Use Framing behavior onscreen controls

Use Framing behavior onscreen controls

When you select a Framing behavior in the Layers list, onscreen controls become available in the Canvas, allowing you to create a custom framing size and shape, and to visually adjust the Framing Offset and Offset Path Apex parameters.

Note: To use the Framing behavior onscreen controls, you must first assign a layer to the Target image well in the Behaviors Inspector.

Target a point other than the center of the layer

By default, the Framing behavior targets the center of the layer. You can instruct the camera to frame another area of the target layer using the Framing Offset parameter’s onscreen controls.

  1. Click the Camera pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas, then choose Perspective.

  2. Select a framing behavior in the Layers list or Timeline.

    In the Canvas, a white rectangle with four corner handles appears. This rectangle is the Framing Offset parameter onscreen control.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • Drag any of the four corner handles to adjust the Z value.

      Note: Because the onscreen controls may be imprecise, use the value sliders in the Behavior Inspector to limit value changes to the Z axis alone.

    • Drag inside the white rectangle to adjust the X or Y values.

      Canvas showing onscreen controls for Camera Framing behavior's Framing Offset parameter

Set the location of the camera motion path apex

If the Framing behavior settings create a curved camera motion path, you can adjust the vertex (the highest point of the curve) using the Offset Path Apex parameter’s onscreen control.

  1. Click the Camera pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas, then choose Perspective.

  2. With the Framing behavior selected, drag the Offset Path Apex (the small white box) along the white line that connects the red curved motion path to reposition the apex.

    Tip: If you don’t see the small white box, drag over the dolly tool (in the top-left corner of the Canvas) to zoom out a bit.

    Canvas showing 3D View tools

Offset the camera motion path

You can offset the camera’s motion path that is created by the Framing behavior using the Path Offset parameter’s onscreen controls.

  1. Click the Camera pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Canvas, then choose Perspective.

  2. With the Framing behavior selected, do one of the following:

    • Drag the green arrow to adjust the path along the Y axis.

    • Drag the red arrow to adjust the path along the X axis.

    • Drag the blue arrow to adjust the path along the Z axis.

    • Drag inside the white circle (where the colored circles meet) to adjust the path along all three axes simultaneously.

      Note: If the transform controls (colored arrows) appear within the framing onscreen controls in the Canvas, the framing is adjusted rather than the camera motion path. If this occurs, orbit the camera view so that the transform controls are offset from the framing control.

      Canvas showing 3D View tools

      For more information on the 3D transform controls, see Transform layers in 3D space