects, simulating 277 3D filter 890 3D grid preferences 150 turning on or off 48, 174 3D groups creating 74 defaulting to 149 defined 18 Inspector features 132
3D overlays 46, 173 3D Overlays submenu commands 173 3D paint strokes 1055 3D parameter 803 3D particle emitters examples 744, 748 parameters 699, 724 rasterization and 708 shapes 715, 720 3D Preferences pane 149 3D rendering software 309 3D rotation handles 56 3D scene icons 48, 174 3D View pop-up menu 54 3D View Selector 46 3D View submenu commands 170 3D View tools 46, 55 3rd-party codecs 1212 3rd-party filters 963 3rd-party plug-ins 139 5.1 audio 1121, 1123 5.
Amplitude slider 442, 722 Analog video 1206 Analysis indicator 314 Anchor points 3D objects 274 changing 273 masks 1104 Motion Path behavior 413 parameters 97, 281, 533, 775 particle parameters 704 replicator sources 820 Angle End parameter 807 Angle parameter 806 Angle Randomness parameter 808 Angles paint strokes 1015, 1054 particle emitters 698, 702, 723, 727 replicator elements 806 shape animation and 1057 Animate pop-up menu’ 807 Animated generators 967 Animation adding or removing keyframes 98, 511 al
Attach to Emitter parameter 704 Attach To Emitter slider 731 Attack parameter 1144 Attract To image well 480 Attracted To behavior 460 Attractor behavior 462 Audio and audio files 1117–1146 about 213 activating 83 adding to projects 82, 1119 as media files 75 Audio Editor 104 audio sync 144, 327, 1136 audio-only QuickTime movies 1165 balancing 81, 107 channels 1129 clipping 1131 compression algorithms 1118, 1158 cross-fading 1135 cutting, copying and pasting options 83, 1125 defined 80 deleting 1126 display
Reveal Source Media command 83 Status column 81 Audio track bar 106 Audio tracks 1126–1139 clipping 1131 cross-fading 1135 cutting, copying, and pasting 1125 divider 89 hiding 1127 keyframing 1134 keyframing levels 1134 keyframing panning 1135 level meters 1131 locking 1129 markers 1138 Master track 1130 muting 1128 Pan slider 1131 panning 1129, 1131, 1139 playing 1127 recording keyframes 1134 renaming 1129 resetting clipping indicators 1131 scrubbing 1133 selecting 1127 setting levels 1128 slipping 1132 so
Keyframe Editor and 377, 400 keyframes and 372 keyframing 403, 514 Library categories 228 locating in Library 406 locking 389 masks and 1101 Modifying behaviors 387–389 Motion Tracking behaviors 452 moving to other computers 408 moving to other folders 407 moving to other objects 391 multiplicative behaviors 409 nested 393 Parameter behaviors 380–387, 403, 430–452 parameters and 372 particle emitters and 737, 738 particle scaling 739 particle spinning 739 particle systems and 688, 736 Particles behaviors 45
Blur Map well 860 Blur on drop shadows 312 BMP format 204 Border filters 869–871 Bevel 869 Simple Border 870 Widescreen 870 Bottom camera view 170 Bounce Strength parameter 468 Bounding boxes Edge Collision behavior and 468 objects 267 text margins 646 Box particles 720 Box replicator shapes 790, 791 Box tool 529 keyframe editing 101 manipulating keyframes 544 Breaking tangent handles 1025 Brightness filter 872 Bring Forward command 260 Bring to Front command 260 Broadcast Safe filter 962 Broadcast video 12
Status Bar 39 swapping with Project pane 26 timecode fields 64 transforms in 261, 265 transport controls 21, 58 view options 41 Zoom Level pop-up menu 42 Categories removing objects or folders from 233 Template Browser 255 Caustics generator 968 CD-ROM footage 204 Ceiling values for audio 1142 Cell height in columns 71 Cell sources defined 687 objects and 688 Cells (particle) advanced controls 712 animation parameters 713 applying behaviors to 738 behavior categories 738 cell parameters 735 color modes and
Color Burn blend mode 297 Color Correction filters 871–890 Brightness 872 Channel Mixer 872 Channel Swap 875 Color Balance 876 Color Reduce 877 Colorize 878 Contrast 879 Desaturate 880 Equalize 881 Gamma 881 Gradient Colorize 882 HSV Adjust 883 Invert 885 Levels 885 Negative 886 Reduce Banding 886 Saturate 887 Sepia 887 Threshold 888 Tint 889 YIQ 890 YUV Adjust 890 Color Dodge blend mode 300 Color Emboss filter 934 Color Key filter 922 Color keying 921 Color Mode parameter 808 Color Range parameter 814 Colo
Constant color distribution 1034 Constant extrapolation 551 Constant interpolation 547, 596 Content adding to Library 232 Library categories 231 missing 233 Content Library 139 Continuous color distribution 1034 Continuous interpolation 547, 597, 1143 Contrast filter 879 Control Point tool 1179 Control points adding and deleting 1020 adding to animation paths 511 adjusting 265, 279 B-Spline 1025 converting to Bezier 549 corner and curve points 1024 defined 997 deleting 1022 displaying 1018, 1059 editing Bez
Custom Speed parameter 420 Custom Traversal parameter 663, 834 Customize icon 36 Customizing File Browser 200 objects 232 particle effects 750 particle system emitters 696 project settings 183 template-based projects 250 text styles 567 Toolbar 35 Cutting audio tracks 1125 objects 346 objects in Layers tab 74 D D-1 format 1206, 1210 D-2 format 1206 D-5 format 1206, 1209 Dabs animating 1057, 1071 converting to particles 1057 defined 1012 fixed numbers of 1052 in shape outlines 1044 Dampening oscillation 444
hidden tools 29 HUDs 136 keyboard shortcuts 1185 Keyframe Editor 528 keyframes 87, 348, 524 layers 68, 242 Layers List view 72 masks 68, 72, 87, 1088 parameters 102 particles 731 rulers 45 source media files 75 tabbed windows 26 timecode or frame numbers 66 tracks in Timeline 94 visibility status in Layers tab 69 window expose commands 317 Displays (computer) 1214 Distortion filters 890–913 Basic 3D 890 Black Hole 892 Bulge 892 Bump Map 893 Disc Warp 894 Displace 895 Droplet 896 Earthquake 897 Fisheye 898 F
project presets 190 projects 192 Duration behaviors 379, 395 changing 362 default setting 143 end duration 315 filters 854 generators 965 layer preferences 568 media files 76 modifying dynamically 66 particle systems 706 preferences 142 project duration field 65 replicators 778 retiming and 313 setting 186 shortening 350 still images 208 Duration indicators 64 Duration Range slider 458 Duration slider 454, 455 DV format 1207, 1209 DVCAM format 1207, 1209 DVCPRO 100 format 1208 DVCPRO 25 format 1207, 1208, 1
textures 609 transform tools 1018 trim edits 343, 355 trimming multiple objects 344 trimming without changing effects 356 turning snapping on or off 1017 types of edits 341 Effects applying 117 displaying 68 Inspector features 125 Library features 115 organizing 122 overview 15 Photoshop 210 pre-made particle systems 690 Timeline controls 87 Toolbar icons 34 trim edits and 356 turning on and off 73 Utility window features 110 Elements in replicators 754 Embed Motion Content option 1221 Emission Angle parame
Favorites menu 122, 169, 231, 405 Feather slider 1006 Feathering gradients 1035 layers with Matte Choker filter 1114 masks 1006, 1095, 1099 shape edges 1009, 1031, 1033 Feedback, real-time 17 Field dominance 1212 Field order 186, 1212 defined 1212 interlaced video 226 setting in presets 154 Field rendering 50, 157 File Browser 20, 110–115, 198 adding folders 113 collapsing animations 115 customizing 200 file stack 112 Forward and Back buttons 111 icon 35, 114 icon view 112, 114 importing files 111 importing
missing 233 moving 851, 852 onscreen controls 848 parameters 847 particle systems and 688, 740 pasting 851 performance and 844, 845 previewing 842 rasterization and 288, 855, 1115 removing 843 renaming 851 reordering 853 replicators and 838 saving in Library 123 shapes and 1063 Sharpen 928–929 slipping in time 855 Stylize 929–953 text objects and 575 third-party 229, 963 Tiling 953–959 Time 959–962 Timeline display 323 timing of 854 trimming 854 turning on or off 73, 87 types of 842 Video 962–963 working wi
Four Corner mode particle systems and 705 rasterization and 288 replicators and 777 Four Corner parameter 282 Frame blending 51, 157 Frame Blending pop-up menu 313 Frame numbers 66 Frame Offset parameter 456 Frame parameter 1107 Frame Range slider 454 Frame rates displaying in Canvas 41 DVCPRO HD 1210 export settings 157 high definition video 1207 imported media 227 in presets 154 particles and 694 preferences 144 RAM Preview and 59 setting 186 Frame size changing 197 imported graphics and 1213, 1215 media
general commands 1237 in the Timeline 1238 in-the-air gestures 158, 1232 modifier keys 1234 navigating with 1235 playback controls 1234 preferences 158, 1231 triggers 158 Glass Block filter 900 Glass Distortion filter 901 Global 3D rendering 725 Gloom filter 917 Glow adding to text 133 adding to text objects 618 default text glow 619 editing on text objects 619 Glow filter 917 Glow filters 913–920 Aura 914 Bloom 915 Dazzle 916 Gloom 917 Glow 917 Light Rays 918 Outer Glow 919 Overdrive 920 Go to end of proje
flattened 18 grouping objects 74, 241 Inspector features 132 isolating 74 layer order and 259 Layers tab and 239 locking 246 masking 1087 moving entire 352 moving in tracks 352 moving objects to other groups 338 moving single objects in 352 nested 234, 241, 339 organizing 233, 1060 parameters 280 preferences 149 rasterization and 288, 626, 707, 1115 rasterization indicator 130 rearranging objects in 338 renaming 247 saving in Library 123 searching for 248 slipping objects in tracks 356 Timeline display 323
switching to Inspector 136 text features 571 I Icon view 114, 123, 200 Icon View button 112, 118 Icons 3D scene 48 Timeline display 330 ID parameter 438 Image masks 1104 about 1104 adding 75, 1105 applying behaviors to 1108 applying filters to 1108 blend modes 1107 channels 1105 parameters 1106–1108 text as 613 wrap mode 1107 Image particles 719 Image sequences about 208 as media files 75 collapsing 201, 209 export presets 1151 exporting 156, 1148, 1149 exporting selections as 316 importing 77, 115, 1221 p
icon 35 image wells 127 keyboard shortcuts 1188 keyframing 505, 516–520 locking 134 navigating to keyframes 130, 519 Object tab 131 parameter selection menu 128 pop-up menus 126 Properties tab 131 Rasterization indicators 130 Reset button 128, 520 resetting parameters 130, 519 Show In Keyframe Editor command 130 sliders 126 Timing controls 313 Tracking Selection pop-up menu 128 value fields 126 value lists 127 value sliders 126 Interface icons 35 Interface preference 138 Interlaced video 1212 defined 152 fi
adding keyframes 540 animated shapes in 1082 Animation menu 529 audio in 101, 554, 1118 auto-scaling 102, 555 behaviors in 100, 377 Box tool 528, 529, 544 Clear Curve List button 101 combining keyframes with behaviors 400 control buttons 101, 553–555 control points in 538 Current Keyframe state 100 curves in 101, 545, 553, 554, 555 custom parameter sets 533–536 deleting keyframes 540 disabling keyframes 541 displaying 95, 524, 528 extrapolation methods 550, 551 filtering 531 generating keyframes 552 interpo
Timeline and 520–526 trimming keyframed effects 525 Keyframing Active state 100 Keying defined 15 segmenting objects into zones 1112 using multiple keys 1112 Keying filters 920–927 alpha channels and 1112 Blue Green Screen 921 Color Key 922 garbage masks and 1109 holdout masks and 1110 Luma Key 923 masks and 1108 multiple keys 1112 Primatte RT 924 Spill Suppressor 926 L Latitude parameter 428, 725 Laws of inertia 396 Layer order in compositing 130 Layer Order parameter 132 Layer tracks 352, 356 Layered Pho
Standard 23 switching to 28 Layouts submenu command 175 Leading 133 Learning mode 438, 439 Left camera view 170 Lengthening objects 63 Lens Flare filter 973 Level meters 108 Levels Audio Editor 106 for audio tracks 1128 keyframing 1134 Levels filter 885 Library 20, 115–124 adding content to 232 adding elements to projects 116 Back button 118 behaviors in 120, 373, 405–407 content types 120 curves in 536 custom particle effects in 750 customized items in 123, 232, 406, 626 deleting folders 407 effects in 117
applying to text objects 682 Library category 230, 567 missing 233 modifying 683 preferences 146 previewing 681 themes and 119 Timing parameters 683 LiveType fonts 576, 681 Local 3D rendering 725 Location parameter 600, 1036 Locking audio files 81 audio tracks 1129 behaviors 389 control points 1023 filters 851 groups 246 Inspector settings 134 keyframes 541 layers 246 objects 70 parameters 99 shapes 1061 tracks 326 Logarithmic behavior 436 Logarithmic interpolation 548 Longitude (emission) 725 Longitude par
multiple keys and 1112 order of 1097 parameters 1092–1095 particle systems and 705 rasterization and 288, 1115 replacing alpha channels 1098 replicators and 782 rotoscoping and 1101, 1102 segmenting objects into zones 1112 selecting control points 1019 shape types 1092 snapping and 1017 tangent handles 1024 text as 613 Timeline display 323 transforming 1104 turning on or off 73, 87 Masks icon 1088 Master templates 1223, 1227 Master track 1130 Matte Choker filter 927, 1114 Matte filters 927–928 Matte Choker
Mirroring image masks 1107 Missing media files 79 Missing objects 233 Mix parameter 862 Mix To Stereo command 1122 Mixing audio export 156, 1129 Matte Choker filter effects and 1114 particles 724 M-JPEG codec 1211 Modification dates 76 Modified curves 97 Modifying behaviors 387–389 .
objects in new templates 253 presets 154 Navigating file paths 202 gestures and 1235 in Timeline 357 keyboard shortcuts 1184, 1191 through frames 65, 358, 528 to keyframes 519 to markers 366 to start or end of projects 358 Negate behavior 439 Negative filter 886 Nested behaviors 393 Nested groups 18, 234, 241, 247, 339, 340 Nested layers 241, 247, 339 Nested objects 234 Networked disks 203 New Camera icon 34 New Light icon 36 Next camera view 170 Next frame button 58 Next Keyframe command 107, 130 No Keyfra
types of 131 viewing relationships between 220 Offline media 214, 220, 233 Offset image masks 1107 Parameter behaviors 397 particle emissions 721 replicator images and 793 replicator shapes 802 shape outlines 1045 text 589 text on paths 641 Offset filter 955 Offset From parameter 456 Offset slider 415, 446, 454 One Color Ray generator 976 Op Art generators 977 Opacity about 285 animating 512 backgrounds 186 blend modes and 285, 290 colors 1037 direction of 602 displaying object status 70 gradients 597, 601,
Paint strokes 3D options 1055 about 1012 animating 1054 brush options 1054 colors 1049 compared to shapes or masks 998 controls 1049 defined 997 drawing over time 1013 gradients 1050 jitter options 1056 opacity 1050 parameters 1015 shape outlines as 1027 spacing dabs in 1051 styles 1013 width 1053 Write On behavior 1077, 1078, 1079 PAL video aspect ratio and 1213 output 152 resolution 181 specifications 1206 standard definition DV video and 1206 Pan parameter 81 Pan tool 1180 3D 46 about 31 resetting camera
Emit at Points setting 721 filters and 740 frame rates and 695 geometry 719 HUD parameters for 696–700 images 719 in Library 229, 690 initial numbers 726 Inspector features 133 isolating 725 life 727 lines 716 mixing particles 724 modifying properties 703–710 motion blur and 692 multi-cell master controls 715 multiple cells and 695, 698, 714 numbers of points 721 parameters 687, 713, 720 particle size 721 paths of particles 731 patterns 720 points 716 previewing 116, 691 random seed settings 733 randomness
in Timeline 347 into regions 361 keyframes 541 objects in Layers tab 74 Path Layout method 630 Path pop-up menu 111, 112, 118, 200 Path Shape pop-up menu 413 Paths creating text on paths 634 displaying 509 editing path shapes 639 editing text on 643 handmade 559 See also Animation paths Patterns creating from source layers 762 particle emitters 720 Pause control 58, 105 PDF files about 210 fixing resolution of 211 mixed content in 211 multi-layered 212 multi-page 211 Peak indicators 108, 1143 Pen gestures 1
Points in shapes 1001 particle display options 731 Points parameter 790, 793, 802 Points Per Arm parameter 801 Poke filter 903 Pole Axis parameter 472, 482 Polygonal shapes 277 Pop-up color palette 127 Pop-up menus 126 Position parameters 97, 423, 533, 775 Posterize filter 946 PostScript fonts 576 Predictability of particle systems 695 Preferences 137–158 3D 149 Alignment 147 Appearance 140 Autosave 145 Background 147 Cache 144 Canvas 147 content library 139 default project settings 142 drag and drop settin
swapping with Canvas 26 switching sides 67 Project Preset Editor 154, 189 Project presets copying to other computers 190 creating 189 creating new projects from 182 deleting 190 editing 190 Project properties editing 197–198 general settings 184 Projects 179 adding media to 213–217 archiving 191, 195 audio in 1119 autosaving 193 background color 239 blank 182 cameras in 54 closing 195 creating 179–255 creating from presets 182 custom settings 183 defined 18 description 187 duration 64 exporting 1147–1166 fr
paint stroke brush size 1054 particle emitters 726, 727, 728 particle systems and 695 Randomize Shape behavior 1069 replicator elements 810 shape animation and 1058 text sequence behaviors 660 Ranks parameter 722, 780, 795 Rasterization 3D groups and 130 about 855 clone layers and 284 groups and 1115 particles and 707 replicators and 772 text and 626 triggers 288, 628, 774 Rasterization frames 709 Rasterization indicators 130, 710 Rate behavior 449, 495–499 Rate slider 449 Raw output 151 Ray patterns 976, 9
advanced controls 783 anchor points and 820 animating parameters 804, 815 animation curves 821 animation examples 816 arrangement of 770 as theme elements 118 behaviors and 836 blend modes and 769, 776 box shapes 790, 791 build style 793–794 burst shapes 787, 801 categories 120 cell parameters 783, 805, 814 cells 134, 755, 758 circle shapes 787, 791 colors 813 columns 771, 795 controls 779 creating 762 creating media for 759 cropping 778 customizing 767 drop shadows 777 dynamic parameters 756 elements in 75
Stutter 458 vs.
Scrub filter 960 Scrubbing audio 110, 1133 projects 61 SD (standard-definition) video 1214 Search field 112, 119 Searching for layers and objects 248 for Library items 119 for media files 112, 198, 202 for project files 196 SECAM output 152 Select/Transform tool 30, 265, 580, 1179 Selecting audio tracks 1127 control points 1019 hidden objects 262 objects 261 objects in Layers tab 239 regions 359 text characters 582 Send Backward command 260 Send to Back command 260 Separators 36 Sepia filter 887 Sequence Pa
rectangles 717, 1010 replicators 770, 785 saving in Library 123 selecting control points 1019 shape tools 1030 snapping 1017 spheres 720 spirals 718 styles 1031 tangent handles 1024 transforming 1018 transparency 1062 types of 1059 vs. masks 998 waves 718 Sharing.
displaying 75 reconnecting 78 revealing 83 Spaces in file names 156 in Toolbar 36, 37 Spacing kerning 588 paint strokes 1015, 1051 shape outlines 1045 text line spacing 574 Special effects.
Circles 932 Color Emboss 934 Crystallize 934 Edge Work 935 Edges 936 Extrude 937 Halftone 938 Hatched Screen 939 Highpass 940 Indent 941 Line Art 942 Line Screen 943 MinMax 944 Noise Dissolve 945 Pixellate 945 Posterize 946 Relief 947 Slit Scan 948 Slit Tunnel 949 Texture Screen 950 Vectorize Color 951 Vignette 952 Wavy Screen 953 Stylus and tablet drawing 998 Subcategories 232 Subtract mode 294, 1094, 1097, 1107 Support website 11 Surround audio 1121, 1123 Surround sound mixing 1129, 1159 Swirly generator
kerning 588 keyframing 679 layers and 571 Layout pane 629 layouts 584, 629 line spacing 574, 630 LiveFonts 567, 681, 682, 683 LiveType fonts 576 locating text styles 625 margins 581, 646 masks and 613 monospace 589 navigating Library font browser 579 offsetting 589 opacity 572, 614, 615 orientation 589 outlines on 616, 617 paragraphs 630, 646 Parameter behaviors and 634 parameters 584, 585 path control points 636 path shapes 636 paths for 630, 634, 635, 643, 644 previewing fonts 576, 586, 681 Properties tab
replacing in text 607 sources with applied filters 612 text fills 606 text styles 133 Theme pop-up menu 118 Themes adding to templates 254, 1226 available items for 118 creating 119 deleting 119 managing content in 119 Thinning keyframes 99, 531, 559, 561 Third-party codecs 1212 Third-party filters 963 Third-party plug-ins 139 Threshold filter 888 Throw behavior 428–430, 837 Throw Velocity/Throw Distance parameters 430 Thumbnails Layers tab 69 media files 75 preferences 140 resizing 250 Timeline display 94,
play ranges in 94, 359 playing projects 357 preferences 140 rearranging objects 338 regions 359 renaming objects 324 replacing objects in layers 337 retiming in 315, 350–351 ruler 92, 356 Sequential edits 334, 335 slip edits 345, 356 splitting tracks 341 thumbnails in 94, 330 timecode in 92 Timeline tab 85 track area 91 track display settings 89, 325, 328, 330 track height 329 track order 337 tracks 325 trimming objects 343, 344, 395, 525 turning items on or off 87 ungrouping 340 zooming 93, 94, 328 Timelin
shearing 275 switching modes 265 text layers and 571 Transition slider 424 Transparency about opacity 285 blend modes and 285 channel display 44 colors 1038 image masks 1104 object status 70 opacity parameters 98, 282 opacity tags in gradients 1037 particle cells 734 premultiply alpha settings 157 preserving opacity 289 shapes 1062 Transport controls 21, 58, 1184 Traversal pop-up menu 659 Traversal settings 833, 834 Triangle Tile filter 959 Triggers 158, 774 Trim edits 343, 355, 356 Trimming audio tracks 11
WAV files 1118 Wave filter 912 Wave parameter 415 Wave particles 718 Wave replicator shapes 799 Wave Shape pop-up menu 441 Wave shapes 722, 788 Waveforms 554, 1124 Wavy Screen filter 953 Websites 10 Welcome Screen 137, 180 Widescreen filter 870 Widetime filter 962 Width columns 71 paint strokes 1014, 1053 shape outlines 1031, 1045 Width parameter 1015 Width slider 469 Wind behavior 482 Window layouts 23 Window menu 174, 1176 Window Size slider 431 Windows closing 25 expose commands 317 minimizing 25 moving
