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

  The behavior is applied, and the first character of text is selected with the Adjust Item tool.

  

  Important: You must add at least one parameter to the behavior before animation can occur. For details, see the next task.

After you apply the Sequence Text behavior to a text layer in your project (as described in the previous task), you must assign the parameters you want to animate.

1. In the Layers list or Timeline, select an applied Sequence Text behavior.

   The Behaviors Inspector opens.

   In the upper area of the Sequence Text controls are Add and Remove pop-up menus, used to select text parameters to be sequenced, or to remove parameters after they’re added. Under the pop-up menus are sequence controls, which include options for setting the direction and speed of the animation, whether the animation is applied per character, per word, per text object, and so on.

   

   In this simple example, assign the Opacity, Scale, and Glow Scale parameters to the behavior.

2. In the Parameter row, click the Add pop-up menu, then choose Format > Opacity.

   

   An Opacity slider is added in the Behaviors Inspector, in the Format area above the Add and Remove pop-up menus.

3. Set the Opacity slider to 0, then press the Space bar to play the project.

   By default, the opacity sequences from the value set in the behavior (0%) to the original value of the text (100%). You can change this sequencing order in the Sequencing pop-up menu.

4. Click the Sequencing pop-up menu, then choose To.

   Now, when you play the project from the beginning, the opacity fades to the value set in the behavior (0%) from the original value of the text (100%).

   

5. Click the Add pop-up menu, then choose Format > Scale.

   The Scale slider is added to the Behaviors Inspector.

6. Click the Add pop-up menu again, then choose Glow > Scale.

   The Glow Scale slider is added to the Behaviors Inspector.

7. Set the Scale slider to 250%, set the Glow Scale slider to 250%, then set the Spread slider (in the Controls section of the Behaviors Inspector) to 4.

   The opacity sequences to the values defined in the behavior from the original values. The increased spread value softens the sequence between the characters.

   

   Note: Although the style effects created in the Sequence Text behavior (Face, Outline, Glow, and Drop Shadow) are independent of parameters in the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector (Face, Outline, Glow, and Drop Shadow), changes made in the Appearance pane affect the sequenced text. For example, if you select the Glow checkbox in the Appearance pane after adding Glow to the Sequence Text behavior, the appearance of the glow may alter. This is because the Glow settings in the Appearance pane are additive to the sequence behavior (the glow may appear brighter or more blurred). In the following illustration, the glow is scaled and offset in the Appearance pane.

   

   The above example covers only a portion of the options in the Sequence Text behavior. Using the behavior’s parameters, you can create a nearly endless variety of sequences. You can define the speed in which the sequence moves through the text, as well as whether the sequence moves through the text per character, word, or line. You can also change the direction of the sequence and define the number of times the sequence loops over its duration. Variance and randomization can also be added to values defined in the behavior. For more information on these controls, see Sequence Text behavior controls.

As an alternative to assigning parameters to the Sequence Text behavior in the Behaviors Inspector, you can assign three basic parameters (Position, Rotation, and Scale) by dragging onscreen controls in the Canvas.

1. With the Sequence Text behavior applied and the first character (glyph) selected (using the Adjust Item tool in the toolbar), do any of the following:

   • Sequence the position of the text: Drag the character in the Canvas to a new position.

     

     In the Behaviors Inspector, the Position parameter is added to the Format category (above the Add and Remove pop-up menus). The values in the Position parameter can be modified in the Behaviors Inspector (using the Position value sliders) as well as in the Canvas (by dragging the glyphs of the text object).

     

   • Sequence the rotation of the text: Drag a rotation handle of a selected glyph in the Canvas. To display the rotation handles, click in the Canvas, then hold down the Command key. For more information on using onscreen transform controls, see Transform layers in 3D space.

     

     In this example, the text is rotated on its Y axis. In the Behaviors Inspector, the Rotation parameter is added to the Format category (above the Add and Remove pop-up menus).

   • Sequence the scale of the text: Drag a scale handle of a selected glyph in the Canvas. (To scale the text uniformly, press Shift while dragging a scale handle in the Canvas.)

     

     In the Behaviors Inspector, the Scale parameter is added to the Format category (above the Add and Remove pop-up menus).

2. Press the Space bar to play the project.

   Note that in the Controls section of the Behaviors Inspector, the Sequencing pop-up menu is set to From, the default setting. As a result, upon playback, the text in your project moves from the value in the Position parameter to the original value (the position of the text before you dragged it in the Canvas).

   For more information on Sequence Text parameters, see Sequence Text behavior controls.

   Note: When using the Sequence Text behavior, glyphs are selected with the Adjust Item tool rather than the Transform Glyph tool. For more information on the Transform Glyph tool, see Text glyphs overview.

   When you select a glyph with the Adjust Item tool, a section of the Timeline is highlighted, indicating when the selected glyph is affected by the sequence behavior.