You can launch Motion in three ways: Double-click the Motion icon in the Applications window, click the Motion icon in the Dock, or double-click a Motion project file.
The Motion interface has two primary windows: the Utility window and the Canvas window.
The Utility window has three tabsFile Browser, Library, and Inspectorthat are used, respectively, to browse, organize, and modify project elements.
The File Browser is divided into three sections: the Preview area plus an upper pane and a lower pane.
You can view files in the lower pane of the File Browser in either List view or Icon view.
The Scale slider at the bottom of the File Browser allows you to adjust the size of the icons in the lower pane of the File Browser.
To reset the Motion windows to their standard layout, choose Window > Layouts > Standard or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-U.
The Canvas window is a hands-on, interactive environment for adding, viewing, and modifying objects in your project.
You can add files to the Canvas by selecting a file and clicking the Import button in the File Browser or by dragging the file from the File Browser to the Canvas.
Adding a file to the Canvas by using the Import button in the File Browser automatically places the file in the center of the frame in the Canvas window.
Dynamic Guides are yellow lines that appear as you move objects to help you align objects to the center of the frame or to other objects.
The Create tools in the toolbar can be used to create shapes or text.
Hold down the Shift key while creating or transforming an object to constrain the proportions of the object and create a perfect circle, for example.
The Dashboard is a floating window that allows you to see and modify your objects in the Canvas.
There are three ways to display the Dashboard window: Choose Window > Show Dashboard, press F7, or press the D key.
Pressing Cmd-S saves the project, and pressing Shift-Cmd-S opens the Save As window so that you can change the name or location of a project as it is saved.
