Visual QuickStart Guide [Electronic resources] : Final Cut Express HD for Mac OS X

1.

In the Timeline, select a sequence clip; then position the playhead on the first frame in your clip.

2.

Make the Canvas active; then choose 12% from the Zoom pop-up menu and Image+Wireframe from the View pop-up menu (Figure 15.46 ).

3.

To add the first keyframe, click the Add Motion Keyframe button in the Canvas.

Final Cut Express sets the first keyframe across all motion parameters for that sequence frame.

4.

In the Canvas, drag the wireframe's center handle to the left until the right side of the wireframe aligns with the left edge of the black background. Hold down the Shift key while you drag to constrain the motion path. This makes it easier to drag in a straight line.

Your clip is now positioned just off the screen, at the left (Figure 15.47 ).

5.

In the Timeline, position the playhead on the last frame in your sequence clip.

6.

In the Canvas, click inside the wireframe and Shift-drag the wireframe to the right. Drag the wireframe across the black background until its left side aligns with the right edge of the black background.

As you drag, the motion path appears across the center of the screen. The white line indicates the motion path of your clip's center point (Figure 15.48 ).

7.

To preview your motion path, hold down the Option key while you scrub the Canvas Scrubber bar from side to side.

8.

If your computer supports real-time previewing, you can play your moving clip immediately. If not, you must render before playback. Select the clip; then choose Sequence > Render Selection > Video.

• When your clips and motion paths are so spread out that you need to make the Canvas or the Viewer view smaller than the smallest level listed on the Zoom control (12%), choose Fit All, which will zoom the view out enough to fit all elements of your multilayered composited sequence within the window.

1.

If you don't already have a sequence clip with a motion path applied, follow steps 1 through 6 in the previous task, "To create a motion path in the Canvas."

2.

To create a curve in your straight motion path, click the motion path and drag in the direction you want the path to curve.

As you drag the motion path into a curve, additional keyframes appear on the motion path automatically; the keyframes have little handles, called Bézier handles, which you use to sculpt the motion path's curves (Figure 15.49 ).

3.

Click the Canvas Play button to play back the first draft of your edited motion path.

4.

To adjust the curve, click a keyframe's Bézier handle; then

do any of the following:

• Drag the handle away from the keyframe to deepen the curve.

• Drag the handle toward the keyframe to reduce the curve.

• Rotate the handle to change the direction of the curve relative to that keyframe (Figure 15.50 ).

  Figure 15.50. Rotate the handle to change the direction of the curve relative to that keyframe.

• Command-drag to restrict rotation to one side of the curve (Figure 15.51 ). Release the Command key to set the new relationship between the two curves.

  Figure 15.51. Command-drag to restrict rotation to one side of the curve.

1.

Choose the Selection tool from the Tool palette.

2.

In the Canvas, hold down the Command and Shift keys; then place the pointer near the motion path that you want to reposition.

The Selection tool turns into a Hand pointer when you position it correctly (Figure 15.52 ).

3.

Drag the motion path to a new position.

The entire motion path repositions but does not change its shape or timing (Figure 15.53 ).