Export a QuickTime movie in Motion

Export your project as a QuickTime movie file when you want to:

Use the movie file in another Apple application, such as GarageBand, Pages, or Keynote; or when you want to use it in a third-party application
Copy the movie file to an external storage device or post it to a server for a client to review
Publish the movie file to a video-sharing website such as YouTube and Vimeo

Note: You can also export your Motion 360° projects for posting on YouTube’s VR channel or Vimeo 360. See Export and share 360° projects in Motion.

Share your project as a movie file

In Motion, do one of the following:
- Choose File > Share > Export Movie (or press Command-E).
- On the right side of the toolbar, click Share, then choose Export Movie.
In the Info pane of the Export Movie window, view or modify project attributes, such as the title and description.
In the Settings pane of the Export Movie window, choose your preferred export settings:
- Format: Choose whether to export video only or video and audio.
  Note: You can also select a publishing format, including Apple Devices (such as iPhone and iPad), Computer (for playback on Mac and PC), and Web Hosting (such as YouTube or Vimeo). Your choice of format determines the options in the pop-up menus below.
- Video Codec: The source codec is chosen by default, but you may choose another codec.
- Resolution: The default frame size, defined by the Project Properties.
- Color Space: The range of color used in the exported movie. The default option (“Use canvas setting”) applies your project’s color space, but you can choose a different color space. For more information about color space, see About color space.
- Color Channels: Choose whether to output color channels (RGB) only, or color channels plus an alpha channel (transparency).
  Note: Not all codecs support an embedded alpha channel. For codecs that don’t support an alpha channel, no alpha channel is saved, regardless of the option you choose in this pop-up menu.
- Audio Format: The audio format is chosen by default based on the selected video codec. (To choose another audio format, you must choose Audio Only from the Format pop-up menu, which then only exports the project’s audio.)
- Duration: Select whether to export the entire project or a play range set in the Timeline.
- Export selected layer only: Select to export only the layer that’s currently selected in the project. If no image layer is selected, or if an object that does not render is selected (such as a rig, a light, or a camera), this option is dimmed.
- Action: Choose what you want to happen after the export is complete. See Export File destination in Motion.
  You must have Compressor installed on your system for Open with Compressor to work.
  Note: If you change the destination’s settings, the changes are saved as the default settings for the destination. See Create and modify share destinations in Motion.
In the Render pane of the Export Movie window, specify additional Motion-specific export options.
For a description of each setting in the Render pane, see Render settings in Motion.
Click Next.
Enter a name and choose a save location for the exported file, then click Save.

Share a selected object from your project as a movie file

In Motion, select an object in the Layers list or Timeline, then do one of the following:
- Choose File > Share > Export Selection to Movie (or press Option-Command-E).
- On the right side of the toolbar, click Share, then choose Export Selection to Movie.
  Note: If an object that does not render is selected (such as a rig, a light, or a camera), the Export Selection to Movie option is not available.
In the Info pane of the Export Selection to Movie window, view or modify project attributes, such as the title and description.
In the Settings pane of the Export Selection to Movie window, choose your preferred export settings:
- Format: Choose whether to export video only or video and audio.
  Note: You can also select a publishing format, including Apple Devices (such as iPhone and iPad), Computer (for playback on Mac and PC), and Web Hosting (such as YouTube or Vimeo). Your choice of format determines the options in the pop-up menus below.
- Video Codec: The source codec is chosen by default, but you may choose another codec.
- Resolution: The default frame size, defined by the Project Properties.
- Color Space: The range of color used in the exported movie. The default option (“Use canvas setting”) applies your project’s color space, but you can choose a different color space. For more information about color space, see About color space.
- Color Channels: Choose whether to output color channels (RGB) only, or color channels plus an alpha channel (transparency).
  Note: Not all codecs support an embedded alpha channel. For codecs that don’t support an alpha channel, no alpha channel is saved, regardless of the option you choose in this pop-up menu.
- Audio Format: The audio format is chosen by default based on the selected video codec. (To choose another audio format, you must choose Audio Only from the Format pop-up menu, which then only exports the project’s audio.)
- Duration: Select whether to export the entire project or a play range set in the Timeline.
- Export selected layer only: Leave this checkbox selected to export only the object selected in the project.
- Action: Choose what you want to happen after the export is complete. See Export File destination in Motion.
  Note: If you change the destination’s settings, the changes are saved as the default settings for the destination. See Create and modify share destinations in Motion.
In the Render pane of the Export Selection to Movie window, specify additional Motion-specific export options.
For a description of each setting in the Render pane, see Render settings in Motion.
Click Next.
Enter a name and choose a save location for the exported file, then click Save.

You can monitor the progress of your export in the Background Task List, and you can continue to work in Motion while the file is rendered.

When exporting is complete, a notification appears. Click the notification to display the shared file in the Finder.

Tip: When you export your project, the audio is exported according to your computer’s current audio settings. You can change the exported audio sample rate using the Audio MIDI Setup application in macOS. To do so, quit Motion, then in the Finder, choose Go > Utilities and open the Audio MIDI Setup application. In the Output pane, specify a new sample rate. When you reopen Motion, although the chosen sample rate is not displayed in the Motion share dialog, your project is exported with the sample rate set in the Audio MIDI Setup application.

Download this guide: Apple Books | PDF

Helpful?

Motion User Guide

Export a QuickTime movie in Motion

Share your project as a movie file

Share a selected object from your project as a movie file