The definitive collection of scripts and plugins for Adobe After Effects
DecomposeText
Version: 2.3 Sign up to be notified by email when a new version is posted
This script breaks up text into separate layers.
The script has 4 modes:
- Preserve characters location maintains the characters at their current location, but it creates text layers having the same number of characters as the original layer (therefore their anchor point is the same as the original anchor point).
- Appropriate anchor point creates text layers containing only one character (therefore their anchor point is as defined in the Paragraph panel), but it places all text layers at the same location.
- Separate into words and Separate into lines are the same as Appropriate anchor point but create text layers containing only words or only lines.
-
- DecomposeText UI
Version History
- v2.3 Fixed foreign language compatibility with CS5.5 – Nov 2011
- 2.2 – Minor bug fixed, added CS5 compatibility (Aug 2010)
- 2.1 – Added separate into words and separate into lines option by Lloyd Alvarez (21 Jan 2010)
- 2.0 – Initial Release on aescripts.com (05 June 2009)
  Get notified of new scripts + plugins
It would be awesome if when you decompose the text that the characters stay in their original position. That would be the ultimate! I always play with the positioning of the text in one text layer to save time playing with multiple text layers. Then I decompose but unfortunately they all decompose on top of each other. At least the lines are in order in the layers panel so its easy enough to match their positions. But yeah would be mad as! Love the script anyway though! thanks!!
This has worked a treat! Many thanks from the UK!!!!!!!
Hello, before thanks for this. I would like to suggest if could be decompose animated texts, whit animation, like the presets by AE to personalize each character. I think could be cool. Excuseme for my english.
Hello.
Im using aftereffects cs3 right now.
could you send me version2.1?
Thanks!
I would like to have the option to keep words in their appropriate places too. Would really help with kinetic typography projects!
this.
this would be this script over the top and make it even more amazing.
I think this is a fantastic script although I am wondering it’s limitations in using large amounts of text. I tried decomposing 1 long paragraph and after several hours it crashed AE. I tried this a second time and have a similar result. Any suggestions on how to use this script with lots of text content would be much appreciated!
I second Eric’s comment. I would love the possibility of a new anchor point being generated that is appropriate to the size of the new word/ character created from decomposing, while remaining in its current location. — Thanks for all your help!
When I run the script with “preserve character location” Each character maintains it’s proper position but the character box is still the size of the full sentence. It would be nice, if there was another option for each charter to “preserve character location” combined with “appropriate anchor point”. So you would get a text box the size of each character and also in it’s current location.
Is there a work around to achieve that effect?
Thanks!
Another vote for this! While the script is incredibly helpful, neither of its options seems ideal. A third option that both keeps the position *and* makes an appropriate anchor point would be perfect.
Is it the mercurial nature of AE text that makes this impossible?
ive cs3 and cs4 but actually im using cs3 , so can u send me the 2.1 version , please .
Hi, I was trying to download again the script for cs 5 but I can’t find a link to download the newer version, and I already uninstalled the previous version in cs4, so can u upload a cs5 version for me please?
thank u so much
The current download is compatible with CS4 and CS5.
Is it possible to decompose by words but leave them in their position? The script is great, but if you want the words grouped as units, there’s still a lot of work to make sure they line up to their original layout. If you set up your text in Illustrator, copy it into AE and then want the words to be separate in AE layers, you don’t want to have to line them up back your the original lines. But very good effort, otherwise…. Thanks.
I second this. I spend a lot of time repositioning the words wants I decompose the text
I third this. If you can leave characters in place, why not have that option for words? It would be great to have that feature– I’ve spent a lot of time repositioning words!
Thirded… This would be a huge time-saver, particularly for heavily text-based animation like kinetic stuff, etc.
Yes, same for breaking into lines. The positioning is the labour-intensive part that I’d like to rely on scripting for – actually breaking by lines isn’t too tough to do manually. Thanks!
This function would be great!! Are you planing to build it?
Greetings
I still have CS3 is there anyway I can get 2.1. An amazing script by the way, truly.
I just downloaded 2.2 – can I get a version of 2.1 that’ll work with CS3?
Thanks!
Check your mailbox
Amazing script! I’ve been able to update the layers by copy pasting new text to them seamlessly- without having to Decompose each work every time. Huge!
I’ve a UI problem testing the 2.2 version on AE CS3.
Just when i launch the script.
“Unable to execute script at line 223. Function this.throwErr is undefined”.
Hope that this work like a bug report.
Thx!
This is indeed a bug that will be corrected soon. The error (not thrown) is that the script is for CS4 or CS5. Stick to v2.1 if you only have CS3.
I haven’t kept the 2.1 version when the new version came out (bad idea). Is there any way to get it? The version on your site is 2.0 (original release).
Thanks for the quick response.
check your mailbox
Niiiice
I can’t download it! Oh dear!
Hello !
Is it possible to place each word of the selected text layer on its own layer rather than just characters ?
It would be nice !
Sorry for my english…
French : Serait-il possible de dé-grouper le calque texte par mots seulement plutôt que chaque caractères ?