4

Like all other objects in Motion, generators can be moved, rotated, duplicated, copied
and pasted, and animated. Generators can be reordered in the Layers tab and set to
different blend modes. Also, as with other objects, you can apply behaviors to generators
and apply Parameter behaviors to the parameters of a generator. You can also apply
filters to generators, or use a generator as the source for a particle cell.
The following sections discuss the different types of generators, adding a generator to a
project, modifying and animating a generator, and saving a modified generator to the
Library. Applying a Parameter behavior to a generator is also discussed. All generators
are modified, animated, and saved in the same manner. The best way to see what
generators can do is to simply experiment with their various parameters.
For an example of editing and animating a generator, see Editing Generators.
For an example of applying a behavior to a generator, see Applying Behaviors to
Generators.
Note: Performance may slow drastically when using generators in projects with large
resolutions and with better render-quality settings.
Generator Types
There are two groups of generators in the Library: Generators and Text Generators. The
Generator group creates images that are animated by default, such as the Clouds
generator, as well as images that are static, such as the Checkerboard. All generators
create images on the fly, but an animated generator creates a moving pattern by default.
Although a static generator is not animated by default, you can keyframe its parameters
to create an animated pattern. All of the Text Generators are animated. You can use any
generator as is or modify its settings to create different effects.
Note: All generators contain Opacity and Blend Mode controls in the HUD. As with all
objects in Motion, the Opacity and Blend Mode parameters for any generator can also
be modified in the Properties tab of the Inspector.
Although the sliders in the Inspector are usually limited to a specific range, you can often
manually enter values outside of that range in the value sliders (to the right of the sliders).
Adding a Generator
This section provides a quick introduction to adding a generator to a project. For a
description of each generator, see Generator Parameters.
To add a generator to a project
1 In the Library, click the Generators category.
2 In the stack, click a generator.
902 Chapter 15 Working with Generators