Timeline Snapping in Apple Motion

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Level 1

4 points

Timeline Snapping in Apple Motion

HI,

I am finding that apple Motions snapping feature is way to subtle. Working in a reasonably lit room the interface is far too dark. Is there a way to

customize the interface color?
make the snapping color more obvious.

I have noticed that snapping is a bit loose in the sense that it just doesn't STICK long enought to a point I want to snap to. The very point of snapping is that it acts as a sort of TAB STOP where you go romsnapping point to snapping point and choose the right one.

It's like in motion it's a kind of halfway thing. Where it snapps but you can't really see that it snaps.

I am speaking about the TIMELINE specifically where, snapping to keyframes or previous or next elements in the timeline is more obvious.

Thanks,

David

Posted on Mar 20, 2024 5:33 AM

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Answer 1

fox_m

Level 6

12,232 points

Mar 20, 2024 3:05 PM in response to david1017

There's not much you can do with the interface, except change the Canvas (Background) color:

and with the options of Solid and Environment, the color you choose can be exported/shared with output files.

As for snapping... it's pretty much all you get. I personally don't use snapping often. If you click on an object in the timeline, Motion tells you exactly where it is and how long it is:

and if you're moving it, it tells you how far ( Δ - "delta" ).

Also, the playhead is usually a really good tool, particularly with keyboard shortcuts Shift-i (move playhead to object in-point) or Shift-o (move playhead to object out-point) and for moving the object relative to the playhead position: Shift-{ (or Shift-[) to move the object's in-point to the playhead position or Shift - } (or Shift-]) to move the object's *out* point to the playhead position. Both of these operations do NOT change the time length of the object in the timeline.

You have to remember that if you shortcut to an object's out point, you need to move the playhead +1 frames ahead (keyboard shortcut: right arrow) before you move another object's in point to a frame that will not overlap the last frame of the first object. (Hope that makes sense!)

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Answer 2

david1017 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 20, 2024 11:19 PM in response to fox_m

Thanks for the responses. I have really put motion to the test with this present project and using it for more than a simple title or effect in FCP and more than for a quick repair on a single shot.

Its a large and long timeline where graphic elements move to specific points over time.

its complicated to wrangle this kind of thing in motion because it is not track based so every new title creates a rather large staircase effect within a group and, looking a the interface over several hours

a day makes it less and less friendly to look at.

maybe i should save all these elements as individual effects and move this project over to final cut where the keyframing is simplified and snapping is much more clear.

it may be that I am asking too much of motion for this project.

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Answer 3

fox_m

Level 6

12,232 points

Mar 20, 2024 11:40 PM in response to david1017

Motion is exactly that: the graphic workshop for Final Cut. I think you will find it much easier to rely on the Final Cut interface. You can go into Motion, throw together whatever you need, save the template and it is immediately available in Final Cut, without having to restart — it's almost like they're the same app when they're being run side by side.

PS - you don't have to make effects as long as the clips they'll be placed on. A good length for a title is only as long as you need it to appear (typically 3 to 5 seconds) and transition default times are defined by a preference in Final Cut. Generators can be ignored - just use a title, remove the text - it will keep a "low profile" in the FCP storyline. There's also creating Title templates as variants of "adjustment layers". Your workflow will actually speed up.

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Timeline Snapping in Apple Motion

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