X-Files like display text (how in MSP 5.2)

[Robert@MZ3.Net]

You know the cool text that types itself in the lower left corner before any scene in X-Files.

[DrMordrid]

I'd put each letter in it's own frame sized bitmap (704x480 etc.) with a monochrome background. Now load each letter into it's own overlay track in sequence.

For each letter use the overlay options to chromakey out the background and set keyframes to change each letters transparancy over time so they fade in and out in sequence.

Extra stuff like motion blurs can be added to each letters bitmap in a program like PhotoImpact 4.2 (my fave) or Photoshop.

Dr. Mordrid



[This message has been edited by DrMordrid (edited 28 October 1999).]

[Robert@MZ3.Net]

Thanks,
You'd think that would be a great plug-in filter for someone to make. But until that day comes I will use your method.

Thanks for your advice

[Aryko]

Just thinking about this, I would guess you might want to make a 704x480 monochrome bitmap as Doc suggested, but with the full message you want typed, and then delete letters and save as new pictures for each letter you delete. That way you can just use one overlay track with multiple bitmaps representing the message as it gets typed.

If you had a fifty-letter message, you'd have to have fifty overlay tracks.

For example, if your message was "Hello there", start with a bitmap of:

HELLO THERE

and then delete the last letter, ie

HELLO THER

save it as its own bitmap, then...

HELLO THE

etc., etc. Then you end up with 11 bitmaps to use in one overlay track.

- Aryko

[CarterTG]

I did something similar in a project last year in MSP 5.2

It went something like this...

Click the [T] Insert Title Clip button. Turn off the "Enable Rolling" box. And type your text into the box. Since the X-Files effect simulated a typewriter, select a Courier font.

After clicking [OK], you'll be given a 1-sec clip to place on the timeline. Place it on an overlay videoline. With the clip still highlighted, click on the Moving Path button (10th icon from left) and apply a "2D Basic" path by dragging it from the Library to this Title Clip.

Right-click the Title Clip to change its Moving Path properties. The goal here is to position the text you typed into the bottom left corner. If the project is using AVIs sized at 704x480, you'll want to position the Title Clip at an "X" location of 352 and a "Y" location of 440. Make SURE this is applied to both START and END keypoints of the clip. The preview window of this dialog box should show the position of the relocated text. Click [OK] to accept changes.

Right-click the Title Clip again to change it's Duration. This is to change the illusion of how fast the letters are typed. I'd suggest having it set to 5 frames
<CENTER>[00]:[00]:[00]:[05]</CENTER>

Click [OK] and you should see that the Title Clip has shrunk to a sliver. Magnify your timeline using the Ruler Unit Panel to maybe 1/5 second.

You've now laid down the foundation of this effect! With the Title Clip still highlighted, copy it to the global clipboard by hitting CTRL-C. Now paste-in (CTRL-V) as many adjoining copies of this Title Clip AS THERE ARE LETTERS AND SPACES. So if you typed "Marvel G200" you'll want to have ELEVEN clips sitting next to each other.

Double-click the leftmost clip and erase all but the first character "M". For the next clip, erase all except "Ma". For the next, all except "Mar". The last clip should be left intact with "Marvel G200".

That's it! Hit PREVIEW and the effect should unfold on the bottom corner. I did it this way to avoid saving a mess of external image files and also prevent any possible antialiasing artifacts at the edges of the tiny letters.



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Carter
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