Motion User Guide
- Welcome
- What’s new
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- Intro to basic compositing
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- Intro to transforming layers
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- Intro to transforming layers in the canvas
- Transform layer properties in the canvas
- Transform tools
- Change layer position, scale, or rotation
- Move a layer’s anchor point
- Add a drop shadow to a layer
- Distort or shear a layer
- Crop a layer
- Modify shape or mask points
- Transform text glyphs and other object attributes
- Align layers in the canvas
- Transform layers in the HUD
- Transform 2D layers in 3D space
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- Intro to behaviors
- Behaviors versus keyframes
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- Intro to behavior types
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- Intro to Parameter behaviors
- Audio behavior
- Average behavior
- Clamp behavior
- Custom behavior
- Add a Custom behavior
- Exponential behavior
- Link behavior
- Logarithmic behavior
- MIDI behavior
- Add a MIDI behavior
- Negate behavior
- Oscillate behavior
- Create a decaying oscillation
- Overshoot behavior
- Quantize behavior
- Ramp behavior
- Randomize behavior
- Rate behavior
- Reverse behavior
- Stop behavior
- Track behavior
- Wriggle behavior
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- Intro to Simulation behaviors
- Align to Motion behavior
- Attracted To behavior
- Attractor behavior
- Drag behavior
- Drift Attracted To behavior
- Drift Attractor behavior
- Edge Collision behavior
- Gravity behavior
- Orbit Around behavior
- Random Motion behavior
- Repel behavior
- Repel From behavior
- Rotational Drag behavior
- Spring behavior
- Vortex behavior
- Wind behavior
- Additional behaviors
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- Intro to using generators
- Add a generator
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- Intro to image generators
- Caustics generator
- Cellular generator
- Checkerboard generator
- Clouds generator
- Color Solid generator
- Concentric Polka Dots generator
- Concentric Shapes generator
- Gradient generator
- Grid generator
- Japanese Pattern generator
- Lens Flare generator
- Manga Lines generator
- Membrane generator
- Noise generator
- One Color Ray generator
- Op Art 1 generator
- Op Art 2 generator
- Op Art 3 generator
- Overlapping Circles generator
- Radial Bars generator
- Soft Gradient generator
- Spirals generator
- Spiral Drawing generator
- Use Spiral Drawing onscreen controls
- Star generator
- Stripes generator
- Sunburst generator
- Truchet Tiles generator
- Two Color Ray generator
- Save a modified generator
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- Intro to filters
- Browse and preview filters
- Apply or remove filters
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- Intro to filter types
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- Intro to Color filters
- Brightness filter
- Channel Mixer filter
- Color Adjustments filter
- Color Balance filter
- Example: Color-balance two layers
- Color Curves filter
- Use the Color Curves filter
- Color Reduce filter
- Color Wheels filter
- Use the Color Wheels filter
- Colorize filter
- Contrast filter
- Custom LUT filter
- Use the Custom LUT filter
- Gamma filter
- Gradient Colorize filter
- HDR Tools filter
- Hue/Saturation filter
- Hue/Saturation Curves filter
- Use the Hue/Saturation Curves filter
- Levels filter
- Negative filter
- OpenEXR Tone Map filter
- Sepia filter
- Threshold filter
- Tint filter
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- Intro to Distortion filters
- Black Hole filter
- Bulge filter
- Bump Map filter
- Disc Warp filter
- Droplet filter
- Earthquake filter
- Fisheye filter
- Flop filter
- Fun House filter
- Glass Block filter
- Glass Distortion
- Insect Eye filter
- Mirror filter
- Page Curl filter
- Poke filter
- Polar filter
- Refraction filter
- Ring Lens filter
- Ripple filter
- Scrape filter
- Sliced Scale filter
- Use the Sliced Scale filter
- Sphere filter
- Starburst filter
- Stripes filter
- Target filter
- Tiny Planet filter
- Twirl filter
- Underwater filter
- Wave filter
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- Intro to Stylize filters
- Add Noise filter
- Bad Film filter
- Bad TV filter
- Circle Screen filter
- Circles filter
- Color Emboss filter
- Comic filter
- Crystallize filter
- Edges filter
- Extrude filter
- Fill filter
- Halftone filter
- Hatched Screen filter
- Highpass filter
- Indent filter
- Line Art filter
- Line Screen filter
- MinMax filter
- Noise Dissolve filter
- Pixellate filter
- Posterize filter
- Relief filter
- Slit Scan filter
- Slit Tunnel filter
- Texture Screen filter
- Vignette filter
- Wavy Screen filter
- About filters and color processing
- Publish filter controls to Final Cut Pro
- Using filters on alpha channels
- Filter performance
- Save custom filters
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- Intro to 3D objects
- Add a 3D object
- Move and rotate a 3D object
- Reposition a 3D object’s anchor point
- Exchange a 3D object file
- 3D object intersection and layer order
- Using cameras and lights with 3D objects
- Save custom 3D objects
- Guidelines for working with 3D objects
- Working with imported 3D objects
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- Intro to 360-degree video
- 360-degree projects
- Create 360-degree projects
- Add 360-degree video to a project
- Create a tiny planet effect
- Reorient 360-degree media
- Creating 360-degree templates for Final Cut Pro
- 360-degree-aware filters and generators
- Export and share 360-degree projects
- Guidelines for better 360-degree projects
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- Intro to settings and shortcuts
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- Intro to Keyboard shortcuts
- Use function keys
- General keyboard shortcuts
- Audio list keyboard shortcuts
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- Tools keyboard shortcuts
- Transform tool keyboard shortcuts
- Select/Transform tool keyboard shortcuts
- Crop tool keyboard shortcuts
- Edit Points tool keyboard shortcuts
- Edit shape tools keyboard shortcuts
- Pan and Zoom tools keyboard shortcuts
- Shape tools keyboard shortcuts
- Bezier tool keyboard shortcuts
- B-Spline tool keyboard shortcuts
- Paint Stroke tool keyboard shortcuts
- Text tool keyboard shortcuts
- Shape mask tools keyboard shortcuts
- Bezier Mask tool keyboard shortcuts
- B-Spline Mask tool keyboard shortcuts
- Transport control keyboard shortcuts
- View option keyboard shortcuts
- HUD keyboard shortcuts
- Inspector keyboard shortcuts
- Keyframe Editor keyboard shortcuts
- Layers keyboard shortcuts
- Library keyboard shortcuts
- Media list keyboard shortcuts
- Timeline keyboard shortcuts
- Keyframing keyboard shortcuts
- Shape and Mask keyboard shortcuts
- 3D keyboard shortcuts
- Miscellaneous keyboard shortcuts
- Touch Bar shortcuts
- Move assets to another computer
- Work with GPUs
- Glossary
- Copyright
![](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/61af24e141c4e4e33a9f3252ac43ed64.png)
Touch Bar shortcuts in Motion
If your MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, you can use familiar gestures like swipe and tap to quickly perform common tasks in Motion. Most of the Touch Bar controls are dynamic: Buttons change depending on your current selection within Motion and other applications. Related buttons and sliders appear together in groups in the Touch Bar.
Note: Depending on your MacBook Pro model, controls in the Touch Bar may vary.
For more information about the Control Strip and Esc button, see MacBook Pro Essentials. To learn more about the Touch Bar, see Use the Touch Bar on Mac in the macOS User Guide.
Project Browser
![Touch Bar options for the Project Browser](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/e110aba180e4a5b4cd382c54ce1b74e9.png)
When you open the Project Browser in Motion, the following controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Open Other | Opens a dialog to select an existing project that doesn’t appear in the Project Browser. |
![]() | Import As Project | Opens a dialog to select media files to include in a new project. |
![]() | Cancel | Closes the Project Browser and any open dialogs while leaving the Motion application open. |
![]() | Open | Opens the project selected in the Project Browser. |
Motion project
![Touch Bar options for a Motion project (with no current selection)](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/b0f8122e54ee7dc07917dc838bf9f394.png)
When a Motion project is open and no object is selected, the following controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Tools | Opens tools for selecting and manipulating objects. See Tools, below. |
![]() | New Project | Opens the Project Browser (if Create New Project is selected in the General pane of Motion Settings). |
![]() | Import | Opens a dialog for selecting media files to import into your project. |
![]() | View | When you select a media clip in the import dialog, this button (in the Control Strip portion of the Touch Bar) activates controls to play or scrub the clip before you import it. |
![]() | Add Camera | Adds a camera to your project. |
![]() | Add Light | Adds a light to your project. |
![]() | Project Navigation | Opens project navigation controls. See Project navigation, below. |
Motion project with object selected
![Touch Bar options for a Motion project (with a selected object)](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/9bd34f02031d6253362519b59deee442.png)
When you select an object in your project, the following controls appear in the Touch Bar.
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Tools | Opens tools for selecting and manipulating objects. See Tools, below. |
![]() | Timing | Opens timing controls to change or mark In and Out points, and to play a selection. See Timing, below. |
![]() | Project Navigation | Opens project navigation controls. See Project navigation, below. |
Project navigation
![Touch Bar navigation options](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/a25bac64a7978237a2fbeb164b89c2f6.png)
When you tap the Project Navigation button , project navigation tools appear in the Touch Bar.
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Close | Returns you to the previous Touch Bar screen. |
![]() | Project Navigation bar | Displays your project in a timeline bar with a playhead. Drag the playhead to navigate through your project. Drag the left end of the bar to mark a new play range In point; drag the right end of the bar to mark a new play range Out point. |
![]() | Snap | Activates snapping in the Project Navigation bar. When snapping is on, drag the playhead in the bar to snap to a selected object’s beginning or end, or to a project marker. (The playhead doesn’t snap to object markers.) When you drag either end of the bar, the play range snaps to the location of the playhead. |
Timing
![Touch Bar timing options](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/4015c2100397c0329642eb8f5ea90dad.png)
When you tap the Timing button, the following controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Close | Returns you to the previous Touch Bar screen. |
![]() | Go to In Point | Positions the playhead at the beginning (In point) of the selected object. |
![]() | Go to Out Point | Positions the playhead at the end (Out point) of the selected object. |
![]() | Mark In | Sets a new In point for the selected object. |
![]() | Mark Out | Sets a new Out point for the selected object. |
![]() | Play Selection | Plays all layers as a composite based on the duration of the selected layer. |
Group
![Touch Bar group option](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/70b6c5dd58fc06ad321bf7319f5c468e.png)
When multiple objects are selected, the following controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Tools | Opens tools for selecting and manipulating objects. See Tools, below. |
![]() | Group | Nests selected objects in a group. |
![]() | Project Navigation | Opens project navigation controls. See Project navigation. |
Tools
![Touch Bar tool options](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/a810863eafe09890d6b3fda87c9dd6d3.png)
When you tap the Tools button , tools for creating objects, transforming objects, and navigating the canvas appear in the Touch Bar.
Not all tools are available for all objects. For example, the Edit Points tool is only available when a Bezier shape or a B-Spline shape is selected.
Note: To see all of the available tools, you may need to swipe in the Touch Bar.
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Close | Returns you to the previous Touch Bar screen. |
![]() | Select/Transform | Activates the Select/Transform tool, allowing you to scale, move, or rotate objects. |
![]() | 3D Transform | Activates the 3D Transform tool, allowing you to manipulate any 2D or 3D object in 3D space. |
![]() | Anchor Point | Activates the Anchor Point tool, allowing you to reposition a layer’s anchor point. |
![]() | Drop Shadow | Activates the Drop Shadow tool, allowing you to modify the direction or offset of a layer’s drop shadow. |
![]() | Distort tool | Activates the Distort tool, allowing you to shear or distort a layer. |
![]() | Crop tool | Activates the Crop tool, allowing you to crop a layer. |
![]() | Edit Points | Activates the Edit Points tool, allowing you to adjust points and Bezier handles for complex masks, shapes, and motion paths. This button is displayed only when a Bezier or B-Spline shape is selected. |
![]() | Edit Shape (Rectangle or Circle) | Activates the Edit Shape tool, allowing you to modify the size, shape, feathering, position, or rotation of simple shapes. This button is displayed only when a simple shape is selected. |
![]() | Transform Glyph | Activates the Transform Glyph tool, allowing you to modify selected text characters (glyphs). The Transform Glyph button appears only when text is selected. |
![]() | Adjust Item | Activates the Adjust Item tool, allowing you to modify specific parameters such as the shape of a replicator or the start and end points of a gradient. |
![]() | Rectangle | Activates the Rectangle tool, allowing you to draw a rectangle shape. |
![]() | Circle | Activates the Circle tool, allowing you to draw a circle or ellipse shape. |
![]() | Line | Activates the Line tool, allowing you to draw a line shape. |
![]() | Bezier | Activates the Bezier tool, allowing you to draw a Bezier shape created with Bezier points and tangent handles. |
![]() | B-Spline | Activates the B-Spline tool, allowing you to draw a B-Spline shape created with B-Spline points. |
![]() | Paint Stroke | Activates the Paint Stroke tool, allowing you to paint shapes in the canvas. |
![]() | Text | Activates the Text tool, allowing you to add text in the canvas. |
![]() | 3D Text | Activates the 3D text tool, allowing you to create textured, dimensional text. |
![]() | Rectangle Mask | Activates the Rectangle Mask tool, allowing you to add a rectangle-shaped mask to a layer. |
![]() | Circle Mask | Activates the Circle Mask tool, allowing you to add a circle-shaped or ellipse-shaped mask to a layer. |
![]() | Freehand Mask | Activates the Freehand Mask tool, allowing you to add a hand-drawn mask to a layer. |
![]() | Bezier Mask | Activates the Bezier Mask tool, allowing you to add a mask created with Bezier points and tangent handles to a layer. |
![]() | B-Spline Mask | Activates the B-Spline Mask tool, allowing you to add a mask created with B-Spline points to a layer. |
![]() | Pan | Activates the Pan tool, allowing you to pan the canvas. |
![]() | Zoom | Activates the Zoom tool, allowing you to zoom in on the canvas. |
![]() | Walk 3D View | Activates the Walk 3D View tool, allowing you to position a camera in 3D space as you would in a computer game, using a keyboard-and-mouse navigation method. |
Text editing
![Touch Bar text options](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/d98c3353a319b754fdcdae3910bf0535.png)
When the text insertion point is active in the canvas, the following text-editing controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Done | Returns you to the previous Touch Bar screen. Note: The Done button does not appear in the Touch Bar on certain MacBook Pro models. |
![]() | Tools | When the Text tool is active, this control displays the tool buttons described in Tools, above. |
![]() | Text Alignment and Appearance | Activates controls for text alignment, style, and appearance. See Text alignment and appearance, below. |
![]() | Text Size | Activates a slider for text size. See Text size, below. |
![]() | Text Kerning | Activates a slider for text kerning. See Text kerning, below. |
![]() | 3D Text | Switches the selected text from 2D to 3D (and vice versa). |
![]() | Text Color | Activates color picker, hue, brightness, and saturation controls. See Text color, below. Note: To affect text color, the Fill With parameter must be set to Color (in the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector). |
![]() | Project Navigation | Opens project navigation controls. See Project navigation. |
Text alignment and appearance
![Touch Bar text alignment and appearance options](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/f6100d81b1fcf27a823797e4b473b68d.png)
When you tap the Text Alignment and Appearance button , the following controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Close | Returns you to the previous Touch Bar screen. |
![]() | Align Text | Aligns text to the left, center, or right. |
![]() | Bold Text | Makes the selected text object bold (if available for the selected font). |
![]() | Italic Text | Makes the selected text object italic (if available for the selected font). |
![]() | Text Face | Turns the text Face parameter on or off. |
![]() | Text Outline | Turns the text Outline parameter on or off. |
![]() | Text Glow | Turns the text Glow parameter on or off. |
![]() | Text Drop Shadow | Turns the text Drop Shadow parameter on or off. |
Text size
![Touch Bar text sizing options](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/44c580131102c799bbcf801a79d2fe54.png)
When you tap the Text Size button , the following controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Close | Returns you to the previous Touch Bar screen. |
![]() | Text Size slider | Drag the slider to change the size of the text. |
Text kerning
![Touch Bar text kerning options](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/ecf734d240e8c86651a1b67b953b667e.png)
When you tap the Text Kerning button , the following controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Close | Returns you to the previous Touch Bar screen. |
![]() | Text Kerning Slider | Drag the slider to increase or decrease the space between the text characters. (The text insertion point must be positioned between text characters in the canvas to access the kerning control.) |
Text color
![Touch Bar text color options](https://help.apple.com/assets/6578ED9D202EA54F7003FAAA/6578ED9EBDA3B130FF0B4ED0/en_US/13dd2bcfd4c8aac4ea826b9425f7c696.png)
When you tap the Text Color button , the following controls appear in the Touch Bar:
Icon | Tool/Item | Description |
---|---|---|
![]() | Close | Returns you to the previous Touch Bar screen. |
![]() | Active Color | Displays the active color, based on your current color settings. |
![]() | Brightness | Available when the Hue color control is active, turns on a slider to adjust brightness of the selected text object. |
![]() | Saturation | Available when the Hue color control is active, turns on a slider to adjust saturation of the selected text object. |
![]() | Hue/Swatch Color | Switches between the Hue color control and Swatch color control. Drag or tap the controls to change text color. To change the color of an individual text character, select the character in the canvas (or position the text insertion point to the right of the character), then tap or drag the color control. To change the color of multiple (adjacent) text characters, select the characters in the canvas, then tap or drag the control. |
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