Source Text from Text File

[Mark Walczak]

Hi everyone,

So, I realize that this topic has been discusses at great length on several forums (including the Cow), but I have been searching tirelessly and without success for my own application. Here’s what I’m trying to do:

Feed a text layer a text file and have it sample one word from the document for every frame of video.

I realize that many types of “text file to AE” questions deal with lower thirds, and generating comps, but this isn’t quite what I’m going for. I should mention that I’m on a Mac, in case that makes any difference, and I am running AE CS4.

Thank you in advance!

https://vimeo.com/explosivegraffix

[Dan Ebberts]

With this text file:

txt = “one two three four five six seven eight nine ten”;

This expression displays a different word on each frame:

myPath = “/C/Temp/text_test.txt”;
try{
$.evalFile (myPath);
mySplit = txt.split(” “);
f = timeToFrames()
mySplit[Math.min(f,mySplit.length-1)]
}catch (err){
“file not found”
}

Of course your file path will be different, and you may want to use something other than spaces to delimit your words. This works for CS4 — if you have CS3 you’ll have to use the #include method.

Dan

[Mark Walczak]

Dan, you are my hero!

Thanks again for another amazing expression!

https://vimeo.com/explosivegraffix

[Brian Byrne]

I have a .txt file with almost 1800 names (first and last) separated by a line break. I’d like to split all names up into single frames of one text layer for use as a sprite in Particular 2.0. I’m able to use what you have here as a good starting point, but I’m afraid I don’t know enough about expressions. I’ll keep crunching through the expressions documentation, but if anyone can provide suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.

[Dan Ebberts]

In my opinion, you’d be much better off using a script for this. The script would read each line of the text file and create a new keyframed value for the source text at each frame.

Alternatively, to get the expression to work, you’d have to alter your text file so that each line is a valid expression statement, like this:

txt = [];
txt[0] = “your first word”;
txt[1] = “your second word”;

etc.

Then you could use a source text expression that assigns a new word at each frame. like this (not tested):

myPath = “/C/Temp/text_test.txt”;
$.evalFile (myPath);
f = timeToFrames();
txt[Math.min(f,txt.length-1)]

At each frame, the expression has to read in the enitire 1800 line text file. If you use a script rather than the expression, you only have to read the text file once. Of course, it’s a bit of work to create such a script.

Dan

[Tom Granberg]

Hi Dan

I am using Cs3, windows, and obviously this expression doesnt quiete work.
What changes to the expression do I need?

Path = "I:code01.txt";
try{
$.evalFile (Path);
eval(Textflow);
}catch (err){
"not found"
}


[Dan Ebberts]

CS3 is going to need something like this for the first line:

#include ‘/I/code01.txt’;

Beyond that, it’s hard to say without knowing what’s in the text file and what you’re trying to do.

Dan

[Tom Granberg]

Just trying to get a text layer to accept a txt file.
Do I need some formatting on the slashes?

#include ‘//I//code01.txt’;

I running win7

Thank you so much.

T

[Dan Ebberts]

The text layer has to contain executable javascript statements. For example if I have a text file (named “text_test.txt” on my c drive in the temp folder) containing this text:

txt = “one two three four five six seven eight nine ten”;

I can add this expression (CS3) to a text layer:

#include ‘/C/temp/text_test.txt’
txt

and the text layer will display this:

one two three four five six seven eight nine ten

I hope that helps.

Dan

[Tom Granberg]

I wish it worked, I am sure it does on Mac platforms.
I cant for the world of me get it to work, I keep getting file/folder not found errors.

I am using win7 with CS3 if that helps.
My path is as follows:
C:\Users\Renderbrandt\Documents\text\doce01.txt

Is there a special way I need to format the path?

Thanks iun advance, I wish I wasnt shuch an pia…

Tom aka Renderbrandt