Tip #1466: 10 Motion Shortcuts I Wish I Knew Earlier
… for Apple Motion
Tip #1466: 10 Motion Shortcuts I Wish I Knew Earlier
Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com
Of these, moving elements up and down are SO helpful!
Over the last four weeks, I presented a series of four webinars on Apple Motion. During that time, there were several features in Motion that I thought could only be done with a mouse. And it drove me nuts, because I kept wanting “a better way!”
There was. And, naturally, I found it AFTER my webinar series was complete. Sigh…
Here are ten keyboard shortcuts that make Motion a whole lot easier to use – and ones I wish I knew a month ago. These all apply to the Layers panel.
| Shortcut | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Shift + Cmd + N | Create a new group |
| Cmd + ] | Raise the selected element or group up one level |
| Cmd + [ | Lower the selected elements or group down one level |
| Shift + Cmd + G | Place selected Layers panel elements into a new group |
| Shift + F | Display the selected element in the Media panel |
| Control + L | Lock or unlock an element |
| Control + D | Toggle a group between 2D and 3D |
| Control + T | Make selected element visible or invisible |
| Control + S | Solo the selected elements |
| Up/Down Arrow | Move selection up ordown in the Layers panel |
The shortcuts to move elements and groups up and down are the ones I’ve needed for a long time.
Hi Larry:
I too was blissfully unaware of half of these shortcuts, so thanks. In Motion though, I’m constantly making Groups, within Groups, within Groups. It’s such an essential and useful technique that I’ve re-mapped this function simply to the letter ‘G’. Why jump through hoops trying to remember and use a multiple keystroke short cut for such a critical function, when you can push just one button and be done. Cheers, and thanks for these morning tips. They’re a regular part of my morning routine, along with a cup of coffee.
Evan:
This is a good tip – I’m always cautious about mapping a single key to a shortcut – mostly because I type a lot of text. But, in Motion, this shortcut makes a lot of sense.
Larry