[Feature Suggestion] Improve Text+ Transform Controls

As they currently stand, the Transform controls in Text+ leave something to be desired. They don't allow for simple interoperability with standard transformations primarily due to the lack of a pivot point control in the layout tab, but also because you cannot chain together multiple transformations nondestructively, despite the fact that text is in a vector format.

Below, I propose 3 potential solutions.

1. Create a form of Text+ that operates as a shape node. This would be particularly useful thanks to the recent feature expansion of shape nodes in 18.6. Even if the other two suggestions don't make it, an sText tool would be a fantastic addition to Fusion's growing library of shape tools.
   
   PROS:
   
   1. Allows for multiple Vector transformations via the sTransform node
   2. Interoperable with other shapes which is useful for MoGraph
   CONS:
   
   1. Shapes only allow for flat colors to be used, which knocks out most style options that are currently available in Text+
2. Create "Text Transform" and "Text Renderer" nodes to retain information as much as possible. In effect, this would work similarly to Text3D without the additional overhead of Fusion's 3D engine
   
   PROS:
   
   1. Allows for lossless transformation of Text while still allowing for custom styles.
   2. If expanded upon, could turn text-specific modifiers into nodes, which would greatly enhance script readability and speed up certain motion graphics workflows
   3. Since this would be in a Vector format up until the text renderer, it could potentially be usable with shape nodes, excepting various style adjustments.
   4. Would make Fusion a MoGraph powerhouse
   CONS:
   
   1. Likely a massive undertaking for the Dev team
   2. Could significantly impact script cleanliness due to the increased number of nodes.
   3. I'm unsure how Text transformation space would translate to raster transformation space.
3. Add a pivot control to the layout tab and leave the rest to expression magic.
   
   PROS:
   
   1. Easiest to implement
   CONS:
   
   1. The least robust option.
   2. Shifts the burden onto the user to combine multiple transformations.

These are just a few suggestions, but there are many ways that the Text+ node can be improved. Currently the only way to make multiple lossless text transformations that I'm aware of is to use Text3D, but Fusion's 3D renderer is SLOW, and Text+/Text3D features are not 1:1 translations.

Personally, Fusion's ability to perform multiple transformations losslessly is a significant reason I use it.

Thanks!

Good on you. You put lots of thought in the post.

I agree with you in most of it.

In fairness to Blackmagic they tried to cover most type of user in a single node effect and we have a monster that can do everything, but it cannot do these things without putting much thinking in it.

I gave up Text+ long ago and created my own fuse that allows me to do things I usually do faster and simpler. The back end of my fuse is a text+ node but I don't have to deal with it. My main issue with Text+ was not being able to select a whole column of text when doing end credits or rollers. it was always tricky to deal with changes coming from clients and having to apply modifiers every time a change was made.

I feel I have been given Apollo's gift of prophecy. My last few posts have been answered by Resolve/Fusion 19.

Blackmagic has gone the route of sText!