5.5

Table Of Contents
633Motion User Guide
Create a smooth (Bezier) point: Control-click a point on the text path, then choose
Smooth from the shortcut menu.
When Path Type is set to B-Spline (in the Path Options group of controls in the Layout
pane), the Very Smooth option becomes available in the shortcut menu.
Lock a point: Control-click a point on the text path, then choose Lock Point from the
shortcut menu.
A locked point cannot be edited.
Unlock a point: Control-click a point on the text path, then choose Unlock Point from
the shortcut menu.
Text paths are modified in the same way as shape control points. For complete
information, see Intro to shapes, masks, and paint strokes in Motion.
Note: Clicking any path control point and holding down the mouse button displays the
point number (based on the order the points are drawn on the path) and X, Y, and Z
coordinates in the status bar (above the canvas). Path control points are also listed by
number in the Path Options group of controls in the Layout pane of the Text Inspector.
Modify a text path in 3D space in Motion
You can manipulate a spline text path to make text extend through 3D space.
Adjust a text path in 3D space
1. If there’s no camera in your Motion project, add a camera by doing one of the following:
In the toolbar, click Add Object, then choose Camera from the pop-up menu.
Choose Object > New Camera (or press Option-Command-C).
Note: If none of your project groups is set to 3D, a dialog appears asking you if you
want to switch your 2D groups to 3D groups. Click Switch to 3D to allow the camera
to affect the groups.
2. To see your text path from above, change the default camera view to Top by doing one
of the following:
Click Active Camera in the upper-left corner of the canvas, then choose Top from the
pop-up menu.
Choose View > 3D View > Top.
The text is no longer visible because the camera is now looking down perpendicularly
(along the Y axis) at the text on a path. The text path and its points are still visible.
(The yellow wireframe camera icon in the canvas represents the scene camera you
added in step 1.)
If the text path is not visible, you may need to zoom out of the canvas.