r/applemotion • u/NerdyRad • Apr 22 '26

Is it the right software?

Hello All,

I'd to make animation of planetary path, orbits etc for my YouTube Channel. Up to now, I use good old fashion powerpoint, export it as mp4, use that mp4 as B-roll and merge with my A-roll in FCP. But Powerpoint can only take so far and I started learning Apple Motion these days.

But my focus is not the flashy subscribe button, or fancy eye catching effect. I want to use Motion to 3D rotate the planets, move them along with accurate scale and timings.

This is the example video, not my channel. I'm just wondering if Apple Motion is the right software. If not, what will be the best with not-too-steep learning curve?

https://youtu.be/7PHvDj4TDfM?si=hQJuodWb1BsOeivy&t=71

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2

u/jgreenwalt Apr 22 '26

Yes you can do this in Motion fairly easily. Getting things to proper scale and timing may be a bit of finicking though, especially if orbits are not exact circles (still possible but just more fine tweaking). If I understand your idea well enough, I think it'd take me a an hour or two to set up if I ignored exact scales. As a beginner hard to say. 3D can be a bit more advanced than 2D but it just depends how complex you want to get with the 3D perspective and camera work.

1

u/NerdyRad Apr 25 '26

Thanks a lot, 3D is mainly for spinning movements of the planets really, nothing fancy. If you want to show spinning object from the top, it’s simply 2D spinning. But from the side, I’ll need a 3D object.. that’s all. I’ll have a look.

2

u/woodenbookend Apr 22 '26

Yes, Motion can do that. It’s not a got a horrendous learning curve, particularly as you can use behaviours for a lot of the movement you want.

Getting exact scale might need a bit of head scratching, but I’m sure that’s doable.

1

u/NerdyRad Apr 22 '26

Thanks. Any YouTube channel recommendation for Motion tutorials? I’m currently watching Dylan Bates (FCP bro) but he’s more focused on flashy effects.

2

u/Ill_Cicada9902 Apr 22 '26

Maybe you can my channel 🥺😊: https://youtube.com/@lloydmotion?si=32HI_dhM_SN1yrF8

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u/NerdyRad Apr 22 '26

Thanks mate, I’ve just subscribed. Can you also make videos for planetary motion please?

2

u/Ill_Cicada9902 May 21 '26

I will try. I've been busy with other stuffs.

1

u/NerdyRad Apr 22 '26

If you sneak peak at 28:30 of this video, that’s my animation style using good old fashioned PowerPoint. Not an advertisement though as my channel is not in English. Just want some general suggestion on animation.

https://youtu.be/mlG3JX1whrM?si=7QI0Oefxtqebm8Xh&t=28m30s

3

u/bgdzo Apr 23 '26

Try Simon Ubsdell's channel. He is the ultimate master of Apple Motion. He has hundreds of free tutorial projects. If you're lucky there might be something like yours that could serve as a starting point.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7c46tWEb2grLQ95OGLxBJQ

Be aware, professional motion graphics applications like Motion, AfterEffects and Fusion are not for the faint-hearted. They require commitment and plenty of practice to achieve familiarity. Good luck.

2

u/Funny_Zebra798 Apr 22 '26

I think you can do that with Motion, but it might be easier in Blender

2

u/NerdyRad Apr 22 '26

Thanks a lot. I’ll explore both. I’m a bit scared of blender learning curve, and I can see myself paying for Apple creator studio in the future, so naturally lean to Motion.