Cineversity

Hello,
I’m interested in animating the Tracking for MoText. This video shows that it is possible using Xpresso, but looking at the Xpresso window it looks complicated. Is there a tutorial to make that connection? Or possible a start file?

best,
ryan

Hi Ryan G Wilson,

The main parameter in the Kerning has not a lot of options inside of XPresso. It is a special format and depends on the letters in the object. In other words not even “Result” nor “Spy” show what the format is. (See image, the other parameters are more manipulatable)

I’m not certain what you have in mind with the term “Tracking”. Would you like to share more details here? Before Kerning was established, I used to place the Letters on a Polygon mesh and animated/positioned the points of the polygon mesh to get what I needed. Perhaps that is way less effort and more intuitive. (See scene file)

All the best

Dr Sassi, Thank you, that is a great solution! I’m looking to do what you have done in your scene file from frames 0-45. By “Tracking” I mean exactly what you are doing there. That is the technical definition of Tracking. This is commonly confused with Kerning which is just changing the spacing between two characters (Tracking is changes the spacing equally for a group of characters, like a word).

Best,
Ryan

Hi Ryan,

I happy that this helps you. Terms are sometimes used in various ways. Tracking could stand here for “Match Motion” and place the letters exactly where a, e.g., practical footage has the lead. As it is as well a term in the User Interface, I was nice certain what was the target here.

The Tracking Parameter in the MG Object or Spline Text is a single parameter for all letters, it is expressed in percent. This is an easy to manipulate parameter in XPresso. But it sits on top of the given Kerning.

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Yes, tracking is the correct term, but I had to ask (long time forums work with an world wide audience makes one cautioned in taking thing by the letter - not meant as a pun)

If I get you target correctly, is it like an old type-writer, or OCR-fonts? I do not have an idea to set all single letters to an equal distance, if that is the target at all. The Kerning here is just 100% for a given font, and its kerning parameters.

When I developed fonts, I could set the Kerning in the way I wanted, directly for the font. This would be then taken from C4D.

My best wishes for the project.

Hi Dr. Sassi,
Yes, sorry, I was meaning Tracking in the Typographic definition. I’m creating an animation for my graphic design class to visually show the difference between Tracking and Kerning (and Leading, etc) when it comes to Typography.

Best,
Ryan

Thanks, Ryan.

(... please, no sorry needed, I try to stay flexible in my reading here. More often I need to “read between the lines” to get the core of the target. I do not try to be a “bean counter”—on the ned the solution is my target)

A good example to Break the Rules on purpose would be the “Ugly” project, and here it is well placed:
http://www.maxon.net/en/news/singleview-default/article/its-not-easy-being-ugly.html

I wish you lots of success with the class.