Text layer
The texts in the above screenshot are rendered with the text layer. The template used is from BixPack 5.
What can I do with the text layer?
With the text layer you can create 3D texts.
How do I create a text layer?
Choose LAYER > Add layer > Add text layer... to create a new text layer.
Choose LAYER > Attach layer > Attach text to active layer... to attach a new text layer to the active layer.
The new text layer can be selected from the layers dropdown to make it the active layer.
Examples
The installer comes with shows demonstrating the possibilities of the text layer. Choose FILE > Open show... and select a show from the BluffTitler/Media/Shows/Text folder.
To quickly switch between your own shows and the ones that come with the installer, click on the Personal and App buttons in the upper right corner of the file dialog.
Fonts
Choose MEDIA > Change font... to change the font.
This example uses DIN-Bold.
Textures
Choose MEDIA > Change texture... to change the texture.
This example uses DangerousArea.png.
Effects
Choose EFFECT > Change effect... to change the effect.
This example uses Reflectionmap.
Compositions
Use the 1st layer style dropdown to change the composition.
This example uses String 2.
Font styles
Use the 3rd layer style dropdown to set the text style.
This example uses Wireframe.
Inside borders (bevels)
Borders on the inside are created by attaching a text layer using one of the Outline styles to a text layer using the Inside style. You can select the style with the 3rd dropdown below the textbox.
Easiest way to add a border on the inside is to click on the Attach border to active layer... button (or choose LAYER > Attach layer > Attach border to active layer...) and select one of the Inside border presets. You can set the size of the border with the Bevel property of the parent layer.
Outside borders (stroked)
Borders on the outside are created by attaching a text layer using the Stroked style to a text layer using, for example, the Round bevel style. You can select the style with the 3rd dropdown below the textbox.
Easiest way to add a border on the outside is to click on the Attach border to active layer... button (or choose LAYER > Attach layer > Attach border to active layer...) and select one of the Outside border presets. You can set the size of the border with the Stroke property of the attached layer.
Text effects
Dancing fool
In the Effects/Text folder your can find effects specifically designed for the text layer.
This example uses the Text/DancingFool effect.
Text layer style 1
Left
Every line starts at the same horizontal position.
Left, pivot point in centre
Every line starts at the same horizontal position. All lines are centred.
Right
Every line ends at the same horizontal position.
Right, pivot point in centre
Every line ends at the same horizontal position. All lines are centred.
Centre
Every line is centred. This is the default effect.
Justify
All lines are scaled to the same width.
Fixed space
All characters use the same space.
Circle
The first line is drawn in a circle. In combination with the text rotation this creates a nice merry-go-round effect.
Wave
The characters follow the path of a sinus wave. The 3rd slider of the Spacing property controls the phase.
Spiral
The first line is drawn as a spiral.
Roll
The lines are placed on a roll.
String
The characters of the first line are walking a tight rope. The 3rd slider of the Spacing property controls the elasticity of the string.
Text layer style 2
Vertical align top
Vertical align centre
Vertical align bottom
Text layer style 3
Single sided
The back of the text is invisible in this style.
Flat
Fonts look depressingly 2D in this style.
Solid
Fonts are extruded along the edges to create solid 3D objects.
Straight bevel
Use the bevel effect to create fonts with eased edges.
Round bevel
The round bevel gives the font a very smooth round shape.
Stroked
This adds a border to the outside of the text. With the Stroke property you can adjust the size (1st slider) and depth (2nd slider) of the border
Inverted
This effect looks like the font has been cut out of a solid block.
Tubular square/round
The outline is drawn as a tube. Use the Bevel property to adjust the radius of the tube.
Wireframe
The text is rendered as a wireframe model.
Sphered
The text is blown up. Use the 3rd slider of the Scale property to make the effect more subtle.
Horizontally revolved
The text is rotated around the vertical axis. You can use the Revolved Angle property to set the amount of rotation. The 2nd slider controls the rotation offset. The 3th slider controls the radius.
Vertically revolved
The text is rotated around the horizontal axis. You can use the Revolved Angle property to set the amount of rotation. The 2nd slider controls the rotation offset. The 3th slider controls the radius.
Convex hull
Turns every character into a convex shape. Use the Stroke property to blow up the shape.
Filled holes
Fills all holes.
Holes
Only renders the holes.
Light discs
Adds 2D light discs to the text to create a marquee effect.
Light bulbs
Adds 3D light bulbs (spheres) to the text to create a marquee effect.
Comb
Turns your text into a comb.
Spikes
Adds spikes to the text.
Hairy
Adds hairs to the text.
Sequinned
Decorates the text with sequins.
Diamonds
Decorates the text with small diamonds.
Extended outlines
Extends the outlines at sharp edges.
Ornaments
Add rectangles to the font ends that can be textured with nice ornaments. Make sure the ornaments start at the centre of the texture.
XY-Slices
Cuts the text into slices in the XY plane. Use the Slice properties to control the effect.
Z-Slices
Cuts the text into slices in the Z plane. Use the Slice properties to control the effect.
Straight slices
Renders the text as rectangular plateaus. Use the Slice properties to control the effect.
Round slices
Renders the text as round plateaus. Use the Slice properties to control the effect.
Pixels, Cornered pixels, Rounded pixels
Use the Pixel Size property to control the size of the pixels.
Floating triangles, cubes, hexagons, cylinders, spheres and Bubbles
Use the 2nd slider of the Pixel Size property to control the size of the individual triangles, cubes, hexagons, cylinders, spheres and bubbles.
Inside flat
This style can be used in combination with the Outline Flat style to create a flat text with a border.
Inside
This style can be used in combination with one of the outline effects to create a text with a border.
Inside sphered
This style can be used in combination with the Outline Sphered style to create a sphered text with a border.
Outline flat
Only the outline is drawn in this mode. Use the Bevel property to set the size of the outline
Outline no bevel, Outline straight bevel, Outline round bevel
Only the outline is drawn. Use the Bevel property to set the size of the outline. These effects are commonly used in combination with the Inside style to create texts with borders.
Outline sphered
Only the outline is drawn in this mode. Use the Bevel property to set the size of the outline
Text layer properties
Text position
The position of the text: horizontal, vertical and depth.
Text rotation
The rotation of the text: heading, pitch and roll.
Pivot point
The point around which the text rotates when animating the Text rotation property. Press F2 to visualise the pivot point.
Character rotation
The rotation of the individual characters: heading, pitch and roll.
Font size
The font size. Notice that the All keys checkbox is automatically marked when you select this property. This way the font size of all keyframes is adjusted. Unmark this checkbox when you want to animate the font size.
Text size
With this property you can stretch the text in all 3 dimensions. This way you can create thick, thin, deep or wide characters.
Character size
The size of the individual characters.
Colour
The diffuse text colour: red, green and blue. Note that the light colours also affects the appearance of the text: for example a red text illuminated with a green light will appear black. For most textures you want to use a white colour. Press <F3> for the standard colour dialog.
Specular colour
The colour used for specular highlights. If this property is (0,0,0), the diffuse colour is used as the specular colour.
Specularity
The size of the specular highlights.
Transparency
The transparency of the text. 0 is opaque, 1 is fully transparent.
Spacing
The distance between the individual characters. The 2nd slider controls the line distance. The 3rd slider is only used by the Wave and String compositions.
Space width
The width of the space character.
Kerning
Some character pairs like AV, AT and // can be put closer to each other than their rectangular bounding boxes would allow them.
Italic
This makes the text italic by shearing it. Doing this procedurally is also called faux, fake or false italic. The true way is to use the italic version of the font in the MEDIA > Change font... dialog. However, not all fonts offer an italic version.
Twist
Each succeeding character is rotated a little bit further.
Stroke
This property is used by the Stroke and Convex hull styles. It controls the size (1st slider) and depth (2nd slider) of the stroke.
Bevel
The 1st slider controls the thickness of the bevel. The 2nd slider controls the outer height. The 3rd slider controls the inner height. Creating bevels is an expensive operation, so it is best not to animate the bevel size. Notice that some fonts have small details that could intersect extreme bevels.
Writer
With this property you can simulate a type writer. A value of 0 means that no characters are being drawn, 0.5 means only the first half are drawn and a value of 1 draws everything. The 2nd slider controls the start position.
Flexibility
With this property you can make the characters behave as if they are attached to each other by springs. The 1st slider controls the delay in seconds of the slowest character. This is also the time you have to extend the duration of the show in order to give all the characters enough time to reach their destination.
The 2nd slider controls the pickup point, 0 means the first character and 1 the last character.
If the 3rd slider is greater than 0, every character has its own random delay. If the 3rd slider is -1, the text is split into words instead of characters. If the 3rd slider is less than -1, the order of the words is random.
Counter
1st slider sets the number, 2nd slider the minimum number of digits and the 3rd slider the number of decimals. The number is only visible when you use the <counter /> tag in the textbox. This way you can create things like Price: $10,000! by entering Price: $<counter / >!
Encrypt
If this property is set to 1, every A is turned into a B. If this property is set to 2, every A is turned into a C.
Texture position, Texture size
The position and size of the texture.
Slices position
This property is only used by the Slices, Straight slices and Round slices styles. The 1st slider controls the height of the slices, the 2nd the distance between the slices and the 3rd the position of the 1st slice.
Slices rotation
This property is only used by the Slices, Straight slices and Round slices styles. The 1st slider controls the rotation of the slices.
Pixel size
This property is only used by the Pixel styles and controls the size of the pixels.
Decoration density
This property is used by the Light discs, Light bulbs, Comb, Spikes, Hairy, Sequinned, Diamonds, Extended outlines and Ornaments styles. A higher density means more decorations.
Decoration size
This property is used by the Light Discs, Light Bulbs, Comb, Spikes, Hairy, Sequinned, Diamonds, Extended Outlines and Ornaments styles and controls the sizes and positions of the decorations. The exact behaviour depends on the selected effect.
Revolved angle
This property is only used with the Revolved styles.
Jumble
Use this property to create some chaos. The 1st slider adjusts the positions of the individual characters, the 2nd the rotation and the 3rd the random seed.
3rd slider has special meaning when using a negative value: range[-5.5, -6.5> only displaces the horizontal position, range[-4.5, -5.5> only displaces the vertical position and the range[-2.5, -3.5> only displaces depth position.
Explosion
With this property you can explode the text. The 1st slider controls the translation, the 2nd the rotation. Notice that you can use the edit boxes next to the sliders to enter values out of range for the sliders. You can use this to make the text explode completely out of the screen.
Characters
This property is only used in the EPS layer. It controls the number of times the EPS shape is rendered.
Bounds
With this property you can define the maximum size of the text. If the text is bigger it will be scaled to fit. This is very useful when using the show as a template or for dynamic content.
Depth bias
This property can be used to solve sorting problems.