change title effect color

Question

Level 1

15 points

change title effect color

For this example of one of the ready-made titles:

I'd like to know how I could change the color (red) behind the text title. Let's say I'd like the color to be blue, instead, or yellow or anything else. I've tried a number of ways (just getting used to FCP X). Is there a control for this, or would I have to make a mask with another color? Trouble is, the red is animated, and a traveling matte would be needed...sort of complicated as a procedure. Btw, how were these titles made? In another program, or can they be modified in this one?

2nd question: How could I expand the tracking of that text as an animated sequence? I've tried changing the tracking by degrees and adding keyframes, but that doesn't work. In other words, when the title, shown above appears, I'd like the tracking to then expand.

thanks.

Posted on Sep 27, 2016 7:45 PM

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Answer 1

keithgvp Author

Level 1

15 points

Sep 27, 2016 7:58 PM in response to keithgvp

As to the above, I just tried opening the Color Board, and find I can indeed change the body color (see screenshot) but the photo image is also affected by the color change. How could I have the title color change and keep the photo color?

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Answer 2

fox_m

Level 6

13,256 points

Sep 27, 2016 11:05 PM in response to keithgvp

Text can be very customized in FCPX.

When a Title is selected in the storyline, there will be a Text Inspector available (to the right of Title). Click that tab and you can change just about every aspect of the text (selected). Under the Basic section (font, font-size, alignment, etc) you can turn on 3D Text and dial down the pane (click the Show "link" that appears when you mouse over 3D Text). Below that, if you're not going to use 3D Text, there is Face, Outline, Glow and Drop Shadow. Dial down the Face pane and you can select a Color (or optional Gradient fill). Although Texture is available, there is no way to supply a texture graphic in FCPX - those are inherited from Motion templates.

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Answer 3

keithgvp Author

Level 1

15 points

Sep 27, 2016 11:12 PM in response to fox_m

Aha, just as I thought, Motion - and templates. So I would have to access the effect from Motion - meaning, I suppose, that in this particular effect, or others like it, where I'd just want to change the color of the background field behind the text - in this case, from the standard red, to another color - the controls would appear if I imported it to Motion? Again, we're not talking about the title text - no problem there - but the color behind it. It would be very helpful if one could customize this title effect and then apply it in FCPX - and not have it color the photo image it's placed over.

As far as the other question, which remains unanswered, how can one keyframe the text so that it appears to expand? The tracking control in Text would seem to do it, but I've tried placing keyframes in the video animator as I change the tracking by degrees, and it doesn't work. This seems like a basic enough task I shouldn't need Motion for.

thanks.

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Answer 4

fox_m

Level 6

13,256 points

Sep 28, 2016 1:57 PM in response to keithgvp

Well... you could get Motion and publish the parameters you want to be able to keyframe in FCPX. ALL of the templates available in FCPX are "Motion templates" (you can even right click on them in FCPX and Open a Copy in Motion to make customizations -- for about 95% of them).

Luckily, you don't have to go to that extreme (although... you should 😉 )

There are two Title effects called: Custom (for 2D text... not sure it makes a difference though) and Custom 3D. You can still edit your text attributes as outlined above, but you can also make use of a "sequencer" in the (Title) effect. To do a Tracking effect, you would use Custom and try out these settings to get your feet wet (these titles take a little getting used to):

To get more information, read this section of the Motion manual carefully:

http://help.apple.com/motion/mac/5.2/#/motn1607df2b

It should help you make sense of the controls listed above. Keep in mind, there are two Sequence Text behaviors involved in this effect (In and a separate Out) each lasting 60 frames (max. "Durations" are 60).

Custom 3D has features to allow you to move text in Z-space more than anything else (although tracking is included).

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Answer 5

Sep 28, 2016 9:29 AM in response to keithgvp

The background color for this particular title (called "Endpage", by the way), has not been published in Motion, so you cannot change it in FCP, as it is now.

BUT you CAN open a copy in Motion, make your modifications and use the new version.

In particular, you want to Publish the background color. Easy and simple to do.

There a rectangle whose color you need to publish:

Then you may want change the parameter name from "Fill Color" to something more specific - I called it "Background Color". Select the project and change the published name in the Inspector:

Now you can easily change the color in FCP X:

Well, then you may get the Motion "bug" and start changing all sorts of things... like making a rig to have the background and accent colors changing in tandem... the sky is the limit, really.

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Answer 6

keithgvp Author

Level 1

15 points

Sep 28, 2016 2:07 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks to you both. This really helps explain details of title control, templates and what Motion can do in this respect. Of course, this experiment with the Endpage title effect is just to see what can be modified, and it's interesting to know it can be done. Even more so, it seems to open the possibility to making one's own title templates and effects one can customize and use in various situations.

As for stretching the title text, I can see how complicated it gets with so many controls, and indeed have gotten my feet wet, a little. It's like Alice in Wonderland trying to get things the way you want them.

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Answer 7

keithgvp Author

Level 1

15 points

Sep 28, 2016 9:03 PM in response to keithgvp

All the same, you know, as wonderfully detailed as they are, I think the system of effect controls is rather too complicated. I would hope eventually it may evolve to something more intuitive. Gestures? Voice commands? Or just more FCP-X 'sensing' what is wanted and following through with more 'under the hood' manipulation.

So if I hover the mouse over an area I want to change - color or shape - it will offer a selection - say with a right click menu, and then tabs I can pull to set and preview the effect. To do the expanding text, I would click and drag in the desired direction. We seem to be able to do this already in similar applications (Pages, for one) so I think this would be welcome as a feature here (with of course the option to fine-tune with the usual controls) At least it would give us entry-level types more of a head start rather than an ordeal-by-fire initiation 😉

Maybe that's asking too much, as learning this stuff is not that tough in the end, especially if taken in measured doses. And of course, it's very rewarding to gain the hands-on experience.

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