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Adding Images with animations to title designs
Aeropars [Avatar]
Member Joined: Jan 10, 2010 15:33 Messages: 65 Offline
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Hello All,

Another "how do i... " question although this is a little more complex.

I find just adding text to a title to be quite basic and crude so I want to be able to add some contemporary image styles behind the text to help the text stand out and to also give a good base to make the text more visible. I also think it makes the overall presentation a lot more professional.

What I have done, using title designer, is to add a number of layered images (essentially white columns) of differing transparencies to make a funky looking backdrop to the text. I then added the text on the top of this.

The finished effect looks great however I can only find a way for these images to enter and exit the clip via a fade. In the same title designer, if I select some text it gives me the options of adding entry and exit effects like slide and suchlike. What I'd really like to be able to do is have each column slide into position from the top and bottom however in the title designer, I can't seem to do this.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can animate these columns? I gather I could add each column to a new track and animate it form there however as there are about 20 images this would become very messy and difficult to reproduce. I'd ideally like to define a style and then drag this style into the timeline any time I want ot use it.

Suggestions?

Lee
BarryTheCrab
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline
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It sounds really interesting, I'd like to see a sample.
As for method, I have to say individual tracks for each is the only way to go.
You can produce just the white bars, popping/sliding, whatever, but use a gawdy-green backdrop/color-board, then when you want to use that version of your creation in a title sequence, place your produced video into a timeline and key out the backdrop.
You can use your bar video over and over, make different versions.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Aug 16. 2012 08:34

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Aeropars [Avatar]
Member Joined: Jan 10, 2010 15:33 Messages: 65 Offline
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Thanks for the reply Barry. When I', home I'll post a screenshot of the effect.

That method may well work and be worth the effort as I can reuse it as you have said. I haddn't thought about using a greenscreen and chroma key but i don't see any reason why that wouldn't work well.

Its a little frustrating that we have to do these workarounds. I think powerdirector is the best home video application available but there's certain things like the PIP designer and particle creator which are lacking in parts. for example, I don't personally see why you would use the PIP designer as it effectively only allows a static image which looks quite cartoon like. Now if you could add multiple objects into this PIP design it would become really powerful in allowing you to achieve a lot of different effects while still being basic enough for novice users.
Aeropars [Avatar]
Member Joined: Jan 10, 2010 15:33 Messages: 65 Offline
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actually, thinking about it he green screen won't work as i dont want the bars to be totally solid. I'd want to see some of the video behind it but in a ghosted way. the overlapping columns then give different levels of opacity.

I guess I'll have to look for something more simple.

Is there a way to alter the opacity of a video overlay?
Carl312
Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline
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Is there a way to alter the opacity of a video overlay?

You can in PIP Designer.

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Hi Aeropars -

Using Title Designer for what you're attempting is very limiting. PiP Designer is the way to go, just as Barry & Carl have suggested. It gives you absolute flexibility with motion & opacity.

The attached video of a title bar was built in PiP Designer using colour boards & parts of a screenshot of the background clip. There's a screenshot of the workspace too.

Here are some examples of animated title bars in PD http://youtu.be/G76ntbPy3_E and Barry's toot on lower thirds http://youtu.be/S9UxBKs9oi8

Another method I often use is to insert a video or image clip & mask it to make the title bar.

Cheers - Tony

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BarryTheCrab
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline
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My Toot on Lower thirds is getting dated. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT
ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Sorry Barry - shouldn't have mentioned it.
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Aeropars [Avatar]
Member Joined: Jan 10, 2010 15:33 Messages: 65 Offline
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ynotfish - Thats a very cool video. Its similar to what I want to achieve in that its multiple layers with independent movements and transparancies.

Is the timeline screenshot showing how you created it? How do you save that as a template to use time and again? I assume you are saying to use multiple PIP tracks?
ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Unfortunately, the whole thing can't be saved as a template. In the case of the title bars in the video example, each bar can be stored as a separate template for later use.



Once each template is saved, it is found under PiP Objects > Custom. Each template can be inserted in the timeline along with others (in separate tracks).



Saving each bar as a template has a drawback. The template doesn't retain duration information. To overcome this, you can just copy and paste your series of animated bars from one project to another...



Cheers - Tony
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