Text in dynamic boxes?

[rschweidler]

Hi experts,

I'm trying to create a template file with basic text layers, that have coloured backgrounds.
I want to set it up so when someone copy+pastes new text in, the background boxes (per line) draw themselves behind the text.
Is this possible in After Effects?

This is the effect I'd like to make as a template:

Thanks in advance.

[Mylenium · Accepted solution]

Simply use a box glyph from a font and two layers that are linked with a simple pickwhip expression on the source text property.

Mylenium

[rschweidler]

Cool! I'm trying this.

Happen to know of any suitable fonts? I've got it working but not all the glyphs are solid boxes so it isn't quite working behind some of the characters.

[Mylenium]

Depends on what look you are after. Futura-like fonts like you show in your screenshot will always be tricky due to the large differences in width, but e.g. many condensed font variants are almost monospaced. You should be able to find enough regular fonts with monospaced characteristics, too, you will just need to spend some time scouring font sites. Also do not forget that you can always use text animators to control kerning and character scale, so you may be able to cheat and get a solid area even with non-mono fonts. Finally of course one could setup some expression that places e.g. smaller boxes at higher densities and calculates the required number based on the input text. There's enough options, but as it is, you can only set this as fixed parameters once you actually know which font you will use. Font metrics are complicated and unfortunately AE's expressions are limited in that department, so there can be no "one fits all" solution.

Mylenium

[Szalam]

Here is an example of using the SourceRectAtTime() expression.

[AdGod]

Hi could you please describe how I would set up box glyph from a font and two layers that are linked with a simple pick whip expression on the source text this up in AE? Or a link to a comp example. Much appreciated

Thank you.

[Szalam]

Many text boxes are made with a SourceRecAtTime() expression. Multi-line might be tricky though.

I like Mylenium's suggestion, but you would need to make sure that your font was monospaced for it to work.

[Mathias Moehl]

I know this question is three years old - just in case anybody still looks for a solution in 2020:

Our Extension Pins & Boxes has a very easy and powerful solution to create dynamic boxes. They can even contain multiple texts or other content and also work in project and mogrts on machines where the extension is not installed.