Apple Motion 2 User Manual

Motion 2

User Manual

 Apple Computer, Inc.

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Preface 9 Motion 2 Documentation and Resources

Onscreen Help

Additional Resources

Chapter 1 15 Getting To Know Motion

About Motion Graphics

About the Motion Workspace

The Toolbar

The Canvas

The Project Pane

The Timing Pane

The Utility Window

10 5

The Dashboard

10 7

Preferences

12 4

Menus

Chapter 2 139 Creating and Managing Projects

13 9

Creating New Projects

15 2

Managing Projects

157

Editing Project Properties

15 8

Browsing Media Files in Motion

163

File Types Supported by Motion

174

Adding Media to Your Project

17 9

Managing Objects in Your Project

183

Deleting Objects From a Project

18 4

Exchanging Media in a Project

185

Object Media Tab Parameters

18 9

Using Media in the Library

19 4

Organizing Layers and Objects in Motion

211

Customizing and Creating New Templates

Chapter 3 217 Basic Compositing

219

Layer and Object Order

221

Object and Layer Transforms in the Canvas

243

Editing Opacity and Blending

269

Drop Shadows

Chapter 4 273 Using the Timeline

274

Getting Familiar With the Timeline

282

Working in the Timeline

293

Editing Objects in the Timeline

306

Working in the Ruler

312

Adding Markers

Chapter 5 317 Using Behaviors

320

Browsing for Behaviors

321

Applying and Removing Behaviors

329

Customizing Behaviors

331

Working With Behaviors

335

Changing the Timing of Behaviors

341

Animating Behavior Parameters

343

Saving and Sharing Custom Behaviors

344

Behavior Descriptions

392

Behavior Examples

Chapter 6 401 Keyframes and Curves

405

Animating in the Canvas

409

Animating With the Dashboard

414

Animating Using the Inspector

419

Animating in the Timeline

424

Animating in the Keyframe Editor

446

Animating On the Fly

Chapter 7 453 Using Text

454

Using Text in Motion

456

Setting Object Duration Preferences

457

Working With Text

464

About Fonts

468

Using the Text Tools

473

Editing Text in the Inspector

524

Using Text Animation and Text Sequence Behaviors

556

Using Other Behaviors With Text Objects

559

Animating Text With Keyframes

560

Using LiveFonts

Contents

Chapter 8 565 Working With Particles

567

The Anatomy of a Particle System

569

Using Particle Systems

585

Creating Graphics and Animations for Particle Systems

586

Advanced Particle System Controls

610

Animating Objects in Particle Systems

610

Using Behaviors With Particle Systems

612

Applying Filters to Particle Systems

613

Particle System Examples

619

Saving Custom Particle Effects to the Library

Chapter 9 621 Using the Replicator

623

The Anatomy of the Replicator

627

Using the Replicator

645

Advanced Replicator Controls

673

Animating Replicator Parameters

681

Using the Sequence Replicator Behavior

696

Using Behaviors With Replicators

698

Applying Filters to Replicators

699

Saving Custom Replicators to the Library

Chapter 10 701 Using Filters

701

About Filters

701

Working With Filters

702

An Introduction to Filters

709

Working With Filters

785

Tiling Filters

793

Working With Third-Party Filters

Chapter 11 795 Working With Generators

795

About Generators

Chapter 12 819 Using Shapes and Masks

820

The Difference Between Shapes and Masks

820

Shape and Mask Drawing Tools

835

Illustrating Using the Shape Tools

847

Animating Shapes

851

Masking Objects to Create Transparency

865

Applying Image Masks to an Object

869

Using Masks to Aid Keying Effects

873

Manipulating Alpha Channels Using Filters

Contents

Chapter 13 877 Working With Audio

878

Audio Files in Motion Projects

887

Working With Audio Tracks

894

Keyframing Level and Pan Changes

897

Using Soundtrack Pro With Motion

898

Exporting Audio

Chapter 14 899 Exporting Motion Projects

900

Exporting Your Project

901

Using Export Presets

905

Setting Export Options

909

Exporting With Compressor

912

Exporting an Audio File

Appendix A 913 Keyboard Shortcuts

913

General Interface Commands

915

Motion Menu

915

File Menu

916

Edit Menu

917

Mark Menu

919

Object Menu

920

View Menu

922

Window Menu

923

Help Menu

923

Audio Editor

923

Audio Tab

924

Canvas

933

Dashboard

933

File Browser

934

Inspector

934

Keyframe Editor

934

Layers

935

Library

936 Media Tab 936 Timeline 938 Keyframing Commands 939 Shape and Mask Commands 939 Toolbar

Appendix B 941 Video and File Formats

941 Supported File Formats 944 Standard Definition vs. High Definition Video Formats 948 Popular Video Codecs for File Exchange

Contents

950 What Is Field Order?

951 Using Square or Nonsquare Pixels When Creating Graphics 953 Differences in Color Between Computer and Video Graphics 953 Using Fonts and Creating Line Art for Video 953 Scaling Imported High-Resolution Graphics 954 Creating Graphics for HD Projects

Appendix C 955 Integration With Final Cut Pro

955 Using a Motion Project in Final Cut Pro 957 Using Final Cut Pro Clips and Sequences in Motion

Appendix D 961 Using Gestures

Index 973

Contents 7

Motion 2 Documentation and Resources

Motion is an exciting new motion graphics application that lets you create content for broadcast and video. Discover all the resources you can use to help you learn this versatile application.

This user manual provides a detailed description of the features in Motion and how to use them to create compelling visual projects.

In addition to this document, your software comes with the printed book, Motion Getting Started, which is an introduction to Motion’s major features, including examples and tips. It is recommended that you start by reading through Motion Getting Started to familiarize yourself with the basics of working in Motion.

Onscreen Help

The Motion Help menu allows you to access information about every aspect of the application directly onscreen while you are working in Motion, including the Motion 2 User Manual, Late-Breaking News, the Motion website, and so on.

Preface

The items in the Help menu are described below.

To access the Motion User Manual and other help:

In Motion, choose Help, then choose an item from the list.

User Manual

The Motion 2 User Manual is a comprehensive document that contains detailed information about all features in the application.

When the user manual is first opened, the Motion 2 User Manual access page appears. The Preview drawer on the side contains a list of links that allow you to locate specific information in the user manual. Click on any bookmark in the drawer to begin exploring the user manual.

Links in the body of the access page provide an additional way to locate important help and other documentation tools to assist you in learning and using Motion. Most of these links are also available directly from the Help menu:

• Late-Breaking News

• New Features

• Getting Started

• Tutorials

• Motion Support

• Motion on the Web

• Apple Training Centers

• Feedback

This link takes you directly to the Motion feedback page, where you can provide Apple with your valuable insights, suggestions, and feedback about your experience with working in Motion.

Accessing the Motion User Manual Contents

Once you have chosen Motion User Manual from the Help menu, use the following guidelines to navigate the extensive document.

To access the contents of the Motion 2 User Manual:

In Preview (the application that displays the manual), click the Drawer button on the toolbar to display the contents of the user manual.

Among the useful sections included in the Preview drawer list are the following:

• Keyboard Shortcuts

This item takes you to an appendix containing a comprehensive list of keyboard commands available in Motion. Getting familiar with these shortcuts can dramatically increase your productivity when working in Motion.

• Using Gestures

This item takes you to an appendix that explains how to use a Wacom graphics tablet and pen as an input device in Motion. “Gestures” are pen-tool shortcuts that allow you to navigate and perform various tasks without a keyboard or mouse.

• Index

This item takes you to the user manual index—a comprehensive list of controls, features, and functions within Motion. Each entry is a hyperlink that takes you directly to the page in the user manual where that feature is described. Additionally, common motion graphics tasks and terminology are listed to aid you in learning about specific tasks.

You can also type keywords into the Search field at the top of the Preview drawer to quickly find specific information in the user manual.

10 Preface Motion 2 Documentation and Resources

Because Motion is a creative tool, documentation can only go so far in describing its potential. The Motion 2 User Manual provides a detailed description of the Motion interface, features, and functionality, and introduces you to the built-in templates and resources to give you a sense of the versatility of the product. In the end, you are limited only by your own imagination. The best way to learn all that Motion has to offer is to jump in and start exploring with the documentation at your fingertips.

Late-Breaking News

The Late-Breaking News document contains information about issues with third-party hardware and software, and known bugs. It also contains information about any new features or changes to the software that occurred after the Motion 2 User Manual was completed. It is highly recommended that you review this document in order to be completely up-to-date on the functionality of the software.

New Features

This option opens a PDF version of the New Features in Motion 2 document, which briefly describes what’s new in the latest version of Motion, as well as where to find detailed information about those features in the user manual. This document is identical to the printed New Features in Motion 2 found in the Motion box.

Motion Getting Started

This option opens a PDF version of the Motion Getting Started book, which provides an overview of the application and its workflow. This is identical to the printed Motion Getting Started book found in the Motion box.

Tutorials

This option opens the PDF-format Motion 2 Tutorials. The tutorials are step-by-step lessons that walk you through the basic workflow and interface elements of Motion.

Show Welcome

This option opens the Welcome Screen in the Motion application, which offers access to web-based QuickTime tours of Motion, as well as a library of professionally designed Motion project templates.

Motion Support

This option opens your web browser and takes you directly to the Motion support page on the Apple website.

Motion on the Web

This option opens your web browser and takes you directly to the Motion product page on the Apple website.

Apple Training Centers

This option takes you to the Apple Training Centers webpage, where you can find information about Apple-authorized training centers in your area.

Preface Motion 2 Documentation and Resources 11

Create Support Profile

This option generates a special file describing the technical details about your computer such as processor speed, video card specifications, and so on. This file is used only by authorized Apple technical support technicians.

Additional Resources

For additional information about Motion, use the resources listed below.

Motion on the Web

You can visit the Motion website for general information and updates as well as the latest news on Motion.

To go to the Motion website, do one of the following:

In Motion, choose Help > Motion on the Web.

Open your Internet browser, then enter http://www.apple.com/motion.

There are a variety of forums, discussion boards, educational resources, and marketing materials pertaining to Motion on the web.

Apple Service and Support Website

You can visit the support website for software updates and answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding Motion. Additionally, you can find product specifications, reference documentation, and Apple and third-party technical articles.

To go to the Motion support web page, do one of the following:

Choose Help > Motion Support.

Open your Internet browser, then enter http://www.apple.com/support/motion.

Other Apple Websites

Apple provides a wide array of information that can enhance your experience working with Apple products such as Motion.

http://www.apple.com

Start at the Apple main home page to find the latest information about Apple products.

http://www.apple.com/quicktime

QuickTime is the Apple industry-standard technology for handling video, sound, animation, graphics, text, music, and 360-degree virtual reality (VR) scenes. QuickTime provides a high level of performance, compatibility, and quality for delivering digital video. Go to the QuickTime website for information on the types of media supported, a tour of the QuickTime interface, specifications, and more.

12 Preface Motion 2 Documentation and Resources

http://www.apple.com/creative

This website provides news, information, and other resources on seminars, events, and third-party tools used in digital video, design and print, music and audio, web publishing, and the media arts.

http://www.apple.com/education

Look here for resources, stories, and information about projects developed by users in education using Apple software, including Motion.

http://store.apple.com

Go here to buy software, hardware, and accessories direct from Apple. You can also find special promotions and deals that include third-party hardware and software products.

Preface Motion 2 Documentation and Resources 13

1 Getting To Know Motion

This chapter introduces you to the basic concepts of motion graphics and the Motion interface. It also describes how to work with all of the basic tools you need to get started.

Motion is a behavior-driven motion graphics application that can be used for a wide variety of projects, including titles, broadcast graphics, and simulations.

If you have not yet read the Motion Getting Started book, you are encouraged to explore that guide to get a quick introduction to the major functions and capabilities of Motion. It is also suggested that you take the time to work through the tutorials, to get a hands-on introduction to working in Motion.

This chapter provides an introduction to motion graphics and the Motion workspace, and how to navigate and use common tools and controls.

About Motion Graphics

Motion graphics is a type of visual effects work most commonly associated with title sequences and show openers, bumpers and interstitials, and interface design like DVD menus. It is also frequently used in technical settings for simulations of moving systems such as traffic patterns or scientific models.

Motion graphics usually incorporates multiple objects onscreen simultaneously and is typically governed by design considerations and a strong sense of visual impact. Sophisticated motion graphics artists often combine traditional layout and design techniques with tools borrowed from special effects work such as keying, masking, compositing, and particle systems to create dynamic moving designs. The tools commonly used for motion graphics fall into several categories.

Design Tools

Graphic designers have been using software to facilitate their work for many years. Motion has incorporated many of the most valuable tools commonly found in layout and design applications, including guides, alignment, and direct manipulation for positioning, transforming, and distorting objects. It also contains some of the most flexible and sophisticated tools for creating and handling text elements. This is especially important because text is such a critical component of motion graphics design.

Timing Tools

The principal difference between traditional design and motion graphics is that motion graphics is time based. This means that you are concerned with creating a wellcomposed and readable layout, and you must also manipulate that layout over the duration of the show. Motion provides a Timeline that contains tools usually found in a video editing application (such as trimming, markers, slipping, and snapping) to allow you to hone and compose the temporal aspects of your project.

Motion also supports audio files, including basic audio mixing, so you can create a soundtrack for your project and make timing decisions based upon the audio as well as visual components. Furthermore, you can animate objects, filters, behaviors, and other elements to create elegant and precise compositions.

Compositing

Any time you have more than one object onscreen simultaneously, you must employ some version of compositing to combine the elements. This might mean moving the objects onscreen so they don’t overlap, adjusting the objects’ opacities so they are partly visible, or incorporating blend modes that mix the overlapping images in a variety of ways. Compositing is fundamental to motion graphics work. Fortunately, Motion makes it easier than ever before, allowing you to control layer and object order, group and lock objects, and apply more than 25 different blending options to create unique effects.

Special Effects Tools

You can further enhance your motion graphics projects by employing many of the same tools used in movies to combine dinosaurs with live actors, sink luxury liners in the ocean, or create space battles. Motion provides many of these tools such as keying (isolating an object shot against a solid colored background), masking (to hide wires or other objects that should not be seen in the final image), and particle systems (to simulate natural phenomena such as smoke, fire, and water). In fact, Motion can be used to create special effects shots like these, but its real power is in integrating these tools with the design and editing tools described above.

16 Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion

Unique Tools

As the field of motion graphics design has evolved, the tool sets in the most common applications have grown, but Motion takes a completely fresh approach to the task. It incorporates the cutting edge of software design and takes advantage of the latest powerful Apple hardware. And while it does include the tools and techniques artists have grown accustomed to, it also incorporates a streamlined, mode-less interface and a new set of tools called behaviors that make previously complex (or near-impossible) procedures as simple as drag and drop. A tool called the replicator creates a customizable pattern from copies of an object, quickly creating complex design effects that would take hours to build in other applications.

Behaviors

The Motion behaviors simplify the most common tasks such as scaling, fading, and moving objects. They also allow you to create complex interactions between objects with behaviors such as Edge Collision (making objects bounce off of one another) or Attractor (which gives one object a gravitational pull on surrounding objects). And because text is such a critical element of motion graphics work, Motion includes several behaviors specifically designed for text elements that treat individual letters uniquely while simultaneously affecting the entire object as a whole.

The Dashboard

One of the things that can bog down an otherwise fluid motion graphics experience is having to stop and hunt for the location of a particular setting. Motion uses a special floating window called the Dashboard to provide at-your-fingertips access to your most frequently used parameters. The Dashboard changes dynamically, depending on what is selected. The Dashboard also provides access to unique visual controls for some of the behaviors.

The Dashboard also allows you to quickly add Parameter behaviors to the parameters of the selected object. To add a Parameter behavior, Control-click a parameter in the Dashboard, then choose a Parameter behavior from the shortcut menu. For more information about Parameter behaviors, see “ page 326.

Real-Time Feedback

Finally, one of the strengths of Motion is that with the right hardware configuration, nearly every effect and adjustment you make can be viewed in real time. This means that you can watch how the various elements of your composition interact as you adjust them. Not only does this mean less waiting time while the computer converts your various clicks and drags into a watchable movie, it means that you can interact with your creation in a more fluid and engaging way. Rather than making a set of assumptions and then waiting to see how they turn out, you can now see how your ideas work immediately, and make adjustments on the fly.

Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion 17

Applying Parameter Behaviors” on

This turns the act of designing a motion graphics sequence into an act of exploration and discovery, which is the way most artists prefer to create. Motion provides not just a new set of brushes for the motion graphics artist, but a whole new type of work environment.

Keyboard Shortcuts

If you have a three-button mouse connected to your computer, you can right-click to access the same controls specified by the Control-click commands in the user documentation. If you are working on a PowerBook G4, keep in mind that some keyboard shortcuts require you to use the Function key (fn–next to the Control key) in conjunction with the keys specified in the user documentation. For more information about keyboard shortcuts in Motion, see Appendix A, “Keyboard Shortcuts.”

About the Motion Workspace

When you open Motion, the workspace fills your entire monitor, but the interface is actually made up of several independent windows. The sizes and arrangements of these windows are flexible to allow for the varying needs of different projects. There are additional panes and windows that can be displayed along with the default set.

Utility window Canvas

18 Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion

The Utility Window

When you open Motion, the Utility window appears on the left side of the screen and contains the File Browser from which you can add files to your project. The Utility window also has tabs to display the Library, which contains all of the effects, templates, and other goodies that come with Motion, and the Inspector, where you can manipulate individual settings for those effects.

File Browser Library Inspector

The Canvas

The majority of your screen is occupied by your main work area, the Canvas. This is similar to the document window in many other applications. It is here that you arrange and lay out the objects that comprise your composite. Adding objects and effects to your project is as simple as dragging them from the Utility window to the Canvas.

Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion 19

When you want to watch your project play back, the transport controls at the bottom of the window allow you to play at regular speed or frame by frame. The mini-Timeline lies just above the transport controls and below the main body of the window. This control provides a view of where selected objects in the Canvas begin and end in time.

Mini-Timeline

The Canvas also contains two additional panes that are hidden in the default view.

The Project Pane

The Project pane contains three tabs, each of which provides access to different aspects of your project. The Layers tab displays the hierarchy of layers and objects in your project. The Media tab shows all the files imported into your project whether or not they appear in the Canvas. The Audio tab provides access to, and control of, any audio objects in your project. All of these tabs are covered in more detail later in the chapter.

20 Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion

Transport controls

The Timing Pane

The Timing pane also has three tabs, each to control a different aspect of your project. The Timeline is a broad overview of all the objects and effects and how they are laid out over time. The Keyframe Editor displays the animation graphs for parameters and effects, and the Audio Editor provides access to the level and pan controls for the audio components of your project.

Project pane

Timing pane

All of these tabs are covered in more detail later in this chapter and throughout the manual.

Window Arrangements

Different workflows require different sets of windows to be visible and in different sizes. For example, when designing a layout for your composition, the bigger the Canvas, the better. However, when tweaking or finessing an animated effect, you may want more room dedicated to the Timing pane and the Inspector. Fortunately, Motion allows you to switch between different layouts quickly and even save your own custom layouts.

Preset Layouts

Motion provides three preset window arrangements, called layouts. These layouts distribute the application’s windows in varying ways to accommodate different workflows.

To choose a preset window layout:

Choose Window > Layouts, then choose a layout from the submenu.

Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion 21

Standard layout: This layout displays the Utility window on the left and the Canvas on

the right.

Alternate layout: This layout displays two Utility windows on the left, the top one containing the Inspector and the bottom one containing the File Browser and Library. The Canvas fills the remainder of the screen to the right.

Cinema layout: The Cinema layout also displays two Utility windows. The left side contains the File Browser and Library and the right contains the Inspector. The Canvas is in the middle with both the Project pane and the Timing pane displayed. This layout is only available if you are using an Apple Cinema Display.

22 Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion

Basic Window Controls

In addition to choosing from the preset arrangements, you can manually arrange your windows, resize them, or minimize them to the Dock.

To move a window:

Drag a window by the title bar to the new location.

To resize a window:

Drag the resize control in the lower-right corner of the window to resize it to the desired size.

To simultaneously resize adjacent windows:

Drag the boundary between the two windows (the black line along the edge of the window). The pointer changes its shape over the boundary, indicating you can drag from there.

Drag the thin black line between two windows to resize them at the same time.

To minimize a window to the Dock:

Click the minimize button in the title bar. You can also double-click the title bar of the Canvas to minimize it to the Dock.

Note: The Utility window cannot be minimized.

To close a window, do one of the following:

Click the close button.

Press Command+W in an active window.

Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion 23

Tabs

Motion uses tabbed windows to provide convenient access to multiple windows at once. You can switch between windows simply by clicking the appropriate tab. In addition, you can drag any tab out of its docked position to show the tabbed window in its own separate window. You can also drag a tab into another window. This lets you view multiple tabbed windows from the same group at one time. For example, you can drag the Inspector tab to a new location so that you can view the Library and the Inspector windows simultaneously.

To detach a tab:

Drag the tab out of its docked position to any new location. When you release the mouse button, the tab becomes its own window, and you can

use all standard window controls, such as closing, minimizing, and resizing.

To reattach a tab:

Drag the tab at the top of the window back to its original location. For example, drag the Inspector tab back to its original group of tabs, and release the mouse button.

The tab is reattached.

To show or hide a tab:

In the Window menu, choose the name of the tab you want to show or hide. For example, choose Window > Timeline to show or hide the Timeline tab. You can also choose Keyframe Editor or Audio Editor to show or hide those tabs.

If the tab is detached from the Timeline area, click the close button. This closes the window, and it does not reappear as a tab. To display the window again, use the Window menu, and choose the appropriate command to show the window you want.

To reorder tabs:

Drag a tab left or right in the tab area to reorder the tabs.

Swapping the Project Pane and Canvas

Similar to changing tab order, you can also change whether the Project pane appears to the left of the Canvas (default), or to the right. This can be especially useful when working with multiple monitors. For example, if the Canvas occupies the entire left monitor and your Utility windows are on the right monitor, moving the Project pane to the right side of the Canvas would make it closer to the Utility windows.

To move the project pane to the opposite side of the Canvas:

Choose Window > Layouts > Swap Project Pane and Canvas.

24 Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion

Saving Custom Layouts

Once you have the windows arranged to your liking, you can save your screen layout with a relevant title so you can switch back to it later. This makes it easy to set up layouts that help you perform certain tasks. For example, you might set up one layout that is good for editing curves, while another layout has an expanded Timeline for editing keyframes. You can switch between layouts in the Layouts submenu, and you can delete and duplicate layouts in the Manage Layouts window.

When you save a layout, you save the following items:

• Window positions (size and location)

• Column orders (in the Project pane)

• Project pane position (left or right)

Note: Tab order, Timeline display options, and Canvas display options are not saved in the custom layout.

To save a layout:

1 Organize the windows on your screen the way you want. 2 Choose Window > Save Current Layout.

The Create Window Layout dialog appears.

3 Type the name you want to use to save the layout, then click Save.

The layout is saved and now appears in the Layouts submenu.

The new layout appears in the bottom section of the submenu.

Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion 25

You can also create a new custom layout (based on the current state) by clicking the Add (+) button in the Manage Layouts dialog.

To switch to a saved custom layout:

Choose Windows > Layouts, then choose the custom layout from the submenu.

To delete a saved layout:

1 Choose Window > Manage Layouts.

The Manage Layouts dialog opens.

2 Select the layout you want to delete. 3 Click the Delete (–) button to remove the item from the list. 4 Click the Done button.

To duplicate a layout:

1 Choose Window > Manage Layouts.

The Manage Layouts dialog opens.

2 Select the layout you want to duplicate. 3 Click the Duplicate button.

A duplicate of the layout is added to the list. The word “copy” is appended to the name.

4 Click the Done button.

To rename a layout in the list:

1 Choose Window > Manage Layouts.

The Manage Layouts dialog opens.

2 Double-click the layout you want to rename in the list.

The name changes to a value field.

3 Type the new name in the value field. 4 Click the Done button.

26 Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion

Full Screen Mode

Motion has an option to cover your entire monitor with the Canvas. This is helpful for watching playback of your project without the distraction of the software interface. In this mode, all of the tools and controls that affect the Canvas remain active, though you have to rely on keyboard shortcuts and shortcut menus (Control-click) to change from one tool or control to another. You can access the menu bar by positioning your pointer at the top of the screen where the menu normally is.

To switch into Full Screen mode, do one of the following:

Choose View > Full Screen Mode.

Press F8.

To return to normal view, do one of the following:

Choose View > Full Screen Mode again.

Press F8 again.

The Toolbar

Motion’s Toolbar is located at the top of the Canvas. The default set of controls provides access to all of the tools you need for manipulating objects in the Canvas and elsewhere in the application. There are tools that create new text and shape objects as well as particle systems and masks. There are also icons to apply filters and behaviors. Finally, there are icons to show and hide the various windows and panes of the Motion interface such as the Timeline, Dashboard, and others.

Tool Groups

Tools are grouped in different ways. Several tools have multiple modes or options, such as Shape tools which can be either a rectangle or a circle. The Circle tool is hidden until you click and hold the Rectangle tool. Tools with additional states are indicated with a tiny downward arrow on the lower-right corner of the tool.

Arrow indicates hidden tool states.

Chapter 1 Getting To Know Motion 27

Tools are also grouped into categories of use. The first set of tools is called the View set because they deal with changing the view and manipulation method in the Canvas. The second category is called Create, and contains tools that add new content to the project such as text and shapes. The Mask category contains tools that add a mask to an existing object.

Controls can also be grouped through the use of separators. For example, Interface icons appear on the right side of the Toolbar. These hide and show the various panes, tabs, and windows that comprise the Motion interface. They are grouped through the use of a separator bar.

The following table itemizes each of the tools in the default tool set broken up into groups. The first group is the View set. The first eight tools are all hidden under the first button. Once any tool in that set is selected, you can switch between the tools by pressing the Tab key. Press Shift+Tab to cycle through the tools in the reverse order.

Button Tool name Keyboard shortcut Description

Select/ Transform Tool (arrow)

Adjust Anchor Point Tool

Adjust Shear Too l

Adjust Drop Shadow Tool

S (Ta b cycles through tools.)

The default tool is the Select/Transform tool. This tool selects and moves objects in the Canvas. You can scale objects by dragging their corner points or rotate an object by dragging its center point.

Changes the point around which an object scales or rotates. To use it, drag the current anchor point to a new position.

Distorts an object by moving two adjacent corners at the same time, leaving the other two corners locked into place.

Changes the direction and offset of an object’s drop shadow. This tool never moves the object itself.

Adjust Four Corner Tool

Adjust Crop Too l

Adjust Control Points Tool

Adjust Item Too l

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S (Ta b cycles

through tools.)

S (Ta b cycles through tools.)

Allows you to distort an object by moving one of the corner points, leaving the other three corners locked into place. The image is stretched and distorted to fit the shape you create.

Allows you to hide portions of an image by dragging the edge or corner of the object.

Allows you to modify points and Bezier handles for masks, shapes, and motion paths.

Allows you to modify special controls such as the center point of a Circle Blur, or the shape of a particle emitter or replicator, or the start and end points of a gradient.

Button Tool name Keyboard shortcut Description

Pan Tool H Allows you to drag your view of the Canvas in

different directions. The Pan tool never moves individual objects.

To reset the pan, double-click the Pan tool. To pan the Canvas without selecting the Pan tool,

press the Space bar and drag in the Canvas.

Zoom Tool Z Allows you to zoom in and out on the Canvas. Click

the point in the Canvas that you want to zoom around and drag to the left to zoom in on that point or drag right to zoom out around that spot.

To reset the zoom, double-click the Zoom tool. To zoom into a specific area of the Canvas, press

Command+Space bar and drag an area of the Canvas. While still pressing the keys, click to zoom in to the Canvas in 50 percent increments of the current zoom level. Press Command+Option+Space bar and click in the Canvas to zoom out in 50 percent increments.

The second group of tools is the Create set. These are tools that generate new objects. You can modify the attributes for the newly created objects in the Inspector.

Button Tool name Keyboard shortcut Description

Rectangle Tool R Creates a new rectangular-shape object in the Canvas.

Click at the position where you want one corner to appear and drag to the position of the opposite corner. Pressing Shift while you drag constrains the object to a square.

Circle Tool C Creates a new circle-shape object in the Canvas. Click

at the position where one edge of the circle should begin and drag toward the opposite edge. Pressing Shift while you drag constrains the shape to a circle.

Bezier Tool B

Toggles Bezier/ B-Spline

Creates a new freeform shape with Bezier point vertices. To create a shape, click repeatedly in the Canvas to add points to your shape. To close the shape, click the first point of the shape or press C. To create an open-ended shape, double-click the last point.

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Button Tool name Keyboard shortcut Description

B-Spline Tool B

Toggles Bezier/ B-Spline

Tex t Tool T Creates new text objects and lets you edit the text of

Creates a new freeform shape with B-Spline vertices. To create a shape, click repeatedly in the Canvas to add points to your shape. To close the shape, click the first point of the shape or press C. To create an openended shape, double-click the last point.

existing text objects. To create a text object, click the tool in the Canvas at the position where you want the text to appear, then begin typing. Choose the Select/ Transform tool (or press Esc) to grab or move the new text object. To change the text of an existing text object, select the Text tool, then click the text. The text becomes editable.

The third set, the Mask tools, can only be accessed when another object is selected. Using a Mask tool creates a new mask that hides portions of the selected object. The area inside the mask remains visible. Masks have their own set of controls available in the Inspector.

Icon Tool Name Keyboard Shortcut Description

Rectangle Mask Tool

Circle Mask Too l

Bezier Mask Too l

B-Spline Mask Too l

Option+R Creates a new rectangular mask in the Canvas. Click at

the position where you want one corner to appear and drag to the position of the opposite corner. Pressing Shift while you drag constrains the mask to a square.

Option+C Creates a new circular mask in the Canvas. Click at the

position where one edge of the mask should begin and drag toward the opposite edge. Pressing the Shift key while dragging constrains the mask to a circle.

Option+B

Toggles Bezier/BSpline Mask Tools

Option+B

Toggles Bezier/ B-Spline Mask Tools

Creates a new freeform mask with Bezier point vertices. To create a mask, click repeatedly in the Canvas to add points to your mask. To close the mask, click the first point of the mask or press C. To create an open-ended mask, double-click the last point.

Creates a new freeform mask with B-Spline vertices. To create a mask, click repeatedly in the Canvas to add points to your mask. To close the mask, click the first point of the shape or press C. To create an openended shape, double-click the last point.

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