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Copy text layer "sourceText" including paragraph layout?
Hello,
I’m trying to copy the sourceText from layer 1 to layer 2, but layer 1’s text is Paragraph Text, and layer 2 does not copy the shape/position of layer 1’s paragraph. Is there any way to do this, perhaps using any of the .style properties?
Thanks in advance for any help!
replied 3 weeks, 6 days ago 2 Members · 6 Replies
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6 Replies
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You can’t change between Point Text and Paragraph (Box) Text using Expressions – it’s only doable via a script.
What’s preventing you from manually changing the Text Layer type in the second layer?
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Even if I manually change the text type to Paragraph in the second layer (or even if it’s already Paragraph text) if I change the bounding box of the ‘master’ layer, the expression-linked layer’s text does not update to reflect this. There is seemingly no way to link the dimensions of the paragraph-bounding-box from one text layer to another – which is weird, because the only data that determines everything about the paragraph bounding box is:
position x,y
size x,y
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The Paragraph Text Layer’s size is not exposed to expressions.
Two things come to mind –
1) you having to duplicate the Second Layer shows a strong possibility you have a convoluted/unnecessary workflow. So, perhaps you want to share more on what your end goal is2) Use a Text Reflow expression which usually hooks up Paragraph Width to a Slider. You then link the Second Layer’s Paragraph Width Slider to the First Layers’. Other than a Text Reflow Expression, some users link Font Size to Transform>Scale to achieve a similar result. For this route, you again link the Second Layer’s related props to the First Layer’s.
Sense Make?
And Hello, BTW. It’s been a long while. 🙂
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Hello – and yes – it has been a long while!
The client has supplied me with a font that is actually 3 fonts – a ‘main’ font, a ‘bits on the left of each character’ font and a ‘bits on the right of each character’ which can be different colours. So basically I need three identical layers of text…well, identical except the font.
Since I first asked this, the client has decided to go with a boring, bog-standard font, so the whole exercise is not now needed! But I’m still interested in if it’s possible, and if not, it should be! (I’ve added an ‘idea’ to PPro’s forum: https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-ideas/linking-source-text-with-an-expression-should-also-respect-the-quot-paragraphness-quot-of-the-text/idc-p/15272743#M4463 )
community.adobe.com
Re: Linking Source Text with an expression should also respect the "paragraphness" of the
Unless something has changed in the latest builds of After Effects, the paragraph text box size or position in the frame is not supported yet. This is a feature request.
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Amazing to have a Fontastic Client!!! 😀
Another option is to write a script to duplicate the First Layer – of course, if budget and time are willing. You could also automatically set the Font for each duplicate. If you’re good with prompting, an LLM could write such a script quite quickly. Perhaps this is something you may to to look into when this project is over.
Why did you mention this in the PPro Forum?
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Hi Paul, I crafted a script with my pal, Chad von GPT.
1 – select the Originating Text Layer
2 – in the UI, input number of duplicates
3 – select font size from the Font Menu which populates the Font Menu using the listing from the Most Recently Used Font List which includes Family Font/Weights4 – Click on Create Duplicate(s)
Duplicated Layers will inherit text from the Originating Layer while retaining its font style selected within the Script UI. DUplicated Layers share the same Label Color as the Originating layer. Duplicated Layers are Parented to the Originating Layer and they are also Locked.
A – Refresh the Font List – it does what it says if you want access via the Menu to a font selection in the Character/Properties Panel that was performed after the script was launched
B – Refresh Text Layer(s) – if you make adjustments to the Originating Text Layer and want the Duplicated Layers to update, select ALL related Text Layers and click on the Refresh Text Layer(s) button.
I know you don’t need it but perhaps now that there’s a viable solution, you may want to do a revisit. And I also wanted to look at creating an MRU Font List which I also need for another script I was working on. So, no worries if you don’t need this script.
HTH
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