Create variables in designs

You can create variables for objects in a design, including text, colors, gradients, images, and pre-recorded videos, which allows you create custom graphics based on the same design.

1. Open a graphic in Titler Pro.
   
   

   Tips

   • Want to create a new graphic? Open the Library panel and double-click a design, or choose File > New.
   • For details about using Titler Pro with a video editor, see one of the articles in the Add graphics to projects in your video editor section of our help center.

   The Attributes > Scene > Variables tab opens, which shows all variables that are in the design.

   

   Tip: To change the order of variables, click a reorder  button and drag the variable to a new position.

2. If you haven't already created and customized the objects for which you want to create variables, do so now. For details, see the articles in the Create and import designs and Customize text, objects, and scenes sections of our help center.
3. See the following sections to create variables. When you're finished, you can view the variables in the Attributes > Scene > Variables tab.
   
   
   • Create color, gradient, image, and pre-recorded video variables
   • Translate color, gradient, image, and pre-recorded video variables
   • Create text variables
   • Create a text variable that includes different styles
   • Translate text variables
   • Create data graph variables
   • Create visible variables

Create color, gradient, image, and pre-recorded video variables

1. Select an object in the workspace or timeline.
2. Click the Attributes > Object > Style tab.
3. Select the Color, Gradient, or Image/Video option in the 3D or 2D style layer section.
4. Mark the Variable checkbox in the 3D or 2D style layer section.
5. Enter a name for the variable in the field below the Variable checkbox.
   
   

   

6. Image and video variables only: If the Image/Video option is selected and you want to control how an image or video fits within the variable layer's bounding box, select one of the following options from the Set To… drop-down list.
   • Set To Fill: The image fills all of the available space in an image variable's bounding box and maintains its proportions.
   • Set To Fit: The image fits inside the variable's dimensions without cropping and retains its aspect ratio, which means the image may not fill the entire variable area.
   • Set To Conform: The entire image resizes to fit in the entire variable area, but may not maintain its aspect ratio.

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Translate color, gradient, image, and pre-recorded video variables

1. Create a variable if you haven't already, as described in the Create color, gradient, image, and pre-recorded video variables section.
2. In the Attributes > Object > Stye tab, mark the Variable Translation checkbox in the 3D or 2D style layer section.
   
   

   

3. Double-click the field in the Value In column and enter the incoming value that you want to replace.
4. Double-click the field in the Value Out column and enter the value that you want to display in the graphic.
5. Repeat the previous two steps for each value that you want to translate.

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Create text variables

Text variables can be names, titles, or any other alphanumeric information.

Tip: To create a text variable that includes more than one style, see Create a text variable that includes different styles.

1. Select an object with text in the workspace or timeline.
2. Click the Attributes > Object > Global tab.
3. Mark the Text Variable checkbox in the Variable Settings section.
4. Enter a name for the text variable in the field below the Text Variable checkbox.
   
   

   

Tips

• To translate data in text variables (for example, to display 1st in a graphic when 1 is entered in the variable), see the Translate text variables section.
• To create a variable for the text's color or other style attributes, see the Create color, gradient, image, and pre-recorded video variables section.

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Create a text variable that includes different styles

If you want a single paragraph to include more than one style, such as a first name and last name that look different from each other, you can create one text object variable and apply different styles to characters or words in that text object.

1. If you haven't already done so, add a text object to your design and apply different styles to the text.
2. While the text object is selected in the workspace or timeline, click the Attributes > Object > Global tab.
3. Mark the Text Variable checkbox in the Variable Settings section.
4. Mark the Use checkbox in the Variable Settings section.
   
   

   

5. To specify which character is used to separate styles within the text variable, select an item from the character to change style drop-down list. (Space is selected by default.)
6. Click the Record Styles button to save the style break. If you change a style later, be sure to click this button again to save the changes to the variable.

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Translate text variables

Titler Pro can read data entered for a text variable and display different text in a graphic. For example, if you create a scoreboard for a hockey game, which includes three periods and an intermission after the first and second periods, most scoreboard controllers represent the first intermission as a value of 1.5 and the second intermission as a value of 2.5. With the text translation variable, you can enter a value that you want to appear in the graphic for certain incoming data.

1. Create a text variable if you haven't already, as described in the Create text variables section.
2. In the Attributes > Object > Global tab, mark the Text Variable Translation checkbox in the Variable Settings section.
3. Double-click the field in the Value In column and enter the incoming value that you want to replace.
4. Double-click the field in the Value Out column and enter the text that you want to display in the graphic.
5. Repeat the previous two steps for each value that you want to translate.
   
   

   

   The following illustration shows the Period variable's incoming data is 1.5 which is translated to 1st INT in the graphic.

   

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Create data graph variables

Use data graph variables with text or shapes to show a percentage or change the size of a shape based on data you enter.

1. In the workspace or timeline, select an object that you want to represent data, or create a new object. The object must include a starting animation effect, transition, or keyframe. If the object doesn't include one of those attributes, the data graph variable will reflect the correct values, but will remain static.
2. With an object selected in the design, click the Attributes > Object > Global tab.
3. Mark the Data Graph Variable checkbox in the NTX Playback Features section.
   
   

   

4. To create additional data graph variables, repeat the previous steps in this section.

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Create visible variables

A visible variable is an object that appears in a graphic only when data is present for that object. When data is not present, a visible variable object is hidden.

1. Select an object in the workspace or timeline.
2. Click the Attributes > Object > Global tab.
3. Mark the Visible Variables checkbox in the Variable Settings section.
   
   

   

4. Enter a name for the variable below the Visible Variables checkbox.

When you play the graphic later, you can mark or clear a checkbox for that variable in the Attributes > Scene tab to show or hide the variable.

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