Text Matrix plug-in
At a very basic level, this plug-in was designed to create matrix-esqe effects of text raining down in streams. No keyframes, only one layer; just create a solid, apply the plug-in, and make a few parameter tweaks. But there’s a lot more to Text Matrix, including its ability to use vector paths to control the streams and characters. You can certainly get interesting effects beyond the defaults by playing with a few sliders.
Options Box
This is where you tell Text Matrix what font to use and what specific text to display. Tye text into the input field or click the Load button to import a text doc. Alternately, you can generate words randomly by leaving the input field blank and checking the Random Characters checkbox.
See Common controls, Options Box
Random Characters checkbox
If you choose not to enter text manually in the Options Box, you can have Text Matrix generate random text. It's a simple way to fill up the screen. If you don’t enter any text into the Options dialog, and don’t turn on Random Characters, no text will appear onscreen.
See Common controls, Font & Character
Characters> Font Size, Font Size Randomness
Characters> Rate of Change, ROC Randomness
See Common controls, Font & Character
Characters> Character Spin
Character Spin is the amount that each text character gets rotated each frame. This is different than Character Rotation, which rotates all characters by a specified amount. For instance, set Character Spin to 3 to make each text character rotate 3 degrees each frame. You don't need to set any keyframes, just a value.
Above, streams have no Character Spin but Rotation is at 90 degrees, so all characters rotate that amount.
Below, streams have no Rotation but Character Spin is at 4 degrees, so each character rotates seperately.
Characters> Character Rotation, Rotation Randomness
Characters> Color
See Common controls, Color & Rotation
Characters> Leading Character Color
While Color sets the color of the text characters, Leading Character Color is a bit more interesting. It lets you specify a different color for the first text character in a stream. This can make the streams a bit more interesting and mix up the colors a bit.
Characters> Color Blending
Use Color Blending to gradually fade the leading color into the normal Text Color, all the way up the stream. Be default, Blending is set to 0, which is what causes only the first character to be affected. Of course, you can use other filters or layers to influence the text colors, but Blending allows you to add variety within the plug-in itself.
Characters> Character Limits pop-up
Characters> Lower Character Limit
Characters> Upper Character Limit
See Common controls, Preset Characters
Time Offset
Think of Time Offset as a way of moving an invisible Time Marker to a point along the Timeline, and being able to set that point as 00:00:00. You’re not moving After Effect’s marker, just an internal one for Text Matrix. Time Offset cycles through the animation and allows you to begin the animation at that point. For example, say you like the way Text Matrix looks on Frame 90. Setting Phase to 90 will cause Frame 0, to look like Frame 90 and the animation will continue from that point. It’s a great way of getting around any lag time waiting for the streams to generate onscreen.
Time Offset also provides an easy way of ‘time remapping’ the effect. Just start Time Offset at 360 or something, and animate it backwards. You’ll have streams crawling up the screen. Although, if you have a bunch of other parameters animating as well, it may get a bit confusing. You’ll have everything animating forward in time, but Time Offset will be animating backwards, essentially. Hah! A new feature! Text Matrix allows you to reverse time, while moving forward in time. A necessary feature for time travel.
One odd thing about Time Offset is how it affects keyframes. Keyframes still happen at the time they’re set at, but if you use Time Offset, you shift the beginning of the timeline out. So that the beginning of the Timeline, isn’t really the beginning. If you set Time Offset to 90, 03:00 on the Timeline is your real starting point, not 00:00. So any keyframes that are set before 03:00 won’t be seen. Make sure you keep this in mind when using Time Offset and setting keyframes for Text Matrix.
An example of Time Offset. At left, the screenshot shows 90 frames at 03:00.
At right, the screenshot is at 00:00, but Time Offset is set to 90 frames.
Streams group
Streams are lines of text characters which have their own attributes, such as Length and Speed. Streams let you group characters together for all sorts of interesting effects, from the good ol’ Matrix effect to Slot Machine wheels. Streams travel in slots or 'grooves' of the matrix. There are a number of parameters in the Streams group to control the positioning of the streams.
Go to the Streams page
Stream Spacing and Attributes group
This group controls the look of streams, which are lines of text characters with their own attributes. Streams travel in slots or 'grooves' of the matrix. The Spacing and Attributes group includes controls for the spacing between text characters, spacing between the text streams, and whether the streams fade in or out. Let's take a look at them.
Go to the Stream Spacing and Attributes page
Path Controls> Preset Path pop-up
Path Controls> Path Size
Path Controls> Path pop-up
See Common controls, Path Controls
Randomness controls
Randomness Seed
See Common controls, Randomness