Basic Motion Behaviors

Lets you dissolve into and out of any object. The Fade In/Fade Out behavior affects the opacity of the object to which it is applied, fading from 0 percent opacity to 100 percent opacity at the beginning of the object, and then back to 0 percent opacity at the end. You can eliminate the fade-in or fade-out effect by setting the duration of either to 0 frames.

Note: This behavior is multiplicative. This means that the Fade In and Fade Out parameters are multiplied by the object’s current opacity to produce the resulting level of transparency.

The Fade In/Fade Out behavior is useful for introducing and removing elements you’re animating in a project. For example, you can apply the Fade In/Fade Out behavior to text that moves across the screen to make it fade into existence, and then fade away at the end of its duration.

Note: Fade In/Fade Out behavior cannot be applied to a camera or light.

Use the Grow/Shrink behavior to animate the scale of an object, enlarging or reducing its size over time at a speed defined by the Scale Rate or Scale To parameter. The Grow/Shrink effect begins at the object’s original size at the first frame of the behavior.

Note: The Grow/Shrink behavior cannot be applied to cameras or lights.

Note: The vertical and horizontal growth rates can be set to independent values, for asymmetrical effects.

The Grow/Shrink behavior is a good one to use with high-resolution graphics to zoom into an image, such as a map or photograph. You can also combine this behavior with the Throw or Wind behavior to pan across the image while zooming into it.

The Grow/Shrink behavior can also be used to emphasize or de-emphasize images in your project. You can enlarge objects to make them the center of attention, or shrink an object while introducing another to move the viewer’s eye to the new element.

The Motion Path behavior lets you create a 2D or 3D motion path for an object to follow. When you first apply the Motion Path behavior, it defaults to an open spline—a straight line defined by two points at the beginning and end of the motion path. You can also choose from preset path shapes, such as a closed spline, loop, rectangle, or wave, or use a shape to define a path. A shape used as the source for a motion path can be animated.

You can modify the motion path in 3D space so an object travels on the path along the path’s X, Y, and Z axes. For more information, see Adjusting a Motion Path in 3D Space.

The first point on the path is the position of the object in the Canvas at the first frame of the behavior. Option-click anywhere on the path to add Bezier points, which allow you to reshape the motion path by creating curves.

Note: To show or hide the motion path, choose Show Overlays from the View pop-up menu in the status bar. (The Animation Path option shows and hides the animation paths of other behaviors.)

When you play the project, the object moves along the assigned path. The speed at which the target object travels is defined by the duration of the behavior. Speed is also affected by the Speed parameter, which lets you modify the object’s velocity—adding acceleration and deceleration at the beginning and end of the behavior, for example. You can also create a custom preset defining how the object travels along the path.

Note: When you switch between the Path Shape options, the Inspector and the HUD display parameters specific to the selected option.

The Motion Path behavior is an easy way to create predictable motion without using the Keyframe Editor. It’s also a great way to create reusable motion paths that you can save in the Library for future use.

When the Motion Path behavior is added to an object, the Adjust Item tool is selected, allowing you to modify the default path in the Canvas by adding points and using the Bezier (or B-Spline) controls attached to each point to adjust each curve. You can also move and resize preset motion path shapes, such as a rectangle or wave, in the Canvas.

The Move behavior places a point in the Canvas that creates a specific location for an object or group to move toward or away from in a straight line.

In the following illustration, an Orbit Around behavior is applied to the airplane shape.

In the next illustration, a Move behavior is added to the airplane shape. The destination point of the Move path is positioned in the center of the circle. While the airplane circles around (obeying the Orbit Around behavior), it is also drawn to the center of the target (obeying the Move behavior), creating a spiraling motion path.

When the Point At behavior is applied to an object or group, you can specify a target point for the affected object to turn toward.

This behavior aligns the rotation of an object to match all changes made to its position along an animation path. This behavior is meant to be combined with behaviors that animate the position of an object, or with a keyframed animation path you create yourself.

In the following example, a graphic of an airplane is shown travelling a spiral motion path. On its own, the orientation of the graphic doesn’t change, because only the Position parameter is affected.

If you add the Snap Alignment to Motion behavior to the airplane graphic, the Rotation parameter is affected so the graphic points in the direction of motion, without the need for additional keyframing.

Apply the Spin behavior to animate the rotation of an object, spinning it around a single axis. Using the Custom axis controls, the rotation does not have to occur on a principle axis (X, Y, or Z). If you trim the end of the Spin behavior to be shorter than the duration of the object to which it is applied, it remains at the angle of the last frame of the behavior, as long as there are no other behaviors or keyframes affecting that object’s Rotation parameter.

Uses for Spin are fairly obvious, but another way to use the Spin behavior is with objects that have an off-center anchor point. Because objects rotate around the anchor point, if you change an object’s anchor point before you apply a Spin behavior to it, you can change the look of the motion you create. For more information on changing an object’s anchor point, see Using the Anchor Point Tool.

Note: Although the Spin behavior appears in the Basic Motion category, Spin is treated as a Simulation behavior in Motion’s order of operations. For more information, see Behavior Order of Operations.

The Throw behavior is the simplest way of setting an object in motion. Controls let you adjust the speed and direction of a single force that’s exerted on the object at the first frame of the behavior. After this initial force is applied, the object continues drifting in a straight line at the same speed, for the duration of the Throw behavior.

A simple example of using the Throw behavior is to send a series of offscreen objects moving across the screen. When used in conjunction with other behaviors such as Grow/Shrink and Fade In/Fade Out, you can create sophisticated moving elements without keyframing a single parameter.

The Throw behavior is also useful when you’re moving an object through a simulation. For example, you might move the object past other objects that have Attractor or Repel behaviors applied to them. Because the Throw behavior only applies a single force to move the target object at the initial frame of the behavior, any other behaviors that interact with the target object have potentially greater influence over its motion.

Important: The Throw behavior does not apply a continuous force, nor can you create changes in direction or speed, because Throw cannot be keyframed. To create keyframed changes in direction or speed, use the Wind behavior. To create a more complex animation path, use the Motion Path behavior.