3
Table Of Contents
- Motion User Manual
- Contents
- Motion 3 Documentation and Resources
- Getting to Know Motion
- Creating and Managing Projects
- Creating New Projects
- Managing Projects
- Editing Project Properties
- Browsing Media Files in Motion
- File Types Supported by Motion
- Adding Media to Your Project
- Managing Layers in Your Project
- Deleting Objects from a Project
- Exchanging Media in a Project
- Object Media Tab Parameters
- Using Media in the Library
- Behaviors and Filters
- Third-Party Filters
- Image Units (Filters)
- Generators
- Image Units (Generators)
- Particle Emitters
- Replicators
- Shapes
- Gradients
- Fonts and LiveFonts
- Text Styles
- Shape Styles
- Music and Photos
- Content
- Favorites and the Favorites Menu
- Adding Your Own Content to the Library
- Using Custom Objects from the Library
- When Library Media Becomes Unavailable
- Organizing Groups and Layers in Motion
- Background of Your Project
- Selecting Layers and Groups in the Layers Tab
- Reorganizing in the Layers Tab
- Nesting Groups Inside Other Groups
- Grouping and Ungrouping Layers
- Showing and Hiding Groups and Layers
- Fixing the Size of a Group
- Locking Groups and Layers
- Collapsing and Uncollapsing Group Hierarchies
- Renaming Groups
- Searching for Groups and Layers
- Sorting Objects in the Media Tab
- Customizing and Creating New Templates
- Basic Compositing
- Using the Timeline
- Using Behaviors
- Behaviors Versus Keyframes
- Browsing for Behaviors
- Applying and Removing Behaviors
- Modifying Behaviors
- Working with Behaviors
- Changing the Timing of Behaviors
- Animating Behavior Parameters
- Saving and Sharing Custom Behaviors
- Behavior Descriptions
- Basic Motion Behaviors
- Examples of Using Basic Motion Behaviors
- Parameter Behaviors
- Examples of Using Parameter Behaviors
- Audio, Camera, Motion Tracking, Particles, Replicator, Shape, and Text Behaviors
- Retiming Behaviors
- Retiming Behaviors Versus Timing Controls in the Inspector
- Simulation Behaviors
- Examples of Using Simulation Behaviors
- Behavior Examples
- Keyframes and Curves
- Using Text
- Using Text in Motion
- Using Text as Particle and Replicator Source Objects
- Setting Layer Duration Preferences
- Working with Text
- About Fonts
- Using the Text Tools
- Editing Text in the Inspector
- Using Text Animation and Text Sequence Behaviors
- Using Other Behaviors With Text
- Using Behaviors to Animate Text in 3D
- Animating Text with Keyframes
- Using LiveFonts
- Using Text in Motion
- Working with Particles
- Using the Replicator
- The Difference Between a Replicator and a Particle System
- Anatomy of a Replicator
- Using the Replicator
- Using Replicators in 3D
- Applying Masks to the Replicator
- Advanced Replicator Controls
- Animating Replicator Parameters
- Using the Sequence Replicator Behavior
- Using Behaviors with Replicators
- Applying Filters to Replicators
- Saving Custom Replicators to the Library
- Using Filters
- About Filters
- Working with Filters
- An Introduction to Filters
- Working with Filters
- Enabling, Renaming, and Locking Filters
- Copying, Pasting, and Moving Filters
- Reordering Filters
- Changing Filter Timing
- About Rasterization
- Blur Filters
- Blur Filters Without the Mix Parameter
- Border Filters
- Color Correction Filters
- Distortion Filters
- Glow Filters
- Keying Filters
- Matte Filters
- Sharpen Filters
- Stylize Filters
- Tiling Filters
- Working with Third-Party Filters
- Working with Generators
- Using Shapes and Masks
- The Difference Between Shapes, Paint Strokes, and Masks
- Shape and Mask Drawing Tools
- Creating and Editing Shapes
- Illustrating Using the Shape Tools
- Shape Parameters in the Inspector
- Animating Shapes
- Saving Shapes and Shape Styles
- Masking Layers to Create Transparency
- Applying Image Masks to a Layer
- Using Masks to Aid Keying Effects
- Manipulating Alpha Channels Using Filters
- Working with Audio
- Exporting Motion Projects
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- 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 Graphics
- Creating Graphics for HD Projects
- Working with FinalCutPro
- Using Motion with FinalCutPro
- Using Motion Templates in FinalCutPro
- Using Gestures
- Using Motion and After Effects
- Index
212 Chapter 2 Creating and Managing Projects
Important: Multi-layered PDF files are not currently supported. To import a multi-
layered 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. An alpha channel is a grayscale channel where white represents areas
of 100 percent opacity (solid), gray regions represent partially opaque areas, and
black represents 0 percent opacity (transparent).
When you import a QuickTime movie or an image file into your project, its alpha
channel is immediately recognized by Motion. The alpha channel is then used to
composite that object against any other objects that are behind it.
There are two different ways of embedding alpha channel information into files, and
Motion attempts to automatically determine which type of alpha channel a particular
object uses:
 Straight: Straight alpha channels are kept completely separate from the red, green,
and blue channels of an image. Media files using straight alpha channels appear
perfectly fine when used in a composition, but they may look odd when viewed in
another application. Translucent effects such as volumetric lighting, or lens flares in
a computer generated image, may appear distorted until the clip is used in a
composition.
 Premultiplied: 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. Most commonly, premultiplied alpha channels
are multiplied against black or white, but Motion can also resolve alpha channels
that have been premultiplied against other colors.
The only time it really matters which kind of alpha channel an object has is when
Motion doesn’t correctly determine it. If an object’s alpha channel has been set to
Straight in the Media tab when it’s really premultiplied, it may appear fringed with
the premultiplied color around its edges. If this happens, you can select the
problematic clip in the Media tab of the Project pane, and change its Alpha Type
parameter in the Media tab of the Inspector.