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Rowby
Rowby
Inspiring
June 8, 2018
Question

Scaling up text with automatic word wrap -- how to do it?

  • June 8, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 5932 views

Hello everyone.

I am using Adobe After Effects CC 2018.

And I have a text object that I want to scale up so the text gets bigger over time. The text is a sentence.  So as the text gets bigger I want the text to automatically word wrap within its container so that none of the text goes off screen.  (In other words, if I just scale up the text as is, part of the words will go off screen.  I don't want that.)

I will be making multiple versions of this composition and I just want to be able to type in new text, and the above "effect" will happen automatically. (If possible).

Here's a link to an export of the project so far.   Not sure if there is a built in effect (couldn't find one) or if I need more sophisticated help to make this happen.

https://youtu.be/jRK1ldPsXI8

In the above video the text is two lines.  The wording is

Using flow to display different

banners for different customers.

When the above becomes enlarged, it should "automatically" word wrap so it looks like

Using flow to display

different banners for

different customers.

Thanks for any help on this.  Not sure if I will like the final effect, but I at least want to try it!

Thanks!


Rowby

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

R
Rick Gerard
Community Expert
June 8, 2018

I did not download your project file but I can tell you that the way to generate a container for text is to select the text tool and click and drag out a rectangle in the Composition Panel that is the size you want. The text will now wrap inside that box automatically. The number of lines you get depends on the font size.

You'll find instructions on how to use that feature by typing text box in the search help field at the top right corner of AE.

Rowby
RowbyAuthor
Inspiring
June 9, 2018

Thanks Rick,

That makes sense.

My my next question is — is there a way to change font size via keyframes?

For example I would want the font size to start at 40 pix and over time the font size would gradually increase to 80 pix.

Using your word wrap solution, in conjunction with font size gradually increased using key frames — that would result in the effect I want — assuming there is indeed a way to use key frames to control font size.

Best,

Rowby

R
Rick Gerard
Community Expert
June 9, 2018

The only control over point size is through the Character Panel. You can set keyframes for Source Text and change only the point size of the text but it will pop from one size to the next because the Source Text Property only uses hold keyframes. I guess you could set a keyframe for every frame to get a smooth transition but if you do that then the number of words in each line would change, the horizontal size of the text box would stay the same but the number of lines and therefore the vertical size of the text box would change. It would look very odd. You could preview what that would look like by selecting a text layer that has a text box and then dragging the font size in the Character Panel.

I don't think that is a very pleasing or easy to read animation.

The only way to keep the number of words and lines the same would be to animate the scale of the text layer or move a camera on a 3D text layer. If you add text animators then the size of the text box will change as you scale, animate the line spacing and kerning.

If you have a sample of a text animation that you can show us maybe we'll get a better idea of what it is you are trying to do.

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