Working with motion paths

A motion path is a visual representation of the path an object follows during the course of an animation.

Each dot on a motion path represents the object's position at a frame of animation. Squares represent the object's position at a keyframe. Because the frame rate is constant, the farther apart the dots or squares on a motion path are, the faster the object moves along the path.


The bottom arrow uses fewer frames (and thus takes less time) to move the same distance.

You cannot edit a motion path directly. Instead, you do one of the following:

• Change the position of the object at an existing Position keyframe.
• Change the position of the object where no Position keyframe yet exists, creating a new Position keyframe in the process.
• Apply an interpolation method to a Position keyframe to alter the way the object moves into or out of that keyframe.

The motion path automatically reflects these changes.

To view or hide an object's motion path:

1. In the Composition window, select the object whose motion path you want to view.
2. Choose View > Motion Path if it isn't selected already.

To modify an object's motion path:

1. In the Composition window, select the object whose motion path you want to modify.
2. Choose View > Motion Path if it isn't selected already.
3. Do one of the following:
• To change the motion path at an existing Position keyframe, drag the current-time marker in the Timeline window to that keyframe. Then, in the Composition window, drag the object to the location you want it to be at that point in the animation.
• To change the motion path with a new Position keyframe, drag the current-time marker in the Timeline window to the point in the animation where you want the object to be in another location. Then, in the Composition window, drag the object to the location you want. (See Creating keyframes.)
• To change the motion path with keyframe interpolation, select one or more Position keyframes for the object. Then choose an interpolation method from the Timeline menu. (See Changing keyframe interpolation.) If you apply the Ease In or Ease Out command, you'll see the distribution of frames change along the motion path.