Jim Kanter
Forum Replies Created
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The video card has the biggest overall impact on Motion’s performance. Did you get the upgrade to the x800 or 6800 video card? The stock 9650 isn’t particularly good for banging on Motion.
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
Have you tried importing the motion project directly into AE instead of an image sequence?
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
You can also add an image mask to any object and use any object with alpha (edges) to become that mask. You can continue to modify the original shape object (including animating it) and have it immediately update the mask.
Example:
Add a video clip to the project.
Add a rounded rectangle to the project (from Library > Shapes).
Manipulate it so it is the right shape for the mask.
Select the video clip and choose Object > Add Image Mask.
Drag and drop the rounded rectangle object onto the Image Mask element of the video clip.
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
If you are happy with AE, then consider SOME of Motion’s strengths:
– REAL TIME design. Watch parameters value changes update immediately while the project is playing. A wonderful feature when the client is sitting in and giving guidance or you don’t want to waste too much time while noodling around ideas. It also encourages experimentation.
– Real time particle system. ‘Nuff said.
– Behaviors which allow animation that would be difficult (or near-impossible) using traditional keyframing techniques.
– Pre- and post-keyframe control allows repetitive animation with a minimum of keyframes.
– Replicator for easy and quick pattern design.
– Lots of pre-built library items like backgrounds, lower-thirds, etc.
– Roundtrip integration with other apps, including AE.
– Float color space (invaluable for HD and film work as well as more accurate color control).
– Relatively low learning curve.
– Ease of working with animated shapes. Jumping between linear, bezier and b-spline shape control allows a lot of experimenting and control.
I use both for the strengths of each — it’s not a one-or-the-other situation. Motion is an excellent design tool that plays well with others and can save a lot of time. It’s also just plain fun to play with. It’s not the be-all and end-all of motion graphics tools, and its pretty hefty hardware requirements keep it out of reach of many with older systems. I expect that it will continue to become a powerhouse application that is in the toolkit of more and more motion graphics professionals, and Apple and Adobe will continue to make our jobs easier to create better content with both cooperative and competitive tools. Choice and variety are good when selecting the right tool for the job, and competition keeps everyone moving forward.
Only you decide whether or not this tool will give you an advantage in the type of work you do. Personally, I like to try out any tool that might help me be more creative as well as productive. Use the 30-day demo and see for yourself.
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
Rick,
In FCP5 is your Motion Filter Quality rendering set to BEST? The new algorithms should help out rendering a scale change. Check your sequence settings.
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
What settings have you tried?
What is the material that is scaled down.
Can you post a before-after frame to show exactly what you mean?
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
This solution may be a little cheesy (yes, pun intended), but try this:
Create some mouth shapes for different phonemes then composite them on the mouth area so they change every few frames. Here’s a link to some animation frames that might help:
https://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=23581&rl=1
If the head moves to the side or up/down, use the distort tool to change the perspective.
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
1. Make sure the CAPS LOCK key is off.
2. Check to make sure the canvas is not set to display ALPHA. Sounds like you are looking at the Alpha channel information. Look at the spinner buttons at the top right of the canvas window below the icons. 2nd from the right should say COLOR or TRANSPARENT. If it says ALPHA, that’s the problem.
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
How about Smartsound Sonic Fire Pro? Makes clips the exact length you need. Can preview and download new clips as you need them.
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com -
Flip book animations are pretty quick. Can’t say I’ve tried doing it his way (6-frame clumps).
Boinx software makes a nice stop-frame recording app that works with webcams like iSight, but they are not HD resolution.
Tried stop-frame animation in film school and decided to leave it to the likes of Aardman, Mike Johnson, and Ray Harryhausen.
Some things are best just appreciated and not attempted!
Jim Kanter,
Digital Film Institute
http://www.dfilminst.com