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Shape width match
Hello Folks,
I’m creating a responsive Lower Third MOGRT where the background shape layers behind the Speaker Name and the Speaker Title text resize depending on the width of each text layer (See attached AE file).
However, what I need to accomplish now is how to make one shape layer match the width of the widest of the background shape layers. For example: IF the Speaker Name background shape (which is defined by the width of the Speaker Name text) is longer than the Speaker Title THEN the Speaker Title background shape should resize to match the width of the Speaker Name background shape. I also would like to do the opposite so that at all times both backgrounds are the same width depending if Speaker Name or Speaker Title are the longest of the two.
I’m not sure if I need an IF/ELSE statement or use the Math.max expression. I’m using AE 2023 on Mac.
Any guidance on how to successfully accomplish this would be most appreciated. Or any other suggestions on how to accomplish the same effect are also appreciated.
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6 Replies
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Hi Mario,
I would use Math.max like this on both “width” sliders:
Math.max(
thisComp.layer("Subtitle").sourceRectAtTime().width + thisComp.layer("SubtitleBg").effect("SubtitleMargin")("Slider").value
,
thisComp.layer("Title").sourceRectAtTime().width + thisComp.layer("TitleBg").effect("Margin")("Slider").value
);And if you use Centered paragraphs you might want to add this expression on both the sourceText properties:
text.sourceText.trim();
This disregards any Whitespace at start and end of a string. (they don’t count for the sourceRect width, but they do alter the layout of the paragraph, so that in an edge case, a name preceded or followed by 100 spaces pushes the text out of its box)
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Thank you, Filip. Appreciate very much the reply. I shall try it and see what happens. I’m assuming I add the Math.max method to each of the shape layers. Correct?
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yes, the expression is formulated so that it can be used on both.
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Really appreciate the time you took to reply. Your method works beautifully!
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Thanks again for the guidance. Perhaps my last question is: how can I change the text to be left-aligned. Right now is centered aligned and I would prefer it if it resized from the left.
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Hey Mario,
in that case, one way to handle the changes is this:
- set the Paragraph setting of both text to Left aligned
- The control-layers have an expression on their X-positon -> disable these expressions
- The BG-layers should get expressions for their anchorpoint:
[effect(“SubtitleWidth”)(“Slider”)/-2, 0] - and for their position:
value – [effect(“SubtitleMargin”)(“Slider”)/2,0];
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