Shadows and Rasterization
Rasterized 3D objects do not cast shadows. If you perform an action that causes a group
to be rasterized (such as modifying the group opacity or enabling the glow setting for a
text object) and you still want that group to cast a shadow, you must flatten the group.
Flattened groups act as 2D layers and can cast and receive shadows as long as they are
embedded in a 3D group. Text objects are flattened in the Layout pane of the Text
Inspector, and 3D groups are flattened in the Group Inspector. Particle systems and
replicators are flattened by deselecting the 3D checkbox in the Emitter Inspector or
Replicator Inspector.
Rasterizing causes layers to be rendered in the stacking order shown in the Layers list.
So even if the shadow-casting object is in front of the shadow-receiving object in the
Canvas, rasterizing it may cause it to change position to reflect the relative order of the
layers in the Layers list. You may need to rearrange the layer order in the Layers list to
enable the rasterized, flattened object to cast a shadow.
For more information on working with Shadows, see
Shadows
.
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Appendix A
About Rasterization
In Motion, you can create projects that integrate many media types using various formats.
Whether you’re using a Motion project preset or creating a custom setting, it’s important
to know what distinguishes one video format from another. This appendix details the
characteristics of video formats and explains the frame sizes, how interlacing works, the
difference between square and nonsquare pixels, and which frame rates correspond to
which video formats.
This appendix covers the following:
•
Supported File Formats
(p. 1417)
•
Popular Video Codecs for File Exchange
(p. 1419)
•
Field Order
(p. 1421)
•
Using Square or Nonsquare Pixels When Creating Graphics
(p. 1422)
•
Differences in Color Between Computer and Video Graphics
(p. 1424)
•
Using Fonts and Creating Line Art for Video
(p. 1425)
•
Scaling Imported High-Resolution Graphics
(p. 1425)
•
Creating Graphics for HD Projects
(p. 1426)
•
Creating Graphics for 2K and 4K Projects
(p. 1426)
Supported File Formats
Motion supports the use of various video, still image, and audio file formats in a single
project.
QuickTime Video Codecs
Motion supports QuickTime video files using nearly any codec installed on your computer,
including:
• Animation
• DV - PAL
• DV/DVCPRO - NTSC
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