Apple Motion 3 - Manual (Page 571)

Chapter 7 Using Text 571
Text as a Layer
Once created, text becomes a layer. Because text layers share most of the
characteristics of other layers in Motion, you can use the transform tools—Select/
Transform, Anchor Point, Shear, Drop Shadow, Four Corner, and Crop—to transform a
selected text layer when the Flatten checkbox is turned on in the Layout pane of the
Text Inspector. These onscreen tools are shortcuts to the layer controls in the Properties
tab of the Inspector. To set specific values, or fine-tune any of the transforms, use the
Properties tab in the Inspector.
For more information on the Properties tab and onscreen transform tools, see
“
Parameters in the Properties Tab ” on page 280. For more information on the Flatten
checkbox, see “ Text Layout Controls ” on page 630.
Note: When you make changes to text using the transform tools or the parameters in
the Properties tab of the Inspector, modifications are applied to the text as a layer (such
as a clip or image), not as editable text. The controls for editing the text itself are
located in the Text tab of the Inspector. Although some layer properties are similar to
some text Style and Format controls, such as Shear (in the Properties tab) and Slant (in
the Format pane of the Text tab), the layer properties are independent of the text
format controls, and vice versa. For example, if you apply a Slant value of 20 in the
Format pane of the Text Inspector, a slant value of 20 is applied to each character in the
word, simulating italics. If you apply a Shear value of 20 in the Properties tab of the
Inspector (or using the onscreen controls), a shear value of 20 is applied to the layer as
a whole, not the individual text characters.
The next section briefly describes how to transform text using the onscreen transform
tools. For detailed information on using the onscreen controls, see “
Using 2D
Transforms ” on page 264.
In addition to moving text with the transform tools, you can move text up and down in
the composite in the Layers tab and Timeline. Just like all other layers in Motion, text
can also be copied, pasted, duplicated, and deleted. For more information, see
“
Managing Layers in Your Project ” on page 219.
Using the Text HUD
The Text HUD contains some of the most commonly adjusted text parameters, such as
Opacity, type Family, and Color.