You know the principle of most Boris Graffiti effects : an effect reveals in one way or another a text on the screen and makes it disappear in the same reverse way or otherwise.
In its library, "Library Browser", Boris Graffiti also features 8 effects "Animated text transitions". These effects show a first text, make it disappear then display a second text to finally make it disappear. Such an effect is actually a transition between two texts but can also be likened, in some cases, to morphing.
With 8 "effects Animated text transitions" at your disposal, you will not get very far ... So I suggest you see how it is possible to create new effects.
Step 1 : Getting started ?
It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel each time. The library of Boris Graffiti allows already to use many simple effects. You will only have to take a simple existing effect and use it as a basis to transform it into the text transition that you want.
To perform this tutorial, I placed in Studio the fifth clip of OurFunVacation and I applied a Boris Graffiti effect. For more details on the procedure, refer to our tutorial "Boris Graffiti, The Beginning".
Step 2 : Modification of the existing Boris Graffiti effect
If you edit Boris Graffiti, you enter the effects library "Library Browser".
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At this time, you can choose the effect that will serve as the basis for building your custom effect.
- Select the directory Animated/Animated text in/tracking;
- Select the effect track&FadeIn.grf by double clicking its thumbnail and check that the effect has been loaded;
- Type the text "Text transition";
- Click the "Insert text" button;
- Go to "Advanced mode".
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In the original effect, the first track contains three keyframes.
- The first keyframe is the beginning of the movement of the text;
- The second keyframe corresponds to the end of the movement of the text;
- The third keyframe is identical to the second keyframe to allow view the full text during the last third of the effect.
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By default, the effect in Boris Graffiti is a pale blue, inconspicuous (151, 177, 255). For purposes of this tutorial you will change color of the text :
- Double-click on the track "Text" to select and open the "Text Windows". You will notice that the track will automatically change its name at that time: it takes the name of the text you've already entered in the "Library Browser" in paragraph 3;
- Select "Color" tab;
- Select the entire text "Transition text" if it is not already done and change the pale blue color with a black (0, 0, 0). It is clear that in your effect, you can choose between the font, size, color or even predefined styles in the range of styles. For more details on the procedure, refer to our tutorial "Boris Graffiti, The Beginning";
- Click the "Update" button to save the changes and close the window "Text Windows".
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Change the duration of the effect in order to use only half the time. The second half of the time will be used later to display the second text.
- Do not touch the first keyframe of the track "Text transition";
- Select with the mouse the second keyframe of the track "Text transition" which is at "Time" = 00:00:02.7 and slip it to "Time" = 00:00:00.20;
- Select with the mouse the third keyframe of the track "Text transition" which is at "Time"=00:00:03.10 and slip it to "Time" =00:00:01.05;
- Select with the mouse the second keyframe of the track "Face" which is at "Time"=00:00:02.7 and slip it to "Time" =00:00:00.20. The keyframe corresponding to the track "Text" is dependent on the track "Face" and will follow this movement.
Nota : For now, you just move and create keyframes. The parameterization of these will come next. |
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You've seen above the value of the three keyframes. The third keyframe maintains the text on screen. But we want the text to disappear at the end of the effect (50% of the total time). It would involve creating a fourth keyframe 50% of the duration at "Time" = 00:00:01.20.
For that, click in the field "Time" and enter the value 00:00:01.20. The time cursor will move at the insertion point of the future keyframe. With menu "Track/New Keyframe" (or with keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N) create the fourth keyframe.
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We must now create a third keyframe on the track "Face".
- Position the time cursor at "Time" =00:00:01.05
- Select the track "Face" and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N to create the third keyframe of the track "Face". A third keyframe will be created automatically on the track "Text".
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We must now create a fourth keyframe on the track "Face".
- Position the time cursor at "Time" =00:00:01.20
- Select the track "Face" and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N to create the fourth keyframe of the track "Face". A fourth keyframe will be created automatically on the track "Text".
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You still have a few keyframes to be created. For that, you need to expand the effect tree.
- Make sure the button "Toggle Smart View" displays a down arrow, if not, click on it to change its position. When the button displays a down arrow, only the tracks that contain the modified settings are displayed when a track is expanded. Expand the two tracks transformations;
- Go to "Time" = 00:00:01.20;
- Select the track "Opacity" and with Ctrl+N create a keyframe at "Time" = 00:00:01.20;
- Select the track "Tracking" and with Ctrl+N create a keyframe at "Time" = 00:00:01.20;
- SSelect the track "Letter Scale X" and with Ctrl+N create a keyframe at "Time" = 00:00:01.20. A keyframe will be automatically created on track "Letter Scale Y"
Nota : Keyframes created at points 3, 4 and 5 are visible in the below screenshot.
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| All keyframes at "Time" = 00:00:01.20 have been created. |
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Creation of the last keyframes at "Time" = 00:00:01.05.
- Go to "Time" = 00:00:01.05 and repeat the same keyframes creation that those done at "Time" = 00:00:01.20 (Tracks Opacity, Tracking, Letter Scale X and Letter Scale Y).
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Keyframes setting at "Time" = 00:00:00.00 :
Go to "Time" = 00:00:00.00 and assign to each keyframe values and interpolations of the screenshot.
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Keyframes setting at "Time" = 00:00:00.20 :
Go to "Time" = 00:00:00.20 and assign to each keyframe values and interpolations of the screenshot. |
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Keyframes setting at "Time" = 00:00:01.05 :
Go to "Time" = 00:00:01.05 and assign to each keyframe values and interpolations of the screenshot. |
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Keyframes setting at "Time" = 00:00:01.20 :
Go to "Time" = 00:00:01.20 and assign to each keyframe values and interpolations of the screenshot.
To avoid losing your work, it is desirable to temporarily save your effect under a new name using the menu File / Save settings as ... or using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + S.
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Step 3 : Overview of the results of the effect on the first text
If I have forgotten nothing ... and if you follow ... you should get the following result.
So now, as this tutorial is a bit long, I suggest you save your effect and take a break...
Step 4 : Duplicating the track Text transformation
You're going now to create the necessary tracks for the second text. Do not worry, it will be much faster than for the creation of tracks of keyframes and their settings needed in the first text. You will simply duplicate the tracks, keyframes and their parameters in one command.
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To see your work properly, close the tree to keep only the two main tracks : "Text transition" and "Background".
- Select the track "Text transition" and right-click it;
- Click "Duplicate Track";
- Verify that the button "Toggle Smart View" displays the down arrow.
At the end of this operation, you will have 3 tracks : 2 tracks "Text transition" and the track "Background".
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- Select the second track "Text transition" and expand it completely.
- Double-click the track "Face" or track "Text" to open the window "Text Windows" and replace the text "Text transition" by "DECLIC-VIDEO".
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Now you're gonna move the keyframes of the track "DECLIC-VIDEO". You will use a new procedure for moving keyframes.
- Select the last keyframe of track "DECLIC-VIDEO" which is at "Time" = 00:00:01.20. In the field "Key" replace 00:00:01.20 by 00:00:03.10. The keyframe moves to the end of the effect and moves too the keyframe of track "Opacity".
- You do the same with the last keyframe of the track "Face". The keyframe moves to the end of the effect and moves too the keyframes of tracks "Text", "Tracking", "Letter Scale X" and "Letter Scale Y".
Same thing for tracks "DECLIC-VIDEO" and "Face" with:
- the thrid keyframe from 00:00:01.05 to 00:00:02.20;
- the second keyframe from 00:00:00.20 to 00:00:02.10;
- the first keyframe from 00:00:00.00 to 00:00:01.20.
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| If you reduce the tree of the two tracks "Transformations" you should get a result identical to the screenshot above. |
Step 5 : Overview of the final outcome of your creation of a text transition
This creation may seem very long. In fact, it is not. With little control it is an effect that can be achieved in about thirty minutes. But mostly I wanted to use this tutorial to familiarize yourself with the handling of key images and show you different ways to reach an identical result. Finally I deliberately detailed procedures.
I think when you have closely followed this tutorial and you'll calmly made two or three similar effects, you'll be able to significantly reduce the time spent creating your first text transition.
There you could share, if you want, your new effects to make them available to every body.
{Thanks to saby who translated this tutorial from french to english and cross-checked it}