Create effects in the Editor
Learn how to create effects in the Inspector, without having to code anything.
In Text Animator, other than having built-in effects ready to use, you can also create your own directly from the editor, without having to use any C++ or Blueprints.
P.S. If you want to write custom effects via C++ instead, please have a look at Writing Custom Effects (C++)
When creating a new Effect Data Asset, from right clicking in the Content Browser -> Miscellaneous -> Data Asset, you can choose Uniform Curve Animation as class.
These effects let you create custom combinations of already existing effects, or create your own ones from scratch.
To use an effect, remember to add it to a Database and reference it in an Animated Text Block widget, as explained here Databases
Common Modules
Editor Effects might have some "modules" in common, which let you control your animation in different ways.
Time Mode
In some effects' Data Assets, you might see a "Time Mode" section/module.
A time mode handles how an effect animates letters through time (and character), including speed and characters' delay.
Start Delay
The time to wait before starting the entire effect animation
Use Uniform Time
If enabled, the animation will use the same time for all characters. If disabled, the animation will play based on a character “alive” time.
Wave Size
A time offset to apply to every character progressively. This is useful to create a wave-like effect, where the first character is slightly below the second one and so on.
Time Speed
The base speed of the animation
Emission
Controls the influence and duration of the entire effect.
Cycles
The number of times the animation will be repeated. ‘-1’ means infinite
Duration
How long a cycle should last
Weigth Over Time
The intensity of the effect during a cycle. You can have it be always 1, thus having an animation that is always on, or you can have it fade in or out.
To create a Disapperance Effects, simply have "Weigth Over Time" go from 1 to 0 as you would with an Appearance, and Text Animator will play it in reverse when needed.
Animation Curves
Whenever you see a Curve (Unreal Docs) in any module in the editor (like the “Weight Over Time”), remember that you can edit the “Pre/Post Extrapolation State” to make it cycle, ping-pong or be clamped (constant) once a cycle finishes.
(For example, if you’re creating an animation that repeats or loops X times, you might want to set the Post Extrapolate State to “Cycle” so that the animation doesn’t stop after the first cycle finishes.)
Effect Types
There are two type of "Custom Editor Effects" that you can create and play with
Curve Effects: let you choose different movement, scale, rotation curves and more over time
Composite Effects: let you combine existing effects together