Apple LiveType 2 - Manual (Page 56)

56 Chapter 4 Working With Tracks
Grouping Tracks
It is often useful to group two or more tracks together, to maintain their relative
position in the Canvas. Grouped tracks can be moved in the Canvas, but they stay
together as a group. When tracks are stacked on top of each other, grouping is the
only way to move the stack as a unit.
For example, you might want to create a two-layer effect where a word fades out to
nothing, revealing the same word underneath with an animated texture applied to it.
To do this, you have to create a track that precisely overlays the original using the
Duplicate Track command in the Track menu. Now, if you want to reposition the tracks
in the Canvas, you need to group them together.
To group two or more tracks:
1 Make sure you have more than one track in the Canvas.
2 Select a track in the Canvas or Timeline.
This is now the active track, and the grouping button to the far left of the track bar is
dimmed.
3 Click the grouping button of a different track.
The link icon appears, indicating that the track is grouped with the active track (the
track you selected in Step 2).
4 In the Canvas, move either of the grouped tracks, and notice that they move together.
5 In the Timeline, click the grouping button of a third track.
Now three tracks are grouped together.
To ungroup tracks:
m Select one of the grouped tracks, then click the grouping button of the track you want
to ungroup.
The link icon disappears, and the tracks can now be moved independently.
Note: Grouped tracks maintain their relative position, but their contents can still be
altered and moved. If you drag a grouped track, other tracks belonging to the group
move too. However, if you drag a glyph that resides on one of the grouped tracks, the
glyph moves independently. Its Offset parameter is being changed while the track
itself stays put.
Active track
Grouping button