Motion 5 - Creating an Effect for Final Cut Pro X

A new, untitled Motion project opens, with the Effect Source placeholder layer selected.

4

To add a reference image to the Effects Source placeholder to preview your work, do one
of the following:

• From the File Browser or Library, drag an image onto the placeholder arrow in the

Canvas. When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button.

• From the File Browser or Library, drag an image to the Effect Source layer in the Layers

list. When the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button.

Be sure to drag the image from the File Browser or Library to the placeholder. If you
accidentally place the image into a new layer, you can’t move it to the placeholder layer.

The image is added to the Effect Source layer, replacing the arrow graphic in the Canvas,
and is resized if it is not the same size as the project. The image is temporary media used
to preview the result of the effect you are building. It is not used in the Final Cut Pro X
effect.

5

Add filters or behaviors to the Effect Source layer to create a custom effect.

The filter and behavior parameters can be modified and animated. For more information
on working with filters, see

Using Filters

. For more information on behaviors, see

Using

Behaviors

.

6

To allow Final Cut Pro users to modify specific parameters, choose Publish from the
Animation pop-up menu of each parameter you want to make accessible.

Publishing a parameter makes its user interface control (the slider, checkbox, or dial)
available in the Final Cut Pro Inspector when the custom effect is applied to a clip.
Published parameters can be adjusted and keyframed in Final Cut Pro. For more
information, see

Publishing Parameters in Templates

.

Tip: In addition to publishing specific parameter controls, you can publish the blue
activation checkboxes that appear next to filter and behavior names in Motion Inspectors.
When you publish an activation checkbox (via its Animation pop-up menu), a
corresponding checkbox appears in the Final Cut Pro Inspector, allowing users to turn
the influence of that filter or behavior on or off. For more information, see

Publishing

Parameters in Templates

.

7

Optional: When you're satisfied with the custom effect you’ve built, you can remove the
preview image from the template by selecting the Effect Source layer, then clicking the
Clear button in the Image Inspector.

The temporary image is removed from the project.

8

Choose File > Save, then do the following:

a

In the save dialog, enter a name for the template.

If you don’t specify a name, the template appears in the Final Cut Pro Effects Browser
as “New Template.”

b

Choose a category from the Category pop-up menu.

506

Chapter 11

Creating Templates for Final Cut Pro X