3
Table Of Contents
- Motion User Manual
- Contents
- Motion 3 Documentation and Resources
- Getting to Know Motion
- Creating and Managing Projects
- Creating New Projects
- Managing Projects
- Editing Project Properties
- Browsing Media Files in Motion
- File Types Supported by Motion
- Adding Media to Your Project
- Managing Layers in Your Project
- Deleting Objects from a Project
- Exchanging Media in a Project
- Object Media Tab Parameters
- Using Media in the Library
- Behaviors and Filters
- Third-Party Filters
- Image Units (Filters)
- Generators
- Image Units (Generators)
- Particle Emitters
- Replicators
- Shapes
- Gradients
- Fonts and LiveFonts
- Text Styles
- Shape Styles
- Music and Photos
- Content
- Favorites and the Favorites Menu
- Adding Your Own Content to the Library
- Using Custom Objects from the Library
- When Library Media Becomes Unavailable
- Organizing Groups and Layers in Motion
- Background of Your Project
- Selecting Layers and Groups in the Layers Tab
- Reorganizing in the Layers Tab
- Nesting Groups Inside Other Groups
- Grouping and Ungrouping Layers
- Showing and Hiding Groups and Layers
- Fixing the Size of a Group
- Locking Groups and Layers
- Collapsing and Uncollapsing Group Hierarchies
- Renaming Groups
- Searching for Groups and Layers
- Sorting Objects in the Media Tab
- Customizing and Creating New Templates
- Basic Compositing
- Using the Timeline
- Using Behaviors
- Behaviors Versus Keyframes
- Browsing for Behaviors
- Applying and Removing Behaviors
- Modifying Behaviors
- Working with Behaviors
- Changing the Timing of Behaviors
- Animating Behavior Parameters
- Saving and Sharing Custom Behaviors
- Behavior Descriptions
- Basic Motion Behaviors
- Examples of Using Basic Motion Behaviors
- Parameter Behaviors
- Examples of Using Parameter Behaviors
- Audio, Camera, Motion Tracking, Particles, Replicator, Shape, and Text Behaviors
- Retiming Behaviors
- Retiming Behaviors Versus Timing Controls in the Inspector
- Simulation Behaviors
- Examples of Using Simulation Behaviors
- Behavior Examples
- Keyframes and Curves
- Using Text
- Using Text in Motion
- Using Text as Particle and Replicator Source Objects
- Setting Layer Duration Preferences
- Working with Text
- About Fonts
- Using the Text Tools
- Editing Text in the Inspector
- Using Text Animation and Text Sequence Behaviors
- Using Other Behaviors With Text
- Using Behaviors to Animate Text in 3D
- Animating Text with Keyframes
- Using LiveFonts
- Using Text in Motion
- Working with Particles
- Using the Replicator
- The Difference Between a Replicator and a Particle System
- Anatomy of a Replicator
- Using the Replicator
- Using Replicators in 3D
- Applying Masks to the Replicator
- Advanced Replicator Controls
- Animating Replicator Parameters
- Using the Sequence Replicator Behavior
- Using Behaviors with Replicators
- Applying Filters to Replicators
- Saving Custom Replicators to the Library
- Using Filters
- About Filters
- Working with Filters
- An Introduction to Filters
- Working with Filters
- Enabling, Renaming, and Locking Filters
- Copying, Pasting, and Moving Filters
- Reordering Filters
- Changing Filter Timing
- About Rasterization
- Blur Filters
- Blur Filters Without the Mix Parameter
- Border Filters
- Color Correction Filters
- Distortion Filters
- Glow Filters
- Keying Filters
- Matte Filters
- Sharpen Filters
- Stylize Filters
- Tiling Filters
- Working with Third-Party Filters
- Working with Generators
- Using Shapes and Masks
- The Difference Between Shapes, Paint Strokes, and Masks
- Shape and Mask Drawing Tools
- Creating and Editing Shapes
- Illustrating Using the Shape Tools
- Shape Parameters in the Inspector
- Animating Shapes
- Saving Shapes and Shape Styles
- Masking Layers to Create Transparency
- Applying Image Masks to a Layer
- Using Masks to Aid Keying Effects
- Manipulating Alpha Channels Using Filters
- Working with Audio
- Exporting Motion Projects
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Video and File Formats
- Supported File Formats
- Standard Definition Versus High Definition Video Formats
- Popular Video Codecs for File Exchange
- What Is Field Order?
- Using Square or Nonsquare Pixels When Creating Graphics
- Differences in Color Between Computer and Video Graphics
- Using Fonts and Creating Line Art for Video
- Scaling Imported High-Resolution Graphics
- Creating Graphics for HD Projects
- Working with FinalCutPro
- Using Motion with FinalCutPro
- Using Motion Templates in FinalCutPro
- Using Gestures
- Using Motion and After Effects
- Index
734 Chapter 8 Working with Particles
Additional Cell Parameters Based on the Selected Color Mode
Each of the options in the Color Mode pop-up menu displays a different set of
parameters.
Color: Color controls available when the Color Mode is set to Colorize. Use them to
specify a color to use to tint the particles. You can also modify each particle’s alpha
channel, altering its opacity. This parameter is unique to the cell object. You can click
the color well to choose a color, use the eye dropper, or open the disclosure triangle
and adjust the Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha channel sliders.
Opacity Over Life: An opacity control that appears when Color Mode is set either to
Original or Colorize. Use it to change the opacity of particles based on their age. This
control is limited to grayscale values, which are used to represent varying levels of
transparency. White represents solid particles. Progressively darker levels of gray
represent decreasing opacity. Black represents complete transparency. A simple white
to black gradient represents a particle that is solid when first generated, but which
fades out gradually over its lifetime until finally vanishing at the end. The Opacity Over
Life parameter has the following controls:
 Gradient preset pop-up menu: Gradients from the Library (default or custom)
appear in this pop-up menu. Choose a custom opacity gradient from this menu to
load it into the gradient editor.
Note: None of the default gradients have opacity gradients. If a color gradient preset
is selected, it has no effect on the opacity gradient.
 Opacity bar: To add a new opacity tag to the gradient, click anywhere within the
opacity bar. Click an opacity tag to select it, and then change its value with the
Opacity slider. To change the distribution of opacity, drag an opacity tag along the
opacity bar, or select an opacity tag and use the Location slider. Change the spread
of color between two gradient tags using the spread controls (triangles). To delete an
opacity tag, drag it away from the opacity bar until it disappears.
 Opacity slider: Changes the shade of a selected gradient tag, from 100 (opaque/
white) to 0 (transparent/black).
 Interpolation: Sets the interpolation of the selected opacity tag to Constant, Linear,
or Continuous.
 Location slider: Changes the location of the selected gradient tag relative to the
gradient bar.
Color Over Life: Gradient controls that appear when the Color Mode is set to Over Life.
Use these controls to change the color of generated particles based on their age. When
born, particles are tinted with the leftmost color in the gradient. Over their lives, their
color changes through the range of the gradient, from left to right, until finally
reaching the rightmost color at the end of their lives. The Color Over Life parameter has
the following controls: