3D Compositing with Action > Action: 3D Text >

# Changing 3D Text Properties

When you add a 3D Text node to your scene, the default text string “Text” appears. You can easily change this text string.

To change a text string:

1. Click the Text field.

   The on-screen keyboard appears, representing the character set for the selected font. Enable Up ASCII to access the rest of the character set.

2. Type your text string or use the on-screen keyboard.
3. Click Exit Keyboard or press Enter. The text string is displayed in the Text field and automatically updated in the scene.
4. Use the settings in the 3D Text tab to change the font, size, depth, and other text properties.

3D Text Menu Settings

(a) Text field(b) Font field(c) Bevel curve

Text field
  Displays the current text string. Editable.

Font field
  Displays the current font. Click to open the font library to select a different font for the text.

  You specify the default font in the Preferences menu. Also, you can install additional fonts for use with Smoke.

Kern field
  Displays the kerning value for the text string. Editable.

Size field
  Displays the font size for the text string. Editable.

Italic field
  Displays the level of italics for the characters in the text string. Editable.

Depth field
  Displays the level of depth (thus extruding the selection, making it three dimensional). Editable.

Rigid Text button
  Enable to gang the text string characters as a single geometry. Enabling this button is particularly noticeable when attaching the 3D Text node to a 3D path.

Show Pivots button
  Enable to display the pivot points for each individual text character in the 3D Text string (displayed in the image window in red). When disabled, only the master character pivot point is displayed (in green).

  This setting can also be found in the Character Axis tab.

Separate button
  Click to separate selected text so that each letter has its own axis. See Separating Text.

Motion Blur button
  Enable to use a motion blur effect for the selected text (can only be used if the global Motion Blur is enabled in the Action Setup menu).

Text Bevel Curve
  Applies a bevel to the depth of the text string when you manipulate the Bevel curve. You can move and add points to the curve, as well as adjust the tangent handles to produce different effects with the text string. See Creating Bevelled Text.

Home button
  Resets the Bevel curve viewer to show the whole curve.

Undo button
  Undoes the last set of Bevel curve operations.

Reset button
  Resets the Bevel curve.

Multi Material button
  Enable to create an Object Group node for each of the front, back, and extrude of the 3D object. You can then attach a different texture map or Substance to apply to the different surfaces of the text.

#### Topics in this section

- Creating Bevelled Text
- Separating Text
- Changing Geometry Settings