Essential Graphics Panel vs. Title Tool (Titler)

Report · Apr 20, 2017

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

Report · Apr 20, 2017

Hi Todd - You are right on, there are definitely some things that could be improved. I agree, I really would like the edited Motion Graphics Title Templates to appear in the Project Panel in a bin - as that is more intuitive. I also think you are right, the new panel is missing some customization (e.g. the ability to choose a gradient fill, and more) that the now, legacy, Titler tool has. If the new panel would include these features we could, indeed, get rid of the Titler tool entirely. I just made an overview tutorial on how to use the new Essential Graphics Panel, such as how to save a title once you make it in the timeline, you can view it here: The NEW Essential Graphics Panel in Premiere Pro CC 2017 (Spring Update) - YouTube

Adobe definitely reads our posts here, but if you want some new updates to the panel, I highly suggest you make a features request here >> Feature Request/Bug Report Form

Report · Apr 20, 2017

Two excellent semi-advanced tutorials regarding Essential Graphics - first- Premier Pro Centric, second AE integration:

reTooled.net – Premiere Pro CC – April 2017- New Features and the Essential Graphics Panel

reTooled.net – After Effects & Premiere Pro – April 2017- The Essential Graphics Panel in Depth

MtD

Report · Apr 21, 2017

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

In the old work flow, I believe the best method was to create the title in Photoshop and keyframe it's Position to simulate a crawl or roll.

That may still be true.

Report · Apr 21, 2017

Hi Thxapproved2,

I don't believe there is a question here, so I"ll mark this as a discussion instead. I do understand your concerns. This is the first iteration of the tool, so give the team some time to add back in those features that used to be in the Legacy Titler. I don't think the new tool will place items into the Project panel and was designed to not do that. If that messes up your workflow, be sure to indicate that in the bug report/feature request form.

Please feel free to ask questions.

Thanks,
Kevin

Report · Apr 27, 2017

Hi Kevin

Posting in here rather than starting a whole new thread. I'm wondering if this is a bug or if this is just "the way it is"

I create a graphic, then use "Upgrade to master graphic", and when I do this, I lose the ability to change anything in the effects control panel. Instead I need to do all changes in the Essential Graphics panel. This looks like I might lose some ability to animate aspects of my graphic. Will this be added back in a later release?

Also how do you recommend I go about this simple task: I have created a lower-third, and need to duplicate it to use the same shape and font but change the text. Would it be best to create a master graphic then duplicate for each subsequent lower third, or NOT turn it into a master graphic and instead simply copy and paste it in the timeline for each new one that I need?

I also think that when creating a master graphic, a dialog should open to enter a name. Simply having "Graphic" show up in the project panel is a little shaky in my mind.

Report · Apr 28, 2017

Once you upgrade to a master graphic, its controls move the the master clip side, like other master clip effects. To see them in the ECP, you need to switch to the master clip tab in the ECP.

Mike

Report · Jun 19, 2017

cool i like it im new here

Report · Apr 21, 2017

Hi -

I run the team that wrote the new Graphic features. Thanks for the feedback and know that we do read these and factor them into our plans.

1.) We did not remove the Legacy Titler so if there are features that you need from it, it is still available. We did remap the default shortcut (cmd-T) for new Title to create a new Text Layer, but you can still create a Legacy Title using File->New->Legacy Title.

2.) Automatic roll creation did not make it into this release. You can set keyframes on individual layers to create a roll. We expect to add automatic rolls into a future release.

3.) We did not exactly replicate the effect features from the Legacy Titler as you have found. Gradients are something we will hopefully get to soon, as a number of people have asked for them. We decided to only support single strokes as our user data and surveys did not show much use of multiple strokes. You are actually the first person to ask for Sheen - do you actually use this in projects, and would you be willing to send one to us? As for textures, we hope to make this a more flexible feature in the future where any layer can be treated as a mask so that you can place any file or layer as a texture behind it. As for the drop shadow size, is this a feature that you use regularly?

4.) Double-click to switch to the type tool will be in a future release.

5.) This is a fundamental change, but one that we think you will grow to like. One of the most common complaints about the old titler was how every title had to have its own project item no matter what, and so standard editing where you copied a title in a sequence could lead to unexpectedly linked titles. Our new system defaults to making each title independent so that you can change one without changing all of them. This means that they live in the sequence and not the project. However, if you do want project items, you can use the "Upgrade to Master Graphic" command in the Graphics menu to create a project item-based graphic. This acts as a master with the text layers on the master clip, meaning that any changes will change all of its children. This can be useful in some cases, but for most users most of the time, having a project item and the consequent linkage was more of a downside.

We realize that searching for titles could be better, and hope to work on that in the future. For now, you can use the Timeline Search feature to search for titles based on words in the top text layer. We will extend that to more advanced searching in a future release.

Mike Berry

Senior Engineering Manager

Adobe Systems

Report · Apr 22, 2017

Saving styles is also a problem, why are they only saved in each individual projecT, I use some of the same styles across all projects. Also the keyboard shortcut for keening the font is also missing.

Report · Apr 22, 2017

Mike,

Thanks SO much for coming on here with some very useful information. A most welcome post!

As many of the engineers are aware, it is a rather standard practice with recurring say programs, to create new project files for each segment or episode, but of course, they all have to have the precise same title series across many different 'projects', though often a few will be updated each segment/episode. So being able to have the titles be a standard part of the program somewhere is rather a necessary tool.

I don't do that particular workflow, but of course, many here make their living in that work. They need that simply for sanity, let alone profitability. As soon as that can be instituted, it would be great to have it "up".

Making an obvious & easy process for rolling & other keyframed titles is something I think most any of us use. That also is very needed.

I'll say, that in general, there are some wonderful new features in the titler, I've just tried a few simple things, and it will mostly work as is for the projects I have currently on my plate.

Thanks for the new tool, and ... will you be among the Adobe crowd at NAB? (you can reply via email if you choose ... Jive messager isn't working for any of my devices at the current time ... sigh ... oh, ... j^v^ it all! lol )

Neil

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Mike,

Thank you for your informative reply.

ADDRESSING 2.)

That is a GREAT feature from the now "legacy" titler. The greatness comes from its simplicity. Create a stack of text and graphics, apply the rolling / scrolling preset, set your start / end parameters, place it on the timeline, and adjust length to change speed. That was amazingly easy!

ADDRESSING 3.)

From the creativity side, I have used pretty much every style feature of the legacy titler... Including small caps, sheen, all the drop shadow features, the text presets (they're a great way to start with a design you like and then can easily modify), being able to save a text preset, sheen (just another stylistic tool to give dimension). You're right though, very rarely have I used the inner stroke. My only complaint about the existing title tool, was the fact it was so terrible importing graphics. It would not recognize opacity, be that from an alpha channel or from a native Photoshop file. It all seemed to be based on luminance. My wish had been to make the existing title tool function exactly like Photoshop. Basically it would have been a way to have easy access to make easily editable Photoshop titles that were completely vector based. Perhaps instead of the direction you are going, make two titling systems... one that is a tightly integrated Photoshop-style one for still titles and one that is an After Effects style one for motion graphics. And yes, I use all the drop shadow tools. And, I would love to make all my titles in Photoshop, were it not such a clunky process.

ADDRESSING 5.)

Quite often for a project I need repeated use of the same titles/CG's. Having a way to organize them in a bin is (both historically with Premiere and Avid before), a necessity. I understand and appreciate the part about people getting confused and changing one "master title," as you call it, and having others change as well. Personally, I have done it, but it has not been a large problem. Having the option to make either type would be fine. But having titles show up in bins is a necessity for me. That way, I can find a previous one I like, open it, duplicate it, and create a new title. Necessity.
And don't get me wrong, videos of the potential for this tool, and its integration with AE look really fun! I am excited about that. It's just there needs to be a method to easily create highly-creative still titles.

ADDRESSING 4.)

Thank you. Having that feature will be most helpful.

How this came about was that I executed a CTRL+T and something bizarre happened... Then I come to find out there is this (potentially) cool new feature, but it is not fully developed. My dismay comes from that fact that until something is completely developed, can it just be added as a new feature, rather than changing the workflow (meaning, leave the CTRL+T as the titler until such time the cool new graphics panel is fully-formed)? That way, I can continue to work as I did, and, when I have time, try out the new feature, rather than being forced, mid-project, to find out what I need to do to continue working. Phase in's would work much better... similar to the way you outmode old effects. You leave them there for a few versions so people can still open older projects and have time to learn the new tools. Lumetri color correction and scopes was a great example. My old color correction still worked, but I learned and began to apply the new (and better) color correction code.

I think my only major issue, and this has been problematic since the change to the "subscription" model, that it feels as though the software coders are being pushed to the limits to continually make large changes to the software, only to the detriment of the functionality. I have had issues with features that used to work flawlessly, get buggy with later versions, only to have someone at technical support (this was the one in India) tell me that what I was doing was not even possible.

I understand you have a wide range of users with different needs, but my guess is that we all do have a common need. We need to complete projects. Over the last year, I convinced the PBS television station I work for to switch from Avid to Adobe products, rather than upgrading to newer Avid systems. I designed three new computer systems and integrated them in to the physical plant. In doing so, I have also a selfish need to prove to them this direction was the right course.

I know Kevin Monahan appeared a bit peeved that this was not a question, but frankly, it's unclear where to post things like this. Is it a bug that goes into the bug request? Is it a feature request? Or, is it simply a question to ask why this was changed in the way it was and is this the future of titling, or is this and "additional" tool? How was I to know this was not fully-developed? As far as I knew (and I searched Google and Adobe for about an hour to try and find more information about this new tool), this was the new way, and the old way would soon be deprecated.

I fully applaud the the development team for making great strides. This is a fun product suite. But my last request, is to humbly ask that in future developments and expansions, can new features not change workflow until they are fully developed?

Feel free to call.

Respectfully,

-Todd K. Pilon

Senior Producer
WTVP-PBS
Peoria, Illinois

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Hi Todd -

I don't think that changing the default keyboard shortcut is the same as removing a feature. It is easy to map ctrl-T back to new Legacy Title if you feel that the new graphics system is insufficient. And almost everything else in the old Titler is unchanged. We did everything we could to maintain the existing workflow for those who didn't want to switch.

The new Graphics is the future of Titling in PPro. But we have made sure, and will continue to make sure, that when we do actually remove the old Titler, no one will miss it.

Mike

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Mike,

As a user of Photoshop since CS2, and PrPro/Ae/Sg/Au since CS6, there are some things about the way things roll-out that could be smoother. It's assumed that people will watch the roll-out info-vids and either remember or take note of the changes mentioned ... but so often, there's one bit you need to know in this vid, but other bits are in a vid over here ... and if one spends time hunting down all possible Adobe blogs/vid-tuts/discussions, you can sort it out.

Having something on the UI for a first roll-out of a new feature ... just say in this case some text on the new titler panel that says something like "Previous title panel available via Ctrl/Cmd-T" would mean that everyone using the program would immediately see how to get to it.

It's that sort of little thing that would be a huge benefit to the user-base.

Neil

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Mike,

I don't believe I have been disrespectful to you or your team. Have I? Please understand that you want to know what we think about our product experience (or that's what I have come to believe).

Yes, I understand I can remap commands. I'm not inept. I have been using Premiere since version 6.5 when I was much younger.

Please don't take offense when I tell you how I feel in regards to the rollout of a feature. I was not being disrespectful in any way. I am trying to let you know my feelings as a dedicated product user. I also tried to reply to all of your questions as well. I hope in some way that might be beneficial.

Sincerely,

-Todd

Report · Apr 24, 2017

No offense taken. I've been doing this a long time too and I am used to a whole range of reaction to changes, and yours were not disrespectful. I do think that changing default shortcuts is something we have to do for new features, because the default set is how new users get into the application. We assume that experienced users rarely use the complete default set that we ship, but instead adjust it to suit their own workflows.

Mike

Report · Apr 27, 2017

My take on this is... some if not most of us here are WORKING editors. Meaning we (I) have no time if any to read up on what the changes of the newest version of a product, let alone take the time to complain or find answers when something is not working.

So when we get prompted to update to a new version and then begin a new project, telling our clients it will be done at a specific time, it is embarrassing to tell them it will not be finished, or spend extra hours trying to find some other way to make something work -- very frustrating.

We do rely on Adobe, and others, for the products we use to keep them fresh, new, and exciting (as well as working), but also we rely on them to think about us as users and how we are going to incorporate the changes into our long-time existing workflow. It's not easy to learn new tricks on the fly when you have deadlines.

Part of me feels like Adobe says, "here is what we want to do with this app, we know our users have been doing something for years, but they'll get used to our way or use something else. what are they gonna do about it?"

yes, I know, in the end, it will be a better process. I am hoping they have done beta testing and such. The problem is the transition that needs working on. I do not have time to worry about every little update and how it is going to change my workflow every few months

maybe I am the exception. I find that hard to beleive. there might be moire out there that have even less time than I do. or have already started using something else. Do not know.

Adobe, please do not forsake us users. It might be easier for 20 somethings, but I am 50 and have been editing since age 18 (film to digital and every app in between media 100, edit droid, early premiere [which sucked] final cut, Avid, back to premiere [which rocked], DaVinci) I am not afraid of change, it is the amount of time to learn the change that is the problem, then we get that down, then something new again. I just want to use the app.

Thank you Adobe for all you do. I know it is not easy pleasing millions of users.
- peace
- gerald

Report · Apr 27, 2017

You are not alone. When trying to complete a project on schedule and suddenly the program changes, it is disheartening. On the other hand, this upgrade seems to address the Adobe Audition interface with Premiere Pro, and that does need fixing. The sound editing features seem to be a dumbed down version of Audition and that would be unfortunate.

Report · Apr 27, 2017

Hi Madashell,

You are not alone. When trying to complete a project on schedule and suddenly the program changes, it is disheartening.

If you come into a new gig and there is also a new version available, my advice is to complete the project with existing software, then update after you have some room in your schedule to get used to the new features (if at all possible).

Kind Regards,
Kevin

Report · Apr 27, 2017

Hi Byers-video.

My take on this is... some if not most of us here are WORKING editors. Meaning we (I) have no time if any to read up on what the changes of the newest version of a product, let alone take the time to complain or find answers when something is not working.

There were two main features that may have caused our users some confusion: Essential Graphics and Essential Sound. Also, the fact that the Title menu was missing. Sorry about that. For those that are in a rush, I made two short videos explaining the workflow. Here's one of them. Potentially, you could spend 2 minutes and be set up for success with Essential Graphics.

Please check it out.

Thanks,
Kevin

Report · Apr 27, 2017

There was a lot of aisle-way discussions of this at NAB ... just flew home today.

After you see something showing how the new E-G panel works, it's clear there's some very useful things in there. Such as creating templates that can then be shared via Libraries, among many others. The controls that we "expected" to find within the EGP are often in the Effects Control Panel ... actually, like how most anything else is set up. Once you start seeing this, it's going to be rather swiftly useful ... though it's certainly not complete now.

The way it was rolled-out ... Oh. My. Good. Golly. Not popular.

The big improvement that I saw this time from being around discussions with Adobe staffers at their booth ... in the past, it's been "Well ... gee, sad to hear it bit your butt but ya know ... time to move on."

This time ... there were a lot of wry expressions, downcast eyes, and ... embarrassment. "Yea, we really could have done that better ... "

Which in all, I find a great improvement.

And I'm starting to get the hang of how to use the new EGP ... and when to stay with Legacy for now.

Neil

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Hi,

I know Kevin Monahan appeared a bit peeved that this was not a question, but frankly, it's unclear where to post things like this.

I'm not peeved, I am like an ump that serves up balls and strikes. If you have a question about the functioning of the software, then it remains a question. If it is not a question and more of an opinion, it is marked as a discussion. Either are fine in this forum.

Frankly, it's unclear where to post things like this. Is it a bug that goes into the bug request? Is it a feature request?

They both use the same form, so yes, that is where you would give this kind of feedback for either one.

Or, is it simply a question to ask why this was changed in the way it was and is this the future of titling, or is this and "additional" tool?

It's a good point that there is no really great way to have 1-1 feedback and interaction with product engineering 100% of the time. The problems is that these people are just so busy working on the product itself. I am glad that Mike was able to help out on the thread, however, his input has been invaluable to me.

Unfortunately, we in support (the main Adobe employees found on these forums) cannot answer questions in the forums about the design of existing features nor the future direction of Premiere Pro, as we are not part of those decisions regarding product design—we are mainly looking at solving current issues.

I do understand the frustration behind the ask, and our product team might have rolled out the feature with a bit more advanced explanations about the goals and intentions of the new toolset when the feature was announced. I had a feeling that this might happen, so I tried very hard to prevent this from happening by creating a good number of FAQs in the FAQ List. Again, please give them this feedback, so that they can make the best possible decisions in the future.

Thanks,
Kevin

Report · Apr 25, 2017

Steps to import legacy templates are listed here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/kb/working-with-legacy-title-templates-creating-using-titler-in...

Sincerely

Jeba Joseph

Report · Apr 25, 2017

thank you Jeba. got a question: is there a way to scan for new articles for adobe apps? I would like to know when a new help file article is out. is there a way?