Frequently Asked Questions
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Where do I find this Plugin Inside FCPX?
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Can I use FCPX Maps for Commercial Projects?
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FCPX Maps can only be used commercially if the user pays Mapbox's media licensing fee. Details can be found on the mapbox website for their current licensing policy.
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How do I apply this plugin?
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How do I add extra points to the mask?
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You can add additional points by holding down "Shift" and click on a location to add a new point to the path.
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How do I get the airplane graphic used in the promo video?
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The airplane graphic is a stock photo from shutterstock.com. You can apply any image you would like to the drop zones that are incorporated into this plugin. Please refer to the tutorial tab for video instructions.
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Why am I not getting the prompt to enter my API Access Token?
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- If the prompt to enter your access token is not appearing then this means that your Motion Templates folder is missing your "Generators.localized" folder, causing the installer for FCPX Maps to hang and never finish.
- To remedy this, please locate your Motion Templates folder found within the Movies folder located on your Mac's main hard drive.
- From there, right click and select "New Folder" and be sure to name it correctly: "Generators.localized".
- Once it has been made and correctly labeled, run the installer for the plugin once more then you will receive the prompt for your token.
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I am missing an input for Location 1 and Location 2, what is happening?
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If you are missing controls for Location 1 or Location 2 within the inspector window for this plugin please verify that you are first on the most recent version of Mac OS. These missing controls will be a common issue experienced by individuals who are attempting to operate this plugin on OS 10.11 El Capitan.
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My export is jittery, what can I do?
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- If your export is jittery this can be caused by a few things:
- Attempting to adjust the camera positioning while the "Link to Path" is enabled will cause camera jitter.
- Exporting the project as anything other than a Master File can also cause jitter.
- If you find that you are experiencing jitter with the map's path try re-enabling the "Link to Path" control as well as regenerating the map.
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Why is my FCPX spontaneously closing when generating a Map?
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- If your FCPX is crashing after attempting to generate a map this can be caused by only two very specific things.
- 1) The first will be because of the API Access Token not properly being inputted during the initial installation of the plugin.
- 2) The other will be due to having the "Zoom Level" set to 3 and "Extend Map" set to 1. This is a combination that is impossible for Maps and FCPX to compute and will result in crashing.
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What is the difference between Offset Linked Position and Manual Camera position?
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The offset linked position is when you have the camera linked to the path and want to offset the position from the framing of the path. The manual camera position is for when the camera is not linked to the path.
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How do I get the additional drop zones to face the camera?
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There will not be a control for these additional drop zones that will automatically have them face the camera. Instead, you will need to select the dropdown arrow next to "Rotation" under the "Environment Drop Zone" controls then adjust the "X" Rotation to have the drop zone face the camera.
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Why can't I change the style controls without re-mapifying?
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We recommend that all style changes be made prior to adding points on the map as mapifying will reset all points and default back to only the starting and ending points being displayed.
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How do I add points to a 3D map?
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Currently, only the 2D map will allow for additional points to be added to the map by pressing "Shift+Click". An update for the 3D map is currently in the works.
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How do I get the Maps Generator to stay on screen longer before and after the animation?
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If you want the generator to stay on screen longer at a specific spot you can utilize a freeze frame by moving the playhead in FCPX to the spot you want, have the generator selected, and press Option F to create a freeze frame. Keep in mind, once the freeze frame has been created you may have it last as long as you want.
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Why does the line animation appear to be slow and jagged?
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Extending the Maps generator in your timeline after Mapifying can cause the line to appear jittery. Extend your Maps generator to the length you want and then click Mapify. This should ensure the line animation looks smooth.
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What is the difference between FCPX Maps 1.1 and ProMap?
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FCPX Maps 1.1 utilizes Mapbox in order to track a line between a starting and ending location. Users can create their own custom line by adding more points along the path, change the style of the map, switch between 2D and 3D Paths, and incorporate their own media at the start and end points as well as on the path itself. There are also drop zone presets to place more media along the path. Users can not use their own maps and can only use the map styles that are provided in the plugin.
ProMap is limited to 8 points which can be placed by the user and can be used with your own images to be used as maps.
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How do I add an arc to the Map?
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By default the arc option will be turned on and will generate the apex of the arc in the middle of the plugin. If you uncheck the 3D path control off in the plugin before you mapify it will not generate the arc.
For Arcing the Lines you will want to create key frames for the beginning, middle, and end of the arc. In the Animation Controls there is a control labeled Path Z position. This control will allow you to create the arcs. For example, on frame A and C of your timeline you can set the values to 0 and key frame. Then on frame B enter a value above 0 and keyframe. This will allow the path to arc.
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How do I make the line constant speed when adding points?
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For creating constant speed lines in FCPX you will want to make sure that you drag the playhead in the timeline to the same length as the distance needed to get to that new point on the map.
For example, when we initially mapify, the line generated will be starting from point A and traveling straight to point C. We want to add a detour to point B, but this point is higher up in the map. To get a constant speed line we need to drag our playhead between point A and C until the length of the line is about equal to the distance between point A and B. We will then create a point using command click at the end of our line to generate a point at that measured distance and move the point to location B.
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How do I make the line go behind and in front of the drop zones in the drop zone presets?
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If you want to arc your lines behind and in front of the drop zones from the drop zone presets you will need to switch to Global 3D. In your plugin controls panel locate the Path Stylization controls section. The top control in this section is called Render Path. By default, this is set to In Local 3D (Faster). Switch this control mode to In Global 3D (Better) and then you will be able to arc the lines behind and in front of the drop zones.
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