that's the closest I could get... just need a way to make the text not transparent.

@john-x

Hi John.

Thinking about it more I had a similar idea to you but you need to have two layers. Instead of the art filter I used the cookie cutter for the lower numbered track then duplicated the title plus effect to the track directly below. Then removed the cookie cutter from the title on the lower track (higher numbered).

If you made the title the length of the video and added the cookie cutter to it and duplicated that to the lower track and then disabled the cookie cutter to the lower track you can then cut those tracks using the scissor tool and add text at the appropriate places on the timeline as well as adjust the size of the cookie cutter to fit each text section and delete those places where you don't need text to appear.

You need to make the text white in the text section. I hope that helps and can follow what I did in the video.

[EDIT]

I've just added this video to show what I did to each text clip after cutting the clips to various lengths.

Ray.

@john-x

John, yes, this should be easy but it isn't. The base Magix doesn't have a subtitle highlight feature, per se.

Options include:

1. Putting a coloured bar under the title to act as a background. Just create a black JPEG, then put it on the track between the title and the video. You can "shape" it to fit the title with Size/Position/Rotation. You can then copy it to each new title. Changing it's length will probably be a nuisance though. Alternatively, you can make it stretch right across the screen in the same place/height and copy and paste your different text/titles on top.

One thing to make lifer easier: when you get your title and background set up, group them both then right-click on the title and "Save as special Effect". You can then reinsert that combined title and background somewhere else on the timeline. The special effect 9TFX) is located in the Templates tab, Title Templates>My own.

Remember Magix looks "up" the screen, so track 1 objects are the "most-behind" objects, and objects on the higher-numbered tracks appear on top.

2. Use the "border" title effect. In the title editing box, just below the font dropdown, click on the T with the outline. The border width and colour controls will pop up. The downside of this is the border isn't a nice square shape. It will enhance your text though.

Let me know if anything doesn't make sense and I'll do a video for you.

@john-x

Hi,

Do you have any New Blue Effects?

There are several that will give you a box behind the text. Below is an image where I used NB Selective Tint. The black box changes with the amount of text. Others that I have tried are NB Gradient Tint and Selective Hue but they don't give the same result.

I'm using VPX15 but the same happens in MMS2023.

There may be some other third party effects that will do the same or give a box behind the text. Some of the Pixelan effects give me the background box with varying degrees of transparency.

EDIT: Hitfilm Channel Swapper does it very simply. Just change "Take Alpha from" to "Full On."

John CB

@john-x Hi, here's another option using only MMS features,

1. Write all your text as you want,
2. Duplicate that text event, (Ctrl+drag with the cursor)
3. On the upper text event add Mask Generator,
4. Then add Brightness Contrast, turn the brightness down to 0,
5. Then you can adjust Mask Generator - High Out to make the background transparent if you wish,

-----------

PS. Ignore that the track header says the track is muted, It's not, that's a glitch I've had for a long time, the mute buttons highlight themselves but they're not actually activated/muted 🤷‍♂️

@Former user

Hi,

Excellent!

I have also had M light up in the track header when it wasn't really on. Strange, intermittent.

John CB

@Former user @browj2

Same here.

Ray.

@john-x

Hi,

Do you have any New Blue Effects?

John CB

 I only have whatever comes w/the MS2023 suite, no additional extras.  I searched NewBlue Elements and saw it for $50, is that the 1? 

@john-x

Hi,

NB Gradient Tint is under NB Filters, not Essentials and is much more expensive. I collected these over the years with various upgrades to Movie Edit Pro/Video Pro X.

I suggest that you simply use the solution proposed by @Former user. However, I see that you have the Basic version of Movie Studio, so that may be a problem. If you upgrade to 2024, make sure to get the Suite or at least Platinum. Basic is missing many features that the rest of us take for granted.

@Former user. further to your method, I would just add in the list to click on Invert as you showed in the video. To change the rectangle colour, use the effect Art Filter - Substitution. To make the rectangle slightly larger, add some Art Filter - Dilate.

I grouped the two objects and saved them as a Special Effect with an appropriate title. It shows up under Templates/Titles/My Own.

Also, when using this, the text of both objects should be about the same in order to make the rectangle go around the text.

John CB

@john-x

Hi

I am with Al in using a black, or other colour, image behind the text - it also gives you the advantage that you can vary the transparency of the image so the video shows through as seen below.

@browj2

Hi John

. . . . I have also had M light up in the track header when it wasn't really on.  Strange, intermittent . . .

I too had this with MMS 2023, however, so far, not with MMS 2024.

John EB​​​​

can you tag 2 suggestions as solutions? both AAprod & Gid got it.