Animating 3D text in FCPX, where are the dang keyframes?

Basic 3D and Custom 3D are both "pre-sequenced". Basic 3D uses the Animation Style menu to choose the various options and Custom 3D uses the Animate By menu to select the range of characters animated by your choices in the rest of the Title. Both titles have animate in and animate out options. Basic is preset based on the Animation Style selection - but you have the options to set easing, fade and duration. You have to set all the options for Custom 3D. Both of these titles require some "tinkering" to figure out.

Bottom line: position parameters are not entirely appropriate for the intended design of the titles.

You can use the title below and convert it to 3D text. It's just a Basic Title with Position, Rotation and Scale parameters published. Just go into the Text Inspector and check the 3D Text option.

http://sight-creations.com/free_stuff/sc_Title_with_Params.zip

You'll find the parameters in the Title Inspector. The same parameters in the Text inspector cannot be keyframed.

Title with Parameters' parameters, Position, Rotation, and Scale should already be "open" (disclosure triangle) revealing the individual XYZ parameters.

Mousing over one of the parameters will display a small "diamond" shape with a + in the center (blue arrow) which can be clicked to create a keyframe at the playhead position in time. When clicked, it will turn yellow-orange indicating it has been set. Whenever the playhead is on the same position, that keyframe will highlight in such a manner. Notice also the backward turned arrow - this can be clicked to **clear** [reset] all keyframes for a parameter). In this example, the Rotation Y keyframe was set (orange arrow) but notice that a similar keyframe marker is also set for the Rotation (yellow arrow) as a whole (it will indicate that *any* of the "sub-parameters" have been set so that you will still be able to tell if you close the disclosure triangle.)

Moving the playhead and changing a keyframed parameter's value will automatically set a new keyframe at the time indicated by the playhead for parameter with at least one keyframe already set for it. If there are two or more keyframes for a parameter, a new mini-icon appears (green arrow) — an "angle bracket" with a smaller arrow pointing the direction of the next (or previous) keyframe. These can be clicked to instantly navigate to the frame at which that next keyframe is set.

Hope this clears things up!

Which 3D title are you using specifically? Is it one of the default titles in FCPX?