Text Modifier Powerful Ways to Manipulate and Animate Text

Text modifiers provide a range of powerful tools to manipulate and animate the glyphs that make up text. Whether you want to adjust the position, rotation, scale, origin, opacity, or use variables, text modifiers offer a flexible solution. In this article, we will explore the various properties and options available with text modifiers.

Properties of Text Modifiers

Text modifiers offer several properties that can be applied to manipulate and animate text. These properties include:

1. Position: Adjust the position of the text within the canvas.
2. Rotation: Rotate the text to create dynamic effects.
3. Scale: Change the size of the text.
4. Origin: Define the anchor point for scaling and rotation.
5. Opacity: Control the transparency of the text.
6. Variables: Use variables to modify the text (requires variable supported font).
7. Modifier Group: Create a group of modifiers for more complex effects.

Text Modifier Groups

A text modifier group consists of at least one range and can include one of each modifier property. Each text object can have multiple modifier groups, allowing for a wide range of customization.

To enable a specific property, use the ‘+ action’ alongside the modifier group name. It’s important to note that each modifier group can only add one of each property type.

Modifier Range

A modifier range defines the start and end points within the text where the applied properties will take effect. The range can be specified as a percentage or an index value for a character, word, or line. The Range Options fly-out provides additional configuration options for the range.

For example, if you set a range with a start point of 0% and an end value of 50%, the defined properties will only be applied to the first half of the text. If you add a scale property with a value of 25% to the modifier group, only the glyphs in the first half of the text will have the specified scale value.

The shaded area on the stage provides a visual representation of the range, and you can customize the stage visual options in the visibility menu on the toolbar.

Falloff

Falloff values can be used to add interpolation to the applied modifier properties. For instance, if you have a modifier group that scales glyphs to 200% with a range from 0% to 100% and a falloff of 25% to 75%, the glyphs will gradually scale up from 100% to 200% over the first quarter of the text, and then scale back down over the last quarter.

The darker shading on the stage guide visualizes the falloff, allowing for better control over the interpolation effect.

Offset

The offset value allows you to traverse the range along the text value. By animating the offset value, you can create wipe effects along the text. For example, a scale modifier can animate the offset to make individual glyphs scale up and then scale back down.

Range Options

The fly-out alongside the range name provides additional range options for more fine-grained control over the range selection behavior.

Increment

The increment value determines how modifier properties are applied. You can choose between applying the properties by characters (with or without spaces), words, or lines. The increment value impacts an index-based Range Type.

Mode

The range mode defines how modifier properties should be calculated when multiple ranges on the same group overlap. For example, if a modifier with multiple ranges applied a scale value of 200%, the add mode would increase the scale to 400% if the ranges were to overlap.

Enabling Modifier Range Values in the visibility menu provides a numerical indication of how much a Text Modifier is affecting glyphs.

Strength

The strength of a modifier can be adjusted to reduce its effect within the range. This allows for more precise control over the application of modifier properties.

Range Type

The range type determines how range start, end, and offset values are configured. You can choose to define these values as a percentage of the text length or by indices. When selecting the range type, consider which increment value to use alongside it. For example, an index value of 1 incremented by characters will target the second character, while an index value of 1 incremented by words will target the start of the second word.

Falloff Interpolation

You can modify the falloff interpolation to define a custom cubic curve. By default, the falloff uses linear interpolation.

View Options

The visibility menu in the toolbar allows you to toggle visual guides on the stage. This feature provides a visual representation of the modifier range and falloff, aiding in the creation and adjustment of text effects.

With text modifiers, you have a powerful set of tools to manipulate and animate text in exciting ways. Whether you want to adjust the position, rotation, scale, or other properties, text modifiers offer endless possibilities for creative expression. Experiment with different ranges, falloff values, and modifiers to create stunning text effects that captivate your audience.