Eli Sherer

Q: How to zoom a layer - Something's not right!

So yeah, bit new with Motion (I took a long time to convert from LiveType), but now that I've downloaded the latest Motion 5.2.3, I'm having trouble understanding how to create a Zoom (animation).

What I am seeing in the manual doesn't make sense... so I'll ask:

  • I have a background layer, and want to create a new layer where an image zooms up from the middle of the background.
  • I added a new Camera into the timeline, and added my image (that I want to zoom) onto the Camera.
  • I then applied the 3D "Zoom In/Out" behavior to the camera... but I cannot see any controls for the zoom! Nothing like where to start and stop the zoom exists in the Properties (only timing and Transform, etc.). Not only that, the  "Behaviors" tab is EMPTY! Isn't this where the behavior controls are supposed to be? What am I missing?
  • There is a pop-up menu hanging around that shows command icons with what you can do in the 3D space, but again... nothing to say how to apply these to the start and end of the animation I'm trying to create! Please help!!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3), with Bootcamp partition

Posted on May 10, 2016 10:44 AM

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Q: How to zoom a layer - Something's not right!

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  • by fox_m,

    fox_m fox_m May 10, 2016 8:13 PM in response to Eli Sherer
    Level 5 (5,517 points)
    Video
    May 10, 2016 8:13 PM in response to Eli Sherer

    You will find parameters to animate in the Inspector section of Motion (left pane -- if you don't have one, find the cicled 'i' at the bottom left corner of the Motion window and click on it to show the inspector.) Once the Inspector is visible, there is a Panel called Behaviors - click on that (if necessary). When the object is selected in the Layers list, then the Behaviors that have been added to that object will appear in that panel. For the Zoom In/Out behavior (for the camera) you should see a Zoom slider set at 0 (no Zoom). Sliding to the right will increase the zoom in motion for the camera and moving to the left will zoom out the camera.

     

    Another option is to select the Zoom In/Out behavior in the Layers List and type D. That will call up the "HUD" (always hated that moniker - "heads up display"). You will see the Behaviors parameters there as well.

     

    Once you get past your LiveType prejudice (let it go... it's dead) you will find Motion is an extremely powerful (and easy) tool to use. Hang in there! Come back here if you run into trouble. We're here to help

  • by Karsten Schlüter,

    Karsten Schlüter Karsten Schlüter May 11, 2016 1:29 AM in response to Eli Sherer
    Level 7 (32,703 points)
    Video
    May 11, 2016 1:29 AM in response to Eli Sherer

    fox advice covers all up . if you want 3D space.....

     

    to 'just zoom' a pic,

     

    set playhead to start

    hit rec button

    scroll forward

    in the pics InspectorProperties scale to wished size.

     

    technically scaling is no 'zoom', a zoom changes the focus length, so should affect objects on diff.depths differently.

    But just to scale an object, no 3D/camera/behavior needed....