5.5

235Motion User Guide
Replace an existing layer with a new layer
To replace an existing layer with a new layer in the Timeline, use the Overwrite command.
If the new layer is shorter than the one currently in the group, the Overwrite option splits
the duration of the existing layer and deletes only the frames where the new layer appears.
1. In Motion, do one of the following:
• In the toolbar, click Import, then drag a media file from the dialog that appears onto
a bar in the Timeline track area.
• Drag a media item from the Library or Media list onto a bar in the Timeline track area.
As you drag, a tooltip appears at the pointer, indicating the current frame number.
2. Drag to the frame where you want the new layer to start, holding down the mouse
button until the drop menu appears.
3. Choose Overwrite from the drop menu.
The frames of the new layer replace the frames of the original layer. If the original layer
contained more frames than the new one, the old layer is split into two layers and the
additional frames remain.
Replace an existing layer with a layer of the same duration
To replace an existing layer with a layer of the same duration, use the Exchange command.
The Exchange command is a variant of the Overwrite option, but instead of dropping the
entire duration of the new layer into the project, the duration of the existing layer is used.
For example, if you drag a 30-second clip over a 5-second clip, choosing Exchange swaps
the existing 5 seconds with the first 5 seconds of the longer clip. If you exchange a longer
clip with a shorter one—for example, swapping a 10-second clip with one that lasts only 5
seconds—the first 5 seconds are replaced, and the final 5 seconds of the original remain.
The exchange edit transfers any filters, behaviors, and keyframes from the original layer
onto the new layer.