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Linking Number in Text Field to Length of Line Using Custom Behavior – Motion 4
I know how I would handle this in AE, but I am using Motion 4, and am limited to that.
What I’d like to accomplish is to be able to somehow link a number (as text) to the length of a line.
Either the value of the text box could control the line, or there could be a separate, invisible object that controls both the number in the text box and the length of the line.
I think it might be impossible, but I hope someone has a suggestion.
Thanks in advance.
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8 Replies
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I don’t believe it’s possible.
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Mark Spencer
Freelance Producer/Editor/Motion Graphics Artist
Apple-certified Master Trainer
Author, Motion 4 from Peachpit Press
https://www.applemotion.net -
If you use the “Numbers” Generator you can Link its Value to the Last Point Offset of your line and this will give you the effect.
Animating (or simply editing) the Last Point offset value will update the Number value onscreen.
This arrangement will obviously give you a 0-100 result such that at full extension of the line the Number value will read as 100. If you want a different value to be displayed by the Generator, all you have to do is change the Link’s Scale value. For example, a Scale value of .75 will give you a value of 75 at full extension of the line.
You can of course also establish the relationship the other way around so that the line length drives the Number value.
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
Here’s a brief tutorial to show you how you might do it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY-qOvQhVXU
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
Simon, that is excellent. I misunderstood the question – I thought he wanted to control something by the length of a text string – by how many characters are in a text layer. That I don’t believe is possible.
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Mark Spencer
Freelance Producer/Editor/Motion Graphics Artist
Apple-certified Master Trainer
Author, Motion 4 from Peachpit Press
https://www.applemotion.net -
[Mark Spencer] ” I misunderstood the question – I thought he wanted to control something by the length of a text string – by how many characters are in a text layer. That I don’t believe is possible.”
I think I might have misunderstood the question too, but if you are right then the answer to his question might be here (if you remember this discussion):
https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/170/871351
A way of having a shape that “tracks” the width of a text object …
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
Ah yes I should remember that – I think I even did a MacBreak Studio on that!!!
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Mark Spencer
Freelance Producer/Editor/Motion Graphics Artist
Apple-certified Master Trainer
Author, Motion 4 from Peachpit Press
https://www.applemotion.net -
Simon, that is precisely what I was looking for. Even better if possible.
Apologies to all if my wording was unclear. I knew Motion 4 was more powerful than I was giving it credit for.
Thanks!
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[Fin Hirschoff] “hat is precisely what I was looking for. Even better if possible.
Apologies to all if my wording was unclear. I knew Motion 4 was more powerful than I was giving it credit for.”
Glad that helped – it’s often hard to describe in some of these things in words so it’s not that you were being unclear.
A couple of extra things I forgot to mention which might be helpful:
If you want the numeric scale to start from something other than zero (for example to go from 25 to 125) then all you have to do is change the Offset in the Link Behavior.
You will probably want to make sure that your font is monospaced so that the numbers don’t shift around as they increment.
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com
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