Instruction Manual

Chapter 6 Create and manage projects 174
Manage media
Manage media overview
After you add a media le to your project, a corresponding image layer appears in the Canvas,
Layers list, and Timeline. You can duplicate any image layer or eects object in the Canvas, Layers
list, or Timeline to create as many copies as you need. Because each copy you create has its own
parameters in the Inspector, you can customize each duplicate layer separately from the others.
Source media and Motion layers
Every media le you add to your project places corresponding source media in the Media list.
This means that if you import the same le into your project ve times, ve identical source
media items are added in the Media list. However, if you duplicate a layer in the Layers list, you
create an instance of the layer but not a new source item in the Media list. Rather, both duplicate
layers are linked to a single source item in the Media list.
Remember, Motion is a nondestructive application. This means that changes you make to media
objects in a Motion project are not applied to the source media les on the hard disk.
When you add a le to a project, the le must remain available on your hard disk for as long as
you work on that project. If you move, delete, or rename media les that correspond to layers in
a Motion project, those layers go “oine.” If this happens, it’s easy to reconnect the oine layers
in your project with new copies of the media you lost, assuming those les are still available. For
more information, see Online versus oine media on page 175.
Two useful parameters let you see the relationship between image layers in the composition and
their source media in the Media list:
•
Media parameter: This image well in the Properties Inspector identies the source media of the
selected layer in Layers list.
•
Linked Objects list: This list in the Media Inspector displays all image layers in the Layers list
that correspond to the source media selected in the Media list. Changing a layer’s name in the
Layers list updates the name that appears in the Linked Objects list.
By default, media les added to your project are managed by Motion. If you delete a layer from
the Canvas or Layers list, the source media les is removed from the Media list (but not deleted
from the hard disk). You can turn o this media management feature in the General pane of
Motion Preferences. For more information, see General pane on page 114 .
Reveal source media
A fast way to nd a layer’s source media in the Motion Media list is to use the Reveal Source
Media command.
Reveal a layer’s source media in the Media list
Do one of the following:
m Control-click a layer in the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, then choose Reveal Source Media from
the shortcut menu.
m Select a layer, then choose Object > Reveal Source Media (or press Shift-F).
The Media list opens, with the source media selected. The Media Inspector also opens, displaying
the source media’s parameters.
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