Clips

Outline text so it stays readable

An outline round the glyphs. White text over bright water is unreadable without one, and a 4 to 6 pixel black stroke fixes it.

Shown on A title over rafting on the Rogue River

Before · the same request without it
After · rendered from the request below

The entry

Use it as a clip's asset, on a track above the footage.

{
  "asset": {
    "type": "text",
    "text": "RUN THE ROGUE",
    "style": {
      "font": "Inter",
      "size": 58,
      "weight": 800,
      "color": "#FFFFFF",
      "stroke": {
        "color": "#0B0F0D",
        "width": 5
      }
    }
  }
}

Run it

The whole request behind the render above. Paste it as it is, or swap the file for your own.

job.ts
import { createClient, outputUrl } from "@rendobar/sdk";


const rb = createClient({ apiKey: process.env.RENDOBAR_API_KEY });


const job = await rb.jobs.run({
  type: "compose",
  params: {
    schemaVersion: 1,
    output: {
      format: "mp4",
      resolution: {
        width: 960,
        height: 540
      }
    },
    timeline: {
      tracks: [
        {
          clips: [
            {
              asset: {
                type: "video",
                src: "https://cdn.rendobar.com/compose/showcase/media/river.mp4"
              },
              start: 0
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          clips: [
            {
              asset: {
                type: "text",
                text: "RUN THE ROGUE",
                style: {
                  font: "Inter",
                  size: 58,
                  weight: 800,
                  color: "#FFFFFF",
                  stroke: {
                    color: "#0B0F0D",
                    width: 5
                  }
                }
              },
              start: 0,
              length: 6
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  },
});


console.log(outputUrl(job));

Install with npm i @rendobar/sdk. jobs.run() submits and waits, so it returns the finished job in one call.

terminal
curl https://api.rendobar.com/jobs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $RENDOBAR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"type":"compose","params":{"schemaVersion":1,"output":{"format":"mp4","resolution":{"width":960,"height":540}},"timeline":{"tracks":[{"clips":[{"asset":{"type":"video","src":"https://cdn.rendobar.com/compose/showcase/media/river.mp4"},"start":0}]},{"clips":[{"asset":{"type":"text","text":"RUN THE ROGUE","style":{"font":"Inter","size":58,"weight":800,"color":"#FFFFFF","stroke":{"color":"#0B0F0D","width":5}}},"start":0,"length":6}]}]}}}'

Returns immediately with a job id. Poll GET /jobs/{id} or register a webhook rather than blocking on the request.

Questions

What does the text-stroke clip do in compose?

An outline round the glyphs. White text over bright water is unreadable without one, and a 4 to 6 pixel black stroke fixes it.

How do I add text stroke to a video with an API?

Send a compose job to the Rendobar API with this entry in the timeline: {"asset":{"type":"text","text":"RUN THE ROGUE","style":{"font":"Inter","size":58,"weight":800,"color":"#FFFFFF","stroke":{"color":"#0B0F0D","width":5}}}}. Use it as a clip's asset, on a track above the footage. The request on this page is complete and renders as shown.

Footage and sound

More in the reference

Text shadow A shadow behind the text. Softer than a stroke, and enough on footage that is not fighting the text. Text background A solid box behind the text. The most readable of the three, and the one that reads as a caption rather than a title. Text align Which way the lines line up, and which edge of the text sits on the clip's position. left starts there, right ends there. Text entrance An entrance. The title slides up into place while it fades in, instead of simply being there. Shape gradient Two colours instead of one makes the fill a gradient, running the way `gradient` names. Shape outline Leave the fill out and only the stroke draws, so what it surrounds is genuinely transparent and the footage shows through.

See all 77 in the effects reference →