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Adjust position, scale, and rotation

Use the Motion effect to position, scale, or rotate a clip within the video frame. To animate clips, you must set keyframes for Motion properties.

By default, each clip that you add to a Timeline panel has the Motion effect applied as a fixed effect. You can view and adjust the Motion effect properties in the Effect Controls panel by clicking the triangle next to the Motion name. Motion properties can be directly manipulated in the Program Monitor or using the controls in the Effect Controls panel. Motion properties can be controlled with Bezier handles.

By default, a clip appears at 100% of its original size in the center of the Program Monitor. Position, scale, and rotation values are calculated from the clip anchor point, which lies at the clip’s center by default.

Because the Position, Scale, and Rotation properties are spatial in nature, it’s easiest to adjust them directly in the Program Monitor. When you click the Transform icon  next to the Motion effect in the Effect Controls panel, handles appear on the clip in the Program Monitor that let you directly manipulate the clip and adjust the Motion effect properties. Although the clip anchor point also appears in the Program Monitor, it can be adjusted only in the Effect Controls panel. However, the Program Monitor updates any changes to the clip anchor point as you make them.
Program monitor

A.
Motion path keyframe

B.
Handle

Standard effects that allow direct manipulation of clips in the Program Monitor include all the Generate effects, Corner Pin, Crop, Garbage Matte, Lighting Effects, Mirror, Transform, Twirl, and more. This capability is indicated by the Transform icon  next to the effect name in the Effect Controls panel.

You can adjust the position, scale, and rotation of a clip and Lighting Effects lights by directly manipulating handles in the Program Monitor. You can also adjust the properties using the controls in the Effect Controls panel.

Note: Direct manipulation is also available for the following effects: Corner Pin, Crop, Garbage Matte, Mirror, Transform, and Twirl.
  1. Select a clip in a Timeline panel, and move the current-time indicator  to a location of a frame within the clip.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • (Lighting Effects only) Apply the Lighting Effects to the clip and then click the Transform icon  next to Lighting Effects in the Effect Controls panel.

    • (Motion effect only) Click the clip in the Program Monitor or click the Transform icon next to Motion in the Effect Controls panel.

    The handles and clip anchor point appear in the Program Monitor.

  3. In the Program Monitor, do any of the following:

    • To position a clip or lighting effect, click in the clip or effect outline and drag to reposition it. Don’t drag a handle to reposition the clip or lighting effect.

    • To scale freely, drag a corner handle.

    • To scale along one dimension only, drag a side (not a corner) handle.

    • To scale proportionally, Shift‑drag any handle.

      Note: When using the Motion effect to scale a clip, scaling images over 100% can make them look blocky or pixelated.

    • To rotate a clip or effect, position the pointer slightly outside any of the handles, so that the pointer changes into the Rotate icon  and drag. Shift‑drag constrains the rotations to 45° increments. For the Motion effect, you can also drag in a circular motion until the clip rotates the number of times you want to create multiple rotations.

    • To update only the wireframe outline of the frame, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) any handle. This may give faster results for clips with large dimensions or for slow systems.

    To animate the motion, scaling, or rotation over time, set keyframes as you manipulate the clip or effect in the Program Monitor.