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280 Chapter 3 Basic Compositing
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.
To modify parameter values in the Properties tab of the Inspector, do one of the
following:
m Select a parameter value field, type a new number, then press Return.
m If the parameter has a graphical control, such as a slider or dial, adjust the control.
m To reset a parameter to its default state, either click its reset button, or choose Reset
Parameter from the parameter’s Animation menu.
For more information on how to use the parameter controls, see “Types of Controls” on
page 125.
Parameters in the Properties Tab
The Properties tab displays the following parameters for most objects and groups:
Position: Defines the X (horizontal), Y (vertical), and Z (depth) position of each object.
The coordinate system used by Motion specifies the center of the Canvas as 0, 0, 0
regardless of the frame size of the project. Moving an object to the left subtracts from
the X value, while moving to the right adds to the X value. Moving an object up adds
to the Y value, and moving an object down subtracts from the Y value. Moving an
object closer adds to the Z value, while moving further away subtracts from the Z
value.
Note: This is identical to the coordinate system used by Final Cut Pro and Final Cut
Express HD, but different from that used by Shake, in which 0,0 defines the upper-left
corner of the compositional area.
Canvas center point
(0, 0)
-360 pixels +360 pixels
+240 pixels
-240 pixels