Apple Motion 4 - Manual (Page 1128)

• Bezier: Control points can be a mix of Bezier curves and hard angles, creating any sort
of shape. The control points of a Bezier shape lie directly on its edge.
• B-Spline: Control points are all B-Spline points, with different degrees of curvature.
B-Spline control points lie inside, outside, or on the edge of the shape, and are
connected by the B-Spline frame.
Note: To show or hide the display of the B-Spline frame, choose View > Overlays >
Lines.
Closed: If you select an open shape, this checkbox is deselected. Turning this checkbox
on connects the first and last points of an open shape. If you select a closed shape, this
checkbox is selected. Turning this checkbox off disconnects the first and last points,
converting the object into an open shape.
Roundness: Controls the roundness of the corners of a shape. This facilitates the creation
of round rectangles, as well as generally smoothing the edges of any shape.
Preserve Scale: This checkbox controls whether the Roundness setting is absolute, or
relative to the overall shape size. When this parameter is enabled, the roundness will
remain at the same approximate percentage of curvature as the object is scaled. When
it is disabled, the curvature will vary as the overall shape changes size.
Control Points: Click the disclosure triangle to display the position parameters for the
shape control points. Use the value sliders to adjust the position of a control point.
The Control Points parameter also contains an Animation menu, which allows you to add
keyframes, reset the shape’s animation, display the animation curve in the Keyframe
Editor, and so on. For more information on using the Animation menu, see
Animation
Menu .
Shape Controls in the HUD
Once a shape or paint stroke is created and selected, the Shape HUD appears.
Note: Like all other layers, you can adjust the overall opacity of a shape (with its outline)
in the Properties tab of the Inspector.
1128 Chapter 17 Using Shapes, Masks, and Paint Strokes