Master property - text and fonts not updating

[dbDavideBoscolo]

Hi all,

I guess this is a bug. 

I have comp1 with two Source Text properties as master properties.
If I put the comp1 inside another comp and change the text, it works as expected and looks like this:

However if I now change font in the comp1 to look like this:

The main comp doesn't update at all.

Project file attached for you to debug. 

Cheers,

Dav

[DaciaSaenz]

Hi @dbDavideBoscolo, 

This depends on what version of AE you're working in. Can you share the version and your system specs please? 

If you're working in 23.6, then it's not a bug so much as a change to the feature. 

In 23.6, we introduced Essential Properties in the Props Panel. This now gives users the ability to set the Font, Font Size, and Faux Styles for their EP Text layers. In previous versions of AE, users were only given the option to change the words of the EP Control and nothing more. That meant that any changes made to the Primary Text Layer were automatically inherited by all of the related EP Text Controls, even if the text had been overridden and the Push / Pull buttons were activated. This broke the concept of EPs, since the overridden values (the ones in the Precomp) become their own independent version as soon as those Push / Pull buttons become active. And it also didn't allow for people to iterate non-destructively across templated EP comps-- which is the promise of Essential Properties. 

Now in 23.6,  those EP controls are in the Props Panel and the rules have changed. 

First things first, use the Enable Properties Hot Text on the Text Control in the Essential Graphics Panel to enable the extra font controls.

Now you can change the Font for the EP control in the templated EP comp independently from the Primary Control. 

But back to your scenario... 

If you've changed the actual words in the EP Text Control, then the Push/ Pull buttons will be activated. This means that changing the Font in the Primary Comp will not affect the EP Comp. The templated instance is now independent from the original text layer because it has been changed. 

You will have to "Pull" the values back from the Primary Comp but that will also reset your words 😞 

If the EP Text Control has not been changed in any way (and the Push / Pull buttons are not active), then changes to the Primary Control will trickle down to the rest of the related EP comps. 

So definitely could boil down to an order of operations if you still want the power to change the fonts in your EP Text controls with the Primary. 

Hope this is clear-ish. Let me know if you're not on 23.6 though cause then it will definitely be a bug. And please let us know your feedback. Would it be beneficial to you to be able to Pull / Push only the font but maintain any changes to the words themselves? In other words, make the values in the EP Text Control independent from one another? 

I would love to hear your thoughts! 

Thanks,

[dbDavideBoscolo]

Hi Dacia,

First of all thank you for replying. It's really appreciated!
And yes!, I'm on AE version 23.6.

I knew about the ability to set the Font, Font Size, and Faux Styles. However, since these options need to be enabled/checked (first image you uploaded) in order to appear in both the Essential Graphics Panel and the new Props Panel, I expected that the Font, Font Size, and Faux Styles would have been controlled by the Primary comp, no matter what. 

Real life experience: the client asked for a change in the Faux Style of all text in five animations. I would have expected to go inside the Primary comp, change the font there, then re-export the animations again. I would have spent 10 seconds (plus render time). This way though I had to go through all the instances of that comp, copy the words, push/pull and re-apply the words again. Needless to say, it took longer.

As you asked for my feedback, my desired behaviour would be:

If the Font, Font Size, and Faux Styles are enabled/visible: current behaviour is fine.

If the Font, Font Size, and Faux Styles are NOT enabled/visible: the Font, Font Size, and Faux Styles are always controlled by the Primary comp (even if the words changed).

Would it be beneficial to you to be able to Pull / Push only the font but maintain any changes to the words themselves? I would have spent less time, but still not the solution I would go for.

Cheers

Dav

[DaciaSaenz]

Thank you so much for the feedback. We are currently investigating how we can give users more options. I like your idea a whole lot! 

And again, sorry for the inconvenience. 

Dacia, 

[TIM_Producer6]

Hi @DaciaSaenz just commenting in to agree with @dbDavideBoscolo that our workflow depended heavily on the ability to change fonts at the primary comp level and have it effecutate out to all instances of that comp being used. We'll have a project with 50+ instances of the primary comp each with unique source text properties, so pulling the source text properties from the primary comp and losing the text in the process is a major bummer for us. We really liked and built a workflow around being able to change the font at the primary comp level and have it change project wide and would really appreciate bringing that back.

[seand3529233]

Completly agree. with @dbDavideBoscolo and @TIM_Producer6. I also have a huge workflow built around 50+ instances from the primary comp. Especialy when im working in an enviroment where change is a constant with each client feedback that anything that can be done to save time per round is essential.

[NielsGramsen]

Hi Adobe,

I fully agree with dbDavideBoscolo and the rest. This is, to be nice with you, one heck of a failure in your update. It completely over-complicates large text-based animation projects. Most projects will not need a change in font because every company or project has (obviously) its own style. Please repair this immediately, its Febuary 2024 already.

Thank you.

[luk63620532]

It's incredibly frustrating. I find it perplexing why Adobe support seldom offers practical workarounds or provides timely fixes for such issues, which seem to affect all programs in the Adobe cloud. This problem has persisted for approximately six months now. To make adjustments to an older file, I had to reinstall a previous version of AE and painstakingly reintegrate recently added plugins and components. It's quite time-consuming!

However... In the meantime, I've found a workaround for new projects that I wanted to share:

A precomp with two text layers is created: let's say "text-input" and "text-style". 

"text-input": is set to hide and from this layer the source text is added to the essential properties. Font, font size etc. of this layer are irrelevant. You can put your placeholder text in here.

"text-style": this layer can be customized in terms of font, font size, tracking– even later ;). The following expression is set in the source text: 

sourceTextContent = thisComp.layer("text-input").text.sourceText;

text.sourceText.style

.setText(sourceTextContent);

The "text-input" layer therefore only serves as a container for the source text, which the "text-style" layer can then pull.

I hope that helps 🙂