Apple Motion 5.8 And Compressor 4.8 Updates

 With Final Cut Pro 10.8, Apple also update Motion to 5.8 and Compressor to 4.8.

Like FCP, Motion 5.8 gets Enhance Light and Color Filter powered by machine learning. But no sign of Smooth Slo Motion powered by ML. Hmmm. Testing soon. The rest is mostly (and welcomed) bug fixes.

Compressor 4.8 gets bug fixes, spacial video enhancements and new Canon codec support.

And that is all folks.

Final Cut Pro 10.6.6, Compressor 4.6.4, Motion 5.6.4 Updates

Cheers to FCP 10.6.6. update, release by Apple today. As always out of the blue, although people who follow these kind of things, like Richard Taylor at fcpx.tv, said an update was coming on Tuesday, and there it is.

Like Rich, I wish Apple put more dedication and enthusiasm into developing FCP new features and improvements, instead of branching into a subscription only iPad version. 😩

macOS Monterey 12.6, or more recent. Small update better than no update I suppose. Here is what's new (I'm skipping the iPad blah, because at this point I don't care about it.):

• Automatic HDR/SDR color management with tone mapping. This should be helpful.
• New titles, effects and generators. We'll see how nice they are.
• Color Adjustment effect with presets. Hmmm, kinda like under the previous bullet point isn't it? I hope it's not too gimmicky.
• Again falls under the second bullet point. Scene Removal Mask to remove bkg without green screen. AI powered I assume, we'll see if it's any good.
• ProRes RAW Settings window. That's good. I hope it gives access to all the tweaks available.
• ProRes RAW plug-ins from various camera manufacturers. OK.
• HEVC export up to 8K, hardware accelerated on silicon Macs. I like.
• Export to EXR with Alpha channel. I don't care, but OK.
• Handful of bugs fixed.

Compressor gets updated to v4.6.4. A few improvements: auto center crop, Copy/Paste files now allowed, improved IMF packages, auto surround channels labelling when using command line. What an obscure last entry!

Motion gets updated to v5.6.4. Nothing to get excited about really: auto color processing for better HDR/SDR workflow between Motion and FCP, HDR optimized color processing, no green screen background removal, improved playback/export times on silicon, improved Slice Scale filter, stability improvements.

All right, well I shall update soon as I am in between projects, and I'll report when I get cutting / compressing / motioning on these new versions.

Apple, it's getting boring other here in Pro Apps land... iPad version, who cares? You're getting lazy, imitating Resolve/Blackmagic design, and not leading anymore. Wake up!

Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 10.6.5

 Oh my! The updates of FCP, Motion and Compressor are here!

FCP, Motion, Compressor, free updates.

FCP goodies

Compressor goodies. Darn! Some of them require MacOS Ventura.

Motion goodies

Nothing major, just bug fixes and acceleration. I'll take it!

Apple Pro Apps and Apple Pro Video Formats Updates

Apple Pro Apps, Final Cut Pro, Compressor and Motion got an update on 11/15/18, showing up in App Store:

Apple Pro Video Formats 2.0.7 is also showing up in the Software Update on Mojave:

FYI here are the differences between 2.0.6 and 2.0.7:

How to render Apple Motion Projects by dropping them directly into Apple Compressor

I don't know if a lot of users are aware of this: you can render a Motion Project by dropping the file directly into Compressor.

I am working on a project with a really tight deadline and lots of graphics. To speed things up I am rendering graphics in Motion at Draft Quality settings, dropping them into the cut in order to expedite a screener for client approval.

For the final version though,  I want to re-render all my graphics at Better Quality settings, which is more time consuming.

Instead of loading each graphic into Motion, changing the settings to Best, and hitting Command+E, waiting for the render to complete, closing the project, opening the next one... There is a better option. It's kind of like "Send to Compressor", but better.

Open all Motion projects and switch the settings to Best and save them all. Then grab all the Motion Projects files and drop them into Compressor. Select the Preset, select the destination and let Compressor batch rendering! Much faster and streamlined.

Unfortunately, prior to batch rendering with Compressor, you must save each Motion project with the actual Render settings you want Compressor to render at. If the Project is set to render at Batch Quality inside Motion, that's what Compressor will render at. That's kind of a limitation.

There should be a way to override the Motion Render settings inside of Compressor, even better, since Compressor "understands" Motion project files, we should have access to all the Motion Render settings in the Job window inside Compressor. That would make this workflow more efficient, but I am not seeing anything of the sort.

 If you have a tip, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Apple Motion: Smooth Motion Path + Grow/Shrink settings

A combination of Motion Path + Grow/Shrink is an animation I often use. The default setting for the Grow/Shrink behavior is "Natural Scale" which is great. But the default setting for the Motion Path behavior is "Constant". Combined as-is, the results are often completely off.
In combination with Grow/Shrink "Natural Scale", I find that the better setting for Motion Path is "Decelerate".

Apple Motion Wobbling Text in PDF

I animated a PDF page of Text created in Adobe Illustrator, exported as PDF into Apple Motion, and even though I unchecked "Fixed Resolution" for the Media, it animated badly. The text was all wobbling and unstable as I scaled up/down and moved around.

I was cursing Motion again, until I read the chapter on PDF (p.240) in the Motion User Guide:

Mixed Content Within PDF Files
Although PDF files can simultaneously contain PostScript-based art, PostScript text, and bitmapped graphics, all of these types of image data do not scale the same. PostScript-based art and text scale smoothly, but bitmapped graphics that are embedded in a PDF file are subject to the same scaling issues as any other bitmapped graphics format. As a result, they may soften if scaled larger than their original size.

Ah, ah! Spot on! I was using an Adobe TypeKit font. As soon as I changed it to an OpenType font... Perfect!

User beware!

Has anyone found a solution to Apple Motion banding Light Object???

Here I am outputting some Motion (5.3.2) graphics with light, and again it has banding all over the exported QT file. 😩

Doesn't matter if it's set to Normal, Best, with or without Alpha, ProRes 422, ProRes4444XQ, Normal Gamut, Wide Gamut, export directly from Motion, send to Compressor, Dither, Anti-Alias - They all fail and they all have nasty banding! Why?

This is a year later and this problem is still not fixed. Actually, a quick Google search shows this problem creeping as early as 2011.
https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/170/870329
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3310058?start=15&tstart=0
http://www.fcp.co/forum/4-final-cut-pro-x-fcpx/16928-prores-banding-in-quicktime-player-not-in-motion-or-fcpx
https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/344/39931

That was the early Motion version 5, we are now at 5.3.2

Anyway, as it is Motion is useless as soon as you want to lit your scene. No light, all is good and dandy. Add a Light Object, all goes down to the drain 'cause... ugly banding.

And no, adding noise is not a fix. Adding noise does not clean the banding away. It just adds noise and your graphic is all dirty instead of clean with a smooth gradient.

Indeed, exporting using Compressor Settings and selecting Animation Codec results in a smooth gradient. And because of the codec, QT Player has to convert the file before opening it.

Mind you it looks perfect in Motion's Canvas, but on QT export, ugly banding all over. Exporting a single frame as TIFF or PNG looks just fine though. So why? Why can Motion export a still perfectly but not a .mov?

See for yourself (click on images to see larger versions):

Motion Canvas, just fine.

QT export (ProRes4444XQ Best) - Terrible ugly BANDING!

Exported as single PNG - No banding, looks just fine

Rahhh! Now I have to recreate my graphics in After Effects.

I resubmitted feedback to Apple. Do so yourself if this is driving you crazy as well.

How to Copy and Paste keyframes from Object to Group in Apple Motion

You might think that's not possible to copy keyframes from an object to another object or a Group in Motion, but it is totally doable.

The trick is to first Select the Object in the Keyframe editor. By default it is not selected and the Paste function does not work.

Keyframes added on the Circle Object

Select all (Command A) and Copy (Command C)

Trying to Paste to a different Group or Object (Command V), nothing happens :((, no Keyframes added. That's because you must first select the Group or Object.

First Select the Group, then Paste, Boom! Keyframes added.

First Select the Rectangle Object, then Paste... Wham! Keyframes added!

How to Fade in/out completely with Ramp Behavior applied to a Bezier Shape in Motion 5.3.2

If you've applied a Fade in/out to an Bezier Shape that also has a Ramp Behavior you will notice that the Fade does not start at 0 and does not end at 0. In other words, the Bezier Shape is still visible on the first and last frame.

See below, I have a Bezier Shape with a Ramp and a Fade in/out applied to it.

Without a Ramp Offset, the Fade does not start at 0 = my Shape (Arrow in the Viewer) is still visible on the first frame

In order to start with the Shape completely invisible on the first frame and disappear entirely on the last frame you must adjust the Ramp Behavior by adding one frame at the Start Offset and End Offset.

With a Ramp Offset of 1, the Fade starts at 0 = my Shape is invisible on the first frame in the Viewer.

Detail of the Start and End Offsets for the Ramp Properties.

Final Cut Pro 10.3.2 !!!

Apple updates Pro Apps across the entire line!

The new Final Cut Pro (10.3.2) is out!

So are updates of Compressor (4.3.1), Motion (5.3.1) Logic Pro X (10.3) and Garage Band (10.1.5)

Final Cut Pro puts a big emphasis on the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar:
http://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/whats-new/
http://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/what-is/
http://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/resources/
http://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/specs/
The ecosystem is featured:
http://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/resources/ecosystem.html
Supported cameras:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204203

Motion is still a 2D app with limited 3D for text:
http://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/motion/

Compressor - Where is h265? Maybe I missed it:
http://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/compressor/

Logic:
http://www.apple.com/logic-pro/


Note that Pro Video Formats (2.0.5) was updated on Jan 1:
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1898?locale=en_US

From Pro Video Formats (2.0.4):
https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1396?locale=en_US

Premultiply Alpha...

I just got bit by the Premultiply Alpha option in the Motion Export... Or so I thought:

What happened?  I edited my graphics into FCPX Timeline, and added Basic Titles above them, as seen in the below Timeline:

While cutting and previewing, all was fine (I never render in FCPX, Background Render is always turned OFF.)
After Exporting though, there were jumps in the background colors when the Titles appeared on-screen:

Clearly, before the Title shows up, the Background color is darker (wrong.)

When the Title pops up, the Background color changes.

Why you would ask?  Well, I had a semi transparent background in my Motion graphics, that's why.

OK, so I thought let's Export WITHOUT Premultiply Alpha.  I did and I got this:

Here it's all good, no changes before / after the Title.

Could it be that the proper way to export from Motion in this case is without Premultiply Alpha?  ...

Turns out, I should have added a Background to my graphics in FCPX!   Like so, in this case a Custom Generator (set to black):

The results:

All good this time!

Apple Motion exports an animated flat background illuminated with Spot or Point light + falloff with bad banding

In Apple Motion (5.2.2) I use a Point or a Spot light with Falloff on a flat animated background. In the Canvas it all looks great, no banding. (There really is no banding on my display, unlike on this page where I can see some, thanks to crap Google conversion of my image.)

When I export to ProRes4444 or 422, whatever, and I play the file into QT or FCPX it has banding all over.

What the hell is this?

I have to add noise onto my background to get rid of the banding, but I should not have to do that with 10 bit output & Best settings. It's there no matter the color, more visible with blue.

After Effects outputs a CLEAN gradient in a similar setup: spot light on a flat bkg., CLEAN as it should be.

What's with the crappy Fallout Spot and Point lights? Apple FIX THIS please!

App Store Confusion

--- Update: As of 3-8 this issue has been fixed.

The App Store is showing an update for Motion 5.2.3 even though Motion 5.2.3 has already been installed... Annoying.

Apple Motion - How to stop (hold frame) the Numbers Generator

Trying to Hold Frame on the Text Generator - Numbers, does not register in Apple Motion.

I wanted to have a ramp and then hold onto the last number, but no go as the Hold Frame Effect has no traction on the Generator, nor on a Group containing the Generator.

The solution: uncheck the Animate checkbox in the Text Generator/Generator, and then add keyframes to Values, voilà!

Now I wanted to have 2 digits at a larger size than the 2 decimals, but I can't find a way to do this easily. I suppose I can always animate two sets of digits, the second one being smaller and then group them together to simulate a single counter, but it's a bit long and convoluted.

Tip anyone?

Apple Motion 5.1.3 and FCPX 10.2.1 crash when using CMYK slider in Color Picker

I have a precise color I need to use and the reference is in CMYK.
I am able to switch the Colors selector from RGB Sliders to CMYK Sliders, but when I try to adjust a slider, Motion crashes, FCPX as well.

Are you too experiencing this? Obviously others do:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7031542
https://discussions.apple.com/message/28249186#28249186

Update:
I thought I could workaround this bug by doing this:
Open Textedit, select Format / Font / Show Colors.
That will open the Color Picker floating window identical in all Apps including Motion and FCPX.
Go to CMYK Sliders, and create your colors without crashing, save them in the color swatches (buckets).  Then go back to Motion, FCPX - the colors are there in their buckets, ready to use.
Except that when I pick one of these newly created color swatch, Motion CRASHES.
So no luck...

But then, I had this idea:
Open Textedit, select Format / Font / Show Colors.
That will open the Colors floating window identical in all Apps including Motion and FCPX.
Go to CMYK Sliders, and create your colors without crashing, SWITCH the slider to RGB slider, THEN save your color in the color swatches.  Go back to Motion, FCPX - the colors are there in their buckets, ready to use.
This time, no crash! But, come on Apple, can you fix this please.
From there You can create a new Palette and save and organize your new colors.
---
PS: I can't find a way to "erase" a color swatch (bucket). It seems the only thing one can do is replace a color with another, but no way to drag out a color to empty the swatch. Has someone found a way? Let me know.
PS update: Drag a color swatch to another and that'll empty it. So basically all buckets can be erased but one.

Update:
Apple has corrected this bug in FCPX v10.2.2. Thanks!

Import Adobe Illustrator .ia file into Apple Motion

Illustrator files import fine into Apple Motion, but they need to be in RGB color mode.

CMYK does not import properly, colors are off.

Apple Motion 5 is pissing me off

Each time I forget to save and I playback the Timeline up to the end, it CRASHES.

Like it's trying to loop but it can't (why?) and gets stuck. I have to turn Loop Playback off or else it crashes.

Why? Why???  I want to be able to loop playback, instead of having to click constantly to reset the playhead.

And I don't want to save after every move, and I don't want to commit to a move right away, most of the times I want to micro adjust / undo / redo multiple times before I'm happy and finally hit Save.

Is it too much to ask?

Apple Motion adjust Timeline duration

    To adjust Timeline duration in Motion:
- Click on the arrow located right to the counter display.
- From the drop down menu select: Show Project Duration.
- Adjust time by click+dragging into the HH:MM:SS:FF display.
- Then click on the arrow again and select back to Show Current Time to display cursor position.

Apple Motion and FCPX

I cannot import Motion files into FPX the way I did with FCP7.  But on Apple's website it says:
"Shared Render Engine
Final Cut Pro shares a render engine with Motion and Compressor for consistent speed and quality. The shared engine allows Motion templates to play back in Final Cut Pro without rendering. The engine renders in linear-light color space for exceptionally realistic results.

Well Motion templates, not really useful at this point.  But then it also says:
"Shared Render Engine
Motion shares a render engine with Final Cut Pro and Compressor for consistent speed and quality across applications. The engine allows Motion projects to play back in Final Cut Pro without rendering, so you can get to work immediately."

Motion projects, OK great! But HOW??? Templates?  I don't see this working.