Add the Tiny Planet effect in Final Cut Pro for Mac

You can use the Tiny Planet mapping setting on 360° clips in a standard rectilinear project. The entire 360° sphere is converted to a stereographic projection (mapped onto a flat plane), creating the effect of a tiny planet.

The viewer showing an image with Tiny Planet mapping, creating the effect of a small planet in the center of the image

In contrast, the Normal mapping setting shows a standard image (a portion of the 360° image) in the viewer in a rectilinear project, and the full equirectangular image in the viewer in a 360° project.

A 360° image with normal mapping and the same image with Tiny Planet mapping, shown side by side

Note: You can apply 360° clip effects such as 360° Patch and 360° Noise Reduction to 360° clips in a rectilinear project. You can also add 360° titles and generators to rectilinear projects.

In Final Cut Pro, create a 360° project.
In the Video inspector, scroll down to the Orientation section, then click the Mapping pop-up menu and choose Tiny Planet.
To modify the tiny planet effect, do one of the following:
- Adjust the parameter controls in the Orientation section of the Video inspector.
- Click the Orientation button in the Orientation section of the inspector, then drag in the viewer to adjust the Orientation parameters. See Change the 360° orientation using the onscreen control.
  To constrain the movement to one axis, hold down the Shift key as you drag.
The following parameters are particularly useful for tiny planets:
- Field of View: Zoom in or out on the tiny planet.
- Pan (Y): Rotate the planet.
- Tilt (X): Create an inverted tiny planet.

Tip: During production, have some fun and take a stroll around your tiny planet: Position your 360° camera, start recording, take two or three large steps away from the camera, then walk, ride, or skate in a concentric circle around the camera.

Download this guide: Apple Books | PDF

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Final Cut Pro User Guide

Add the Tiny Planet effect in Final Cut Pro for Mac