Animate text and create text in the Composition window

After Effects 6.0 lets you create text-based animations that are bound to change the look of motion graphics for film and video. In addition to making the process more direct--you can type, edit, and format text right in the Composition window--you can animate a text layer multiple ways simultaneously. This new approach means that animations that were previously labor-intensive and time-consuming to produce now require a minimum of keyframes.

Direct text creation

Create text directly in the Composition window by using the new horizontal or vertical type tool. Format text using Character and Paragraph palettes like those in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign®, and use familiar keyboard shortcuts as well. Mix and match formatting--each individual character on a text layer can use different fonts, styles, sizes, colors, and other attributes. Set text on a path using new controls that appear in the Timeline window. Create masks for each character using the Create Outlines command. For information on creating text in the Composition window, see Creating a text layer.

Text animation

Easily animate characters, words, or lines within a single text layer. Animate properties that move smoothly across the same range, or animate the entire text layer as a unit. Continue to edit animated text throughout the design process, making late-stage copy changes easy. For information on text animation, see Animating text.