Timeline FX Ribbon Settings

To see the full Text menu, click the Editor button.

Alpha Rendering Mode option

Select whether a front clip, matte, or both are used to create the text layer.

General Settings

Use Transparency

Enable to create a text effect in which the background clip is used as the text's fill. Also select RGBA from the Alpha Rendering Mode box.

Rendering Mode option

Select whether to render in Automatic, Progressive or Interlaced mode.

Node Prefs

Displays the Text Node Prefs menu.

See Setup and Rendering Options.

(a) Node Prefs button (b) Animation button (c) Attribute controls (d) Text Mode box

Attributes menu

Changes the appearance of text by setting properties such as fill and shadow. See Creating Text Effects.

Animation

Creates a text animation by setting different text properties at specific keyframes in a clip.

See Animating Text.

Text Mode option

Select a text mode to select text, edit text in layers, modify text attributes, or enter text strings.

Applies various text settings to layers, paragraphs, and characters. Use text modes to manipulate layers, add text to a clip, or edit existing text in a clip. See Modifying Layer and Character Properties.

Reset option

Select an option to reset the selected text layer, the layer axis, the roll/crawl, or the style templates.

Resolution Mode option

Select Resolution List for camera resolutions, Adaptive to set the width and height based on the Frame Aspect Ratio, Scaling Presets for resolution fraction.

Resolution Presets option

Select a resolution. Select Custom Resolution to specify a non-standard resolution.

Adaptive Resolution option

With Width Based on Ratio, Width equals Height multiplied by Ratio. With Height Based on Ratio, Height equals Width divided by Ratio.

Scaling Presets option

Select a resolution as a fraction of the clip.

Bit Depth option

Select the render/output bit depth of clips.

Scan Mode option

Select the scan mode of clips.

Width field

Displays the width of the layer.

Height field

Displays the height at which to crop the text within the text roll or crawl layer.

Aspect Ratio Presets option

Select a standard frame aspect ratio. Select the Set to w:h option to set the clip to use square pixels. Select Custom to define a custom frame aspect ratio in the Aspect Ratio field.

Aspect Ratio field

Displays the custom render/output aspect ratio. Editable

Insert Settings

Axis menu

Opens the Axis menu to set properties for layers and characters.

Roll/Crawl menu

Open the Roll/Crawl menu to set text motion properties for vertical or horizontal text scrolling.

See Creating Text Rolls and Text Crawls.

Styles menu

Opens the Styles menu to create preset text style formats.

Tabulation menu

Open the Tabulation menu to set text tabs.

Keyboard menu

Opens the on-screen keyboard to enter text.

See Entering Text

Fill

Enable to use fill on the text selection.

Sets fill colour, transparency, and softness. Set fill softness using the Soft field. To increase the softness, enter a value close to the maximum of 100. To decrease the softness, enter a value close to the minimum of -100. Enter 0 for no softness.

Fill colour

Displays the colour of the fill.

Fill Transparency field

Displays the transparency level of the fill.

Fill Softness field

Displays the softness level of the fill.

Underline

Enable to underline the text selection.

Underlines the characters using the associated colour, transparency, and width. Click the colour pot to choose a colour from the colour picker. To set underline transparency, enter a percentage in the Transparency field. To make the underline more opaque, enter a value close to the maximum of 100. To make the underline more transparent, enter a value close to the minimum of 0. To set the outline width, enter a value in the Width field.

Underline colour

Displays the colour of the underline.

Underline Transparency field

Displays the transparency level of the underline.

Underline Width field

Displays the width of the underline.

Outline

Enable to outline the text selection.

Outlines the characters with a solid colour using the associated colour, transparency, and width. Click the colour pot to choose a colour from the colour picker. To set outline transparency, enter a percentage in the Transparency field. To make the outline more opaque, enter a value close to the maximum of 100. To make the outline more transparent, enter a value close to the minimum of 0.

To set the outline width, enter a value in the Width field. Use anti-aliasing rendering options with outlined text. These options are found in the Text Node PRefs menu. See Setup and Rendering Options.

Outline colour

Displays the colour of the outline.

Outline Transparency field

Displays the transparency level of the outline.

Outline Width field

Displays the width of the outline.

Back

Enable to apply a solid colour background using the associated text layer colour and transparency to the text selection.

Click the colour pot to choose a colour from the colour picker. To set back transparency, enter a percentage in the Transparency field. To make the back more opaque, enter a value close to the maximum of 100. To make the back more transparent, enter a value close to the minimum of 0.

Back colour

Displays the colour of the background.

Back Transparency field

Displays the transparency level of the background.

Shadow

Enable to apply a drop shadow to the text selection.

Applies a shadow to text characters using the associated colour, softness, transparency, and Pos X and Pos Y fields. Click the colour pot to choose a colour from the colour picker. To set shadow transparency, enter a percentage in the Transparency field. To make the shadow more opaque, enter a value close to the maximum of 100. To make the shadow more transparent, enter a value close to the minimum of 0. To set shadow softness, use the Soft field. To increase the softness, enter a value close to the maximum of 100. Enter 0 for no softness.

To set the shadow position on the X-axis, enter a value in the X field. A positive value places the shadow to the right and behind the text characters. A negative value places the shadow to the left and in front of the text characters. To set the shadow position on the Y-axis, enter a value in the Y field. A positive value moves the shadow up. A negative value moves the shadow down.

Shadow colour

Displays the colour of the shadow.

Shadow Transparency field

Displays the transparency level of the shadow.

Shadow Softness field

Displays the softness level of the shadow.

Shadow X field

Displays the shadow position along the X-axis.

Shadow Y field

Displays the shadow position along the Y-axis.

Blur Shadow

Enable to apply a blur effect to a drop shadow created with the Shadow button.

The type of blur applied depends on whether Box Blur or Gaussian Blur is selected in the Text Node Prefs menu. Choose a higher value for a greater shadow blur effect. Using Blur Shadow with animated text decreases processing performance.

Blur Shadow field

Displays the level of blur applied to the drop shadow.

Font Settings

Font field

Displays the current font. Click to open the font browser to select a different font.

Reset

Resets to the default font.

Font Size field

Displays the character size for the selected font.

Font Italic field

Displays the angle of italicized text. Positive values make the characters slope to the right. Negative values make them slope to the left.

Font Kerning field

Displays the amount of spacing between characters. Positive values increase the spacing. Negative values decrease the spacing.

Paragraph Settings

Justification option

Select an alignment option for the paragraph.

Select Left, Right, Centre, or Justified.

Width field

Displays the width at which to crop the text within the text roll or crawl layer.

Left Margin field

Displays the amount of space in the left margin.

Leading field

Displays the space between lines in the selected paragraph.

Indent field

Displays the left indentation value for the first line in the paragraph.

Separation field

Displays the space between the selected paragraph and the one above it.

Character Channels

Copy Attributes

Copies attribute settings from the selected text character.

Copy Transformations

Copies transformation settings from the selected text character.

Copy All

Copies both attribute and transformation settings from the selected text character.

Paste

Pastes any copied text character channel information.

Text on Path

On Path

Enable to place the selected text on a motion path.

Closed

Enable to close the path by connecting the first and last vertices. Text continues around the shape.

Offset

Displays the position of the text on the path. Animate the Offset value to make the text follow the path for the duration of the clip.

Invert

Reverses the order of the vertices on the path so that the text follows the opposite side of the path.

Text On Path Mode option

Select an option to manipulate the selected path spline.

Clear

Resets the text path at the current frame. To reset the path for the entire duration of the clip, click Reset Layer.

Axis Settings

Axis option

Select whether to display the Layer Axis menu or the Characters Axis menu.

Show Axis

Enable to display the axis in the image window.

This button is only available when the Character Axis menu button is selected.

Position X field

Moves the layer or selected characters along the X axis.

Increase the value to move right and decrease it to move left.

Y Position field

Moves the layer or selected characters along the Y axis.

Increase the value to move up and decrease it to move down.

Lock Position

Enable to lock the position of the text layer to either the Top/Left or Centre position.

Centre Axis

Moves the axis to the center point of the character.

This button is only available when the Character Axis menu button is selected.

X Position Character Axis field

Sets the X-axis for the selected characters. Set each letter in a word spinning on its own axis in a different way.

This button is only available when the Character Axis menu button is selected.

Using the Axis Pos X field, you set each letter in a word spinning on its own axis in a different way.

Y Position Character Axis field

Sets the Y-axis for the selected characters. Set each letter in a word spinning on its own axis in a different way.

This button is only available when the Character Axis menu button is selected.

Using the Axis Pos Y field, you set each letter in a word spinning on its own axis in a different way.

X Scale field

Scales the layer or selected characters along the X-axis.

This value is a percentage, so entering 50 means 50 percent. Use a larger value to increase the scale along the X axis. Use a negative value to create a mirror image on the X axis. Enter 0 to make a layer or selected characters disappear.

Y Scale field

Scales the layer or selected characters along the Y-axis.

This value is a percentage, so entering 50 means 50 percent. Use a larger value to increase the scale along the Y axis. Use a negative value to create a mirror image on the Y axis. Enter 0 to make a layer or selected characters disappear.

Proportional Scale

Proportionally changes the Scale X and Y values.

X Shear field

Shears or slants the layer or selected characters along the X-axis.

Use a positive value to slant right and a negative value to slant left.

Y Shear field

Shears or slants the layer or selected characters along the Y-axis.

Use a positive value to slant right and a negative value to slant left.

Rotation field

Rotates a layer around its axis or selected characters around their axis.

Use a negative value to rotate clockwise and a positive value to rotate counter-clockwise.

Roll/Crawl Settings

New Layer

Creates a layer to contain a text roll or text crawl.

Roll

Enable to create text that scrolls vertically over an image.

Crawl

Enable to create text that scrolls horizontally across an image.

Scrollbar

Scrollbar X field

Displays the X position of the roll or crawl layer inside the crop box. The value changes when you move the scrollbar at the right of the text layer for a roll or at the bottom of the layer for a crawl.

Scrollbar Y field

Displays the Y position of the roll or crawl layer inside the crop box. The value changes when you move the scrollbar at the right of the text layer for a roll or at the bottom of the layer for a crawl.

Fit Best Speed

Creates a broadcast quality text roll based on the number of frames in the clip and the lines of text in the text roll. Enable this button to make corrections to a text roll without altering the speed or duration of the clip.

For NTSC and PAL, broadcast quality is calibrated at four pixels per frame. This rate ensures no flicker in the text roll.

Roll Speed

Select the speed of the text roll, in pixels per second.

Changes the speed of the text roll. For 1X, the speed rate is 120 p/s (pixels/second) in NTSC, and 100 p/s in PAL. For 2X, it is 240 p/s in NTSC, and 200 p/s in PAL, and so on.

Lock Leading & Scroll

Enable to lock the leading of the paragraph text so that you can insert another paragraph into the text roll. If the duration of the clip lengthens after you make modifications, click Fit Best Speed to adjust the length.

Best Roll Duration field

Displays the suggested duration for the text roll. The duration is calculated using the start/end position of the roll and the currently selected speed.

Crop Box

Crop Box X field

Displays the X position of the crop box inside the image window. The crop box determines the X coordinates of the text roll or text crawl on the clip.

Crop Box Y field

Displays the Y position of the crop box inside the image window. The crop box determines the Y coordinates of the text roll or text crawl on the clip.

Width field

Displays the width at which to crop the text within the text roll or crawl layer.

Height field

Displays the height at which to crop the text within the text roll or crawl layer.

Styles Settings

Apply Style 1

Saves or applies Style 1.

Apply Style 2

Saves or applies Style 2.

Apply Style 3

Saves or applies Style 3.

Apply Style 4

Saves or applies Style 4.

Apply Style 5

Saves or applies Style 5.

Apply Style 6

Saves or applies Style 6.

Apply Style 7

Saves or applies Style 7.

Apply Style 8

Saves or applies Style 8.

Apply Style 9

Saves or applies Style 9.

Load Style

Opens the file browser where you can select a saved style to load.

Save Style

Opens the file browser where you can save a style.

Style Mode option

Select whether to work with all styles or one style.

Style Save Number option

Select the number of the style to save. Available when One Style is selected from the Style Mode box.

Style Name

Sets the name of a defined style.

Style Option option

Select an option for creating styles. AutoStyle assigns styles from an existing layer.

Tabulation Settings

Add

Adds a tab stop on the text layer ruler. By default, tab stops are set at every 100 pixels.

Delete

Removes the selected tab stop.

Previous

Selects the previous tab stop on the text ruler. Tab stops appear in yellow when selected.

Tab ID field

Display the tab number in the current paragraph. When you click Next or Previous, the Tab ID field changes, showing the number of selected tab stops.

Next

Selects the next tab stop on the text ruler. Tab stops appear in yellow when selected.

Position field

Displays the exact tab stop position on the X-axis, in pixels. This value is set in pixels.

Ruler

Enable to display the tabulation ruler in the text layer.

Justification option

Select the text alignment at the tab stop.

Hardware Anti-Aliasing

Use HWAA

Enable to apply the hardware anti-aliasing level set in the Rendering tab of the Project Preferences to this Text setup.

Hardware Anti-Aliasing indicator

Displays the hardware anti-aliasing level set in the Rendering tab of the Project Preferences.

Software Anti-Aliasing

Software Anti-Aliasing option

Sets the auto-softness and software anti-aliasing level.

Anti-Aliasing Softness field

Sets the softness value of the anti-aliasing sample.

Wireframe colour

Displays the colour of the text path.

Points colour

Displays the colour of the vertices on a text path.

See Animating Text on a Motion Path.

Global/Layer Blur option

Select whether to apply blurring globally or on a per layer basis.

Global Blur makes all shadows appear together, blurred with a single unique colour, on top of the background of all layers. Layer Blur blurs each layer individually according to its priority—background, blurred shadow, and fill.

Shadow Blur option

Select whether to use a smooth blur with rounded edges (Gaussian), or a rectangular, rougher edged blur (Box).

Entering Text

Font Type option

Select the type of font to display in the font browser list.

Font Preview window

Previews the selected font. Click to enter text.

Modifying Layer and Character Properties

Layer Axis option

Select an alignment option for the selected text layer.

X Scale field

Displays the scale of the text layer along the X axis.

This value is a percentage, so entering 50 means 50 percent. Use a larger value to increase the scale along the X-axis. Use a negative value to create a mirror image on the X-axis. Enter 0 to make a layer or selected characters disappear.

Y Scale field

Displays the scale of the text layer along the Y axis.

This value is a percentage, so entering 50 means 50 percent. Use a larger value to increase the scale along the Y-axis. Use a negative value to create a mirror image on the Y-axis. Enter 0 to make the layer or selected characters disappear.

Proportional Scale

Enable to proportionally change the X Scale and Y Scale values.

X Shear field

Displays the shear or slant value of the text layer along the X axis.

Use a positive value to slant right and a negative value to slant left.

Y Shear field

Displays the shear or slant value of the text layer along the Y axis.

Use a positive value to shear up and a negative value to shear down.

Rotation field

Displays a rotation value for a layer rotating around its axis.

Use a negative value to rotate clockwise and a positive value to rotate counter-clockwise.