[Don Smith]

It’s not the text, its the image mask and the rectangle in its source well that is flashing the background to full screen. I see you’re using the image mask to provide the gradient wipe to the text which seems to be the hard way to do it. Uncheck the visibility of he Image Mask and select the text and apply Behaviors > Text Basic > Fade Characters Left In. In the inspector, manipulate the Spread to get the same effect you had with the Image Mask.

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[Don Smith]

I’m not sure of what you are trying to do, but thinking out loud, you might get the effect you want by having the floor in a 2D group. Try right-clicking on the floor and grouping it by itself and make sure that group is 2D and not 3D.

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[Don Smith]

Jason.. smart thinking. Thank you.

I also had the idea of dragging the anchor data to the position data but realized that position data is absolute while anchor data is relevant. That won’t work.

So I looked at it another way and compared the anchor data with the position data. I’m not a mathematician so I can use some help here to explain, but I compared, say, a negative x position number and a negative x anchor number. The negative anchor sign means to go toward zero no matter of the sign of the position value. If the minus anchor x number passes zero then the answer would be a positive. After comparing X, Y (and Z if applicable), then I would zero the anchor position. I would then have my object in its original position and it’s anchor back home at 0,0,0.

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[Don Smith]

I’m sure my rogue anchor positions (‘rogue’ is a good description!) are the result of my own poor planning. Usually I get into flying the camera around to objects at various places in 3D space and in the process I might be changing a group but the objects in the group leave their anchors behind. Or something of that order. In working with a 3D modeling program there’s an action to reset the anchor to the center of the object and I was hoping such a command existed in Motion. Your description of making note of the position numbers of the rogue anchor and compensating in the position numbers makes sense. Thank you for that.

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[Don Smith]

UPDATE: Got the amplitude to ramp but now I seek to ramp the Oscillate Speed. With just the amplitude ramp the swing was unnatural because the speed didn’t ramp up as the amplitude with each swing decreased. I’m on a quest.

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[Don Smith]

Thank you Simon. It makes sense but I must be missing something because (if you can see the attached image) the oscillation is not being ramped although you can see the paths for each behavior in the keyframe editor.

I apply the Oscillate parameter to the X rotation of the text block.
IN THE OSCILLATION behavior inspector I apply a Ramp parameter to the Amplitude. I wind up with two Behaviors; Ramp and Oscillate.

I’ve experimented with the settings to no avail. I’ve also tried stacking the Oscillate behavior above the Ramp behavior. I either get no movement or I get oscillation without ramping.

Any clue? I appreciate your help. Your reply has made me aware that I can put a parameter on a behavior that exists because of a parameter. Thank you for that.

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[Don Smith]

Make a duplicate of the project so as to not mess up the original.

In the duplicate, try this…

Select everything. Go to the keyframe editor (the icon at the extreme bottom-right of the interface) and select all keyframes with the box icon tool selected from the left (Transform Keyframes Tool). You’ll get a selection box around all keyframes with handles on its edges.

Drag one edge inward toward the other edge. You’re reversing all the keyframes. Work those edges across each other until you get all the keyframes in reverse order.

Just thinking out loud here. This has worked well for me in smaller chunks but I’ve not tried it on a whole project. The success will depend partly on what effects you’re using.

If it works for you please return and report it. If not, please don’t report back and just let me look like I know what I’m talking about! 🙂

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[Don Smith]

Just found a great Compound Clip tutorial that’s the best I’ve seen so far. Watch the whole thing and you will be EDUCATED! I learned things I didn’t know and I thought I knew the new CC behavior well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IYxAjXr2b8&list=UU6FpoTG28AgyxVSACBD8xzA

Don Smith
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[Don Smith]

Also, here’s a MacBreak Studio video tutorial on the new Compound Clips:

https://www.rippletraining.com/categories/free-stuff.html?opened=fs-final-cut-pro-x#bottom_parth

I suspect, but do not know from experience, that if you are editing the File Browser version of a CC that has a child on the main storyline, you’ll still have to manually change the length of that child. Its only on the storyline that exposed length is set and keep in mind that whatever you do to the child is reflected in its parent and in all other instances. I suspect that you would have to first delete the CC on the story line, then edit the parent in the File Browser, then lay it back to the storyline for the new length to take effect. Otherwise, and I consider this a good thing, the length on the storyline would be respected and you will want that over the alternative. If not for that safety, then other instances of that CC throughout the storyline would also change in length when it is not desired.

Don Smith
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[Don Smith]

RE: “Don, are you saying that if you open a compound clip in its own timeline from the event browser, add some clips increasing the length, then all instances of that compound clip on their respective timelines will automatically extend to fit the new clips? Which would increase the length of any project that compound clip is in? If so, that’s a good thing to be aware of.”
– –

That’s the way its supposed to work thought I’ve not tried it out. If you want to change only that one compound clip then duplicate it and change its name and change the copy.

Here’s a full explanation from Steve Martin. Scroll past halfway down to find “Improved Compound Clips”:

https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/fcp_x_first_look_06_martin.html

Here’s a key paragraph from Steve:

“With a single-instance Compound Clip, any changes you make to copies in the Timeline (like adding an effect), are reflected in all copies in the Project and Event Library.”

Don Smith
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