About high-resolution still image files

You can import still image files using most popular still image formats, including SGI, Photoshop, BMP, JPEG, TIFF, TGA, and JPEG-2. As with video clips, you can mix still image files with differing frame sizes and pixel aspect ratios. For a full list of eligible file types, see Supported media formats.

A common and effective use of still images in motion graphics work is the animation of high-resolution files. The dots per inch (DPI) qualification as defined in programs like Photoshop does not apply to video. If the dimensions of an imported image are larger than the frame size of the Motion project, the image extends beyond the borders of the Canvas.

You can reduce the scale of the image to fit the project’s frame size. You can also animate the image’s Scale parameter (in the Properties Inspector) to zoom into or out of the image, or animate its Position parameter to pan the image.

Because Motion is graphics-card dependent, file-size import limitations vary from computer to computer. When you import an image that is too large, an alert dialog appears, stating: “This media is too large to render at full resolution, and will be shown at a lower quality.” Click OK to import the image at a lower quality. For more information on recommended graphics cards, visit the Motion website at http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/motion.

For guidelines about working with high-resolution graphics, see About high-resolution graphics.

When you import a still image, the image assumes a duration equal to the current duration of the project. Increasing the duration of the project does not increase the duration of an image that’s imported. Still images have infinite duration in Motion, so you can stretch them in the Timeline to be as long as necessary. For more information about modifying objects in the Timeline, see Timeline overview.