Animate right aligned text from right to left

[Jannik5F8F]

Hi Everyone,

I've pickwhipped a shape layer to a right aligned text so that the shape layer scales with the text (from the bottom right of the text) - all by using the sourceRectAtTime Expression - this works wonderful!

However, I am now getting desperate as I want to animate (scale in) the text from right to left (fixed point should be the anchor point of the text). Can't figure out how this works.

The animation always goes from left to right - while it should do the opposite.

Once I write/change the text, AE behaves exactly how I want the animation to behave. How can I make this work?

Hope my explanation and the quick video attached help you guys to to figure out, what I'm looking for.

Thank you very much for your support.

Jannik

[Roland Kahlenberg]

I'm not able to understand what you want. You've provided a video but you've not mentioned what it is in the video that you want/don't want. What is the video supposed to tell us?

[Jannik5F8F · Accepted solution]

Hi @Roland Kahlenberg  Thanks for getting back quickly.

In the video you can see an animation of a "text box" (text + shape aligned through sourceRectAtTime). This "scale" animation is happening from left to right. However, it should work exactly the opposite way: Animation from right to left. So it's the start point of the animation, that should be on the right end of the shape. At 0:15 of the video, I demonstrate what I am looking for, as I just type the text.

Final result should look as if the text expands from the little male icon to the left.

Hope this helps. Thanks

[Roland Kahlenberg]

Follow the set up below.
The keyframe values for the Start property are –
1st Keyframe = 0
2nd Keyframe = 100

TIP — Use the Tracking Amount to set the start point (right position) of the text. And animate Tracking Amount with Hold Keyframes if you really need the start point to be at the exact same position for all characters.

FWIW, a sourceText Expression should be a more elegant solution but it'll take too long for me to figure it out right now. Perhaps "google" might help?

[Jannik5F8F]

Unfortunately, I think this still doesn't lead to the result I need. I attached another video.

On the left side, the purple textbox extends from left to right (word for word accompanying spoken words).

Now, I want the same effect for the white textbox (on the right) but starting/extending from right to left - simply as I showed in the first video, when I was editing the text.

If I follow your instructions and adding the keyframes to the start property (0% / 100%) I get the exact same animation as for the purple textbox (see the new video clip).

Any other idea though? I reall appreciate your help here.

Thanks,

Jannik

[Jannik5F8F]

Sorry, here's a (vimeo) link to the second video

[Roland Kahlenberg]

You missed out on a few Text Animator properties. Here's an AEP -
http://www.broadcastgems.com/mediaStreamer/bGEMs_Typewriter_R2L_01.zip

HTH

[Jannik5F8F]

@Roland Kahlenberg  Thank you very much, your suggestion worked, although it was a bit tiring to align the "Tracking Amount" word for word. Again, thank you very much!

[Roland Kahlenberg]

Thanks for reporting back.
BTW, I only used 3 KFs for Tracking Amount in my example - apply just as many as is required since the movement is quite quick. The best KF strategy is akin to the "Extremes" KF strategy for rotoscoping.