Q: Generator drop zones from Motion template aren't working.

This is a loaded question. There are many different ways to implement Drop Zones in Motion for use in FCPX and depending on the method you used, there are different consequences.

For example, if you apply a drop zone to an Image source well in a 3D text material substance, the result in FCPX will be a still frame, even if the drop zone is loaded with video. There is a work-around.

Also, in FCPX, applying media to a drop zone depends on *where* you click in the source clip (either in the Event Browser or from a clip in the storyline.) Where you click on a clip determines the first frame used in the DZ.

Exactly what isn't working and how have you implemented the DZ in Motion?

Why do you have keyframes set in your project parameters? Try resetting the Rider Position parameter and see if that makes a difference in FCPX.  FCPX doesn't particularly like already keyframed parameters. If you want or need to create an "opening" (or general) animation, then you need to set up the animation apart from the parameters that are published. You can do this by applying a Behaviors > Parameter > Custom to the Drop Zone object (this is not available via right click on a parameter like most of the others.)

In the Custom Behavior tab, click the Add Paramater > Properties > Transform > Position > All and keyframe the X,Y there. In FCPX, you will get the same animation, and with the published X,Y paramaters you will be able to transform the entire animation path using those parameters.

Let me know if that helps, otherwise, I might need some more info.

If you don't want anyone else to control an animation — DON'T PUBLISH THE PARAMETER!!! You don't have to publish any parameter you use in Motion in order for an animation on that parameter to work in FCPX.

Rigs are the best way to set up the number of "lines" shown in a template. You can right click on parameters and Add to Rig. Design your template to show all stars. Add the Opacity of each layer (or group if multiple items are used to create a complex arrangement) to the Rig widget you created. If you use a "Slider", then the user will be able to select or animate the stars showing from 0 to however many are needed.

When you create a new Rig Slider widget, you'll get what looks like a new group called Rig. You can rename that if you want, but it's usually not necessary. You will see a "layer" with the name of the type of the widget. Here: Slider. Rename that to "Star Rating" (w/o quotes.)

Say you have a 5 star rating setup; 5 shapes. You created the Rig with a right click Add to Rig > Rig > Add to New Slider with the Opacity of one of the shapes**. Go to each of the next shapes properties and click and drag the Opacity parameter onto the Slider widget in the layers list (or you can right click on the parameter and Add to Rig> Rig > Add to Star Rating (if you renamed the widget to that.)

In the Rig slider widget, you will see a Slider named Star Rating (in this example) and the list of parameters you added underneath the Edit Mode Start button. If you look at the detail of the Slider, there are 2 dots underneath to begin with, one at 0 the other at 100. (Selected dots will turn blue.) For this operation you will need four more. Double click under the slider line to create a new "snapshot" blue dot and click and drag it to about 20% (a "hair" under). Repeat this process for ~40, ~60, and ~80. Now, click the 0 blue dot. The slider will snap to that position. When a blue dot is highlighted, you will be able to adjust the available parameters for that snapshot (otherwise, Motion will not let you make any changes.) Select the first (0) dot and turn off ALL opacities. Go down to the bottom of the panel and select Interpolation>Constant. Select the next (20) dot and set the 1st star opacity to 100 and the rest to 0% and repeat the Interpolation setting. Continue until you have all the stars showing for each of their settings. When you've got the slider lighting up the stars in order depending on setting, go down to Range Maximum and set it to 5. Your published ranges will be from Range Minimum to Range Maximum, or in this case: 0 - 5. Perfect. Right click on the Star Rating slider and select Publish. That parameter will be keyframable in FCPX as well.

When publishing using Rigs you have three options: menus, sliders and checkboxes. This documentation will give you a lot more information than I can here: http://help.apple.com/motion/mac/5.2/#/motn13f20610

** parameters are "stacked" from first added upwards. If you add the last one first going towards the first (or lowest in the layers list) then they will be added in top down order. That might help make the process easier for you.

If you leave the Interpolation set to linear, then each shape will fade in depending on the setting of the slider. Make sure at each "stop" (snapshot) you reset the parameters that should *still* be 0 to 0 (if that makes sense) or the stars will start fading in from the zero position.

You could opt to design a mask respondent to a Rig Slider as well. Rigs work well when you have to have a minimum and maximum, or specific "states" to control.

PS - here's a short demo of the above explanation:

http://sight-creations.com/fxexchange/5starRating.zip

Good to hear! You're welcome!

Generators are .motn files just like any other "regular" motion project, they just get saved in a "special" location (as a template). If you want to copy, backup, or *move* a generator template, you can simply drag (or copy-drag) it to any other location outside of the Motion Templates folder on your system. It will launch Motion if double clicked from any location and Motion can edit and save it to that saved location automatically with Save (so you won't overwrite a saved template if you leave a copy in place).  [You can do the same with any Motion template type if you like—you just cannot initially save them "anywhere", they have to be saved to Motion Templates for FCPX... after that, you can move them... if you have to. What I recommend though is a special template category of "Development" while you are working on them... if they don't work out, just trash them (after FCPX is closed.)]

Back to generators. Since they are essentially the exact same file type as a regular Motion project, you can create a regular Motion project and develop it, then when it is ready for FCPX, you can PublishTemplate from the File menu and make sure you check the Publish as Final Cut Generator checkbox:

What complicates Effects, Titles and Transitions is that they are initially supplied with specialized drop zones that represent the FCPX storyline media (transitions have two drop zones.) You can apply effects and actions to the drop zones, but they shouldn't be "loaded" with any media in Motion.

In general: you cannot convert template types from one to another *by normal means*. That implies there is a method to change a "project" to another type of template type, it's just a little to complex and advanced to get into here, and I believe it's already been covered in another thread.

If you use a drop zone in Motion for use in FCPX, it's not really meant to be "loaded" or pre-loaded with a clip (although, you can if you want.)  Drop zones should be loaded in FCPX, in general, owing to the concept of "template."  That doesn't mean you can't create a "default" drop zone (I do it all the time with custom drop zone images, etc.)

That said, I can only guess when you make a copy of the template/generator on another machine, the file structure changes (even if you use the same username, etc.)

Starting with the basics, first check that your Motion Templates folder, and the Events, Generators, Titles and Transitions folders are all localized. (More information here: http://fcpxtemplates.com/install4fcpx/latest.htm). Afterwards, if you had to make changes, check to see if your generators are available and working in FCPX.

If you had media in the generator's Drop Zone and it still doesn't load in FCPX automatically, check to see if it's been "stored" inside your generator's folder's Media folder. If it has, you can import it into FCPX and place it in the generator's drop zone from there (if you need to keep that specific version of the generator, make a compound clip of it and it will be available in the Event Browser.) Or, if you have Motion (same version or better) on your other machine(s), you can "repair" your generator on your other Macs.

[Each type of effect is basically a Folder with the effect name containing two thumbnail images (large.png and small.png), the actual Motion file (extensions will be .moef, .motn, .moti and .motr respectively) and a folder called Media used to contain any other "outside" graphics used to create your template, including audio... which, btw, does not load into FCPX ever. It has to be manually imported... but it WILL be in the Media folder when you create the template.]

On your secondary Macs, the simple act of opening the generator in Motion and saving it back as an FCPX generator (rename it slightly) will fix your folder localizations automatically.

Hope this helps.