New TextBox Plugin for After Effects Saves the Day

TextBox is a Native After Effects Plugin that Can Create an Automatically Updating Shape Behind Text Layers

TextBox is a new and native plugin (not a script) for After Effects that lets you create auto-sized and customizable shapes behind your type — Basically saving the day.

Type in After Effects is a unique blend of the functionality of average type tools with added control for animation and motion. After Effects has the capacity to create a text box by click and dragging with the type tool. This text box automatically adjusts the type within the confines of the box. In motion graphics, however, this is only a fraction of the functionality that an artist may want.

TextBox is a native plugin that creates a perfectly sized, customisable shape behind your text that updates automatically 

For motion graphics, you almost need the opposite of this. Animations dictate the box adjusting to the size of the type, and not the other way around. It is also an extra step to have a filled box behind your type, not to mention another level of complexity to manage in your scenes.

TextBox changes all that. With it, you can easily create background fill and stroke boxes (or custom shapes) for your type in Ae. The fact that the tool is a native AE plugin means that it is fast, and works all on one layer in After Effects. The effect is applied directly to the text layer, making it a great solution for what is missing in After Effects out of the box. There is no need for parenting, special expressions, or mattes that can overly complicate or slow down your project.

Keep in mind that you can find nearly the same functionality in a free TextBox script from the team at The Motion Boutique.

TextBox seems like a real no-brainer purchase for motion designers. The plugin is $24.95 regularly, but it is on sale for 30% off until August 30. You can learn more about TextBox here.