You can export your project’s visuals as an image sequence—a set of sequentially numbered still-image files that are compatible with many professional finishing, compositing, and grading applications—using the Export Image Sequence command.

Share your project as an image sequence

In Motion, do one of the following:
- Choose File > Share > Export Image Sequence.
- On the right side of the toolbar, click Share, then choose Export Image Sequence.
In the Info pane of the Export Image Sequence window, view or modify project attributes, such as the title and description.
Click Settings at the top of the window, then choose your preferred export settings:
- Export: Choose an export format such as PNG Image, TIFF File, or OpenEXR.
- Scale image to preserve aspect ratio: Leave this checkbox selected unless your project uses a nonsquare pixel format (such as 1440 x 1080) and you want to use the exported image sequence in another video project with the same nonsquare pixel properties.
- Create sticker sequence: Select this checkbox if you’re creating animated stickers for the Messages app on iOS and iPadOS devices. See Create stickers in Motion for the Messages app on iOS and iPadOS devices.
- Color Space: Choose the range of color used in the exported image sequence. The default option (“Use canvas setting”) applies your project’s color space, but you can choose a different color space. See About color space.
- Color Channels: Choose whether to output color channels (RGB) only, an alpha channel (transparency), or color channels plus an alpha channel.
  Note: Not all file types in the Export pop-up menu support an embedded alpha channel. For file types that don’t support an alpha channel, no alpha channel is saved, regardless of the option you choose in this pop-up menu.
- Duration: Select whether to export the entire project or a portion of the project (play range).
- Export selected layer only: Select this checkbox to export an image sequence of a single layer selected in the project. If no layer is selected, or if an object that does not render is selected (such as a rig, a light, or a camera), this option is dimmed.
  Note: If you change the destination’s settings, the changes are saved as the default settings for the destination. See Create and modify share destinations.
Click Render at the top of the window, then choose Motion-specific options, such as Motion Blur, Frame Blending, or Shadows.
See Render settings.
Click Next.
Enter a name and choose a save location for the exported file, then click Save.
Important: This command creates a folder using the name you entered. The image sequence files are saved here.

You can monitor the progress of your export in the Background Task List, and you can continue to work in Motion while the file is rendered.

When exporting is complete, a notification appears (if you’ve allowed notifications in macOS System Settings). Click the notification to display the shared file in the Finder.

Download this guide: PDF

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Motion User Guide

Export an image sequence in Motion

Share your project as an image sequence