Delve into this comprehensive After Effects tutorial which covers animating with the Linear Wipe Effect, applying multiple text animators, saving text animation presets, and much more with detailed guidance, images, and step-by-step instructions.
This exercise is excerpted from Noble Desktop’s Adobe After Effects training materials and is compatible with After Effects updates through 2023. To learn current skills in After Effects with hands-on training, check out our After Effects Bootcamp, Motion Graphics Certificate, and motion graphics design classes in-person and live online.
Topics covered in this After Effects tutorial:
Animating With the Linear Wipe Effect, Applying Multiple Text Animators, Saving Text Animation Presets
Exercise Preview
Exercise Overview
In this exercise you’ll continue exploring the power of text animators. You’re not limited to a single text animator, in fact multiple animators are often used to create more complex and engaging text animations.
Previewing the Final Video
Let’s see a preview of what you’ll be making. If you’re in After Effects, keep it open but switch to your Desktop.
On the Desktop, navigate to Class Files > After Effects Class > Title Animation > Preview Movie and double–click Title Animation.mp4.
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Notice the following:
- The line animates in first, likes it’s being drawn on.
- The top line of text flies in, as if from behind the line.
- The bottom line of text appears to write–on letter by letter.
Replay the video if you need to, and close it when done.
Setting Up the Workspace
In After Effects, go to Window > Workspace > Standard.
Choose Window > Workspace > Reset “Standard” to Saved Layout.
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If the After Effects window does not fill the screen, maximize it:
Mac: At the top left of the window, click the green button (the third button). Windows: At to the top right of the window, click the Maximize button (the middle button).
Getting Started
In After Effects, if you have a project open, choose File > Save.
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Choose File > Open Project and:
- Navigate to Desktop > Class Files > After Effects Class > Title Animation.
- Double–click on Title Animation - Started.aep to open it.
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Choose File > Save As > Save As and:
- Name the file Your Name - Title Animation.aep and
- Save it into Desktop > Class Files > After Effects Class > Title Animation.
How The Provided File Was Prepared
The assets you’re using for this lesson were originally created in Adobe Illustrator. In Illustrator, the text layers were converted to outlines (so you wouldn’t need the font), and then the layered illustrator file was imported into After Effects as a composition.
Animating With the Linear Wipe Effect
The Linear Wipe effect is a transition that animates the appearance of a layer in a straight line.
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In the Timeline panel, click the eye
for the bg image layer to hide it.It should be a little easier to animate the white text against a black background.
Select the Line layer.
- If you don’t see the Effects & Presets panel on the right of the window, choose Window > Effects & Presets.
- In the Effects & Presets panel’s search field type linear
- Double–click on the Linear Wipe effect (in the Transition category).
- Move the playhead to the beginning of timeline.
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In the Effect Controls panel (at the top left of the window) set:
- Transition Completion: 100
- Wipe Angle: 0x-90
In the Effect Controls panel, click the stopwatch
for Transition Completion.Press the U key to reveal the key–framed property in the Timeline.
Move the playhead to 0;10
Change Transition Completion to 0 (in either the Effect Controls panel or the Timeline).
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Use the Spacebar to preview the animation.
The line now wipes on from the left.
Animating Text with Multiple Animators
Multiple text animators can be added to a single text layer for several reasons, perhaps you want to animate different parts of a text layer individually, or apply formatting to each separately. In this case though we will add multiple text animators to create an overshoot animation on a live text layer.
Select the BEFORE YOU text layer.
Click the reveal arrow
to the left of the layer name.Click the Animate button
(to the right of the Text property group) and choose Position.-
Click on the Animator 1 name to select it and:
- Hit Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to edit the name.
- Rename it Text Enters
- Hit Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) again to finalize the name.
Change the second Position value to 150 (which places the text just below the line).
Move the playhead to 0;10
Click on the reveal arrow
to the left of Range Selector 1.Click on the stopwatch
next to Start.Move the playhead to 1;00
Change the Start value to 100
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Use the Spacebar to preview the animation.
The text moves up letter by letter.
Click on the BEFORE YOU layer name to deselect the animator.
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Click on the Animate button
(to the right of the Text property group) and again choose Position.This creates another text animator, again named Animator 1.
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Click on the Animator 1 name to select it and:
- Hit Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to edit the name.
- Rename it Overshoot
- Hit Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) again to finalize the name.
In the Overshoot animator, change the second Position value to -40 (which places the text just above its ending position).
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Move the playhead to 0;13
We are going to give this animator’s range selector a 3 frame offset from the previous one.
Click on the reveal arrow
to the left of Range Selector 1.Click on the stopwatch
next to Start.Move the playhead to 1;03
Change the Start value to 100
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Use the Spacebar to preview the animation.
The text now flies up, overshoots its final position, and then comes to rest just above the line. But there is a problem, the text now starts slightly above the white line.
In the Text Enters animator, change the second Position value to 180. This compensates for the change in value caused by the second animator.
Use the Spacebar to preview the animation.
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Let’s see how it looks animated word by word rather than letter by letter. We’ll also add some easing to make the animation look smoother. In the Text Enters animator:
Click on the arrow
next to Advanced (under Range Selector 1).Change the Based On menu to Words.
To add some easing, change Ease High to -75
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We need to do that to the other animator as well. In the Overshoot animator:
Click on the arrow
next to Advanced (under Range Selector 1).Change the Based On menu to Words.
Change Ease High to 75
Use the Spacebar to preview the animation. That’s nice too.
Chose File > Save or hit Cmd–S (Mac) or Ctrl–S (Windows).
Ease High & Ease Low
Each independent element in a text animation is set by the animator’s Based On property. Ease High and Ease Low are the built in easing controls for text animators. They control the rate of change of each element in the animation. For simple Ease In and Ease Out behaviors you can actually use either property. The difference between the two comes down to the selector. Ease High controls the rate of change of elements that are fully selected to partially selected, while Ease Low controls the rate of change when an element is partially selected to not selected.
At its simplest, an Ease High value of 100 will result in an ease out effect, while a value of -100 would result in an ease in.
The relationship between ease high and ease low is one of the most non–intuitive features of text animators. It takes a lot of practice to use them properly, so don’t feel bad if they don’t immediately make sense.
Saving a Text Animation Preset
The advantage of animation live text is that the formatting and even the source text itself can be modified without affecting the animation. Another advantage is that text animators can be saved as preset and then applied to other layers.
- Select the Text Enters animator.
- Hold Shift and click on the Overshoot animator to select them both.
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Choose Animation > Save Animation Preset.
- Change the Save As name to Your Name - Fly In with Overshoot.ffx
- You should automatically be in the default User Presets folder.
- Click Save.
In the Effects & Presets panel, if there’s any text in the search field click the X at the right to clear it.
Expand
*Animation Presets.-
Expand User Presets, where you should see your preset.
NOTE: User presets are applied the same way effect are, either drag them onto a layer or double–click on one when you have a layer selected. The one thing to keep in mind, the first keyframe of a preset will always be placed at the current position of the playhead.
- Select the BEFORE YOU layer.
Hit Cmd ~ (Mac) or Ctrl ~ (Windows) to hide the layer properties.
Applying a Track Matte
Now that the text is animating the way we want, lets add a track matte so it will only be visible when above the white line. We already created and positioned a solid layer you can use as the track matte.
In the Timeline, click in the eye column
for the Matte - Text layer to show it.If you’re currently viewing the layer switches
, go to the bottom of the Timeline and click the Toggle Switches/Modes button.Change the BEFORE YOU layer’s TrkMat menu to Alpha Matte “Matte - Text”
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Use the Spacebar to preview the animation.
The text is now only visible once it crosses over the matte layer.
Press Cmd–A (Mac) or Ctrl–A (Windows) to select all of the layers.
Press Cmd ~ (Mac) or Ctrl ~ (Windows) to hide all of the visible layer properties.
Chose File > Save or hit Cmd–S (Mac) or Ctrl–S (Windows).