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Creating thin splines out of text? Can it be done?
I want to create some text and then create a spline from the text – I don’t want an outline of the text for a mask, but rather the text to become a spline. Since there is quite a bit of text, I would rather not have to trace or pen tool it – is there a way of accomplishing this?
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10 Replies
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Type out your text, then select it, and choose Layer > Create Outlines. This will create editable masks for all the characters. Note that the text will no longer be editable with the text tool, so make sure that you have everything as you want it (check your spelling!).
By hitting the stopwatch for “mask shape” you can animate the mask over time.
Alternatively, if you have Illustrator you can type up all your text. Then choose the option to “create outlines.”
Then make sure that your clipboard options in Illustrator are correct, Edit > Preferences > File handling & Clipboard. Make sure the option “copy as PDF” is checked.
Select the text with the selection tool, and choose Edit > copy.
Open AE, create a new solid, then edit > paste.
This will create masks for every character. Really handy for creating masks from vector artwork (logos, etc…).Erik
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Yes, I do know that, but what I want is a SINGLE LINE for each piece of text rather than an outline of the text, if you know what I mean. The mask part is easy, but creating a single line (like a bezier tool does) is what I am after without having to trace it myself.
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Here is where a picture is woth a thousand words.
Can you post a pic of before and after, especially the final “spline”. And is there a spline end product for each letter, word, or line of text?
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I don’t think that there is an automated way of doing that.
You would be creating an open mask. As soon as the mask is closed, a new separate mask would be created. So the characters in your text would need to touch.
I’ve done similar things in the past, creating one open mask the length of the line along the baseline of the text on a separate layer, then adding and dragging vertex points to match the characters. Then using the Stroke effect on the mask. Exactly what you are trying to avoid.
In my case I “morphed” the graphical text into an object which lined up with a video layer.Erik
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I am not sure how to post pictures. I will try to give a written example :
The letter A
With auto-trace, the letter is traced from the outside, giving a mask that is an outline of the entire letter. I instead, want a spline that is a single line for the letter, not the outline. So I closest approximation would be a signature with the pen tool. When you write a signature with a pen tool, it doesn’t trace the outline of the letter, it just writes the letter with a single stroke. Now, since I have quite a bit of text to work with, I don’t really have the time to ‘signature’ all of the text with the pen tool. I was hoping for a way to do it without having to do that…does that make sense?
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I don’t mind if the masks are separate though…they don’t need to touch because I am using a regular font for it.
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Yeah..that’s not going to work. Again, once the mask is closed say forming the letter A, you are creating a separate mask (aka spline)…which defeats your one line/one spline goal. You would need one mask that envelopes all the characters of text…creating a line of text in cursive or script. You can’t create a mask that has more than one closed path…which is why tools like Autotrace and convert to outlines creates multiple masks with each character having its own mask.
Erik
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So you’re trying to reveal text, I think I’ve got it. This is close, maybe not exactly what you want, but it reveals the text like a signature.
Type your text
Layer>Create Outlines
M reveals the masks in the new outlines layer.
Copy the masks
Paste them into the original text layer.
Select all the masks and change the mode to None.
Drag all the masks, still all selected, over to be on top of the original text.
Add Stroke,
Check “All Masks” and “Stroke Sequentially”, Paint Style to “Reveal Original Image”.
Increase the “Brush Size” to 15 to 30, this all depends on the font, size of the font.Then animate the “End” from zero to 100 over time with keyframes.
Adjust the Brush Size so you get a nice reveal, to much or too little won’t look right.
Note: You can even change the path or direction of the fill by selecting the mask you think involved in that stage of the fill, then seeing where the “first vertex” is, the bigger square of the vertices, then selecting a vertice on the same mask in another spot on the mask, then right-clicking and choose “Set First Vertex”, now it will fill or stroke from that point first.
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I just read your other post. I think the only way you are going to be able to accomplish this is with a little time consuming elbow grease. Any automated tool will be tracing the outline of the text based on difference between the text and the background. What you are wanting is one line centered in the middle of the text character stroke…so the letter “S” is one line with two curves, rather than a closed path around the outline of the shape.
Erik
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There is no automated way to create splines centred on text. That information is not contained within the font, and auto-trace or anything similar would create outlines around the text.
Even if you used a thin font or simple choker, any auto-tracing would create an outline around the text.
You have to draw the splines by hand.
If you thought it would save time, you could draw a bunch of masks (one for each letter) on a solid, then copy/paste them and move them into position over the text on a solid, then animate the stroke effect (using a wide stroke and “all masks”) with this solid as a track matte over the text.
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