Dive Deep into Motion's 3D World

Strap on your diving gear, we're jumping in.  Introducing the industry's first Advanced Motion 3 tutorial, “Deep Dive into 3D”.  In this 4 hour plus tutorial, Apple-certified master trainer Mark Spencer takes you on a deep-sea exploration of Motion’s 3D universe. You'll learn how to work with objects and cameras in 3D space, create virtual 3D sets, place lights, and direct your cameras using Behaviors and Keyframes. If you think working with Text, Shapes, Replicators and Particle Emitters is amazing in 2D, wait unit you see what can be created when these objects are transformed and manipulated in 3D.

This tutorial was designed specifically for current users of Motion 3 who already have a foundational understanding of the program.  Motion 3: Deep Dive into 3D is presented in 12 easy-to-follow lessons and include all the necessary project and media files for following along in your own copy of Motion.

Experience our Training on the iPad

The iPad is revolutionizing the way people access and interact with media. Video training is therefore a natural fit for people who want their training on the go or on a separate device from their main system. Because of the limited storage capacities of the iPad, we have labored to keep the movie sizes as small as possible while maintaining our high standards of image and sound quality. And perhaps best of all, you don't need to be connected to the internet to watch our tutorials on your iPad.

How Does it Work?

We realize you may have a question or two, so we created a short FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page to answer them.

Click here for FAQ

Get Your "Sea Legs" in 3D

We created this tutorial for the simple reason that many Final Cut Pro and Motion users, while comfortable working in a 2D environment, seem to get a bit "queasy" when 3D requests for 3D animations come in from their clients. If you have unspoken (or spoken) phobias about working in 3D, you'll find Mark Spencer an able captain, who approaches his subject matter with authority and humor.

Starting with the first lesson, you will learn basic 3D seamanship by mastering the 3D compass, commanding the 3D Transform Tools, and navigating your way around Motion's 3D world using Viewports and the 3D Grid. As you progress through each lesson, you will build on your knowledge to create increasingly complex 3D animations and effects. By the time you finish lesson 12 you should have the confidence and know-how to begin tackling any 3D projects you or your clients can dream up.

Create Cosmic Cubes

Understanding how anchor points work in the 3D world is the key to creating multi-sided objects such as cubes. In Lesson 5 you will build a 3D cube entirely from Drop Zones for the purpose of replacing each "side" with still or moving images.

Build Your Own Sets

With Motion's incredible 3D tools you can build virtual sets complete with lights and a keyed actor. In Lesson 7, you'll deconstruct a kitchen set from a cooking show, then spice up the scene with a realistic camera move.

Paint in the 3rd Dimension

In Motion, Particle Emitters can behave like Paint Strokes. In Lesson 9 you will learn the secret to having your paint strokes wrap around objects. This is an awesome technique to have in your hip pocket when you need to add some sizzle or sparkle to a product shot.

Trip the Light Fantastic

In Lesson 6 you will become a virtual Gaffer and learn how to light your scenes using Ambient, Spot and Point Lights. You will also learn how to animate and "gel" your lights to create different looks and moods.

Inflate Your Text

Replicators are Motion's "Secret Weapon" and knowing how to use them can open up a world of options. In addition to using them for building 3D video walls, Mark will show you his killer trick for turning flat text objects into fully extruded, 3D text objects!

Explore a Carnival of Possibilites

In Lesson 11 you will start with a single vector image of a painted horse and through the magic of Replicators you will build a fully functioning carousel then place it in a virtual "park" for your cameras to crane and dolly through. This lesson will have you falling out of your chair in amazement (and amusement).

Make Stand Up Text

Why settle for flat type on a path when you can click a magic button and have your type stand up and face the camera. When combined with a 3D Text Sequence Behavior and a Wriggle Behavior, your text will definitely "get jiggy wit' it".

It Came From Outer Z-Space

In lesson 12, you will have enough knowledge to create a "UFO" from animated Paint Strokes and Lights, then track the UFO down a rain-soaked highway built entirely from Shapes, Particle Emitters and Replicators. You'll even add realistic camera jitter as you "follow" the UFO over the southwest terrain.

These are just a few of the projects you will be creating as you dive deep into Motion's 3D universe. But there is more. A lot more. Check out the Table of Contents to see just how much stuff we packed into this training.

Who is this Tutorial for?

Anyone desiring to take their knowledge of Motion to the next level will benefit greatly from this tutorial. This tutorial was designed specifically for users of Motion 3 who already have a foundational understanding of the program. 

What's in this Tutorial?

The entire tutorial comprises 12 lessons with a running time of aproximately 4 hours. Each lesson can be viewed as a stand-alone module. However, because of the complex nature of this subject matter we recommend watching each lesson in its entirety and in order. All lessons include chapter markers so you can go back and watch the sections you need to review. All the project files and media are included with this tutorial in case you want to follow along in your own copy of Motion 3.

Table of Contents

Turning on 3D

Building 3D Sets

Animating Cameras with Behaviors

Animating Cameras with Keyframes

Building a 3D Cube

Working with Lights

Breaking Down a 3D Set

3D Text

3D Paint

3D Particle Emitters

3D Replicators

Bringing it All Together

Minumum System Requirements