The Text-collection

General Info

Additionally Bezier Text Pro V4.0 includes the highly sophisticated outline feature of CHV.

Configuration

Bezier Spline

Within this section the actual bezier spline is defined. A bezier spline is defined by 4 points: One start point, one end point and two bezier handles. The bezier spline runs between the start and the end point and this is what the text also does. A great variety of different looking curves can be created this way.

Most important: The bezier spline can be animated in any way using keyframes.

Use the 4 points of this section to adjust the bezier spline. The created bezier spline will be shown in the canvas if the "Show Spline" checkbox is activated.

Text

Text
Enter the text into this text-field.

Font
Select the desired font with this popup menu.

Proportional Font
Check this checkbox if the font should be handled as a proportional font.

Size (points)
This selects the size of the font.

Style
Choose the style of the text with this popup menu.

X-Offset
Y-Offset
With the X- and Y-Offset each letter will be moved in the X- and Y-direction. Each letter will be handled individually and will follow it's own path.

Follow Bezier
Check this checkbox to make the single letters of the text follow the bezier spline.

Follow Bezier	Don't follow Bezier

Char Rotation
Additionally the letters can be rotated. Each letter will be handled individually.

Follow Bezier	Additional rotation

Twist
This function adds a twist effect to each letter.

Bend
This bends the letters to the left or right. Each letter will be handled individually.

Turn
This feature turns the letters around their vertical axis and creates additionally a 3-dimensional effect. If "Turn" is set to 180, all letters will appear backwards.

Positioning
Sometimes it might be useful to move the letters along the bezier spline to adjust the linearity of the spline.

Inner<>Outer

Left<>Right

Dynamic Size
This feature controls the size of the text dynamically.

Inner<>Outer
This slider controls the "Dynamic Size" effect. Settings below 0 make the letters at the ends smaller. Settings above 0 make the letters in the center smaller.

Left<>Right
The center of the "Dynamic Size" effect will be moved to the left and the right with this slider.

Area Width

Explode
Amount
The strength of the explode effect. Higher settings will move the letters further off the screen. Keyframe this setting to create an animation.

Direction
"Direction" defines the main direction where the letters are heading.

Spread
"Spread" spreads out the letters. A setting of 100 will make the letters head on every direction.

Rotate
This adds a rotation to the animation. Higher settings will make the letters rotate more.

Fade-Out Chars
Check this checkbox to make the letters fade out at the end of the animation (when Amount is at "100").

Emboss
The emboss feature creates a 3-dimensional look to the text.

without Emboss		with Emboss

Opacity
Opacity controls the opacity of the emboss effect.

Softness
With this slider you can soften the 3-dimensional effect.

Direction
Here you can define the direction where the virtual light comes from.

Opacity
Single Char Opacity
This controls the opacity of each letter. This makes it possible to create superimposed letters.

Global Char Opacity
Here you can control the global opacity of the text. No additional superimpose effect will be created.

Texture

With this section you can colorize the text. You can use one solid color, a gradient with two colors or an applied clip or image. If you have enabled "Show Gradients" (at the very bottom of the controls) you can see a preview of the gradient in the canvas.

Color 1
Color 2
With these two colors you can create a gradient from color 1 to color 2. If you only need an even color for the text, simply use the same color for color 1 and 2.

Position
The gradient has a center point which can be defined by this control.

Angle
The gradient is running along a straight line. The angel of the straight line can be defined with this control.

Width
Here you can define the width of the gradient.

Clip/Image
Clip/Image
If you drop a clip or an image to this image well, the above color gradient will be deactivated and the applied clip or image will be used as a texture.

Offset Clip
This defines the offset (frames) that will be added to the clip.

Outline - Upper Layer
Outline - Lower Layer

With this section a highly adjustable border can be generated around the text. This section is divided in an upper layer and a lower layer. The behavior of both layers are absolutely identical. The only difference is that the upper layer is overlaid onto the lower layer. If the upper layer completely overlaps the lower layer you wont see the lower layer anymore.

A common use of this feature is, when you create a dark border around the text with the upper layer and a colorful shining glowing area with the lower layer.

Width
This slider controls the with of the border. A setting of "1" will create a very small border. Higher settings expand the border.

Small border	Wide border

Dark area
Here you can control the behavior of the border of the outline. Higher settings will darken the outline more. This feature only affects the border of the outline.

Low setting	High setting

Softness
This slider softens the outline. This feature is different from the Dark area feature. Softness blurs the whole outline. Dark area only affects the border of the outline.

Low setting	High setting

Opacity
Here you can control the opacity of the outline. Use this slider to create transparent outlines. This feature only affects the outline itself. The text will not be affected.

Opacity set to 0	Opacity set to 50

Position
Offset
Angle
If you want to create a 3-dimensional looking outline, you can move the outline by an offset into a specific direction. Use Offset to move the outline. Use Angle to define the direction where the outline should be moved.

Stretch & Rotate
With this section you can stretch and rotate the outline. This is very usefull if you want to create a 3-dimensional look.

X-Stretch
Y-Stretch
Use these two sliders to stretch an outline.

Rotation
Center
Here you can rotate the outline around a center-point.

Distortion
In addition you can distort the generated outline. Therefore you can define waves that will be used to do the job.

Amount
This controls the strength of the distortion. A setting of 0 will disable the distortion.

Wavelength
The wavelength of the distortion.

Speed
With this option you can animate the distortion. A setting of 0 will create a static distortion. Higher settings will increase the speed of the waves.

Angle
This is the direction where the distortion waves are heading to.

Texture
Color 1
Color 2
With these two colors you can create a gradient from color 1 to color 2. If you only need an even color for the text, simply use the same color for color 1 and 2.

Position
The gradient has a center point which can be defined by this control.

Angle
The gradient is running along a straight line. The angel of the straight line can be defined with this control.

Width
Here you can define the width of the gradient.

Clip/Image
If you want to use a texture you can apply a image or a video clip here. If you don't apply anything here, the above defined color will be used.

Offset Clip
This defines the offset (frames) that will be added to the movie. This setting has no effect if you use an image.

Canvas

Show Gradients
Enable this checkbox to see a representation of all three gradients in the canvas.

There are three gradients. One for the text itself and two for the two outline layers. The colored lines show the center of the three gradients and in which direction the colors go. The circles carry the name to show where they belong to. The size of the circles show the width of each gradient. Bigger circles represent softer gradients.