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Q: Variable intro/middle/end possible?

I'm looking to create a Motion Generator that I can use in FCPX to allow me to have variable length intro/middle/end independent of each other. I know I can use the "Build-in - mandatory" Marker type in order to force an intro length to be fixed and the middle part to be based on how much you stretch it in FCPX. What I'm looking for is the flexibility to use the same motion generator to allow me to have a short intro, long middle and short ending in one case, yet allow me to have a long intro, short middle and long closing in another case.

 

 

This is for our company logo branding and I want to be able to sometimes have a slower or faster intro to match the video it's being used with. For example, our aerial reel has nice smooth slow footage, so I want our branding animation to gently ease in, hold frame for six seconds and then slowly animate out. A different reel might be fast paced, so I may want to have the branding intro animate in quickly, hold for three seconds and then animate out quickly. All this should be fully adjustable depending on need.

 

 

Any way to build this in one Motion generator?

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on May 23, 2016 12:18 PM

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Q: Variable intro/middle/end possible?

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  • by fox_m,

    fox_m fox_m May 23, 2016 8:22 PM in response to Mindbend
    Level 5 (5,507 points)
    Video
    May 23, 2016 8:22 PM in response to Mindbend

    If the animations are all basically the same except for speed adjustments, then that can be easily done. You don't even need to create a "hold". Just create one smooth animation from beginning to end, then put in a parameter to control where in the animation you are.

     

    Create your animation. Have the text fly in and keyframe a point you want the hold to occur. Move the playhead to the end and keyframe the animation out. (The need for the "hold" keyframe is basically only to ensure that you have the position and orientation of the logo lined up the way you want it to appear. The animation doesn't really stop on that keyframe... not here.)

     

    Select the Group of your animation and type the K key (to create a Clone layer.) Turn off the Group. Select the Clone Layer and type the L key to create a replicator.

     

    Look down in the Cell Controls and turn off Play Frames. [Due to the way keyframes are handled in FCPX (easing), you'll want to take this next extra step.]

    Right click on the label: Source Frame Start and Add to Rig > Create New Rig > Add to New Slider. In the Layers List, rename the slider to something like Speed. In the Rig slider inspector, click on the right side blue dot under the slider and find the Clone Layer.Source Frame Offset parameter and dial it all the way up to the end frame of your project. Slide the slider control back down to 0 and make sure the animation is working (backwards.) Right click on the Speed label and select Publish from the dropdown menu.

     

    [This is completely optional:]

    If you want to create a custom default animation that you can turn on or off, you can select the Replicator Cell and go to Behaviors > Parameter > Custom. In the inspector, Add Parameter > Object > Source Start Frame and keyframe that. Right click on the Custom name and select Publish. Go to the Project Inspector > Publishing and rename Custom -> Default Animation.

     

    In FCPX, to create a different animation, turn off the Default Animation and move the playhead to the beginning and set a keyframe at Source Frame Offset 0. Move the playhead to where you want the middle to start and move the Source Frame Offset to where you want the animation paused. Move the playhead to the end of the middle and set another keyframe, then move the playhead where you want the animation to end and move the Source Frame Offset to the maximum number of frames used in your animation.