Can text fade in and out?

[alanball]

Hi all,

I have just upgrade to VS10 and trying out Cool3d supplied on the bonus disc. I am trying to create an intro video to use in VS10. Could some one tell me if it is possible to fade Text in and out at each end of a sequence or part way trough a sequence, I have searched the help files and this group but not had any joy.

Many thanks

[Ron P.]

Hi Alan,

Unless someone comes along and proves me wrong (won't be the first or last time), I can not find any way to do a Fade with the free version. In Cool3D Production Studio this is very easy.

[Wolfy215]

just a guesss, try useinga transparancy

[snoops]

Just set the transparency in the video editor with the Cool3D title as an overlay track. I assume VS10 allows several video tracks. If not, just use a dissolve transition to black.

The best quality and smoothest animation is when you export the C3D animation as a TGA image sequence with transparent background selected, using the same frame rate and image size as your video.

[Wolfy215]

vidoman,
h ow do you do it in ps?

[LGO]

I'm not on the computer with PS so I'm trying to go from memory. If this doesn't work, consider the source . . .

You do it in PS by "hiding" the text in the first frame. Then, select the frame you want it to be fully visible in and select the text and "un-hide" the text.

Doing that will make one of two things happen:

1.) When you play the animation the text just all of a sudden appears at the frame you selected, which is what you do not want.

or . . .

2.) The text will gradually appear until it is completely visible in the frame you selected.

Of course oyu have to output it as a 32 bit avi to have a transparent background.

I did this with a logo as an object a couple of years ago, and I'll be honest; When I put the animation in the overlay track in VS the fade-in and fade-out looked terrible. Very jerky fade-in and fade-out. Unacceptable.

So, instead, I didn't use the logo as an animation. I used it as a still (PNG with transparent background) and put it in the overlay track of VS three times. The first was short duration - 3 seconds, I believe - and chose the fade-in feature of VS. The second version of the logo was however many seconds I wanted the logo to be read on the screen - nothing to choose. It's static. The last version was the image fading out, which was the opposite of the first one. It was also three seconds. Looked great. A winner.

If you choose this second route, place the first text image in the overlay time-line and then position it where you want it on the screen. Right-click it and COPY THE PROPERTIES. Then, insert the other two versions of the text image in the overlay timeline and PASTE THE PROPERTIES from the first text image. This procedure positions all three images exactly in the same spot on the video. Only after you copy the properties do you adjust the time on screen and select the fade-in and fade-out features.

Good luck,

LGO

[Ron P.]

The easy way to do it in PS, is use the Transparency Attribute for the object.

• Highlight the Transparency timeline for your text/object. Select the first frame. The Transparency Attribute should be showing in the Attribute Panel.
• Set the Transparency to 100%.
• Go to the frame where you want the text/object to be visible. Make sure you are still on the Transparency Timeline.
• Set the Transparency Attribute to 0% (which would be 100% Opaque, or visible). A keyframe should have been created in the frame.
• Press play and you should see your text/object fade-in over the time from the first frame to the frame you selected for it to be visible.

I've used this numerous times, and it does look great. The Show/Hide as LGO stated, appear jerky, and of course is not gradual. But using the transparency gives you a smooth fade-in or fade-out.