Apple Motion 4 - Manual (Page 1130)

For example, the face in the illustration above uses a gradient, but the eyes are a different
solid color. This is only possible using two shapes.
Organizing Objects Used in Multi-Shape Illustrations
You can arrange related layers in a project into groups. When you create illustrations
using multiple shapes, it is helpful to take advantage of the organizational tools in Motion
by grouping shape layers together. In the example above, the objects that make up the
illustration are grouped by category: The shapes that comprise the face are contained in
the “face” group, the shapes that form the right eye are contained in the “right eye” group,
and so on.
Each of these groups can in turn be nested inside a larger enveloping group that can be
used to transform or animate the entire illustration.
Within each group, you can use the Bring and Send commands in the Object menu to
reorder objects, controlling which layers are in front of others. By nesting layers that
belong together within the same group, you gain the ability to control the ordering of
each shape group relative to one another. For example, spiky locks of hair should cascade
over anime eyes, and not the other way around.
For more information on controlling group and layer hierarchies, see Reorganizing in the
Layers Tab . For more information on using the Bring and Send commands, see
Arrangement Commands in the Object Menu .
1130 Chapter 17 Using Shapes, Masks, and Paint Strokes