Apple Motion 5.1.1 - Manual (Page 257)

Chapter 8 Timeline 257
Adjust the height of the tracks
Do one of the following:
m Drag a row separator between two layers in the Timeline layers list up or down to modify the
vertical size of the tracks.
m Choose a new size from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the Timeline layers list. Options
include Mini, Small, Medium, and Large.
Customize track display
Motion offers several different ways to display objects in the track area of the Timeline. You can display
just the name of the object, which reduces the height of the track, allowing you to see many tracks at
once. You can choose to show the name of the object plus a thumbnail image, which provides quick
visual feedback about the content of the object. Or you can display a track as a filmstrip, a series of
sequential thumbnails that provide visual feedback about the content of an object over time.
Customize the track display
1 Choose Motion > Preferences (or press Command-Comma) to display the Preferences window.
2 Click the Appearance icon.
3 In the Timeline section, choose an item from the Timebar Display pop-up menu.
Choices include Name, Name Plus Thumbnail, and Filmstrip.
4 Click the close box to close the Preferences window.
The objects are displayed according to your choice.
Name objects in the Timeline layers list
Masks, shapes, particles, and other content you generate in Motion are created with generic names.
However, you can assign custom names to better manage and keep track of objects while you work.
Rename an object in the Timeline layers list
1 In the Timeline layers list, double-click the name of the object.
2 Enter a new name in the editable text field.
3 Press Return or Tab.
Although Motion lets you rename objects you import from your disk, changing the object’s
name in the Timeline layers list does not modify the name of the file on disk. Therefore, you can
use one source clip multiple times, assigning a unique name to each instance inside Motion.
Manage track order
The Timeline layers list provides you with the tools to control layer order. In 2D groups, the
topmost track in the list appears on top of other layers in the Canvas. You might need to
rearrange the order of objects in your project to get the effects you want.
Rearrange layers in a group
1 In the Timeline layers list, drag the layer icon you want to move to a new position between the
other tracks.
67% resize factor