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Animate text on an existing layer; or, for additional control over placement of text, you can
create a solid and animate the text on it. The layer on which you animate text is trans-
parent, unless you specify compositing. To modify and animate text, type the text using a
specified font, define the path, and then create keyframes for the text properties you want
to change over time. To move text along a path, create keyframes for the left margin or
right margin.
Path Text applied to a motion path
To enter text:
1 In the Timeline window, select the layer on which you want to animate text, or create a
new layer by choosing Layer > New > Solid.
2 Choose Effect > Text > Path Text.
3 In the dialog box that appears, choose the font and style for your text, and then type
the text. You can display the text in the font you've chosen by selecting Show Font.
4 Click OK. The text appears on the layer in the default color of red; by default, the layer
itself is transparent. To display the layer, select Composite on Original in the Effect Controls
window.
5 If you need to change the text or font, click the Options button in the Effect Controls
window.
Path text is animated primarily on the location of the path control points. Text will move
with the position of these points or on a closed path that can be selected from the Path
Control Points option. You can also animate text by creating keyframes for margin,
kerning, tracking and size.
To animate path text:
1 In the Timeline window, select the layer that has the Path Text effect applied. Display
the properties for Path Text and expand the controls under Path Control Points.
2 Move the current-time marker to a point where you want to add a keyframe.
3 Adjust the path control points so that the text is displayed as desired.
4 Click the stopwatch next to the path control points or other properties for which you
will be creating keyframes. See "Setting keyframes" on page 98.
5 Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have created the keyframes needed to animate the text.
6 Select the Path Text effect name in the Effect Controls window to make the path visible
in the Composition window; then select one of the following shapes from the Shape Type
menu:
Select Bezier to shape text along a Bezier curve, defined by four control points (Vertex
•
1/Circle Center, Tangent 1/Circle Point, Tangent 2, Vertex 2). Characters that don't fit on
the path are placed off the end in a straight line.
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