Align Paragraph Text to middle of box?

[Dean Bergmann]

Unfortunately, we’re doing automated scripts that enter text from an external source that allows us to do unmonitored renders and projects.. But the problem is that the text length is variable, and putting stuff in a bounded box (paragraph text) allows things to remain neat…

It just needs to be vertically centered.. and.. it’s just not there.

[Kevin Camp]

there isn’t an option for vertical alignment in after effects (or photoshop, and i’ve occasionally wished for it in both).

you can’t even easily create an expression to change the y-position of the text layer if it were to go to multiple lines, since the height of a text layer returns the comp’s height rather than the height of just the text layer.

the best way i can think of to try and get this to work would require the text file to have line breaks to break it into lines that would fit within the text block (or maybe an expression in the source text property yo do this), then you could create an expression that would count the line breaks and offset the y-position according to the number of breaks it finds… it’s a bit beyond my expression capabilities, but someone in the ae expressions forum may be able to help you…

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Pedro Proenza]

in aftereffects you do it manualy, with rulers and guides.
in photoshop it can be done automatically. with marquee tool, select the area you want, click on the move tool and the align tool is available..

cheers

[Pedro Proenza]

hi! again

i just found a way to do it easier.

create a new solid, make composition size (put below all the layers).
Now select the text layer you want and the new solid. the align tool stays available, now you click “horizontal center alignment” and “vertical center alignment”. parent the text layer to the solid and do a reset transform in the solid layer.
i think its easy

cheers again

[Pedro Proenza]

hi again and again

just see the easiest way to do
select the layer you want and start draging to the center of composition, press shift+ctrl, and it puts in the center

cheeerrs

[Dean Bergmann]

this works in one case only, but we’re talking about having a set size paragraph area, that will never change, but the TEXT will change.

Imagine if you will, a 16×9 comp, and on the left side we have a paragraph box that’s the height of the comp, but say only 30% of the width.

What I want to do in this is have the text in that paragraph box be centered vertically, and if I add more text, it’ll stay centered vertically and expand upward and downard in that box. (And no, i am not talking the vertical text tool).

The reason I can’t just do an align layer or ‘use photoshop’ is that we use an external script to enter text based on a client’s needs, so we can’t go repositioning the actual layer manually when it’s supposed to be an automatic solution.

[Kevin Camp]

excellent methods pedro.

however, dean was looking for a way to vertically align the text completely hands free… they are using an automated script that is placing the text into the layer and rendering the comp without an operator — i assume using adobe’s media encoder as the render engine/queue.

many broadcast graphics systems have features for vertical alignment (top/bottom/middle), but adobe does not… yet. an expression would be a good way to handle it, but it won’t be a simple expression… it would most likely be two expressions, one to add line breaks to the source text, then another to evaluate the number of line breaks and make adjustments accordingly.

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Pedro Proenza]

ooops, i need glasses here, i’m readind bad

sorry..

[Scott Tupper]

Dean,
I have the exact same issue. Did you ever find a solution?

[Dean Bergmann]

nope 🙁 here’s hoping CS5 has the ability!