--- title: "Rubix Cube" url: "https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/rubix-cube.html" description: "A 3D transition that places layers onto the sides of a 3D cube which rotates cube segments left, right, upward, or downward in opposing directions, coming …" --- # Rubix Cube Universe ## RUBIX CUBE [Video: Uni_RubixCube_hero.mp4](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Multimedia/Uni_RubixCube_hero.mp4) A 3D transition that places layers onto the sides of a 3D cube which rotates cube segments left, right, upward, or downward in opposing directions, coming together to reveal the second footage layer. --- #### Presets Use the four Rubix Cube presets — one for each direction — for single-click setup of your twisty transitions. Simply keyframe the **Mix** duration (see below) and tune to taste! Find these presets via the blue **Open Dashboard...** button or the **Choose a Preset...** button below it. ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_presets.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_presets.png) As with all other Universe tools, you can modify or create a Rubix Cube look and then save it under its own name by pressing the **Save Preset...** button. --- ### Getting Started in a Timeline ![Premiere_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/premiere-pro_universe.png) ![FinalCutPro_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/final-cut-pro-x_universe.png) ![Vegas_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/sony-vegas-pro_universe.png) ![Resolve_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/resolve_universe.png) ![Image: avidmedia_universe.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/avidmedia_universe.png) 1. Drag the transition over your edit in the timeline, placing it at the end or beginning. Alternatively, you can place it between two successive clips. 2. Modify the **Duration** of the transition either by entering a length in the field or dragging directly in the timeline. 3. You can choose the **Alignment** (**Center at Cut**, **Start at Cut**, **End at Cut**, or **Custom Start**) either by positioning the transition in the timeline or by choosing from the **Alignment** drop-down in some host applications. ### Getting Started in a Compositor ![AfterEffects_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/after-effects_universe.png) ![Motion_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/motion_universe.png) 1. Apply the transition to the layer from which you want to transition. 2. Choose the footage layer you would like to transition to in the **Transition B** drop-down menu. *(Note for Motion users:* Drag the footage layer up to the **Transition B** box.) 3. Animate your transition using the **Mix** slider from 0% to 100 percent. Set a keyframe for 0% where the transition should start, then set another at 100% for the end. --- ### Modify the Transition - The **Animation** drop-down menu offers multiple interpolation styles for your transition's animation. [Click here for more information about these animation presets](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/animation-tween-examples.html.md). The default is Ease In Out Quad. - The **Tiles** control lets you set how many sections the transitioning Layers are broken into. Whereas the hero clip atop this page uses the default setting of 2, the below image uses 6. Note that more tiles may result in higher render times.\ ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_Tiles.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_Tiles.png) - The **Dolly** slider gives you control to move the camera closer in or farther away from the transitioning layers along the z axis. Bringing the control down to 0 (left, below) will move the layer directly to the camera while pushing the slider up to 1.2 (right) will move the camera farther away.\ ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_Dolly.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_Dolly.png) - The **Direction** drop-down menu changes which direction the animation Tiles move: **Left**, **Right**, **Upwards**, or **Downwards**. - **Motion Blur:** - Add realistic motion blur by choosing a setting from the drop-down menu: **Off** (shown left, below), **Low**, **Medium**, or **High** (right). The higher the **Motion Blur** setting, the more instances of the layer will appear between frames.\ ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_MotionBlur.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_MotionBlur.png) - The **Motion Blur Shutter** angle default is set to 180 degrees. Increasing it spreads the motion blur iterations evenly with a high number of blur levels. Shown below at 200% zoom are minimum values of 90 (left) and 720 (right).\ ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_Shutter.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_Shutter.png) - The **Edge Smoothing** drop-down menu provides levels of edge anti-aliasing, making them less jagged. Options for smoothing strength are **None** (left, below), **Low**, **Medium** (right), or **High**. Setting this to **High** may increase playback and render time.\ ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_EdgeSmoothing.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_EdgeSmoothing.png) - **Lights** adds lighting to your transitions. - - Turn on the **Lights** from the drop-down by selecting **Local** or **Global**. - Choose the **Light Type**. The following four settings, preceded by the **None** option, are shown below, respectively.\ ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_LightType.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_LightType.png) - **Ambient** activates the Ambient color picker and affects the overall composition. - **Directional** allows you to use the **Light Diffuse** color and **Light Position X/Y/Z** controls. - **Positional** activates the **Light Specular** color and **Light Factor Constant/Linear/Quadratic**controls. - **Spotlight** gives you the most control, activating the **Light Direction X/Y/Z** sliders as well as the **Light Cutoff** and **Light Exponent** controls. - The **Light Intensity** slider controls the brightness. - **Light Ambient/Diffuse/Specular** color pickers allow you to control color tones that appear within the light. In the following triptych, based on Light Type: Spot Light, we start on the left with Light Intensity: 120 and default color values, including gray for **Light Ambient**. In the center image, we change Light Ambient to red. Notice how the impact is subtle, unlike when we change Light Diffuse to the same red (right).\ ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_LightAmbient.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_LightAmbient.png) - **Light Position XY** and **Light Position Z** let you control the light's center location in 3D space. Keep in mind that a "distant" light, conveyed of higher values (approaching or above 0), may leave much of your scene in darkness. - **Light Direction X/Y/Z** alter the directionality of your light in 3D space. - **Light Cutoff** dictates the spotlight's range. - **Light Exponent** controls the illumination falloff from the light's center. Higher values increase falloff, thus shrinking the illuminated area. A bit of falloff provides subtle vignetting. In the following image, we show values of 0 (left) and 25 (right).\ ![Image: Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_LightExponent.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Transitions_RubixCube_LightExponent.png) - **Light Factor Constant/Linear/Quardratic** are all falloff fade types and determine how your spotlight illumination diminishes from center to edge. To learn more about these falloff patterns, see our [Animation Tween Examples page](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/animation-tween-examples.html.md). - **Camera** allows you to enable the **Local** camera, then **Zoom, Rotate** and **Translate** its position in 3D space.