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Chapter 2 Creating and Managing Projects 231
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. The one exception
is the Particle Images subcategory, which comprises particle cell sources used to
generate the particle emitter presets included with Motion.
By default, the content files that ship with Motion are stored in the /Library/
Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion folder when you install Motion. During
installation, you can select an alternate location to install the Motion content. Custom
Motion-generated objects that you place into the Library are saved in the /Users/
username/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion/Library/Content folder.
Note: Dragging a media object into the Content category leaves its corresponding file
on disk in its original location. For this reason, it’s recommended you centralize all
media you plan on importing into the Library for future use into a dedicated and
predictable location on disk, to prevent accidentally moving, renaming, or deleting
those files.
Favorites and the Favorites Menu
It’s easy to customize the behaviors, filters, particle systems, gradients, and generators
used in Motion to create your own effects. These customized objects are saved into
their corresponding categories. The Favorites category provides a place to put
objects—built-in or custom-made—that you frequently use. You can also place
frequently used media files into the Favorites, such as PDF or TIFF files. Objects you put
in the Favorites category are available to every project you create in Motion.
Objects you place in the Favorites Menu folder appear in the Favorites menu, for even
faster access. When you choose an item from the Favorites menu, that item is placed
into the currently selected layer, positioned at the center of the Canvas. Objects you
put in the Favorites Menu are available to every project in Motion.
Objects that are dragged into the Favorites and Favorites Menu categories are saved
into the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion/Library/
Favorites and /Favorites Menu directories, respectively.
Note: Objects placed into subcategories that correspond to a folder in the /Library/
Application Support/Final Cut Studio/Motion/Favorites folder are shared among all user
accounts on that computer.