A workaround for text alignment in After Effects essential graphics templates, two ways

In this tutorial I’m going to be showing you two ways to align text using a dropdown menu in the essential graphics panel. You may not need to use this every day, but I promise you if you work with templating and need to move text around a screen with your template this is something you’re going to run into eventually.

[@trevormowry3476]

The way I deal with the multiple line issue in my templates is that I just make three variations of the same text layer. All are linked to the same source text, transform properties, etc. Each one is set to either left, right, or center in the paragraph panel. Then you use your same if statement structure combined with a dropdown to toggle the opacity of each. So you only see the correctly aligned layer.

[@godaron104]

This is also a clever workaround! Thanks for sharing

[@neusvich]

Thanks a lot for sharing this! I've been looking for a solution for the alignment problem for a while. Please, keep doing more of these. It's very refreshing seeing (hearing) other women make Ae tutorials!

[@godaron104]

Thank you! There are far too few of us in this space, when I hear another ladyvoice I'm always pleasantly surprised as well

[@Max-mn1yx]

This is a genius workaround! Thanks so much

[@joelcaporale5112]

a = thisComp.layer("TEXT").sourceRectAtTime();
height = a.height;
width = a.width;
t
op = a.top;
left = a.left

if (thisComp.layer("Null 1").effect("Dropdown Menu Control")("Menu")==1)
{
x = left;
}
else if (thisComp.layer("Null 1").effect("Dropdown Menu Control")("Menu")==2)
{

x = left + width / 2;
}
else {
x = left + width;
}
[x,top + height]
Here's the expression for any one looking for it. You will still need to format it some as youtube does not allow me to post the script verbatim. Have a blessed day yall. Christ loves you.

[@rafaelopotenza]

Thanks for the video!
It helped me get a solution to my case.
I have two text layers ("Text - Right" with the right paragraph and anchor point on the right top side and "Text - Left" with the left paragraph and anchor point on the left top side).
In the Source Text of the "Text - Right" layer I added this expression:
const referenceText = thisComp.layer("Text - Left").text.sourceText;
const style = referenceText.getStyleAt(0,0);
style.setText(referenceText);
*** So, if I change the text size in the Essential Graphics, it will be changed here as well.
In the opacity of both text layers I will add what I want to lead the changes, in my case:
controlX = thisComp.layer("Position - Global").transform.position[0];
if(controlX >= 420) 100
else 0
I hope that helps someone!

[@hmproductions5974]

Super Usfull, Thanks for sharing this 😍one thing can make it simpler
instead of time remapping, Use 3 text layers each with a different alignment

[@obentophaut8693]

Great stuff.

[@dcustudio593]

How does the editable field in Essential Graphics panel operate when you Time Remap and Pre-Comp?
I notice it still appears (even though the text layer is pre-comp'd) -- so I assume it still functions.
If that's the case, I suppose you just have to make sure you include that property (and any other ones you want included in the MOGRT) before pre-comping?

[@bg9919]

Good tutorial, but it's not working for me in Adobe AE 2022. I get an error saying "Undefined value used in expression". I've followed your code to a T. So weird.

[@rod4s311]

Thank you!
Unfortunately it's not ganna work as mogrt in Premier Pro (the second option). Didn't tryed first one

[@LEE-337]

The text size, font, and faux styles can not be changed in the mogrt using this method. Is there a work around?

[@godaron104]

Ah you like to make things complicated :) Off the top of my head, if I wanted to add a bunch of different text style options I would probably just make three different text layers (for left right and center alignment), link them to some source text and toggle their opacity using Trevor's method below. But if you wanted to continue to use this method in the video, you could create more source text keyframes at different seconds (4 sec, 5 sec, whatever) Either way, you'd have to insert more conditionals into your if/else statement in your source text eg. if ( a && b) {z;} else if ( a && d) {y;} etc.

[@Tom10]

The most major problem with using time remapping this way - you don't have ability to use any motion to text animation. Which, makes text blunt and boring :|

[@godaron104]

An important point! Not every tool will be right for the job

[@noorredom1950]

my code does not work

[@riigel]

i have coded script that does this.

[@raullc]

Can you share it?

[@godaron104]

I'd love to see it if you have a github or blog - do share