Colour changing highlighted text motion graphics

Tutorials & Guides
1

Hi,

Id like to share a cool effect Ive obtained using mostly internal resources (except for one single PNG used for masking).

You can see the final result here: https://streamable.com/9p0wk9

It was quite tricky to figure it all out. I dont know whether theres a simpler way to obtain the same effect, especially if you really want a fine control over the animation via the autos (as I do).

Unfortunately, I dont have time to make a video tutorial, but if anyone is willing to make one, please do and share freely!

Im uploading a tarball with all files here, please consider it to be public domain.

Here is a commented layout scheme of my setup. You can also find a screenshot of my timeline window in the tarball.

Enjoy!

Tiziano

Colour changing highlighted text motion graphics

  • Layout scheme -

Effect layer 4

[ no video content ]
UNDERLYING VIDEO (shared track)
Title (the first text shown)
Effect layer 3: Reroute (shared effect)

Effect layer 3

[ no video content ]
Effect layer 2 (shared track)
Sketcher (a white rectangle covering the part of the screen from which the highlight emerges)
F_chromakey (be sure to fine-tune it to remove any unwanted edges)
*Reroute (settings: *Target track: *Top - *Operation: Alpha replace)

Effect layer 2

  • uncheck the MUTE button (i.e. dont send to output) and (optionally) the PLAY button in the patchbay -

[ Mask for chromakey - PNG file ]

  • animate using CAMERA AUTO -

Effect layer 1

[ no video content ]
Sketcher (highlight color - may cover the entire frame or less)
Title (the second text shown - the one with highlight)

UNDERLYING VIDEO (the position of this track is irrelevant)

  • uncheck the MUTE button (i.e. dont send to output) and (optionally) the PLAY button in the patchbay -

[ ANY VIDEO CONTENT ]
You may use this track to host shared tracks if you want more than one track to play under the animated title effect.
Just stack the remaining tracks anywhere, share them here and uncheck the MUTE button on each of them (possibly keyframe it to allow them to be seen in other parts of the video).

Colour-changing-highlighted-text-motion-graphics.tar.gz

2

@tizianomattei

Thanks for publishing this information. It really shows what can be done and maybe inspire others.

It was quite tricky to figure it all out.
And quite tricky to understand it for me! but loading the xml file from the tarball made it a little bit clearer.

fine control over the animation via the autos
Maybe Bump autos, section 8.4, could be used for finer control.

3

@tizianomattei
Wonderful example, thanks. I have problems with fonts too: I put the whole Raleway family but in CinGG I dont see the medium (others do). So I had to replace them.
I tried to replace the sketcher plugin for the whole frame with F_color, but it doesnt work for me.
(One question: how, when, and why do you use Reroute? I have never been able to use it)
I wanted to make a tutorial, but I didnt fully understand your process. If you ever find the time to make a tutorial we could add it to the Youtube Channel and as an appendix to the manual (or if you can send me more detailed explanations, even in Italian if you are more comfortable).

4

Very good trick @tizianomattei! And Thanks for share the project file.

Unfortunately on my computer your workflow consumes a lot of cpu, so I have done one my version. It doesnt use mask and the autos to control the mask. I hope you can do a tutorial later: it would be good to see. Below the link for the tutorial about my version, if it may be useful to somebody.

http://www.visi1.org/cinelerra-gg_tutorials#TitleAnimation3

5

@tizianomattei @all
I tried to write the tutorial for this example. If you would like to try to do a revision to correct and improve it I would appreciate it.
(A question: Why use F_chromakey and not the 2 native plugins?)
@IgorBeg
Usual request to be able to put your beautiful tutorial on YouTube.

title_animation.txt

6

Thank you all for appreciation.

As a premise, the method I suggested to add an underlying video through a shared track apparently did not work, however I was able to do it using the Overlay plugin.

Second thing: I finally got rid of the chromakey. I just used a PNG with transparency and I rerouted its alpha channel directly.

I tried to replace the sketcher plugin for the whole frame with F_color, but it doesnt work for me.
Ive never used F_color, but you can do the same using Gradient, too.

** Posted by: @andreapaz **how, when, and why do you use Reroute? I have never been able to use it
I use it only to transfer the alpha layer from one track to another one. I attach Reroute to the track that has the desired alpha layer and set it to Operation: Alpha replace. Then I go to the target track (which must be directly above or below the first one) and attach the shared Reroute plugin from the other track. Now the second track will be transparent where the first one is.

** Posted by: @andreapaz **Why use F_chromakey and not the 2 native plugins?
When Ive tried them for the first time, its the one that worked better, especially when there are blends and blurs and not sharp edges, so I stick to it.

** Posted by: @andreapaz **If you would like to try to do a revision to correct and improve it I would appreciate it.
Of course!

@IgorBeg: great use of the plugins and of the Overlay modes for your lightweight (linear-motion-only) version of this!

This may be enough for most users.

7

Thanks @andreapaz and @tizianomattei !

Next time I will show how to control the Rotation and Position of the Title if it may be useful for somebody.

Thanks for ask me @andreapaz. You can use my ugly tutorial as you want. Please, insert the credits for the music in YouTube channel:
Music by Eric Matyas
www.soundimage.org