Johhny Roy is right on point by suggesting a third party grapcis program. Unless I'm doing a credit roll, I use PhotoShop for all my CG work.

PNG files work well, but since V4 recognizes the transparent layers in PSD files as an alpha channel, and maintains opacity in the files as well, I prefer the Photoshop file format. As a bonus, Photoshop 7 (and higher) even has spell check!

You can copy the text to two or more tracks. Changing the text in each track to the color you want. Then use the pan crop tool. In the pan crop tool de-select: lock aspect ratio,size about center,maintain aspect ratio and stretch to fill frame. This will allow you to crop your text. You can add as many layers of colored text as you want.
hope this helps.

Cayman's graphics/text tool is second only to Final Cut Pro's LiveType... Worth a looksee. http://www.caymangraphics.com/

ArmyVideo, yes you are correct. But with careful handling of ChromaKey you can remove the black and then you've got a transparent background! Did this recently when I was told I'd have to render a separate uncompressed AVI to get this transparency. I made a complex, very complex title; render as a standard editable DV file; brought this back to its own track and applied the CK for the Black and the whole of the background became transparent. It could then be used as a Mask and I had the fab effect of video appearing within the text, as it diod its thing on the screen AND, as a result of making Parent/Child setup, I had the other bit of the underlying video in any type of "hue" colour I wished. The tools are there. Just need to know and think a little sideways - that's all.....

Do I need a seaparate titling package? Maybe . . but at least this way I've had the opportunity to "squeeze" out more and more from V4. AND that's the way I learn too.

Just my 2 pennies worth . . .

Grazie

People are always putting down Vegas' text generator - I guess it's because they don't want typography, they want kitsch. In fact it's a lovely instrument when you get to know it.

Anyway, if you want different colours on your text, here's how:
You need 4 video tracks. Create text on the upper track (default white on transparent). Use keyframes or pan/crop to move it about if you like. Copy this event to the third track. Add the video background to the fourth track.
Insert any coloured media on the second track. Could be colour gradient from Vegas' media generator (use keyframes to make the highlight move across), could be a still, video, blazing flames, streaming water or whatever.
Click on the angled arrow at the left of that track's head. You will now see whatever you have in track 2 through the letters in track 1 on top of the video in track 4. If you want shadow (recommended) add it to the text in track 3. If you don't want shadow you can leave out the third track altogether.
Tor
(Spellcheck? my donkey.)

Torsie, well said, "People are always putting down Vegas' text generator - I guess it's because they don't want typography, they want kitsch. In fact it's a lovely instrument when you get to know it.

That's exactly my thoughts too . . . .

Graphics are best and effective when little or no effect is "obvious" - "Se7en" - the movie's openning titles are superb. Were they aesthetically simple to watch? YES. Were they simple to do . . well maybe . . but it takes a reaalllly top notch graphics artist to: 1. Come up with the idea - this can take weeks or months . . 2. Then having that expertise to translate that into and through a package.

My point here is that too many reverse 1 and 2 . Wrong! Think it through. More technology don't make for excellent graphics! Subtle and a light touch is in order. Look at graphics in mags and on the TV. There many superb examples . . oh yes and then there are the Dogs!! Plagarism aint a problem. Gues where these Graphic Artists got going. We are all experimenting with could be . . . this is not an excuse . .THIS IS exactly what it is all about. Have founding in the technologies YES! But please please don't surplant technology and whizzo stuff for clarity and a well crafted graphic item . . . be good to your video . . after all you've taken masses of time filming and putting it together . . . why spoil because of crass titling . . . .pheeewww

I think people on this Forum are very well aware of my feelings about graphics and their inclusion on video. Done well . . they are superb . . Done badly . . they can really ruin what was a good vid. Okay, they might appear at the beginning of the piece, and yes people will get time to recover . . but why blow this fantastic moment of suspense and awe . . fot the sake of NOT thinking and experimenting through what could be.

Anyways, enough of me ranting . . . .

K.I.S.S. is my moto . .. unlike my wordage here - huh?

Grazie

I wasn't trying to put down the V4 titler, I was simply offering a solution to a problem. I personally prefer using PS for static and motion title pages in some instances (like the original posters). Does this mean my projects are inundated with flying squirles and dancing clowns? Hell no. There are too many folks out there that think using every effect in the pallete makes them, and in turn their project better than the next guys, only to be crowned the King or Queen of Cheese by their peers.

My preference for PS over the V4 titler has nothing to do with lack of knowledge, or a desire for grat. text effects. I have a very firm grasp of the titler in V4, and have said in other posts that it is one of the best in any NLE, regardless of price.

The original poster asked about changing a single characters color on a page. This is something you can't do on a single track in V4. Photoshop, and other graphics programs allow you to do this as a graphic file, V4 in turn imports graphics very well. This solves the issue on one track, instead of 4, skipping the extra rendering time, and allowing the user to move on to something else. Am I wrong?

K.I.S.S. is my policy as well, wether it's graphics, FX, or music.

Please don't confuse those who dare use a thrid party application in conjuction with V4 as unworthy of making suggestions to solve other forum members problems.

Spellcheck. (your donkey not withstanding) i woould be lohst with ought itt.

"Please don't confuse those who dare use a thrid party application in conjuction with V4 as unworthy of making suggestions to solve other forum members problems." - Understood . . ..

g