Apple Motion is still SUPER SLOW to Launch on M2

I'm on a new, clean M2 Mac Mini Pro. I thought Motion would launch MUCH faster than on my ancient mid-2014 MBP, but I'm sitting and waiting forever while it putzes around looking at every plugin (non-technical generalization intended).


I use my plugins in FCPx. FCPx launches super quickly. I don't even need or use all these plugins in Motion, but unlike Logic, I can't simply bypass them in Motion (which shouldn't even be necessary).


I've read some input from Luis Sequeira1 on an older thread about this issue. The problem is common and, shockingly, still exists on silicon. I shouldn't have to delete Chrome from my system. Further, if FCPx doesn't struggle when launching with my plugins, Motion shouldn't.


This is like when I had to start loading Bruce Lee on my C64 tape drive and come back 1/2 an hour later to play.

MacBook Pro (M2, 2022)

Posted on Sep 23, 2023 2:21 PM

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2 replies
Question marked as Helpful

Sep 23, 2023 3:38 PM in response to Adam F

Hi


The previous thread still all applies here.


For a baseline - remove all your plugins and then launch Motion. You should see Motion boot immediately.


If you have anything from Pixelfilm studios


The issue isn't with Motion, but with the 3rd party developers not catching up such that their plugins slow the launch process down. It is a 3rd party software issue.


It would be good for there to be some kind of detection - like on launch '3rd party plugin XYZ is not responsive' so that we can isolate and remove. That would go a long way to take the uncertainty out of it.


You can bypass a plug in Motion. Remove it from the directory and Motion will not attempt to run it.


Finder - movies - motion templates - you will find all the effects, titles, transitions and generator folders here. Put them in a different location. But - note that if you have these in use in any FCP project - they will be missing now. Any plugin that uses an installer that runs the hosted fxplug tools - contact the developer on how to uninstall.



If you launch Motion to the project browser by default, then yes, Motion will read check every plugin in that process.


If you want to change the default launch - go in to Motion preferences/project and change the launch mode from browser to project. Then use the 'choose' menu to set the default project settings.





Question marked as Helpful

Sep 23, 2023 4:02 PM in response to Adam F

Hi


As far as I know, Motion and FCP are not using the same process. It is not as if FCP is faster than Motion to do the same thing. Motion is the motion graphic engine of FCP - (others here can give a more exact explanation of that) - and Motion needs to know what FCP is running so that it can access anything installed template - this is the difference. FCP doesn't need to load anything until it is required to - at the time there is a template to be run - then FCP will process that case by case. Motion needs to load and process everything on start up.


In FCP you will see the lag in a different situation - when you add an unoptimised template to the project - then you will surely see the 'loading XYZ' prompt for excessive durations before it runs - or, beachballs FCP outright.


Chrome I have no knowledge on - I think that at the time back then, it was a known system resource hog that was slowing things down for Motion and other apps also.


Yes, would be other plugins causing issues. I note PFS because the observable trend here over the years with this topic has been that a PFS plugin was the cause.



6 replies
Question marked as Helpful

Sep 23, 2023 3:38 PM in response to Adam F

Hi


The previous thread still all applies here.


For a baseline - remove all your plugins and then launch Motion. You should see Motion boot immediately.


If you have anything from Pixelfilm studios


The issue isn't with Motion, but with the 3rd party developers not catching up such that their plugins slow the launch process down. It is a 3rd party software issue.


It would be good for there to be some kind of detection - like on launch '3rd party plugin XYZ is not responsive' so that we can isolate and remove. That would go a long way to take the uncertainty out of it.


You can bypass a plug in Motion. Remove it from the directory and Motion will not attempt to run it.


Finder - movies - motion templates - you will find all the effects, titles, transitions and generator folders here. Put them in a different location. But - note that if you have these in use in any FCP project - they will be missing now. Any plugin that uses an installer that runs the hosted fxplug tools - contact the developer on how to uninstall.



If you launch Motion to the project browser by default, then yes, Motion will read check every plugin in that process.


If you want to change the default launch - go in to Motion preferences/project and change the launch mode from browser to project. Then use the 'choose' menu to set the default project settings.





Sep 23, 2023 3:51 PM in response to rowie302

I appreciate the thorough response, @rowie302


What doesn't make sense is that FCPx doesn't get hung launching or creating a new library, asset or project. While I don't doubt that PFS is potentially a culprit here, I have multiple plugins that I still use from PFS in FCPx (which is why I don't disable it altogether) with no problem at all. There must be other 3rd party plugins with similar issues.


Is Chrome still a problem? The link in the old thread links to a rant from 2020.


Apple that should be isolating this issue from slowing Motion down to a crawl. The example you gave for ignoring plugins is precisely what I was thinking.👍🏻


I did send a suggestion in.




Question marked as Helpful

Sep 23, 2023 4:02 PM in response to Adam F

Hi


As far as I know, Motion and FCP are not using the same process. It is not as if FCP is faster than Motion to do the same thing. Motion is the motion graphic engine of FCP - (others here can give a more exact explanation of that) - and Motion needs to know what FCP is running so that it can access anything installed template - this is the difference. FCP doesn't need to load anything until it is required to - at the time there is a template to be run - then FCP will process that case by case. Motion needs to load and process everything on start up.


In FCP you will see the lag in a different situation - when you add an unoptimised template to the project - then you will surely see the 'loading XYZ' prompt for excessive durations before it runs - or, beachballs FCP outright.


Chrome I have no knowledge on - I think that at the time back then, it was a known system resource hog that was slowing things down for Motion and other apps also.


Yes, would be other plugins causing issues. I note PFS because the observable trend here over the years with this topic has been that a PFS plugin was the cause.



Oct 8, 2023 12:59 PM in response to rowie302

rowie302 wrote:

. . . I note PFS because the observable trend here over the years with this topic has been that a PFS plugin was the cause.

✅ Got back into this today. What I'm finding is that Pixel Film Studios BIG plug-ins are causing the issue.


Specifically, I've narrowed it (in my case) down to:

Hand Drawn Elements Mega Pack - 3.73 GB in Titles (+ 3.08MB in Titles) - I don't even have all options installed

Backdrop Mega Pack - 3.85 GB in Generators!

Background Mega Pack 3D Renders - 4.41 GB in Generators!

FCPX Cartoon Mega Pack - 1.08GB in Generators + 404MB in Transitions


Clearly, Motion is going through every single graphics file inside of these monstrous packages. This takes the Motion launch from 6.8 seconds to the "not responding" for minutes - I'm pretty sure as much as 10+ over the past few years.


In recent years, I've moved to mostly FXFactory. I do like some of BretFX's plugins as well.

Is PFS just putting the assets in the wrong place? Are they misusing architecture?


Still sticking to my opinion (suggested to Apple as well) that we should be able to disable plugins from loading via prefs in Motion (really...in FCPx as well) just like we can in Logic.


Hopefully this will help others!



Oct 9, 2023 4:58 PM in response to Adam F

Following up. Here's the response I got on this from Pixel Film Studios:


"Hello! :) 


Thank you for contacting us! 


We have a guide on how to work around this issue here: https://store.pixelfilmstudios.com/motion-not-opening/ "


It's a bit of an obvious & ridiculous work-around (essentially what I did when testing before my last post). Basically, move plug-ins out when you need motion and back when you need FCPx. Seriously? 'Cause NOOOOBODY would have both running at the same time.🙄


Apple Motion is still SUPER SLOW to Launch on M2

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