Edit project properties

The Project object in the Layers list must be selected for the project’s Properties Inspector to be displayed. If another object is selected, that object’s properties are displayed in the Properties Inspector.

Project object selected in Layers list

Edit the properties of an existing project

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J).

    • Select the Project object at the top of the Layers list, then open the Inspector and click Properties (if that pane is not showing already).

    • Control-click an empty area of the Canvas (in the gray area outside the project) and choose Project Properties from the shortcut menu.

      The Properties Inspector opens.

  2. In the Properties Inspector, change any necessary parameters.

    Important: Project Frame Rate cannot be changed after a project is created.

    The Properties Inspector for the project contains settings for video file format, timecode display, motion blur, and other project attributes.

Change the project background color

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Choose Edit > Project Properties (or press Command-J).

    • Select the Project object at the top of the Layers list, then open the Inspector and click Properties.

      The Properties Inspector opens. Two parameters in a project’s Properties Inspector affect the background color of a project and affect how a composition appears when exported out of Motion.

  2. Set your project background properties:

    • Background Color: Use this color well to set the color appearing in the Canvas when no other object obscures the background.

      Note: To export a project with a premultiplied alpha channel, Motion always renders against black.

    • Background: Use this pop-up menu to set whether the background color is rendered as part of the alpha channel. If set to Solid, the background color creates a solid alpha channel. If set to Transparent, the background color does not render as part of the alpha channel. In either case, the background color is visible in the Canvas.

For more information about transparency, see About alpha channels.