Text Circling Object - Template

[Lin Evans]

Recently there has been some interest in creating text circling an objext such as the Earth rotating, etc. I have created a "template" to help people understand this and to allow anyone to add their own text up to a total of 23 letters and/or spaces to create text circling the rotating and zooming planet Jupiter on an animated starfield background.

Doing circular text is really not completely amenable to a "style" although it "can" be done and I will eventually produce a style which will allow the user to add their own text similar to what Dave Gould did, except more complex. This "Template" allows anyone to very quickly put their own text in and create a nice animated zooming planet on an animated starfield. It only takes about three minutes to produce your own text on this and I have a video also linked here which explains the procedure.

Essentially, you download the zipped PTE file, extract to a folder and open. Then you can quickly run a preview and see an "X" circling the zooming and rotating planet Jupiter. You simply substitute your own text beginning at the bottom of the series of "frames" with "text" - set each letter's opacity from zero to 100 and save your work. Set the opacity of the "X" to zero and you will have your own animated text circling the planet. With a little care you can change the font, color, closeness of text to the planet, shadow of text on the planet, etc., but this is not designed as a complete tutorial on how to create the effect, only a quick and convenient way for you to create your own example and use it as you please - all necessary components are in the zipped PTE file. Once you get comfortable with this, you can substitute a video of a rotating Earth, Mars, the Moon, etc., or even some PNG object of your choice - or perhaps a "cube." There are plenty of possibilities and I've taken the work out of it for you.

http://www.lin-evans.org/tutorial/circulartexttutor.zip   (video tutorial) 50 meg

http://www.lin-evans.org/tutorial/experimentalforcirclingtext.zip  (zipped PTE files) 12 meg 

Continuation - Manuel demonstrated another option below which got a little ahead of my tutorial so I produced a second tutorial and an additional template linked below. My first template allows the user to quickly create their own text circling an object - in this case the rotating planet Jupiter. It's quick and easy to do but there is a small downside. The rotating text is perfect if the text is very close to a completely round object such as a planet. On the other hand, if the object is not round or if the user wants to have the text circle larger, the back side of the letters are not visible. In order to have the back side of the letters visible but not crossing the "front" of the object when they reverse, it's necessary to duplicate the child letters of the frames and place them on the back layer behind the masked object being circled, and to turn off the front view of the letters and turn on the back view.

I have created a second tutorial video explaining this and a second template for the user in which it's necessary to modify the text on both the upper series and on the lower series. On the upper series of child text of frames, the front of the circling letters are shown. On the lower series of duplicated child text of frames, the back of the circling letters are revealed whenever the text is not hidden by the rotating planet...

http://www.lin-evans.org/tutorial/backandfronttext.zip  (tutorial)

http://www.lin-evans.org/tutorial/circleletterstemplate2.zip  (template)

Have fun,

Lin

[MUR]

Lin

To change the opacity, color, size or font of the letters, it is not necessary to do it one by one, you can select all and change them as a group.

You can also make changes as a group to the frames, to get interesting effects.

MUR

[Lin Evans]

HI Manuel,

That's correct but the versatility is to allow a user to change the colors and fonts individually if they wish. Each letter as in my sample (see it on the Facebook Group) can be a different color, different font even. Yes, it's very easy to change all fonts or colors simultaneously by selecting all and applying the change... It's nice to have versatility..

Best regards,

Lin

[MUR]

Hi Lin

I agree, there are two different options

MUR

For new people in PTE: Variations

 

Variaciones sobre un tema_Mar4-2017_22-26-22.zip

 

 

[Lin Evans]

Yes more than one way for certain. I added an additional tutorial and additional template for those wanting to use for non round objects where the back of text should also be visible. It requires modifying the text both above and below the video but allows the increased versatility of having larger circles of text or text circling non round objects so that the back side of the text is also visible as in your sample.

Best regards,

Lin

[MUR]

Hi Lin

When I started  with PTE, several years ago, you helped me a lot.

Thanks

[Xenofex2]

Lin,

Once again, many thanks.

Well I never thought I'd see my name circling Jupiter, so brilliant. My first attempt.

George 

 

[Lin Evans]

Manuel, George,

Great that you guys are working with PicturesToExe - Manuel, you have presented a number of great demos in the last few years! You are being very creative with PTE! Keep up the great work!

George - great that you were able to use the tutorial to get started with all the possibilities this great product provides for us. Users can not only create beautiful shows using their photos but can also be creative and explore the myriad potentials of expression this product allows. Truly the limitations are only in the desire of the user! The product offers us all a plethora of amazing tools and only gets better with each new iteration.

Best regards,

Lin

[Xenofex2]

Lin

I should add that it was all as a result of your 'What Can I Do with PicturesTo Exe?' video that I was reminded of what I should be thinking about. I have just watched it again and thinking about it, like I try a do a monthly back-up of my files, at the same time I must rewatch this video regularly to push me to develop further. When's the sequel coming out?

George

 

 

[Lin Evans]

Hey George,

Maybe when I get time to learn more about PTE 9, there can be a "sequel" LOL...   Hopefully more people will lend their creative juices and create some new and exciting shows just for fun. There are plenty of people who have incredible talent who will probably eventually find time (Dave, Manuel, Jean-Cyprien, Peter, Charlie, Tom, Barry, etc.

Best regards,

Lin

[JudyKay]

Thanks, Lin.  Amazing job, and so helpful, as always.

I still imagine a day when an object or text can simply follow a path such as a Bezier curve.  

[davegee]

Judy,

Have you tried using Modifiers?

DG

[denisb]

For PTE8, with http://www.diapositif.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=35945

an object can follow a Bezier curve

[Lin Evans]

Hi Guys,

Yes, and as I understand Igor is considering adding bezier curve capabilities to PTE in the not too distant future. On the other hand, even if we had this capability today it would not really suffice for the same purpose with text as we can achieve with individual letter manipulations. For example, if we want a line of text to flow in a curved way with twists and turns, each letter needs to be manipulated differentially at different points along a curve but in three dimensions rather than two. So in a sentence consisting of say 30 letters and spaces, each individual letter would still have to follow a "formula" along that curve. I suppose we could achieve the curve in two dimensions with a normal Bezier curve, but the letters also need to be manipulated along a three dimensional path so not so easily accomplished with a Bezier curve. It's possible right now to create a 3D path via keyframing for an individual letter then copy that keyframe sequence for each additional letter in the message. I haven't created such an example, but I think it would not be too difficult to achieve. 

Best regards,

Lin

[fireofenergy]

Cool, frames! I already made moving stuff rotate, like, a page (on Y axis?), etc. Came here thinking there was an easy way to curve text, but come to find out, it was there all along, planetose 'de text (time to use a circle as a temp guide)!

Thanks for the insight!