Instruction Manual

Chapter 2 Introduction to the Motion interface 57
Display pixel color in the status bar
Some motion graphics projects require you to match or align colors in your project. The status
bar can provide visual and numeric information about the color of the pixel under the pointer, as
well as the value of the alpha channel. No clicking is necessary—as you move the pointer over
the Canvas, the status bar updates.
1 In the Appearance pane of Motion Preferences, select the Color checkbox.
2 Choose a color format from the Display Color As pop-up menu:
•
RGB: The red, green, blue, and alpha components of the color are represented in values from
0–1. Super-white values can exceed the 0–1 value range.
•
RGB (percent): The red, green, blue, and alpha components of the color are represented in
values from 1–100.
•
HSV: The hue is represented in values from 1–360, and the saturation and value (luminance)
are represented in values from 1–100.
3 Move the pointer over the Canvas.
The color information displayed in the status bar updates as you move the pointer.
Display the current pointer position in the status bar
For precise placement of objects in the Canvas, it can be helpful to know the exact pixel position
of the pointer. The status bar can display this information in an X and Y coordinate system
(Cartesian). The center point of the Canvas is 0, 0.
m In the Appearance pane of Motion Preferences, select the Coordinates checkbox.
When you move the pointer in the Canvas, the coordinate information updates in the status bar.
Monitor the project’s playback frame rate
Part of the way Motion plays back a project in real time is by lowering the frame rate when a
sequence is too complex to render at full speed. You can monitor the current frame rate—in
frames per second (fps)—in the status bar.
Note: The frame rate appears in the status bar the only while a project is playing.
m In the Appearance pane of Motion Preferences, select the “Frame rate (only during playback)”
checkbox.
When you play the project, the frame rate appears in the upper-left corner of the status bar.
Canvas view options
The pop-up menus to the right of the status bar provide access to the Canvas view settings—
zoom level, channels, render settings, view and overlay options, and 3D view layouts.
Zoom level
Channels
Render
View Layouts
View and Overlay
Zoom Level pop-up menu
The Zoom Level pop-up menu oers several default zoom levels. Zooming the Canvas changes
the current view of the window, not the size of the images in your project. You can set the view
to percentages of 12, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1600, or to Fit In Window. For more information,
see Zoom the Canvas on page 62.
67% resize factor