Text within after Effects

Not text as image.
2 options to create text.
Layer>new>Text
'T' tool in tool bar. click onto composition window.. and type.
To change character info window>character.

Every box of text typed will exist as one layer.

What is different?
Anchor point not in centre of text. To change press 'A' shows anchor point details. -not most efficient.
Pan behind tool. Able to drag and move anchor point to where ever wanted.

text specific Layer properties.
- Source text. (stop watch shows it is something which can change over time, no numbers etc next to it so different to other properties.) It allows you to animate text over time.

Animate... Position. Adds animator 1,Range selector 1 and position.
by adjusting position tab - anchor point does not move, just the contents of the layer.
you do NOt have to add key frames to position property.

Use range selector to animate individual letters.... to move from one place to another.

Animating opacity-

Animating Scale - Each letter seems to have its own anchor point. start end... as usual.
Advanced options - character. Can change this to per word/per sentence. etc but currently set to character.
More options>anchor Point grouping>word - this means that although independantly moving each character has the same anchor point.
If you change anchor point grouping to 'all' representation of anchor point moved to centre.

Layer Mask - New solid layer. Size of composition.

when you add a shape to a layer it is called a mask.. which is as though you are looking through a key hole. this is a way to gradually show the layer y using another solid.