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Chapter 1 Orientation 43
The Project Pane
When media (such as movies, images, and image sequences) is brought into Motion, it
becomes an object in a layer. Shapes, text, and masks created within Motion also
become objects in a layer. Any imported media is added to the Media tab, which acts
as a sort of storage unit for your media. Shapes, text, and other objects created within
Motion are not added to the Media tab.
On import, objects can be added to an existing layer, or you can create a new layer for
the objects.
You can apply behaviors, transformations, filters, masks, or blend modes to any object
in a layer. You can also apply behaviors, transformations, filters, masks, or blend modes
to the layer itself. You can have as many objects in a single layer as you want—a layer
acts as the “parent” of its objects (movies, images, image sequences, shapes, and so
on). For example, if you move a layer, all objects within that layer are also moved. If
you apply a behavior or filter to a layer, that behavior or filter is applied to all objects
within the layer as a “nest.” The size of a layer is determined by the objects contained
within the layer.
You can view and organize all layers and objects within a project in the Project pane.
This section provides a general overview of the Project pane, but mainly focuses on the
Layers tab of the Project pane in which most of your compositing takes place.
The Project pane contains lists of all media and objects in your project, as well as the
effects applied to those objects.
To display the Project pane, do one of the following:
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In the Toolbar, click the Project icon.
Project icon
2505.book Page 43 Wednesday, June 30, 2004 5:58 PM