Workspace Overview

When you open a Motion project, its workspace fills your screen. The interface is a single project window with dedicated areas that can be shown or hidden.

Figure. Full screen view of the Motion interface.

The Motion workspace contains the following major components:

File Browser, Library, and Inspector: The left side of the Motion workspace contains three panes: the File Browser, Library, and Inspector. Click the labels at the top of this area to show each pane. Use the File Browser to preview and add files to your project. Use the Library to locate and apply the effects, templates, and other content that Motion provides. Use the Inspector to modify elements in your project. For more information see File Browser, Library, and Inspector.
Toolbar: The toolbar—a horizontal gray bar spanning the center of Motion workspace—contains tools and controls for creating and editing elements in your project. The left side of the toolbar provides access to tools used to create and manipulate objects such as text, shapes, paint strokes, and masks. The center of the toolbar contains the timing display. The right side of the toolbar includes buttons to apply effects such as lights, filters, behaviors, particle systems and replicators. For more information, see Toolbar.
Canvas: The Canvas, located in the upper-right corner of the Motion workspace, is the main work area of the interface, where you can view and manipulate elements, as well as control playback of your project. The Canvas also contains the status bar and the project view options. For more information, see Canvas.
Project pane: The Project pane, located to the left of the Canvas, contains the Layers, Media, and Audio lists, which display items in your project. Click the labels at the top of this area to show each list. The Layers list shows all objects used in your composition; the Media list shows all external images, clips, and audio files linked to your project; and the Audio list displays all audio tracks in your project. The Project pane can be hidden to maximize the Canvas working area. For more information, see Project Pane.
Timing pane: The Timing pane, located underneath the toolbar, contains three modules: the Timeline, the Audio Timeline, and the Keyframe Editor. Each module lets you see and manipulate timing aspects of a project. The Timing pane can be hidden to maximize the Canvas working area. For more information, see Timing Pane.