Tutorial: Controlling shape co-ordinates in Final Cut Pro X effects

Fox Mahoney has produced a tutorial to explain how to create control points for shapes in Final Cut Pro X effects created in Motion 5.



For an example of an effect that uses this technique, open his Mask effect in Motion.

Note that due to a bug in the Track Points behavior that this method uses, you can't animate these points in Final Cut Pro with keyframes.

Alex

Good find Alex,

Thanks for posting. I have been trying to figure this out since you have posted your 8 point mask effect but I gave up. Now I know.

In addition to this you can make on screen controls.
Here is how:


- Make a new group and call this group On Screen Controls

- In this group you add a rectangle shape the same size as you project dimensions

- In the shape properties uncheck the fill for that shape to make it invisible

- For every Track Point add any filter to that group that has on screen controls. You would need a filter with just a position on screen control, for instance the Bulge efect (in the Distort category)

- If you also want to adjust the position and rotation of the whole group that holds your shape (in the case of the tutorial that would be the triangle), you can add the Scrape filter (in the distortion category) to the On Screen Controls Group.

- Set all the mix and amount sliders of the filters to zero in the inspector, just to be sure they don't have any effect and make shure that there is a check in the "Publish OSC" checkbox.

-Rename each filter to give it a descriptive name.

- Use the Link behaviour (in the behaviours/parameter category) to link each Crosshair's position parameter to the X and Y position of one of the Bulge filters (two link behaviours per Crosshair, one for the X and one for the Y)

- In the inspector set the offset for each position parameter to - 0.5

- In the same way use Link behaviours to link the position and rotation of the group that holds your shape to the position and rotation of the Scrape filter.


Now it should work when you open the generator in FCPX (I'm writing this while I am not behind a Mac with Motion 5 on it, but I think I mentioned all steps. If not, it will at least put you in the right direction)


Cheers,
Robbert-Jan

Hello. May I use this technique if I want to add OSC to the position parameter to an rectangle square I would like to reposition in FCPX?

Thank you

Absolutely. Here's how you adapt Robbert-Jan's method:

Create an empty group for your on-screen controls:



Apply a Poke effect to the group, and publish the On Screen Control:



Set the OSC group to be Fixed Resolution:



Apply a parameter link behaviours to the Position.X and Position.Y parameters of the rectangle:



Note that as the rectangle and poke control are in different groups make sure the offset controls for the behaviours are set to -0.5.


Alex

Thank you Alex!

Hello guys. I am new here. I am trying to do this as well but link the x and y of a drop zone to an OSC. O have followed the steps above but to no avail. The closest I get...the OSC ends up in the bottom left corner.

Any help would be appreciated!

Tracey

Hello Tracey. Here is what I created maybe it can help you out if you break it apart:

Let me know if it helps!