Advanced Title Deko Techniques

Once you have mastered the basics of creating and saving your own customized titles, you can move on to add some greater enhancements to your text. You can achieve this by adding objects to the image; doing so isn't complicated and can create impressive results.

Two different objects can be added to a title: Rectangle and Ellipse. They can be any color, and you can resize and overlap them to create a whole range of different shapes.

To add an object

• Within the Title Deko interface, open the Layer menu and choose Add Rectangle or Add Ellipse (Figure 10.40).
  
  

  Figure 10.40. Adding an object using the Layer menu.

  

  
  

Tips

• To move an object, simply select it and move it with the mouse.

• To resize an object, drag any of the handles out in the direction you want to expand it.

• To delete an object, press the Delete key with the object selected.

To change the object color

• Click the Edit Current Look button or press Ctrl+ P. You must make sure the object is highlighted for the changes to affect it. Once the object is highlighted, you can adjust the color using the Look edit interface (Figure 10.41).
  
  

  Figure 10.41. A standard title enhanced by adding a rectangle and adjusting the rectangle using the Look edit dialog.

  

  
  

Using Filters to Animate Titles

When you use a combination of filters and transitions on titles, it's possible to give Title Deko a whole new lease on life. For instance, by adding the 2D filters, you can createin real timea title with real movement. You can command it to move about the screen rather than simply rolling up the screen or crawling across its bottom.

With transitions, you can use Dissolve, Band Wipe, and Water Drop to add some unique features to your titles. The only tool you really need here is your imagination (Figure 10.42).

Figure 10.42. A title with one or more filters from the Realtime Clip FX folder applied.