Ramp image popups on map

[Vincent Termini]

Hello,

I am using Stupid Raisins Data Pop with a world map (theory should still apply if you don't have plugin) and I want to have an image pop up on the map in various locations.

You may be familiar with this in documentaries where a few blips will popup on the screen slowly and then ramp up very rapidly to cover a larger area.

My question is how can I achieve this affect without adding the image onto the timeline a zillion times and messing with keyframes and opacity settings? That is the only one that I can think of.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[William Hohauser]

Assuming I am visualizing the effect correctly, this can be done simply the first time and then the parameters copied into each new image element. Once again assuming that I am understanding you correctly, set the image on the timeline where you want it. Now go to the point a few frames in where you want the effect to stop and select the image. Open the inspector window for the image and set a key frame on the scale setting when you finally decide on a size and placement in the frame. Now go back a few frames and set another key frame, this will be the start of the fast movement. Finally go to the beginning of the clip and set another key frame. This will be the start of the zoom so go ahead and type in 0 here. Now you can play around until you get the motion you are looking for. The key frames can be dragged on the timeline when you right click on the image and select the video attributes. When you finally get what you want, copy the image clip and then shift-command-V into you new images and paste the attributes only into the new image. Then you can adjust the image placement to you needs.

[Bill Davis]

Basically what William says.

Just understand that X is a referential system. You can't actually put multiple copies of the map into your story lines. You're just putting reference clips that relate of the original file. So you can put 100 references and your project file won't grow any more than if you have just one.

(your render files WILL grow as you change motion paths and generate new video outputs - but NOT because you're copying the map data.)

[Nate Haustein]

I feel like this should really be done in Motion or another motion graphics program like AE.

I've done the whole copying layers thing before and by the time you get up to 8 or 10 layers the render time and slowdowns make you want to start pulling your hair out. I've done several projects where I started building the animations in FCPX and later moved to Motion because I didn't want to fight FCPX trying to get exactly what I wanted. See if Final Cut does what you need, but I think there's a good chance that building it in Motion would be a better choice in the long run.

[William Hohauser]

Actually I agree with you but Motion has befuddled me for years while AE hasn't. This is something I associate with my brain and nobody else's problem. I have learned how to do as many effects as possible in FCPX before relying on other programs.

[Vincent Termini]

Originally Posted by William Hohauser

Assuming I am visualizing the effect correctly, this can be done simply the first time and then the parameters copied into each new image element. Once again assuming that I am understanding you correctly, set the image on the timeline where you want it. Now go to the point a few frames in where you want the effect to stop and select the image. Open the inspector window for the image and set a key frame on the scale setting when you finally decide on a size and placement in the frame. Now go back a few frames and set another key frame, this will be the start of the fast movement. Finally go to the beginning of the clip and set another key frame. This will be the start of the zoom so go ahead and type in 0 here. Now you can play around until you get the motion you are looking for. The key frames can be dragged on the timeline when you right click on the image and select the video attributes. When you finally get what you want, copy the image clip and then shift-command-V into you new images and paste the attributes only into the new image. Then you can adjust the image placement to you needs.

Thanks, William! I'll give this a shot on Monday and let you know how it goes.