Motion Bugs???

I have been using motion for a few weeks now and I really like the interface. Problem is it seems to have some major bugs. Or at least I think it does. Has anybody else experienced problems like these, and if you have do you have any work arounds?

Disappearing elements:

I will be working along and all of a sudden I will notice that several elements in the Layers and Timeline widow have question marks next to them and they no longer appear when I play back. I have not been working with the elements in other programs, moved the original files, or done anything like that. The elements still show up in the Media window normally. So motion still see the files properly they are just no longer connected in the Layers or Timeline window. I can?t reconnect the files because they are still connected. This has happened multiple times on completely different projects.

Jumping elements:

Everything will play back as expected inside of motion. I will export a movie using the export using compressor command. In the exported movie a random element will jump position a few pixels to the left. I will go back to the Motion project. There are no key frames or position changes on the element and it will preview fine inside of motion. I will export another movie in a different format. Same problem. I will delete the layer, re-import it into Motion and export another move. Same problem. This has happened on multiple projects with multiple different elements. Finally I tried exporting inside of Motion and the movie exported as expected. The problem is I need to keep working inside of Motion while I export.

Like I said I like the way Motion is set up. Unfortunately these problems have cost me hours of wasted time. Until I can figure out what is causing this to happen I will no longer be able to work with motion.

Thanks,
Ryan

Motion 2.0.1
QuickTime 7.1.2
OS 10.4.7

Haven't seen the first issue, but the second is usually caused because you exceeded the graphics card's pixel limitations - setting a containinig layer for everything to fixed resolution can address that one.
Mark

Thanks Mark. Not having to guess if a render will work on not will save me a ton of time.

On the issue with the disappearing elements I think I may have narrowed it down a little bit. The issue just happened again and I happened when I added a layer. If I undid adding the layer my elements would reappear.

Ryan

Very odd. I'd consider trashing the prefs file, and if that doesn't do it, a clean reintstall.

I am still having all sorts of problems with motion. This is defiantly that last project I do using it. Problem is I have a weeks worth of work stuck in this project and I cannot get a clean render out of motion.

Everything plays fine when previewed in Motion. Every time I render out a project I get all sorts of little jumps and jerks on my different layers. As far as I can tell they are random. They happen at different places each time and to different elements.

I have tried. Rendering out of motion using compressor, directly out of motion, dropping the motion file into FCP. I have tried exporting to every different codec I can think of nothing works.

Mark, I tried your suggestion about setting a containing layer and setting it to fixed resolution. Unfortunately this hasn?t helped. I have also tried trashing my preferences.

I am wondering if the problem is my graphics card. Here are my computer specs.

Dual 2 gig G5
Os 10.4.7
Motion 2.0.1
Quicktime 7.1.2
ATI Radeon 9800XT
4 Gigs of ram

I unfortunately do not have time to start from scratch in after effects. I am desperate. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ryan

Try clearing your RAM Preview, this often gets rid of that as well...Motion draws from that sometimes during the render so its best to clear it before a final render