Exploding Text

Exploding Text

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Open a new image 500 X 300 Transparent.

Place any text that you like on your image. Fat fonts work best.

At the bottom of your text window, be sure that Floating is selected.

Add any bevel, etc effects you like.

You will notice that your text has a selection around it. Copy, press your delete key, paste as a new layer.

This will insure that your text is in the exact center of your image.

Now for the next word. DO NOT ADD A NEW LAYER.

Open your text window again and add the second word to the image.

While the second word is still selected, copy, delete and paste as a new layer.

Add the same bevel effects to the second word.

In your layer palette you will have 3 layers. The bottom layer is blank. Activate the bottom layer, right click and select delete.

Save your image and open Animation Shop.

Click File > Preferences > General Program Preferences.

Click on the Layered Files Tab and select Keep Layers as Separate Frames (as shown below) and click ok.

Open your image.

You should have an animation with two frames.

Click on the first frame to select it.

Click Effects > Insert Image Effect.

Select the Explode effect. The settings are shown below.

Note that the Run in reverse direction is NOT checked.

Click on the Customize button. Set the explode speed to 100 and click ok.

Once this effect is applied to the first frame, click on the last frame. Apply the same effect but this time check Run in Reverse Direction.

Click File > Optimization Wizard.

The settings here are default but verify that yours are too and click next.

Click on the Customize button.

Click on the Partial Transparency tab. Select a color that matches your image and click ok through the next few windows until you are back to your image.

Activate your crop tool and select an area about 1/2 inch beyond the text.

Activate your arrow tool again and click on the first frame. Right click and select Frame Properties from the drop down menu.

Change the spend from 10 to 100. Click ok.

Do the same to the last frame.

Save your animation.

If you have any comments or questions, email me at:

kim@pixelbit.com