Essential Graphics Panel vs. Title Tool (Titler)

[thxapproved2]

Just updated to Premiere 2017.1 and have been introduced to the new "Essential Graphics" panel (EGP) and Title tool.

As of right now, I am both excited and frustrated.  I'm excited that this will allow for creating graphic presets in After Effects and creating some really great animated titles.  I also like the fact that when you add a Photoshop file, the transparency actually works (something that was SO frustrating about the original titler. You could add a "logo," but alpha channels or Photoshop transparency was ignored. Was all based on luminance).

HOWEVER, this is where it ends... currently. This is said, knowing full-well that the original titler tool is still available.

I am having real difficulty with a few things:

- This was not phased in.  Went to quickly create new title in a project by pressing CTRL+T and discovered a surprising, but not necessarily pleasant result of a strange box appearing over my video in my source monitor... Only to finally discover this was part of the new EGP.

- Rolling / scrolling titles:  How does one create them in this new workflow?

- Many of the title styling options are missing.

     - How do you apply gradient colors to fonts?

     - Drop shadows are missing "size (density)" option.  They have "angle," "distance," and "spread (blur)" only.

     - No ability to place to change stroke from  "inner" or "outer."

     - No ability to add sheen or texture

- Can't double-click on select box to switch back to editing text (convenience feature).

- When you create a title with the new "titler," it does not place anything in the bin.  This will make organizing reused titles quite difficult to locate and modify. There needs be a way to show all titles available within a project.

I could potentially see getting rid of the old title tool, if some of these issues were addressed.

If there are ANY insights to this new "feature," I would greatly appreciate.  Have not been able to find ANY comprehensive tutorials on the Adobe website for these above items.

Thanks!

-Todd

[Mike_Berry_Adobe]

You should be able to browse to a different project and import a master style from it into your current project as a way to share styles.

[jstrawn]

harryz  wrote

I thought that would be a way to save a preset for a style to use in multiple graphics and projects. A way to save presets would be very useful.

Any MTS can be used in multiple Graphics within the same project. Just assign it to a text layer using any of the methods I described above. It does not matter which graphic a text layer is in, it just needs to not be a shape or clip layer.

As for MTS presets, it's not as straightforward as we would like yet, but you can use existing MTS items across projects by using a workflow similar to this:

1. In Project 111 make one or more MTS items which you would like to use as presets within the same or other project(s).
2. In Project 222, use the Import command or the media Browser to find project 111 and then import it.
3. Optional: If project 111 happens to have a lot of other items (besides the MTSs you want to use as presets), put the MTSs in a bin of their own. Then use the Media Browser to find the project and the MTSs bin (with a good name of course) and you will import all of that project's MTSs at once without a bunch of other project items you may not want. Also, if they are in a folder and you do step 2 above with the regular Import command it will be a lot easier to isolate your MTSs and delete unwanted things later.

There are other variations of that workflow that I (along with other users) can think of, but hopefully the basic idea is clear... Import existing MTSs and use them as presets in other projects.

[R Neil Haugen]

As jbellemo said, it "docks" like all other panels.

You can set it up any way you want it, save the workspace, and it will be there. Save as a new workspace, you can add it to the worskspace bar.

Neil

[Roei Tzoref]

YouTube explanation helped (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kVVUUW-vvA).

link is broken

[R Neil Haugen]

Here's a link to a demo of it by "jstrawn", an Adobe staffer who appear here often:

GraphicsDemo_Spring2017 on Vimeo

Neil

[jstrawn]

Thanks Neil.

I don't think I demo'd any panel specific actions in there, but yes indeed, docking or moving the EGP does work like any other panel in PrPro. The one minor difference is that it has two tabs (Edit, Browse) which remain part of the EGP no matter how you dock it. And even that part is not without precedence... the Effect Controls Panel (ECP) has tabs to switch between source and master controls, and the Export Settings dialog has a tabbed sub panel as well.

[R Neil Haugen]

The way the new EGP works say with ECP ... is more like many of the other effects panels. Once you see it, and know to start looking forth & back between ECP & EGP for controls of what one is working on, it gets ... clear. And Jason was demoing with the EGP docked on the right side, and ECP on the left ... think of the way the Color workspace has the Lumetri panel on the right and Scopes on the left.

So while he was working, with the program monitor in the middle, and ECP to the left, EGP to the right ... he'd start something in the EGP, then work the controls for that in the ECP on the left, then back to EGP ... actually making a lot of sense of the layout.

It's just not the way we're used to approaching this. But as I said, as we users get used to this, and it gets the rest of the features added, it will make perfect ... well, um ... much better! ... sense.

Neil

[jstrawn]

Whatever makes sense for you is fine....

But the primary purpose of the Effect Control (ECP), as it pertains to to Graphics, was as an advanced workflow for users to animate either their individual layer parameters (which show up like effects in the ECP) or the track level params (Motion, Opacity) for a selected Graphic item. Secondarily, users may also access masking/tacking controls for individual Shape or Text layers from within the ECP. Of course, since the layer params show up in the ECP, they can also be used to simply adjust things just as you otherwise would over in the Essential Graphics Panel (EGP). But that is more a result of the design rather than the reason for it. Fro this reason, in the default workspace for Essential Graphics, we semi-obscured the ECP by putting it in a tab on the left which lies beneath the Source Monitor at first.

I did not see Jason's demo, but he would have had to bring the ECP to the front at some point during or before his presentation, which is why it looked different than what you see on your own at first. Otherwise, the layout you described is the same as what you will see in the app for Graphics by default. That may all be more explanation that you needed, but hopefully it will help you make better sense of things sooner rather than later.

[Stefan Gruenwedel]

Just for reference, here is Jason Levine demoing the Essential Graphics panel (starts at time = 2:17):

LIVE DEMO | New Features in Adobe Video and Audio Tools (April 2017) | Adobe Creative Cloud - YouTub...

[jstrawn]

Thank you for the reference video!

OK, I'm at 2:57 and feel I must correct: You don't need to have AE installed just to user Essential Graphics (EG) in Premiere Pro. You DO need to install it to a) get the AE MOGRT content visible in the Essential Graphics Panel - Browse tab and b) to use any MOGRTs which were authored in AE. You can create, edit, and export Graphics with layers (text, shape, clip) from without PrPro without having AE installed.

At 10:23 -- Saving to destination: "Essential Graphics" does not save it to the Browse panel space in the EGP. It saves it to a local folder called Essential Graphics which was created for you when installing PrPro 11.1. But this folder is there the Browse tab points to by default, and since Browse tab is always a 1:1 correlation to the folder (and sub folders) that is is pointed to, you will immediately see your exported MOGRTs shows up there as long as it is pointing to the same folder you exported to. Exporting to Library just sends it to a place which the EGP browser is not pointed to by default.

Around 13:15 -- he points out a specific use for Master text styles which I've not yet seen demo'd elsewhere. This should be a viable workaround for people facing dilemmas where they want to change some aspect of a mogrt without having to re-export and replace all existing instances of it. Master Styles cannot be applied to AE MOGRT items in the timeline, so people in a similar situation with that type of media will still need a different approach, but it's good to note in case you missed it when you viewed Jason;s demo.

at 16:56 - He quickly shows and only partially explains what the Typekit Warning dialog says... it's telling you to allow time for the fonts to sync (which you can see the progress of in your CC desktop app / assets / fonts if needed, and as an alternative to the notification Jason mentions), and it is ALSO telling you to reload the project to make sure the synced font is rendered correctly within your project. I doesn't look like he ever re-loaded his demo project, so what he is seeing at 17:26 will not doubt contain one or more text layers with a substituted font.

at 17:50 - He has made a misapplication of the Text Style to one of the layers (which is a good demo point), and then says we donlt need that so we will put that back to none. It doesn't work that way. Setting it to None just unassigns it as a child of any particular parent style. At 17:53 you can hear a key press in the audio, That is the sounf of Cmd/Ctrl + Z being hit which is just undoing the application of the style he made to that 'Company Presents' layer a few seconds earlier. (Note: live demos are tough, I've done the same sort of thing keep myself moving before, so I'm not trying to throw anyone under a bus... but you will need to know that None style is not the same as undo previously assigned style)

at 18:38 - Circular Pattern (Clip Layer) is actually a PNG file which has had its scale animated in PrPro's ECP before being exported as a MOGRT and not a video file. But, while not exactly correct, this is a good example of how different layers and media types can be animated individually and/or collectively to give you a really rich Graphic which can then be exported right out of PrPro without even having AE installed.

at 19:00 - He demo's what he (and many others) calls 'Importing'. But it is actually an "Install" process (as indicated by the button tooltip) which just copies the selected mogrt into your local Essential Graphic folder where you will be able to see it from the root level of the EG Browser.

I didn't watch the AE demo as closely, but I skimmed it and it looks like he conveyed the gist of it well enough. The most important things to know about that workflow are a) open the EG panel in AE, b) use the Solo Supported Properties to filter to show only the things which can show up and be modified in prPro after authoring as mogrt.

I hope that doesn't all just sound nit-picky. I tried to confine my corrections to things with real user impact, and did nto intent to cast aspersions to any degree.

[R Neil Haugen]

Thanks for the reply. As he started into the EGP, he clicked on the ECP tab which was in the left topmost panel group at his startup, I think. And yes, that whole interaction is as you describe ... make something in the EGP, animate it via the ECP. For multiple items in the EGP, select them and size/move them via the ECP. Which is mostly the way other effects work ... so it seemed like just making this section like unto the other sections.

Neil

[EvanDust]

Here is the fixed link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kVVUUW-vvA&t=62s

[nickgates100]

Legacy Title is now full of bugs. A rolling title doesn't seem to hold its settings. Once created, it runs backwards and has a post roll of 5000. Change it to zero and it defaults back again. Using version 11.1.0 on a MAC

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi NickGates,

Is this crawl from a Legacy Title Workspace from a previous version or from a new Workspace you just made?

Thanks,
Kevin

[nickgates100]

Thanks for the reply. This is using the Legacy workspace as there appears to be no roll/crawl options in the new "essential graphics". I produce lots of rolling credits up to 2-3 minutes long.

Functions not working that used to work - "select all text" for instance. The "add graphic" dialogue is no longer there (no upper "title" menu). Once the title is created options are randomly changing?

[Mike_Berry_Adobe]

Hi -

There must be something weird going that is at least somewhat specific to you. Select all (cmd-A) is working fine for me in the legacy titler. Add graphic was removed from the Title menu (which was removed) but the command is still assignable in the keyboard shortcut dialog (search for Insert Graphic and Insert Graphic into Text).

We need a little more info about the random changing.

Mike

[Jonzy]

The most recurring problem with the new tool is once I start to use it, all my program monitor blackout, can't see anything.  Source monitor is fine etc.  I have to reboot Premiere to fix it.

[thxapproved2]

Also now noticing that when I have a legacy title selected in the bin, and I right click on a title in the timeline and select "Replace With Clip," "Replace with clip from bin" is now grayed out.  I have to now drag the title to the source window and then "replace with clip from source monitor."

Also, here IS a question...  Why can't there be a titler that is more akin to Photoshop, as many titles are still 2D images?  I really like what AE can do, but creating text in AE is clunky at best.  Sure, you can click on the screen and begin typing, but to add all the cool layer effects, it's not as quick as PS.  So, going for an AE-style text interface, IMHO, is not going to win the majority of hearts, as far as the day-to-day editing goes.

Yes, I really love the idea of motion graphics, but I use that a lot less often than I do standard 2D, still graphics.

I have submitted the "Replace...bin" as a bug.

I really agree with the earlier staff post... should not have upgraded for quite a while... Would save some headaches.

Keep innovating.

[Roei Tzoref]

now noticing that when I have a legacy title selected in the bin, and I right click on a title in the timeline and select "Replace With Clip," "Replace with clip from bin" is now grayed out.

works here on Windows 7.

steps:

1. file->new->legacy title

2. dragged to timeline

3. right click on the title

[thxapproved2]

Unfortunately it is not working on Windows 10.  I would not lie about a thing like that

Here is what is happening...

If I click on a title in the timeline and a replacement title in the media tree (master bin), I can select replace with file from bin..  However, if I double-click on a bin to open it in it's own floating window and do the same with the title, the replace option is grayed out.  So, it will only do that from the master bin now.

[psymon100]

hey buddy. to do that can you alt-left click drag what you want to from the bin, to the timeline? i hope that helps.

I'm really not impressed with the new titler.

[Jemini9876]

Thank you for posting this as I'm one of the frustrated users trying to use the new graphics tool to add text onto my project.

My main concern is that the response Mike gave us stated

"We decided to only support single strokes as our user data and surveys did not show much use of multiple strokes."

My work involves quick titles and subtitling in different languages that require multiple strokes to make text stand out more on television productions. I'm sure there are more people like me that need this feature and would like to have the ability to add multiple strokes in future updates. For now, I'll stick with the Legacy Titler.

-Jeff

[SilviaLozzaVideos]

I'm not a fan either, I work with a lots of titles and I found this update very confusing.

Plus, I don't know if it's because of me working on an old machine or what (2011 mbp), if I nest titles on multiple video tracks and offset them to come in at a different time, the one below that disappears (even if it's still on the timeline, doesn't show on the preview\exported video, no matter if I render or not.

(ex. nested titles on V1, V2, V3

V1 comes in at 00.00.00, v2 at 00.00.03. at 00.00.03 v1 disappears and only v2 remains).

Any suggestion on this problem?

[Mike_Berry_Adobe]

Can you provide a screen shot of the timeline and program monitor with the missing material? I'm not sure I understand what you are describing yet.

Mike

[MediaScribe]

Is there a way to set the Legacy Title Tool to be the default title tool? Titling in the new Essential Graphics panel is truly horrible...an absolute nightmare that has ground editing to a halt here.

First off, there is no way to select numerous layers and align/distribute them.

There is no way to roll or crawl titles.

There is no way to select single characters in the middle of a line of text to just change THEIR properties individually...it won't select anything but the first character in the line.

Having to fit the Essential Graphics Panel into a Workspace that is already short of real estate (even in a two monitor setup) is a nightmare...having the Title Tool pop up over everything was MUCH, MUCH better.

Please tell me that there is a way to make the Legacy Title Tool the default one.