MacBreak Studio: Speed Ramping in Motion and After Effects

Steve Taylor and I face off once again with a "share and compare" between After Effects and Motion - this time we look at how to create a variable speed effect in both applications. To see it in iTunes click here; on the web click here.

Comments

[bogiesan]

great stuff.
More!
We want more!

[govind bhatti]

In motion 4 when i choose variable speed in properties. i dont get the two key frames in my timeline. speed variable is not working for me. can you please help me out.
regards
govind

[Mark Spencer]

You need to go to the Keyframe Editor to see the keyframes and manipulate them - you can turn them on in the Timeline as well by clicking the Show/Hide keyframes button at the bottom left of the Timeline but you can only shift them in time there. To change their values, use the Keyframe Editor tab.

[Leon Sanginiti]

Hi! This is precisely what I need to do in Motion 4, since the speed changing in FCP7 is pretty sub-standard with frame blending. However, I am having a problem every time I try it in Motion. When I import the clip into Motion from FCP, I open the properties, then click "Variable Speed" in the Time tab. When I click from "Constant" to "Variable", my image disappears off the viewer, leaving a black screen, and the clip also disappears off of the timeline. Why?? When I click back from "Variable" to "Constant", the clip reappears. It's so frustrating, and I know it's also happening to other people, because there have been posts about it, but none are ever solved. Please help, I would like to set up a slow motion ramp with Optical Flow. Thanks!!

[Mark Spencer]

Not sure what your issue is, but you don't need to do any of that. Just set up the speed ramp in FCP the way you want, and in Motion, just set the Frame Blending to Optical Flow. Motion remembers any speed changes you made in FCP.

[Leon Sanginiti]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the speedy reply. I will definitely try that tomorrow when I get to work. I thought you had to set up the ramp in Motion in order for it to work. I am still a bit perplexed why my clip disappears from the timeline when I click "Variable" in the speed selection. I have watched tutorials online and saw nothing happen to the clip when the user selected "Variable", but when I do it, the clip vanishes. I have come across at least three other comments on message boards where it has happened to others also, but no one ever comes up with a solution. I wonder if this is just a glitch?