"SEE THROUGH" TEXT

[davegee]

Inspired by MUR's recent "CUT OUT" TEXT Style I looked at an alternative method which we played with a few years ago - before Styles.

This method relies on the use of Photoshop or any software which will create PNG TEXT.

The Demo Style:

Text - See Through.ptestyle

Add a single 16x9 Image to a 16x9 Project and apply the Style.

The Method:

Text for PTE.pdf

As always, these are just ideas. Feel free to edit or adjust to suit your requirements. Please let me know of any problems?

[Lin Evans]

Nice! It would be great if PTE 9 or a future version could export text to a PNG like it did in Version 8 - Unfortunately I haven't found a way to use Photoshop to edit an existing PNG with transparency using the Text features - I thought perhaps one could save a PNG as a Photoshop PSD or PDD then modify that but apparently not possible. It's possible to save a PNG as a PSD/PDD but not possible to edit it as with a PSD/PDD created and not converted to a PNG. There "may" be a way to do it, but if so, it's beyond my Photoshop knowledge. Currently it appears that one should save the PSD/PDD before saving as a PNG then if there is a need to change the file, it can be done without re-creating it. Perhaps in the future PTE will be able to use a PSD/PDD file as it now uses jpg and PNG, etc.

Best regards,

Lin

[davegee]

Lin,

I had only envisaged using this for creating titles or short phrases of text, in which case the time taken to recreate the text is minimal. I kept PS, and the "PicturesToExe" text, open while creating this and could think of no reason to save the PS file. But the answer is in your conclusion/ last (but one) sentence. Remember to save the PSD in your PTE project folder. If you wanted to subject longer passages of text such as a "Star Wars" type ending to a show with SeeThrough text then, perhaps , Mur's method is easier for you? But I think that, in that case, the stroke line around the text would be lost because of its size and create a few other problems as well.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Dave,

I haven't looked at MUR's construct but have always just used a broad text in white on a black background with or without a stroke as a mask and run either a video flame or some other file (jpg, etc.) as the mask content. I created a number of videos of flames in ParticleIllusion which work well for the content. In Version 8 I created the text in PTE then exported to a PNG. Sometimes I still use Version 8 to do that then transfer the PNG file to PTE 9 - I kind of miss that capability with Version 9 - it was very handy. I find it a lot quicker to use PTE for manipulating the text prior to exporting it to PNG than doing it in all in Photoshop. Obviously when I want to distort the text - follow a curve, etc., I use Photoshop for the entire construct. 

Best regards,

Lin

[davegee]

It just goes to show that there are many ways of achieving the same objective using PTE, PS and whatever other software you wish to use. You use the the method which seems easiest or most appropriate to you.

[davegee]

A further example.

Apply the Style to a Blank Slide.

These are just Ideas - feel free to change any element.

Individual Styles can be saved from the result of this style.

Slide one uses Photoshop Text and Slide two uses PTE Text. See the PDF in Post one for creating Photoshop Text for this purpose.

See Through Text Demo.ptestyle

DG

P.S. Perhaps, in a future version of PTE, these "workarounds" will not be necessary.