Controls for customizing the file browser – Apple Motion 4 User Manual

Page 228

Advertising
background image

Sidebar:

This area of the File Browser displays all the hard disks and removable media

currently connected to your computer. You can also access networked volumes. Additional
icons allow you to access commonly used folders in your home folder such as the Desktop,
Documents, Movies, Music, and Pictures folders.

File stack:

Located beneath the sidebar, the file stack displays all the files and folders

within the currently selected disk in the sidebar. Clicking a folder opens its contents into
the file stack, replacing the previously displayed contents. You can navigate up and down
the current folder hierarchy using the Back and Forward buttons and the Path pop-up
menu. The file stack can be switched between list view and icon view.

Preview area:

Displays a preview of the currently selected file in the file stack. If a movie

is selected, the Play button allows you to play through the clip. Information about the
clip being previewed appears to the right of the thumbnail preview.

Back and Forward buttons:

These buttons allow you to navigate your browsing history.

Clicking the left arrow moves you to the last item browsed. Repeatedly clicking the left
arrow eventually moves you up to the first item you selected, such as the Desktop, a
partition, or your home folder. Once you have reached the beginning of your browsing
history, the left arrow is dimmed. Clicking the right arrow takes you forward in your
browsing history. If you have never opened any folders within the currently open folder
in the file stack, the right arrow is dimmed.

Path pop-up menu:

Displays the current folder hierarchy as a list, with the currently open

folder at the top, and each enclosing folder appearing underneath. “Computer” appears
at the bottom, which is the topmost directory of all disks connected to your computer.

Search field:

The Search field filters the file stack for the search terms you’ve entered.

Controls for Customizing the File Browser

Use these controls to customize the appearance of the File Browser.

File Browser divider:

Dragging this divider up and down allows you to reallocate space

between the File Browser sidebar and the file stack. Shrinking the sidebar also shrinks
each displayed icon, down to a certain point.

Icon View button:

Sets the file stack to display each file and folder as an icon. Image and

movie files are represented by a thumbnail image, while folders are represented by a
folder icon. All icons in the stack are arranged into a grid, the size of which is defined by
a scale slider at the bottom of the File Browser.

228

Chapter 6

Creating and Managing Projects

Advertising