Welcome
What’s new
- What is Motion?
- Motion workflow
- Motion interface
- Basic components of Motion
- Using input devices
- Intro to creating projects
- Create a new project
- Open an existing project
- Search for projects from the Finder
- Bypass the Project Browser
- Create and modify project presets
- Save, autosave, and revert projects
- Intro to adding and managing content
- Intro to project playback
- Define the play range
- Project playback performance
- Intro to basic compositing
- - Modify layer opacity
- Intro to 3D compositing
- - Intro to 3D coordinates
  - Relative coordinates
- Transform layers in 3D space
- - Create 3D intersection
  - 2D and 3D group properties
- Intro to the Timeline
- Display or resize the Timing pane
- Navigate in the Timeline
- Show and modify keyframes in the Timeline
- - Intro to the Timeline ruler
  - Edit a range of frames in the Timeline
- Edit in the mini-Timeline
- Intro to behaviors
- Behaviors versus keyframes
- - Browse for behaviors
- - Intro to adjusting behaviors
  - Adjust behaviors
- Intro to keyframing
- Add keyframes
- - Add an animation path in the canvas
  - Modify animation paths
- Animate from the HUD
- - Apply keyframes to behaviors
  - Combining keyframes and behaviors
- Use the mini-curve editor
- Animate on the fly
- Simplify a keyframe curve
- Intro to Final Cut Pro templates
- - Template workflow
  - Placeholders vs. drop zones
- - Convert a Motion project to a template
  - Convert a template to another type
- Use placeholder images in templates
- Set template resolution
- Add multiple aspect ratios to templates
- Override the Final Cut Pro color space
- Create templates that conform to the Final Cut Pro color space
- Where are templates saved?
- Using masks in templates
- - General template guidelines
  - Tips for color processing in templates
- Intro to rigging
- How does rigging work?
- Build a simple rig
- Work with widgets
- Control rigs from Animation menus
- Publish rigs to Final Cut Pro
- Intro to Particles
- - Add a particle system
  - Anatomy of a particle emitter
- Create 3D particles
- Particle system timing
- Using graphics in particle systems
- Using filters and masks with particles
- Save custom particle effects
- Intro to replicators
- Replicators vs. particle systems
- - Add a replicator
  - Anatomy of a replicator
- Work with 3D replicators
- Replicator timing
- Using filters and masks with replicators
- Save custom replicators
- Intro to basic text
- Select and modify text in the canvas
- Preview and apply fonts
- Use preset text styles
- - Intro to editing text
  - Display the Text Inspector or HUD
- Convert standard text to 3D text
- Check spelling
- Find and replace text
- Using filters with text
- Intro to 3D text
- 3D text workflow
- - Add 3D text
  - Convert 2D text to 3D text
- Apply a preset 3D text style
- Move and rotate 3D text
- Add a glow or drop shadow to 3D text
- 3D text intersection
- Intro to animated text
- Apply a text behavior
- - Use the Scroll Text behavior
  - Scroll Text controls
- - Use the Text Tracking behavior
  - Text Tracking controls
- - Use the Type On behavior
  - Type On controls
- Animate individual text glyphs
- Animating 2D text in 3D space
- When to use keyframes to animate text
- Adding nontext behaviors to text
- Save a modified text behavior
- Intro to shapes, masks, and paint strokes
- - Intro to complex shapes and masks
  - Draw complex shapes and masks
- Edit fill, outline, and feathering
- Keyframe shape control points
- Convert between shapes and masks
- Using filters and masks with shapes
- Copy shape styles
- Save custom shapes and shape styles
- Intro to using generators
- Add a generator
- - Modify or animate a generator
  - Controls common to all generators
- Save a modified generator
- Intro to filters
- Browse and preview filters
- Apply or remove filters
- - Animate filter parameters with keyframes
  - Animate filters using behaviors
- About filters and color processing
- Publish filter controls to Final Cut Pro
- Using filters on alpha channels
- Filter performance
- Save custom filters
- Intro to color keying
- - Intro to the Luma Keyer filter
  - Luma Keyer filter controls
- 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
- - Intro to 3D object timing
  - Modify 3D object timing in Motion
- Using cameras and lights with 3D objects
- Save custom 3D objects
- Guidelines for working with 3D objects
- Working with imported 3D objects
- Intro to 360-degree video
- 360-degree projects
- Create 360-degree projects
- Add 360-degree video to a project
- - View 360-degree projects
  - View 360-degree video in a VR headset
- - Intro to graphics in 360-degree projects
  - Use graphics in 360-degree projects
- 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
- Intro to tracking
- How does motion tracking work?
- Analyze and record motion in a clip
- Track shapes, masks, and paint strokes
- Track the position of a filter or object
- Adjust onscreen trackers
- Load existing tracking data
- Use a range of frames for analysis
- Save tracks to the Library
- Intro to audio
- View audio files
- Add audio files
- Play audio files
- Intro to exporting projects
- Export a QuickTime movie
- Export audio only
- Export a still image
- Export an image sequence
- Export to Apple devices
- Export to email
- Export using Compressor
- Create share destinations
- Render settings
- View the status of shared items
- Share notifications
- About color space
- Intro to color management
- Set the color processing method
- Manage automatic color processing
- View HDR media
- Adjust HDR media
- Choose HDR colors
- Display luminance values
- Tips for color management
- Intro to Cinematic mode video
- Move Cinematic clips to your Mac
- Enable Cinematic mode video adjustments
- Adjust focus points in Cinematic mode video clips in Motion
- Adjust depth of field in Cinematic mode video clips
- Intro to settings and shortcuts
- Touch Bar shortcuts
- Move assets to another computer
- Work with GPUs
Glossary
Copyright

Modify or animate a generator in Motion

You can modify an applied generator in the Inspector or HUD, or by using onscreen transform controls. You can animate generator parameters with keyframes or behaviors, and you can use a generator as the basis for a particle system. After you customize a generator, you can save it to the Library for future use.

While each generator is unique, there are a small set of controls that are shared between all generators. See Controls common to all generators.

Modify a generator in the Inspector

In the Layers list, Timeline, or canvas in Motion, select an applied generator.
Note: For information on adding a generator to your project, see Add a generator.
In the Generator Inspector, adjust the parameter controls.
For information on controls specific to each generator, see Intro to image generators or Intro to text generators.

Modify a generator using onscreen controls

As with any other image layer in Motion, you can make basic transform adjustments to an applied generator (modifying size, distorting, changing the anchor point, and so on) using onscreen transform handles. Changes to these basic transform parameters are reflected in the Properties Inspector. Additionally, some generators have specific onscreen controls—usually to adjust the Center or Offset parameter—that you enable by selecting the Adjust Item tool in the canvas toolbar. The Spiral Drawing generator has unique onscreen controls that simulate a stator (ring) and a rotor (gear) of a spiral-drawing tool. These changes are reflected in the Generator Inspector. For more information about the transform tools, see Transform layer properties in the Motion canvas.

In Motion, select a generator in Layers list, Timeline, or canvas.
In the canvas toolbar, click and hold the transform tools pop-up menu, then choose Adjust Item.
Note: If the generator has no onscreen controls, the Adjust Item tool is not available.
In the center of the canvas, the Center onscreen control or the Offset onscreen control appears (depending on the generator).
In the canvas, drag the Center control or the Offset control to a new position.
The Offset or Center parameter is adjusted accordingly in the Generator Inspector.
Tip: Always adjust transform-related generator parameters (such as center and angle) using onscreen controls (or using the controls in the Generator Inspector) rather than from the Properties Inspector; the equivalent controls in the Properties Inspector cause the generator to be resampled, resulting in a lower-quality output.
For more information about the Offset and Center parameters, see the controls descriptions for Image Generators.

Animate a generator using keyframes

Although most generators create static images, you can animate the parameters of a generator to create a moving texture over time.

In the Layers list, canvas, or Timeline in Motion, select the generator you want to animate.
Move the playhead to the frame where you want the animation to begin, then press A to turn on keyframe animation recording.
In the Generator Inspector or using the onscreen controls (if available), adjust a generator parameter.
A keyframe is added to the parameter.
Move the playhead to the frame where you want to create the next keyframe, then adjust the generator parameter again.
Play the project (press the Space bar).
The animated generator parameters create a moving, changing texture based on your keyframes.
When you’re satisfied with the result, press A again to turn off keyframe recording.

Note: For more information on keyframing, see Intro to keyframing.

Animate a generator using behaviors

As with all other objects in Motion, you can apply Basic Motion, Parameter, or Simulation behaviors to a generator. The following example applies the Random parameter behavior to randomize the opacity of the Star generator, creating a flickering star.

Add the Star generator to your Motion project.
In the Generator Inspector, move the pointer over the right side of the Spike Opacity parameter row.
The Animation menu (a down arrow) appears.
Click the Animation menu for the Spike Opacity parameter, then choose Add Parameter Behavior > Randomize.
The Randomize parameter behavior is applied to the Spike Opacity parameter, and the Behaviors Inspector is displayed so you can adjust the Randomize parameters.
In the Behaviors Inspector, drag the Amount slider to the right to increase the randomization effect.
In the timing toolbar (above the Timeline), click the Play button (or press the Space bar).
Because the Randomize parameter behavior is applied to the opacity of the star spikes, the star appears to flicker. When a Parameter behavior is applied to a parameter in a generator, a behavior icon (a gear) appears in the Generator Inspector in the row for the affected parameter. In this example, the behavior icon appears in the Spike Opacity parameter row.
To increase or decrease the effect of the flicker, adjust the Randomize parameters (in the Behaviors Inspector).
You can show the Behaviors Inspector by Control-clicking the parameter name and choosing the applied behavior from the shortcut menu.
For more information on using Parameter behaviors such as the Randomize behavior, see Randomize behavior.

Use a generator as a particle cell source

As with other objects, generators can be used as a source for particle cells. The following example uses the Soft Gradient generator. To give your particle system more flexibility and reduce processing strain on your computer, scale the generator down in the Generator Inspector.

Add the Soft Gradient generator to your Motion project.
In the HUD or Generator Inspector, reduce the Radius value.
This example uses a Radius value of 40.
Reduce the Width and Height values.
In the canvas, the gradient and its bounding box are scaled down.
With the generator still selected, do one of the following:
- Press E.
- In the toolbar, click Make Particles.
After you add an emitter to the project, the new Emitter object is selected In the Layers list; a duplicate of the source object (the Soft Gradient generator) becomes an emitter cell for the new particle system; and the original source object (the Soft Gradient generator) is disabled.
In the canvas, the emitter bounding box appears. You can transform the bounding box using the onscreen controls or controls in the Inspector. The particle appears in the canvas in the same location as the original object. Although it appears as if the particle is selected, it’s the bounding box for the emitter that’s selected.
Press the Space bar to play the project.
Soft gradient particles are emitted.
You can change the particle color, emitter shape, scale, emission angle, birth rate, and so on in the Emitter Inspector or HUD. For more information on working with particles, see Intro to particles.