Tip #1718: The New Stroke Filter in Motion

One of the new features in Apple Motion is the Stroke filter. This creates lovely border effects around shapes.

To experiment with this, add a shape to a Motion project. (In this example, I used a heart.)
Select the layer containing the shape.
Choose Filters > Border > Shape. By default, a red border appears. Not to worry, we’ll change it next.
Go to Inspector > Filters > Stroke.
Change the Stroke Type to Outline Gradient. This causes the gradient to radiate out from the center of the element, rather than circularly around the shape.
Now, start tweaking: colors, width, position, fades… the works.

This creates border effects ranging from tacky to lovely. It is by far the most flexible border effect in Motion.