Text With Texture?

mantic59 wrote on 12/22/2010, 6:56 PM

Greetings-- I'm a relatively inexperienced Vegas user when it comes to the more advanced functions like compositing and parent/child track relationships, so please excuse what might be a basic question.

I'm trying to add "texture" to a text overlay: for example taking a noise texture media generator and make that the "text color" instead of a simple text media generator with a solid color. This would be super-imposed on top of another track's video. I can get close to the effect I want if I use a text generator with a colored background above a noise texture, but of course I still need to put that over a 3rd video track which is currently no-joy. I've tried various things with alphas and even chroma keys but I have admitted defeat and rather than search aimlessly I've come to the forums. Vegas (Movie Studio) v.10 BTW. Thanks.

Comments

MSmart wrote on 12/22/2010, 8:17 PM

I'm sure someone will post a solution in VMS, but do you have Photoshop? If so, do your text effects there (with transparency) and drag the PSD file to one of the tracks.

mantic59 wrote on 12/22/2010, 8:43 PM

Nope, no PS.

MSmart wrote on 12/22/2010, 10:32 PM

OK, try this

1) Noise Texture on top track, adjust texture to suit - set track to Composting Mode to "Multiply (Mask)"
2) Default Text (transparent background - white text) on track below - set track to "Make Composting Child"
3) your video on next lower track.

ADDED: Any JPEG will do in place of the Noise Texture generated media. Here's a great site with tons of textures: Mayang's Free Texture Library

HaroldC wrote on 12/23/2010, 6:37 AM

If you can't do what you what with VMS and don't have PhotoShop, try Photo Pos Pro. It's a free image editing program.

Chienworks wrote on 12/23/2010, 10:11 AM

I would have put the text on top and the texture on the next lower track, since i would be using the text as the mask.

MSmart wrote on 12/23/2010, 10:56 AM

You're right, it is logical to have the text at the top. Setting the track Composting Mode and Composting Child is the same either way.

abelenky wrote on 12/23/2010, 12:07 PM

Another way should be to set your text to an obnoxious color (bright green), then apply ChromaKey to let a lower texture show through.

Some of us who aren't good with Composting Mode / Children might find a ChromaKey easier to understand.

abelenky wrote on 12/23/2010, 12:07 PM

MSmart wrote on 12/23/2010, 2:29 PM

Some of us who aren't good with Composting Mode / Children

It's really not that hard.

1) text on top track, white text clear background (Default Text)
2) click the Composting Mode icon in the track header, change to Multiply (Mask) [on Text track]
3) texture image (or Noise Texture) on the next lower track
4) click the Make Composting Child icon in the track header [on Video Overlay track]
5) your video on the next lower track

It can't get any simpler than that.

For added fun, adjust the Text Color in the Text track's Media Generator Properties tab to vary the texture track's color. Play with the settings in the Effects tab for even more variation.

Chienworks wrote on 12/23/2010, 6:05 PM

Yep. I'd venture to say that the effort of learning how to do compositing with zero prior knowledge is easier and simpler than using Chroma Key even when you already know how. Basically read MSmart's 5 quick steps and you're done!

The results of compositing also tend to be uniformly far superior to Chroma Key and all the available compositing modes open up a huge host of additional possibilities.

Whereas Chroma Key is kinda like using a pair of scissors to cut something out of a piece of construction paper you have lying around, compositing is more like being able to weave whole new things that you don't already have with just a button click or two.

mantic59 wrote on 1/4/2011, 4:05 PM

Finally got around to revisiting this after the holidays, MSmart's procedure worked like a charm. Thanks.