Motion 5 Conceptual Questions

[kepardue]

So, I'm wondering what would make one decide to use Motion 5 over Final Cut to make a scene. In my case, I'm working on some illustrations. I'm making various components in Illustrator and will then use them in either Motion or Final Cut. My question is, since Final Cut has basic key framing capabilities, at what point should I start using Motion instead?

Also, what' the ideal way of exporting a project from Motion to Final Cut? Is there a way to just drop the Motion project in Final cut, such that if/when I update the Motion project that change is reflected in Final Cut? Should I export it with some settings that allow for a transparent background so I can lay my illustration in over a background, etc?

 

[handsome pete]

If you're doing anything other than basic keyframing and motion effects then you want to use a motion graphics program like Motion. You'll get better results, have more control/options, and it's an easier workflow.

I've always preferred to render out all of my comps from the motion graphics software and replace in the timeline rather than have Final Cut reference the Motion project. I haven't used Motion in years though.

I use AE for all of my stuff, so I can't attest to how Motion and Final Cut work together in their current state.

 

[Mr-Stabby]

So, I'm wondering what would make one decide to use Motion 5 over Final Cut to make a scene. In my case, I'm working on some illustrations. I'm making various components in Illustrator and will then use them in either Motion or Final Cut. My question is, since Final Cut has basic key framing capabilities, at what point should I start using Motion instead?

Also, what' the ideal way of exporting a project from Motion to Final Cut? Is there a way to just drop the Motion project in Final cut, such that if/when I update the Motion project that change is reflected in Final Cut? Should I export it with some settings that allow for a transparent background so I can lay my illustration in over a background, etc?

The keyframing in Final Cut is very basic. The animation starts and then stops. With Motion, even with very basic animation you have much more control. For example lets say you have an object moving from left to right on the screen. In Final Cut, all you can say is right i want this to go from left to right in 5 seconds. In Motion you can say the same thing, but you can also say for the first 2 seconds i want it to be really fast and for the last 3 seconds i want it to slow down gradually. That's just basic animation. We're not even going into the 3D animation and other clever things Motion does. Motion will automate a lot of animation processes for you, saving you a LOT of time. It's also weird just how smoother and more professional animation looks in Motion too. Animation done in Final Cut looks quite rough/amateur by comparison.

As for exporting, you can actually drag the Motion project file straight onto a Final Cut timeline and it'll work. No exporting necessary. However, i don't know if this is true of Motion 5, but in Motion 4 if you had a general Motion Blur applied to your project to give your animation a certain realistic quality, that would not transfer to a Final Cut timeline unless you exported the Motion file as a movie. If you just dragged the Motion project onto the timeline, everything else would work, but the Motion Blur wouldn't. Dunno if they've fixed that in Motion 5 or not.

 

[cgbier]

You can use your Illustrator projects as vector based files in Motion. You can rescale and reshape without losing resolution. You even can create/use paths.

for 50 bucks I wouldn't think twice if I should get it or not (in fact I even bought motion 5 BEFORE I got FCP X).