Sequence the distortion of a 2D text appearance attribute

In addition to using the sliders and value sliders in the Inspector, you can use onscreen controls to sequence the Four Corner parameter, creating warp effects that manipulate the text Face (color fill), Outline, Glow, and Drop Shadow parameters of text. In the following simple example, the distortion of the text glow is sequenced.

Note: You cannot sequence the distortion of an appearance attribute for 3D text.

Sequence the warping of a text glow effect

  1. Select a text layer in your project, then click the Add Behavior pop-up menu in the toolbar and choose Text Animation > Sequence Text.

  2. In the Parameter row of the Behaviors Inspector, click the Add pop-up menu, then choose Glow > Four Corner.

    In the Inspector, the Glow Four Corner parameter is added to the sequence above the Add and Remove pop-up menus. The Four Corner parameter is used to spatially distort the text’s glow effect.

  3. To activate onscreen handles, click the Attribute pop-up menu in the lower portion of the Behaviors Inspector, then choose Glow.

    Inspector showing Attribute pop-up menu in Sequence Text behavior

    Onscreen handles appear.

    Canvas showing onscreen controls for  sequence text behavior
  4. Do one of the following:

    • To distort the glow, drag a distort handle (any of the corner handles).

      Canvas showing text glow warped

      Note: Some characters may not appear to be affected when you drag in the Canvas. However, when you play the project, all characters are affected.

    • To shear the glow, drag a shearing handle (any of the middle handles).

      Canvas showing text glow sheared

      You can also drag the value sliders in the Four Corner parameter for Glow in the Behaviors Inspector. Click the Four Corner disclosure triangle to show the individual Bottom Left, Bottom Right, Top Right, and Top Left controls.

  5. Press the Space bar to play the project.

    The glow distortion is sequenced through the text, based on the settings in the Sequence Text behavior parameters.