Motion 5 - Text Path Options in the Layout Pane

Text Path Options in the Layout Pane

This group of controls in the Layout pane lets you specify the initial shape of a text path,
and to modify the path and text on that path. This group is only active when the Layout
Method pop-up menu at the top of the Layout pane is set to Path.

For more information about creating a text path, see

Text Layout-Related Tasks

.

The Transform Glyph tool can be used with text on a path. For more information, see

Working with Text Glyphs

.

Path Shape:

Use this pop-up menu to set the shape of the path. Choosing different

shapes will cause different controls to appear in the Path Options parameter group.
Parameters are described below. There are six menu options:

• Open Spline: The default shape, a straight path defined by one point at the beginning

and one point at the end of the path. You can work with Bezier or B-Spline control
points. Option-click (or double-click) on the path to add points.

• Closed Spline: A closed path where the last point is in the same location as the first

point. You can use Bezier or B-Spline control points. Option-click (or double-click) on
the path to add points.

• Circle: A simplified version of Closed Spline, in which the X radius or Y radius can be

adjusted to create a circle or an ellipse.

• Rectangle: A closed path where the width and the height can be adjusted to create a

square or a rectangle.

• Wave: A wavy path (a sine wave) defined by one point at the beginning and one point

at the end, and controlled by the End Point, Amplitude, Frequency, Phase, and Damping
parameters.

• Geometry: A shape path where the object travels along the edge of a shape or mask.

An animated shape can be used as the text path source—for example, a circle shape
with an applied Oscillate Shape behavior.

Path Type:

Use this pop-up menu, available when Path Shape is set to Open Spline or

Closed Spline, to choose how to manipulate the shape of the path:

• Bezier: Lets you manipulate the keyframe curve by dragging Bezier handles. For more

information about creating and adjusting Bezier curves, see

Editing Bezier Control

Points

.

• B-Spline: Lets you manipulate the keyframe curve by dragging B-Spline points. B-Splines

are manipulated using points—there are no tangent handles. The points themselves
do not lie on the surface of the shape. Instead, each B-Spline control point is offset
from the shape’s surface, magnetically pulling that section of the shape toward itself
to create a curve. B-Splines are extremely smooth: By default, there are no sharp angles
in B-Spline shapes, although you can create sharper curves, if necessary. For more
information about working with B-Spline curves, see

Editing B-Spline Control Points

.

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Creating and Editing Text

Radius:

Use this slider, available when Circle is the defined path shape, to change the

size of the circular path. Click the disclosure triangle to adjust the X radius and Y radius.

Note: When the Text tool is selected, you can also use onscreen control points to resize
the circle. Press Shift to resize the X and Y radii uniformly.

Size:

Use this slider, available when Rectangle is the defined path shape, to change the

size of the rectangular path. Click the disclosure triangle to adjust the X scale and Y scale.

Note: When the Text tool is selected, you can also use onscreen control points to resize
the rectangle. Press Shift to resize the X and Y scales uniformly.

Start Point:

Use these value sliders, available when Wave is selected in the Path Shape

pop-up menu, to set the location of the start point on the wave’s path. The left value
slider sets the X coordinate of the start point. The right value slider sets the Y coordinate
of the start point. The start point can also be adjusted using the wave’s onscreen controls
(active by default when the Text tool is selected).

End Point:

Use these value sliders, available when Wave is selected in the Path Shape

pop-up menu, to set the location of the end point on the path. The left value slider sets
the X coordinate of the end point. The right value slider sets the Y coordinate of the end
point. The end point can also be adjusted using the wave’s onscreen controls (active by
default when the Text tool is selected).

Amplitude:

Use this slider, available when Wave is selected in the Path Shape pop-up

menu, to define half the distance from the highest point to the lowest point in the wave.
Higher values result in more extreme waves.

Frequency:

Use this slider, available when Wave is selected in the Path Shape pop-up

menu, to set the number of waves. Higher values result in more waves.

Phase:

Use this dial, available when Wave is selected in the Path Shape pop-up menu,

to define the percentage of the offset of the waves from the start and end points of the
path.

When set to 0% (default), the wave begins and ends at half the distance from the highest
point to the lowest point in the wave. When set to 90%, the wave begins and ends at the
highest point in the wave. When set to –90%, the wave begins at the lowest point in the
wave. When set to 180%, the waves are the same as 0%, but inverted.

Damping:

Use this value slider, available when Wave is selected in the Path Shape pop-up

menu, to progressively diminish the oscillation of the wave. Positive damping values
diminish the wave forward (from left to right). Negative values diminish the wave backward
(from right to left).

Shape Source:

Use this image well, available when Geometry is selected in the Path

Shape pop-up menu, to define the object (shape or mask) used as the motion path source.

To:

Use this pop-up menu, available when Geometry is selected in the Path Shape pop-up

menu, to choose an object in the project to be used as a shape source for the motion
path.

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Chapter 16

Creating and Editing Text