Apple Motion 4 - Manual (Page 939)

HUD Controls
The HUD contains the following controls: Color 1, Color 2, Divisions, Rotation, Contrast,
Waviness, Frequency, Phase, Inner Cutoff, and Outer Cutoff.
Text Generators
Whereas other generators create background images and patterns, text generators use
text characters to create text-based animations, such as timecode, time and date, or text
animation created from a plain text (.txt). file. Text generators also use the standard text
parameters, such as tracking, text on a path layout, and glow to modify the appearance
of the generator. Text Generators have their own set of common parameters available in
the HUD and in the Inspector. The Inspector for each text generator contains four panes:
Format, Style, Layout, and Generator.
The first three panes (Format, Style, and Layout) which control the color, outline, glow,
drop shadow, and path of the text can be used to modify the text in a Text Generator.
These panes are identical to those in the Text Inspector (for a text layer) with one
exception. In the Format pane, the Text editor and Publish to FCP controls found in the
Text Inspector are not available. Additionally, the Text and Transform Glyph tools cannot
be used to modify the text. Changing any of the text, such as adding words or correcting
a spelling error, must be done in the source file.
Note: When Type is selected from the Layout Method pop-up menu in the Layout pane,
and the Text tool is selected in the Toolbar, a line appears under the currently-selected
type in a Text Generator.
The appearance of a text generator—including color, outline, glow, drop shadow, path,
and so on—can be modified in the Format, Style, and Layout panes of the Generator
Inspector. This includes placing the generator text on a path.
For information on the Format, Style, and Layout panes, see Creating and Editing Text .
The parameters in the Generator pane are described below.
File
The File text generator displays the contents of a text file. The appearance (font, weight,
size, and so on) of the text in the source file is ignored in favor of the settings in the
Inspector. The text file must be in plain text (.txt) format.
The text displays onscreen word by word, line by line, appearing and disappearing based
on the settings in the Inspector. The duration of the generator determines the speed of
the text. All text in the source file is displayed; the longer the duration of the generator,
the slower the text appears.
Parameters in the Inspector
Browse: Click the Browse button to locate the file you want to use as the text source.
939 Chapter 15 Working with Generators