Rotating text

[Jim Higgins]

HI. I've been trying to make an "Intro" for my AVs. in the intro I wanted to have text rotating around an object. I managed to do this but only with the text revolving in a flat plain, see picture capture 004. Lin Evans makes, what looks to me, as being just what I want in his Text demo tutorial. However doesn't say how he gets the text to revolve and go up and down, see capture 002.

I asked Lin about this and he referred me to the forum and his demo. The text revolving around the planet is what I've been trying to achieve. If Lin reads this perhaps he would explain what makes the text behave in this manner.

Many thanks

Jim

[Lin Evans]

Hi Jim,

Here's the link to the templates, discussion and a couple tutorial videos... I think this will help you get it accomplished!

https://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19897-text-circling-object-template/

Look at the "controlling frames" for front (upper) and back (lower) text on the template to see what makes the entire text stream change position as it rotates. Watch the two tutorials then play with the values and you will see how this works.

The control frame number of rotate revolutions along the timeline determines the speed of rotation of the text. The position of the controlling frame done via keyframes in the text rotating around Jupiter demo also done by keyframing is what determines the position of the entire stream of text as it rotates. Create your own stream of text using the template, then put keyframes along the timeline for the control frame and change the position at various keyframes and you will quickly see how this changes the position of the rotating text over time. 

Control Frames act as the "parent" in the hierarchical "parent/child" relationship. As the "parent" of all the individual children (alphabetic characters), the animation of the parent is passed to all the children. So by controlling the rotation and position of the parent control frame via keyframes, this animation is passed automatically to all children. When the position is changed along the timeline the effect is to move the entire stream of alphabetic characters, each under it's own frame gradually, over the intervening time span from the starting to the new position. 

Best regards,

Lin