Can you remove a text layer's bounding box in After Effects?

[KrispyKreative]

I created a graphic template in AE with multiple text layers, and each has a bounding box. For flexibility, I have determined it's best not to have the bounding boxes for daily use, and just have unbounded text for each layer, but I can't figure out how to remove the bounding boxes. I could create all new layers, but I have so many effects and dependencies on each layer already, it would be a huge hassle. Any idea? Thanks.

[Rick Gerard]

Shift + Ctrl/Cmnd + h will show or hide layer controls. I use it all the time. You can also find the option in the View menu.

[KrispyKreative]

Thanks, but hiding won't work in this case - I need the bounding box to not exist. I'm creating a graphics template, and the user needs to be able to type a long line of text. I created the template with bounding boxes before I had figured that out. So all of the text now wraps within the bounding box, but I need it to go across the screen. Can the bounding box be totally removed, as if I had never created it?

[Rick Gerard]

If you are talking about a paragraph area on a text layer, you'll have to redo the text layers without creating a paragraph area.

You can use sourceRectAtTime() to control a background layer's position, scale, and appearance as well as the text layer appearance. I'd have to see your comp to give you much more assistance than that.

[KrispyKreative]

Thank you. I'll just redo the layers. Appreciate your help.

[Roland Kahlenberg · Accepted solution]

It sounds like you've created a Paragraph Text Layer and now want it as a Point Text Layer. You can switch between the two - follow these steps : 

1) select the Paragraph Text Layer

2) select the Text Tool
3) hover the Text Tool over any one of the edges of the text box

4) right-click to invoke the Context Menu and select Convert to Point Text - and you can convert the other way around too. 

HTH

[Rick Gerard]

Brilliant. I learned something new.

[Roland Kahlenberg]

Ah. I thought you had misread the OP. I think I picked this up from Adobe's TimK a while ago. 

[TestriteVisual]

Greetings this post helped me. I just realized this question was for After Effecs, but I was needing to do this in Photoshop originally posted the Photoshop sceenshots finding the menu options you mentioned:

Here is an actual After Effects screenshot showing exact steps you mentined

I've moved the Photopshop related steps to here now

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/how-to-remove-a-text-layer-s-bounding... 

[Roland Kahlenberg]

With the Text Tool selected and right-click while hovering over any part of a Text Layer and right-clicking to bring up the Context Menu is an updated QOL (Quality of Life) feature that was added since the previous posts was made. Prior to this addition, a user had to be very specific/accurate, to click exactly on one of the Text Layer's Source Rectangle's miniboxes for the Context Menu click to work. 

[Chiefy inmo]

Hi everyone
for cc 2024 version have a "Properties Panel" that they allow you to swap paragraph mode (box/point) anytime by easy

following this image. Quality of life yeh? 😄

[joshd8477905]

Another thing you forgot which is super frustrating with stacking layers and selection is once you have imported these layers. Right click on top of those layers after dragging them to the active layers window. Choose "Create" and "Create Shapes from Vector Layer". Then you can highlight or grab any layer in your composition WITHOUT having to hide previous layers or manually select a layer that is buried in your composition! Just in in illustrator you want to be able to use the pointer or selection tool to grab any layer in the active viewing window. TIME SAVER!!