JULY 16, 2003
Adobe After Effects 6.0
Major upgrade worth the wait
 by Stephen Schleicher
Page 2 of 7

Once you are comfortable with the new screen layout (not a big change), you will undoubtedly see the new tools that have been added.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]Probably the biggest is the new Type Tool. You can now create text elements directly in the Comp Window without having to use an effect. As powerful as this Type Tool is, you almost won’t need to create simple text in Photoshop or Illustrator any more. The new Type Tool has many of the same controls that you will find in Photoshop’s Type Tool.



Each letter can have its own font style, color, size, etc.



You can now create masks directly on a Text layer and then use that mask as a path for quick alignment.


Because you are using familiar Type controls, you have instant feedback when it comes to the elements you have created. What takes After Effects 6.0 Type Tool a step further is the ability to animate an individual letter, line, or paragraph.

Text can now be animated much easier than in the past.


You do this by keyframing selectors and attributes for a range of letters. While the interface seems a little quirky at first (there has to be a way to clean up this portion), you can create some very dramatic text effects in a few moments.

Animating a few paramenters in the Text layer gives you dramatic results.


You can easily animate text position, rotation, and even color with as little as three keyframes.


You can easily animate text position, rotation, and even color with as little as three keyframes.


For those of you who are upgrading, After Effects 6.0 still includes Path Text and Basic Text so your text elements will import. I think, however, that after using and mastering the new Text Tool the days of Path and Basic Text are history.



Source: Digital Media Online, Inc.
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