Creating an Object at the Playhead Position

Before you add Drop Impact particles to the project, it's a good idea to understand your goal. The reality that you are trying to sell in this project is that the AquaBall is actually falling and that an actual impact occurs when the AquaBall bounces off the floor. Adding Drop Impact particles at the precise time and location of the impact will help you create this illusion of reality.

Normally, every object that you add to the Canvas automatically starts in the first frame at the beginning of the mini-Timeline. You can change the Project preferences, however, so that objects start at the current playhead position. Let's do that now so we can create the Dust Impact particles at the playhead position.

1.	Choose Motion > Preferences. The Preferences window opens.
2.	In the Preferences window, click the Project icon to view the Project preferences. Project preferences are separated into four sections: Default Settings, Time Display, Still Images & Objects, and Playback Control. The Default Settings preferences consist of the Project Duration (10.0 seconds) and Background Color (black) settings. You can change these default settings by typing a new duration or clicking the color well and selecting a new color. The Time Display settings consist of a Display Time As pop-up menu for choosing Timecode or Frames, and a Frame Numbering pop-up menu to start numbering frames from 1 or 0. The Still Images & Objects settings consist of Default Object Duration options so you can use the project duration or a custom duration amount, and Create Objects At options so you can create objects at the start of the project or at the current frame. The Playback Control settings consist of Time View Updating and audio sync and playback speed options. You'll learn more about the Playback Control settings in Lesson 9.
3.	In the Still Images & Objects section of the Project preferences window, change the Create Objects At option to Current frame, if that option isn't already selected. NOTE The Create Objects At: Current frame option works only for objects created while the playhead is paused. If the playhead is moving, the objects will automatically begin at the start of the project. The Create Objects At: Current frame option is the default setting for Motion.
4.	Close the Project preferences window.