Guidelines for better template creation

To get the best results when creating custom templates, consider the following suggestions:

• Although you can drag a video clip into a placeholder layer for preview purposes, the clip’s duration can interfere with timing built into the template. For that reason, it’s better to use still images in templates when you need to preview an effect.

• Complex Motion layer effects such as particle emitters and replicators are not recommended for use in any template types, because they might negatively affect Final Cut Pro X performance.

• The first time you save a template that’s a work in progress, deselect the Save Preview Movie checkbox in the save dialog. Doing so prevents Motion from creating a movie preview each time you save the draft template. (The preview movie appears in the Motion Project Browser.) When you’re ready to save the final version of the template, select the Save Preview Movie checkbox to create the preview movie.

• When creating complex templates that involve multiple drop zones, use a Final Cut Generator or Final Cut Title template.

• As with any project in Motion, too many effects (such as filters, text objects, and so on) adversely impact performance in Final Cut Pro.

• Create animation using behaviors rather than keyframes. Behaviors are easier to modify when the template is applied in Final Cut Pro.

• Avoid publishing parameters animated with behaviors or keyframes. Published parameters allow template customization in Final Cut Pro.

• Shapes are nice graphic elements to add to a template project (outside of the placeholder), as they can be scaled without degradation. (Shapes added to a placeholder become masks). However, too many shapes in a template will adversely impact performance in Final Cut Pro.

• Ensure that “Create Layers At” in the Project pane of Motion Preferences (click Command-Comma to open Preferences) is set to “Start of project.”

• In the Motion Timeline, ensure that all filter and behavior bars extend to the end of the project.

• Before saving a template, decide whether you want to save or clear preview media, based on the following considerations:

  • Media not cleared is saved with the template, creating longer render times and consuming storage space.

  • Media saved with the template is available when the template is reopened in Motion (via the “Open in Motion” command in the Final Cut Pro media browsers), allowing you to pick up where you left off in the previous template-building session.

• When keying green screen or blue screen footage, using a keying template is not recommended. Footage should be keyed directly in its own project in Final Cut Pro or Motion. This is because the Keyer filter analyzes the footage it is initially applied to. You can render a keyed clip with its alpha channel and add the clip to a Final Cut Pro project. For more information, see Keying overview.

• Do not use image sequences when creating templates.

• If an object in a template has an applied Link Parameter behavior, do not move the object to another group. Doing so breaks the links.

• If you publish parameters for an object and then delete that object, all parameters set to be published are also deleted.

• Do not use deprecated filters (older filters that are no longer supported in Motion 5) in a template. Although the filter may render correctly in Motion, it may not render correctly after the template is applied to a Final Cut Pro clip.

• If using a third-party filter, ensure that your template contains a Project Loop End marker (or that the project’s duration is set to one frame). If the template does not contain a Project Loop End marker, the effect is re-rendered in Final Cut Pro following certain editing actions, such as blading or trimming.

• Template placeholder layers cannot be duplicated. If a group that contains a placeholder is duplicated, other objects in the group are duplicated, but not the placeholder.

• If you plan to loop template animation, or need to match the template and a Final Cut Pro project frame for frame, create the template with the same frame rate as the Final Cut Pro project. For more information on looping template animation, see Add template markers.