The Text-collection

General Info

Configuration

General

Bugfix (vertical jump) ?
The first checkbox takes care of a small bug of Final Cut Pro 4/HD and Final Cut Express. In some cases it is possible that a slowly rolling text "jumps" up and down by 1 pixel. If this happens in your project, simply check this checkbox and the text wont jump again. This bug is bound to the resolution and the aspect-ration of your project. If you use the same resolution and aspect-ratio in another project, this FCP/FCE bug will also appear there and you have to check this checkbox in the new project too.

Text
Enter the text into this text-field. You don't necessarily have to write the text in this text field, you can also write the text within a comfortable text editor and copy and paste it into this text field.

The text must also contain the alignment commands. There are 9 font-settings and 9 different images you can define. These commands look like this:

#F1 selects font-setting no.1
#F2 selects font-setting no.2
#F3 selects font-setting no.3
and so on...

#I1 places image no.1 in the current line
#I2 places image no.2 in the current line
#I3 places image no.3 in the current line
and so on...

With the font-selection commands (#F1, #F2,...) you can tell the following text which below defined font-setting should used. Please note that the alignment style is defined by the font settings and not by the order of the text within the text-field. For example: If the alignment of font-setting 1 is set to "Right" and the alignment of font-setting 2 is set to "Left" and you enter this text:

#F1Director#F2Steven Playground

...the word "Director" will appear on the right side and not, as it looks like in the text-field, on the left side.

To insert an image you only have to define the wanted image in the below image settings section and add #I1, #I2,... to the text.

You can use as much font-selection commands and image-insertions within the same line of the text as you like.

Deflicker
Check this checkbox for a higher vertical movement quality.

Show all Margins
This option helps to create a better placement of the text. Check this checkbox to see all margins in the canvas. The margins will be shown in different colors. The used colors are shown in brackets.

Left Margin (Yellow)
Right Margin (Cyan)
With these two margins you can define the left and right border of the text and affect all alignment-styles.

Lineheight
All text entered in the text-field will placed in lines. The height of each line has always the same size. With this slider you can define the height of each line. It should be greater than the smallest font-size. If you use fonts taller than the lineheight you should insert empty lines to prevent overlapping text.

Center Gap
This defines the gap in the center when you use the alignment-styles "Left of center" and "Right of center". If you have checked the "Show all Margins" checkbox, you can see two gray lines in the canvas. These two lines show you the used gap.

Vertical Position

Use these controls to define how the credits should roll.

Use

Manual Speed
The manual speed-setting below will be used.

Length of clip
The vertical-speed of the credits will be calculated automatically by the length of the clip in the timeline and how much text you have entered in the text-field. The longer the text, the faster the text will roll. The longer the clip in the timeline, the slower the text will roll.

Use Position
Select this to get full control over the vertical position of the credits. The Position-slider will be activated.

If you want to create static text, just set "Use" to "Use Position" and then use the Position-slider to control the desired position of the text.

Manual Speed
This slider is only active if you have set "Use" to "Manual Speed". Use it to control the speed of the text.

Show Duration-Info
Check this checkbox to see how long the credits will roll, if you use manual speed. The information will displayed in the canvas.

Position (%)
Defines the position of the credits. If you animate this slider in the timeline, you can speed up or slow down the rolling text and even go backwards.

Mask

Use this feature if the credits should fade in and out at the top and the bottom of the screen. With the manual settings you can create a border on the top and the bottom. With the movie/map-feature you can use your own mask.

Use Movie/Map
Select this to use a below defined movie or map.

Feather
With this option you can soften the border of the mask.

Top
Bottom
With these two sliders you can define the top and bottom margins of the mask.

Movie/Map
Put the desired map here. Any image or video-footage Final Cut Pro/Express can handle can be used.

Use
Choose which channel of the applied map should be used as a mask. You can choose between:
Alpha, Luminance, Red, Green and Blue.

Invert Movie/Map
With this checkbox you can invert the selected footage.

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.

Texture

Color
Here you can define the color of the outline.

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.

Title on Path

Use this feature if you want to have the credits follow a path as it rolls in its vertical direction. Normally the path is a straight line, but you can add several curves to make the credits roll look fancy.

Show offset (in canvas)
Check this checkbox to see the path in the canvas (shown as a red line).

Straight line
Check this checkbox to enable the below Top and Bottom features.

Top
Bottom
Here you can define the horizontal top and bottom position of the path.

Swing out
Check this checkbox to enable the Swing out feature.

Amount
With the Amount slider you can define the direction and how far the path should swing to the side. Settings below 0 move the path to the left, settings above 0 to the right.

Distance
Here you can define the area from the top how far the Swing out feature affects the path.

Swing in

Amount

Distance
The Swing in feature creates exactly the same effect, only that this affects the lower part of the path.

Sine
Check this checkbox to enable the Sine feature.

Amount
Amount controls the amplitude of the sine wave.

Frequency
Frequency controls the frequency of the sine wave.

Offset
With offset you can move the sine wave in a vertical direction.

Font 1 - 9

Here you can define up to 9 font-settings. All 9 sets of configurations carry the same controls. To select a font just add (for example) #F1 (for font no.1) prior to the text in the text-field. (The F must be a capital letter.)

Font
Select the desired font with this popup menu.

Size (points)
This selects the size of the font. If the size is greater than the lineheight, consecutive lines will overlap. Add empty lines to prevent this.

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

Alignment
Choose the alignment of the text. There are 7 different settings:

Left
The text will be aligned to the left margin.

Centered on left side
The text will be aligned in the center of the left side of the screen.

Left of center
The text will be aligned from the center to the left side of the screen. Center Gap (General settings) defines the distance to the center.

Center
The text will be aligned in the center of the screen.

Right of center
The text will be aligned from the center to the right side of the screen. Center Gap (General settings) defines the distance to the center.

Centered on right side
The text will be aligned in the center of the right side of the screen.

Right
The text will be aligned to the right margin.

Position
With this feature you can align the text within the current line. The height of the line is defined by lineheight.

Down
The text will be placed on the bottom of the current lines.

Center
The text will be placed in the center of the current line.

Up
The text will be placed on top of the current line.

Color
Defines the color of the text.

Spacing
This defines the spacing between the letters of the text.

Clip/Image 1 - 9

Here you can define up to 9 image-settings. All 9 sets of configurations carry the same controls. To select an image just add (for example) #I1 (for image no.1). (The I must be a capital letter.)

Clip/Image
Place the desired image or clip here.

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

X-Size (%)
Y-Size(%)
These two sliders define the size of the image. The clips will be scaled to this size.

Constrain Proportions
Check this checkbox if the image should keep it's proportions. In this case only Y-Size will be used.

Alignment
Choose the alignment of the text. There are 7 different settings:

Left
The text will be aligned to the left margin.

Centered on left side
The text will be aligned in the center of the left side of the screen.

Left of center
The text will be aligned from the center to the left side of the screen. Center Gap (General settings) defines the distance to the center.

Center
The text will be aligned in the center of the screen.

Right of center
The text will be aligned from the center to the right side of the screen. Center Gap (General settings) defines the distance to the center.

Centered on right side
The text will be aligned in the center of the right side of the screen.

Right
The text will be aligned to the left margin.

X-Position
Defines the horizontal position of the applied image. In order to use this slider you have to set the Alignment-control to "Use X-Position".

Y-Position
With this feature you can align the image within the current line. The height of the line is defined by lineheight.

Down
The image will be placed on the bottom of the current lines.

Center
The image will be placed in the center of the current line.

Up
The image will be placed on top of the current line.

Rotation
Here you can control the angle of the image.

Opacity
This defines the opacity of the image.

Cut Border
Most video-clips have black borders. With the Cut-border-controls you can cut off these unwanted borders.

Top
Left
Right
Bottom
Each side can be cut individually.

If you use for example the following text: