After Effects Matrix Title Effect

Quickstart

0. Download and install Matrix Code NFI font and download the contents of this repository
1. Add the contents of preset.xml (which define the pseudo effect controls) to PresetEffects.xml (requires administator privileges)
   • Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects <year>\Support Files\PresetEffects.xml
   • Mac: /Applications/Adobe After Effects <year>/Adobe After Effects <year>.app/Contents/Frameworks/aelib.framework/Versions/A/Resources/xml/PresetEffects.xml (you can use Finder's Go to Folder)
2. For easy access add Matrix Letters.ffx and Matrix Letters Master.ffx to your User Presets folder
   • Windows: C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Adobe\After Effects <year>\User Presets
   • Mac: /Users/<username>/Documents/Adobe/After Effects <year>/User Presets
3. Restart AE to update PresetEffects.xml contents
4. Effects & Presets panel menu -> Refresh list
5. Create a text layer
6. Animation -> Apply Animation Preset -> Matrix Letters.ffx
7. (Optional) Add master control
   1. Create an adjustment layer
   2. Animation -> Apply Animation Preset -> Matrix Letters Master.ffx
   3. Pickwhip properties from your Matrix layer to the master control layer
8. Set the effect how you want it
9. Duplicate the layer and modify properties to add variation
10. (Optional) Add a title
    1. Add a text layer and write your title in all caps
       • Special characters will not work with the Matrix Code NFI font
    2. Hide the title layer
    3. Select a layer you want to animate to a letter of the title
    4. Select your title layer from the Matrix Letters Target Title Layer control
    5. Select the index of the letter in the title with the Target Title Character Index control (starts with 0)
    6. Repeat steps 2-4, position and time layers
11. Add styling effects (e.g. grid with only horizontal lines and glows) to taste

Examples provided in the template.aep file.

Notes

• If a layer looks empty for a bit and suddenly has a lot of characters in it or flickers in an out of existence, it probably works right.
  • The animation is probably a result of a combination of things:
    • The particular random seed of the layer (Calculated by AE)
    • Probability of characters changing
    • Frequency of whitespace
    • Length and lifespan too
  • Play around with the settings of the layer until it doesn't do anything weird
• Useful links (for developing effects and expressions):
  • https://ae-expressions.docsforadobe.dev/
  • https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/user-guide.html/after-effects/using/expression-language-reference.ug.html
  • https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/user-guide.html/after-effects/using/effects-animation-presets-overview.ug.html#
  • https://www.batchframe.com/docs/pseudo-help.html