Questions about titles

[pvreditor]

I use titles a lot with VS x4 and have a couple of questions. I often use the backgrounds available in VS x4 under the titles to add style and make them more visible. I usually fade up to the title and fade back out again. However, when I do this, the title itself fades fairly smoothly but the background looks terrible. Is there any way to get titles and backgrounds to fade in/out together s-m-o-o-t-h-l-y?

Edit: Here's a video from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrAow_VOH4s

Watch the background for "Just a Good Read"... as the title fades off at the end of this title sequence, the background doesn't fade -- it just sort of snaps off. I really like the background but want it to fade in/out smoothly with the title.

Another question about titles: Is there any way to group title elements together so that they become one object? I created a complex title with lots of little elements such as dashes. However, when I move any one element, the others don't move, and lining them up again is a pain. Can I associate these items to create a single object in which everything is moved (and for that matter, sized) together?

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Bob Kovacs
http://www.bobkovacs.com

[Colin_]

The only way I found was to do the title without using the fade attribute then move the title to a video track. Drag a black colour area either side of the title and set their transparency to 99 in the Mask and Chroma key attribute. Finally drag a crossfade transition between the title and the black areas.

You can't group objects permanently - at least I don't think so - but you group them by selecting the first item and shift selecting the last to drag them as a group.

[pvreditor]

The only way I found was to do the title without using the fade attribute then move the title to a video track. Drag a black colour area either side of the title and set their transparency to 99 in the Mask and Chroma key attribute. Finally drag a crossfade transition between the title and the black areas.

You can't group objects permanently - at least I don't think so - but you group them by selecting the first item and shift selecting the last to drag them as a group.

Thanks, Colin. I have not tried to fade titles the way you describe, but I will experiment with that technique.

I can't get multiple title elements to be selected, even using the shift and/or control keys. As soon as I click on the second element, it removes the selection from the first item. It seems like that technique should work (I use it all the time in Photoshop) but it will not work for me in VS x4.

Bob Kovacs
http://www.bobkovacs.com

[Colin_]

I've just tried again in my VS X4 version 12.2.0.23 and can confirm that I at least can use shift select to select multiple titles. I have the Ultimate version but that shouldn't make any difference as its just extra addons.

[lata]

Hi
Place a colour clip in the overlay track immediately above the Title clip.
Resize on preview screen to match text size

Options panel, Attributes-Direction and Styles, apply fade ramps.
Adjust Pause Duration using the blue bar below the preview screen
Click Mask and Chroma Key set Transparency-try 60 (top left box)

Title, set the animation to fade, tick the two TT’s for manual settings. Cross Fade.
Again adjust fade durations to match the colour clips durations.

Colin
You can select multiple clips from the timeline, but I think Bob is trying to select the titles within the preview screen to be able to reposition several at a time.
As far as I know this is not possible.

It is however an excellent idea for future versions.

[pvreditor]

Hi
Place a colour clip in the overlay track immediately above the Title clip.
Resize on preview screen to match text size

Options panel, Attributes-Direction and Styles, apply fade ramps.
Adjust Pause Duration using the blue bar below the preview screen
Click Mask and Chroma Key set Transparency-try 60 (top left box)

Title, set the animation to fade, tick the two TT’s for manual settings. Cross Fade.
Again adjust fade durations to match the colour clips durations.

Colin
You can select multiple clips from the timeline, but I think Bob is trying to select the titles within the preview screen to be able to reposition several at a time.
As far as I know this is not possible.

It is however an excellent idea for future versions.

Thanks for detailing the procedure. I will try it ASAP... I have a couple long things to edit and they could benefit from smooth title fades.

And yes, you are correct about the location where I want to grab several title elements. I'm actually surprised that VS can't do this. Then again, I'm surprised that VS can't do a smooth title fade, especially with backgrounds.

Bob Kovacs
http://www.bobkovacs.com

[Colin_]

Iata:I had tried your method before but found that it doesn't render properly because the background rectangle and any shadow text is seen through the semi transparent foreground text during the transition and I don't think it should - it doesn't look nice. My method avoids this problem.


Try this, create a film which is just white colour with your method put white Arial bold text over a sold blue background and do the same using my method. Now put the scrubber in the transition you can see that the fades are similar except in your method the semitransparent text has a blue tinge as the blue background you have shows through. Now add a solid drop shadow to the text and the fades are even more different.

[pvreditor]

The only way I found was to do the title without using the fade attribute then move the title to a video track. Drag a black colour area either side of the title and set their transparency to 99 in the Mask and Chroma key attribute. Finally drag a crossfade transition between the title and the black areas.

That works perfectly, Colin. I just tried it and was initially disappointed when your technique seemed to affect the entire screen in the edit window. However, once I rendered the clip, it looked perfect... and had nice smooth title fades. Great technique!

Bob Kovacs
http://www.bobkovacs.com

[lata]

Hi Colin

Sorry but I seem to have lost the plot when trying your method.
If its not to much trouble can you send a sample VSP file.

Set up a VSP using the library clips/ colour clips, titles etc, save the VSP and e-mail to me.
Using the library clips, I should be able to see exactly what you have applied to the Title.

View the Quick Guide below for e-mail address.

[lata]

Hi Colin
Thanks for the sample VSP, and the PM prompt, the e-mail was stopped on the server as Junk, probably because of the VSP attachment?

I knew it had to be something simple, I was creating the title without applying the Text Backdrop, instead using the colour clip.
I see the light, the fading text does take on the background colour, however we are not going to use white but our video clip/image.
If you used the image I06 from the library, predominantly orange/rustic I would choose a colour to match instead of blue.
The backdrop colour would be 50% transparent.

I have sent the modified VSP back to you.
Nice effect, always good to learn new techniques.

[bobtarlau]

Greetings. I am new to the program. Fairly impressed. But I cannot find an easy way to fade titles in and out. In most editing programs I've used that can be done from the title time line (usually just by angling the start or finish in and out). I've read through the Titles section of the Users Guide. I am able to add the fancy animations to a title. But when it comes to fades, while there are indications in the printed instructions and in the Edit Step Options Panel that hint at being able to do that, there are no specific directions. Your help will be appreciated.

[BrianCee]

Hello - welcome

After you have typed your text - click away from the text but within the preview window - the display of text will change to show the text in a box with yellow boxes (dragging those boxes will resize your text) - if the options panel has not automatically opened , open it by clicking on the blue tab just above the very right hand end of the timeline.

At the top of the options panel are two tabs - by default the panel opens in the edit tab - click on the attributes tab next to it.

In the attributes box make sure the radio button "animation" is selected then click to tick the box "Apply" - next to that is a drop down use it to select the basic effect you want (say fade) - sample effects will appear in the box under that - just click on the one you want and it will be applied to the text - use the sliders on the bar immediately under the preview screen to customise the fade. - it may be necessary to insert two identical titles in the timeline and have one fade in and the other fade out - sometimes I have used three identical titles having a fade in - static - fade out.

You can also apply many other effects to your titles by selecting the "filter" radio button - this will make available to you a number of the effects that you can also apply to videos - emboss/mosaic etc.

[pvreditor]

In the attributes box make sure the radio button "animation" is selected then click to tick the box "Apply" - next to that is a drop down use it to select the basic effect you want (say fade) - sample effects will appear in the box under that - just click on the one you want and it will be applied to the text - use the sliders on the bar immediately under the preview screen to customise the fade. - it may be necessary to insert two identical titles in the timeline and have one fade in and the other fade out - sometimes I have used three identical titles having a fade in - static - fade out.

I also used to fade in/out titles by using three identical titles: one to fade in, one to be static and one to fade out. However, there is actually a simpler way to do a basic title fade, although it sounds more complicated on first blush. If it is just the title on the screen, it works perfectly. However, if you have a text backdrop behind the title -- in other words, you have the "Text backdrop" box checked on the title edit tab -- then the title will fade in/out smoothly but the backdrop sort of jerks on and off the screen.

So, assuming you do not have a text backdrop selected, do the following:

1. Create a title and have it highlighed on the edit screen.
2. Click the "Attribute" tab.
3. Be sure the "Animation" radio button is selected and check the "Apply" box.
4. Choose the title animation you want from the drop-down selection... in this case, choose "Fade"
5. The upper-left choice among the fade selections is a simple fade in/out animation. Select it.
6. To the right of the drop-down selection window is a "TT" symbol... click on it.
7. That brings up a window called "Fade Animation." From the "Pause" drop-down selection, click on the "User defined" choice and also click on the "Crossfade" box.
8. That brings up a blue bar under the edit window with slidable orange pointers. The blue bar represents the time that the title is static, and the spaces to the left and right of the blue bar represent the time it takes to fade in/out the title. Adjust these sliders to your liking.

I know this sounds complicated, but it works better than the more manual method described in the previous post. And you can select the title, do a right mouse click to copy it, slide it somewhere else on the Title timeline and it will retain these fade settings. All you need to do is edit the text in the title so that the copied version is the way you want it. You can adjust the length simply, as well.

HTH!

Bob Kovacs
http://www.bobkovacs.com