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Text layer “vertical” anchor point problem
Hello! I have been through the CreativeCow and Adobe knowledge bases as well as other support sites without finding an answer to what I thought was going to be a simple question. All the documentation on anchor points refer to a default position of “center” (both horizontally and vertically). My After Effects system (CS4) honors that for everything except my text layers. When a new text layer is initiated, the anchor point is centered horizontally but is at the bottom vertically. I have tried adjusting the “baseline” (referenced in other COW threads) but that is not working (currently set to “0”). I have tried everything I can think of to get the default back to what Adobe says is normal (center, center) but to no avail. Although I know how to move the anchor point, what I am looking for is the way to get back to the default (center, center).
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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5 Replies
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You can do this with the Group Alignment property.
HTH
RoRKIntensive AE & Mocha Training in Singapore and Malaysia.
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Hello Roland. Thank you for your response. Perhaps I am not understanding what you are suggesting but I’m not trying to align a number of layers. What I am trying to do is have the anchor points appear in the correct place within the text layer from inception. For example, if I add a graphic, photo, or movie clip to AE, the anchor points are always center/center. However, when I launch a new text layer, the anchor points are center/bottom. All the documentation I have read refers to the “default” for AE for text boxes as center/center. Is there a way to restore the default? (I really don’t know what I did to change it.)
Thanks for any help you can provide.
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I think there may be a confusion with the two ways with which you can input text using the Text Too. What folks normally do is to select the Text Tool, click in the Comp Panel and start typing away. With this method of text input, the Anchor Point is dependent on the Paragraph Alignment set in the Paragraph Panel.
As you would have noticed, the y-value of the Anchor Point is always at the bottom of the text regardless of which Paragraph Alignment you choose.
The second way to input text with the Text Tool is to define a text box in the Comp Panel after selecting the Text Tool. You define the text box with a mouse down plus drag movement.
With this method, the Anchor Point is indeed centered within the text box.
What I had earlier alluded to is should you want to reposition each character’s anchor point, which is independent from its Paragraph Alignment or Text Box Anchor Point.
HTH
RoRKIntensive AE & Mocha Training in Singapore and Malaysia.
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Hello Roland! Thank you for the clarification. I agree with everything you have provided – and have found all of your examples to be accurate – except the text with mouse down drag … although the anchor point is not at the ‘true’ bottom, it is not centered vertically either. The position seems to vary based on font selection/size. Does your AE give you a true vertical center when you drag a text box? My ‘baseline’ setting is ‘0’ and my ‘leading’ is set to ‘auto’ if that helps at all.
I appreciate all the time you have provided on this annoying (at least to me) issue. Thank you!
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Hi Neil, I appreciate your utmost in getting to the innards of things but if all you need is a locked-on Anchor Point anywhere, then parent the Text Layer to an appropriately positioned Null. Then perform your scale and rotations with the Null, effectively acting as the anchor point.
That’s what most folks do.
I was under the assumption that you has wanted to reposition each character’s anchor point, which is a lesser known task.
I’ll look into this but it’ll be a lot later as deadlines are looming over here.
Cheers
RoRKIntensive AE & Mocha Training in Singapore and Malaysia.
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