Titler Live can now directly import both AEP and MOGRT files with all animations, effects and expressions intact. While the import functionality is engineered to ingest virtually any After Effects design, here are a few tips and recommendations to achieve the best integration and performance in Titler Live. This feature is only available in Titler Live Broadcast.
Important: Making your After Effects compositions as short as possible, while preserving the timing of your intro/outro animations, will result in the most efficient rendering during import.
Therefore, it is recommended that you remove any sections of the composition where the graphic is static. For more information see the section, Setting your Pause Point.
Topics Included:
Choosing AEP or MOGRTs
There are advantages to working with either file type. So, choosing which is preferable largely depends on your workflow and data controller needs. Following are some of the advantages and disadvantages of working with each:
After Effects projects (.aep)
Advantages
-
- Many compositions can be imported from a single project.
- Text properties are imported as Titler Live variables with no additional setup.
- No additional setup or export is required.
Disadvantages
-
- Types of variables supported in Titler Live are limited to text and images.
- If the .aep contains external media, it will not automatically be transported with the file.
Motion Graphics templates (.mogrt)
Advantages
-
- All properties that are set up in Essential Graphics can be edited directly in Titler Live.
- Many types of Titler Live variables are supported, such as colors and visibility.
- Any external media in the composition is packaged within the .mogrt, so migrating graphics is very simple.
Disadvantages
-
- Requires setup and export from AE.
In conclusion:
AEP provides a quick, hassle-free workflow if you only need to update text from Titler Live and especially when graphics only contain elements generated in After Effects.
MOGRT offers greater versatility and is likely necessary for more complex graphics, such as sports scoreboards. Additionally, it has added convenience/reliability when migrating graphics that reference external media.
AEP Compositions
Important: Please make sure that your AEP compositions are saved with the current version of After Effects. Also, please save your AEP compositions in the same folder as your Titler Live project if you would like to re-open the project without having to re-import the AEP files.
Properties available to edit in Titler Live
-
- Text
- Image
Exposing Image/Video with a prefix
- Select your image layer in your AE timeline.
- Right-click on the current label of the layer > choose Rename.
- Type in the prefix “_tl_var_” to the beginning of the label.
- Then proceed to the Titler Live Interface to Import your design.
- Right-click in the Graphic Layers Panel or go to the File menu > Import > After Effects.
- Choose the .aep or .mogrt file containing the newly labeled graphic and double click or select open.
- After the import and render has completed within Titler Live, select Choose image in the Live data tab of the Layer Properties panel to change.
Your new image will now replace the image imported with the After Effects Design. You can also utilize the Send to Cache function to have several instances of the same graphic with different images that can be ready for broadcast. Learn more about the Send to Cache workflow here.
Important: When creating a clock in your graphic, the following is a workaround in case it shows differently in Titler Live. Your text box containing a clock should be just enough to fit your font. If not properly sized, in-optimal spacing or shifting can occur. Your custom clock should now be set to play with controls located in the Clocks tab in the Layer Properties panel.
MOGRT Compositions
Motion Graphics templates (.mogrt) serve as After Effects’ native method to encapsulate AE projects as templates that can be directly edited in Premiere Pro. These MOGRTs can also be imported to Titler Live and directly manipulated in the same fashion. Learn more about Motion Graphics templates here.
Important: Please make sure that your AEP compositions have are saved with the current version of After Effects. Also, please save your MOGRTs in the same folder as your Titler Live project if you would like to re-open the project without having to re-import the MOGRTs.
Properties available for edit in Titler Live
- Source Text
- Image
- Color
- Media (Image, Video, PSD & Illustrator files)
- Check box Expression Control
- Anchor Point
- Position
- Opacity
- Scale
- Rotation
Exposing various properties
Additionally, you can prepare/export MOGRTs in order to update a broader range of the graphic’s properties within Titler Live.
- Open the Essential Graphics Panel in After Effects by going to Window > Essential Graphics.
- Choose the Composition to export from the dropdown.
- Click the Solo Supported Properties Button.
- Drag the Supported Properties into the Essentials Graphics Panel.
- We recommend that you group your Layer Properties by go to the Add Formatting dropdown > Add Group and Label.
6. Drag and drop all the properties for that layer into the group. Repeat as necessary.
7. After all supported properties have been added and grouped, click the Export Motion Graphics Template button.
Setting a Pause Point Implementation
When you are sending a graphic on-air, it is essential that you set up a pause point so the graphic can stay live indefinitely, before you choose to animate it out. There are several methods to establish a custom Pause frame for your graphics. Additionally, Titler Live can set an automatic pause point for you directly in the middle point of your duration.
Setting a Composition Marker as a Pause Point
- Drag in a Composition marker by clicking and dragging to the desired location from the top right of your timeline.
- Label the marker “Pause” by double clicking
or by right-clicking > Settings
> and typing Pause in the Comment box.
Titler Live will also recognize Intro and Outro Protected Regions
- Go to Composition > Responsive Design - Time > Create Intro
- Drag the right side of the shaded region to cover all of the Intro Animations
- Then go to Composition > Responsive Design - Time > Create Outro.
- To expand the Outro you will need to click and drag, then expand the right side of the shaded region to cover all of the Outro Animations.
Allow Titler Live to set a default Pause Point
Titler Live will establish a Pause Point in your composition in the following order or priority:
- A Composition Marker labeled “Pause” (not case-sensitive).
- If the above is not found, the frame before the “Outro” region.
- If none of the above are found, the frame after the “Intro” region.
- If none of the above are found, the midpoint of the Compositions' duration.
Note: When Titler Live automatically establishes a Pause Point in this way, the imported layer’s duration will be matched to the Comp’s original duration in the Layers list. This will cause the graphic to play for the full duration of the imported Comp and immediately go off-air. You can choose to have the graphic stay on-air indefinitely, at the generated Pause Point, by setting the duration to 00;00.