Simple Text Animation for Final Cut – Text Not Showing

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Level 1

113 points

Simple Text Animation for Final Cut – Text Not Showing

Hi,

new to Motion, I'm trying to make a Title template for animated Text.

After saving it as Title for FCP, everything works as expected and the little preview in the template browsers shows the animation correctly.

But the text does not show after pulling it into the timeline.

In Motion, I created a "Title" template and added a text field, keyframes and adjusted the scale value in the properties pane (sidebar) at the keyframes. Also published these settings.

Now in FCP, this text is nowhere to be seen.

What am I missing?

Thanks

Posted on May 27, 2019 5:55 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

fox_m

Level 6

12,661 points

May 27, 2019 3:14 PM in response to papalapapp

Ok - I think I might have figured this out.

You have a "preset" animation going on built (keyframed) in Motion. You have a bunch of parameters published that will bash that preset animation (overwrite keyframes). If you look at the parameters in FCPX, all your Scale parameters are at 0%... that text is not going to appear at 0% scale, no matter what. You will probably have with the text no matter what the scale parameters are set at - FCPX has problems trying to figure out what you mean. [In general: you **cannot** publish parameters already keyframed in Motion (but there's a way around it).] Try deleting the Scale parameter from the Published parameters in your Motion project and see if you get your text back... at any point. (Turn off the Build In and Build Out parameters too. We'll come back to them later.)

I have to ask: why do you have those particular parameters published? What do you intend to do with them? How you answer will make a difference in how I can recommend you go further.

Also, why do you have the TEXT checkbox? Unselecting it renders the text invisible and it's not keyframable.

What is Schattenworf? (glow?) Why do you have two Stil checkboxes? And why did you publish the Text box? Text is editable in the FCPX Viewer and it has its own inspector (the "4 1/2" lines" icon right next to the Title inspector).

I get that you're new to Motion — just want to try and help you sort things out — but I need to have an idea of what you want to accomplish. Right now, the template is rather "simple", but you have a lot of things in place that makes it look like you have more that you want to put in.

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Answer 2

fox_m

Level 6

12,661 points

May 27, 2019 10:28 AM in response to papalapapp

It looks like your project length is 42 frames long, but your text only exists for 41. However, even if that's the case you should still see text for 41/42ths the length that you stretch the title out in FCPX (which looks to be what? about 2 minutes long?). Since it's obviously missing, at least at the playhead point in FCPX in the image above, I have to ask if you applied a Build In or Build Out marker to the project in Motion, and if so, where is it placed? Or, if you set a Project Loop End Marker on that last empty frame?

Does the Text animate correctly from the beginning of the Title in FCPX — then just disappears? Or there is never any text displayed at all?

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Answer 3

papalapapp Author

Level 1

113 points

May 27, 2019 11:22 AM in response to fox_m

Thanks, the text doesn't appear at all. It's just blank the entire duration.

There was one frame missing, well spotted. I closed the gap. It's 41 frames long which is 1 second and 17 frames.

There were no markers. I tried both with and without markers but it makes no difference.

The text box doesn't have any behavior attached. It's just basic keyframes with scaling attached. Does that matter anyhow? That text box doesn't seem to exist in FCP. There I can't select or edit it like with other titles.

Here is a video capture. Perhaps it helps to explain. https://vimeo.com/338729676/eba25ea7bf

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Answer 4

papalapapp Author

Level 1

113 points

May 28, 2019 4:23 AM in response to fox_m

That's it. FCPX took only had the last keyframe which was 0% scale. Unpublishing Scale and all others in Motion made it work. It does now what I wanted – Build In and Build Out can be turned on and off – Changing the length of the clip in FCPX affects the middle part while "In" and "Out" remain the same length and speed. Excellent.

https://vimeo.com/338847744

That TEXT checkbox probably came when publishing the Text field in the Info > Text > Format tab.

"Schattenwurf" is drop shadow. Two "Stil" boxes – idk, I was trying out and publishing potentially useful things.

I had all these published because I want to be able to tweak them in FCPX as needed. I did not know that Text was available regardless of publishing it in Motion. My goal is to have text animation matching the music. Controlling the speed curve (in the keyframe editor) is rather important here which is limited in FCPX. In the end I wanted do do as much as possible in FCPX. My thought was to have as many controls as possible published so I can edit it as needed – since most of the final video will be animated text with music.

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate and I'm thankful for any advice. There is still a long way to go. Text glow, drop shadows and letter spacing movement is on my list. There are some good ones in the Motion library but some I'll have to build myself. I'll have to figure out the best workflow.

As an example this is an item from the mood board (text movement, glow and shadow). That's roughly the style I'm going for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBllEp000B4

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Simple Text Animation for Final Cut – Text Not Showing

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