5.5

784Motion User Guide
The inner and outer edges overlap by default; you must drag the outer (feather) edge
prior to dragging the inner (scale) edge.
Note: You can also press and hold the Shift key while adjusting the radius handles to
scale the mask uniformly.
• Adjust softness: Drag the mask’s outer edge away from the mask to feather outward,
or toward the center of the mask to feather inward.
• Adjust rotation: Drag the rotation handle to rotate the mask.
• Adjust position: Drag the center, or anywhere within the mask, to move the mask.
Convert a shape or mask to control points in Motion
You can further refine the contours of a simple shape or mask by converting its outline to
a complex shape (a spline with editable control points that allow you to adjust shape and
curvature).
Convert a simple shape or mask
In Motion, do one of the following:
• In the canvas, Layer’s list or Timeline, select a simple shape or mask (rectangle or
circle), then choose Object > Convert to Points (or press Option-Command-B).
• In the canvas, Control-click a simple shape or mask (rectangle or circle), then choose
Convert to Points from the shortcut menu.
• In the canvas, Layer’s list or Timeline, select a simple shape or mask (rectangle or
circle), then click the Convert to Points button in the Geometry pane of the Shape
Inspector or in the Mask Inspector.
If you’ve animated the curvature, radius, or size parameters, a dialog appears asking
you to confirm the conversion. The animation is not retained after the shape is
converted.
Note: Animated feather values are retained when a simple shape or mask is converted.
Red control points appear on the shape or mask. See Intro to editing control points in
Motion.
Note: The only way to convert the complex shape back to a simple shape is to use the
Undo command (Command-Z).