AFTER EFFECTS: Session Four

REMINDER:- Make sure Square Pixel is selected when creating a new composition. This will allow you to work in the correct space.

Creating Text in After Effects - 

- Click the text tool, and type in selected words. 

- Automatically becomes a new layer.

Like most layers, you can also animate/transform the text by using the drop down menu -

The anchor point for this layer is positioned at the bottom left, as you rotate it moves to this fixed point. You can change this easily by using the 'Pan Behind' tool. This will allow you to click and move the anchor point to a reposition.

TOOL PANEL >

Source Text - Click to set a key frame. By doing this you can change the content of the text layer and also, colour, pt size, etc.

ANIMATE - Thee are various options in the menu, allowing you to animate one of the text properties, giving you a different process. This will add an animator to your tool bar. 

RANGE SELECTOR - Gives you more options to changing the position of the type. These options allow you to change the amount of text being changed by the position. 

START - Position Change, you can change the end, start and offset. Allowing the type to move in different directions.

ADVANCE OPTIONS - It can be useful to work with the characters you have, rather than percentages that you can change. The numbers show the characters in your piece of text.

TEST MOTION >

SCALE - This effect will allow you to either individually change the size of the words or line, allowing you to increase the scale effectively

By increasing the end & start & offset, then adding key points. You are able to create a piece of moving type where the characters gradually increase in size, effectively. 

You can also increase the star/end point, and change the scale. By changing the smoothness allows you to see a direct change without any transitioning between the characters.

Using the ADD tool, you can increase the tracking (basically kerning) the characters and also change the colour, allowing you to change each characters colour across the sequence. 

Changing the shape of the colour application, will allow different effects to take place. Showing you a variation in the colour change, and also a different direction of pace.

PATH - 

By creating a shape using the pen tool, on the type layer. You can animate the letterforms around the line, in order to generate movement. You can also change the position the letters take along the path. This can be useful in determining the motion  and movement.

TEST VIDEOS - Examples of the motion graphic techniques I have learned today.