You can animate text using behaviors, keyframes, or a combination of both. All standard behavior types can be applied to text (Basic Motion, Parameter, or Simulation). Additionally, Motion has a special class of text behaviors that create animation by applying a range of values to text-specific parameters.

For more information on Basic Motion, Parameter, and Simulation behaviors, see Using Behaviors.

Text behaviors are an ideal way to test text treatments quickly and easily, without resorting to keyframes. You can adjust the rate of an applied behavior using the behavior’s HUD and watch as the animation updates in the Canvas. For more control, you can access all parameters for a behavior in the Inspector. If your project requires specific timing and positioning of text, you can use behaviors to test effects and then create keyframes after you know what you want to do. Additionally, you can create keyframes from the applied text behaviors by using the Convert to Keyframes feature. This approach allows you to fine-tune the animation created by the text behaviors.

Behaviors are not required to animate text. You can create text animation via traditional keyframing, or by combining both techniques.

Note: Mixing keyframes and behaviors can yield unexpected results. For more information on combining behaviors and keyframes, see Combining Behaviors with Keyframes.

You can animate text as a whole or as individual characters (glyphs). You can animate format parameters such as text Position, Scale, Rotation, and Tracking, as well as style attributes such as Outline, Glow, and Drop Shadow. You can animate text on a path, and you can use text as an image mask source or replicator cell source.