# Implementing Text Overlays in Video Projects

# Introduction to Text Overlays

Text overlays are essential components in professional video editing. They allow you to add titles, subtitles, watermarks, captions, and other important text elements to your videos. With the Video Edit SDK for .NET, you can create sophisticated text overlays with precise control over appearance, positioning, and timing.

# Key Features and Capabilities

The SDK provides extensive customization options for text overlays, including:

Custom font selection from system-installed fonts
Complete control over font size, weight, and style
Flexible color options for both text and background
Precise positioning with multiple alignment options
Timing control to set when text appears and disappears
Transparency and opacity settings

# Implementation Example

The following code demonstrates how to create and configure a text overlay in your .NET application:

// Initialize the VideoEditCoreX object (assumed to be already created)
// var videoEdit = new VideoEditCoreX();

// Create a new text overlay object with your desired text
var textOverlay = new VisioForge.Core.Types.X.VideoEdit.TextOverlay("Hello world!");

// Set when the text should appear and for how long
// This example: text appears 2 seconds into the video and stays for 5 seconds
textOverlay.Start = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(2000);
textOverlay.Duration = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(5000);

// Define the position of the text on the video frame
// X and Y coordinates are measured in pixels from the top-left corner
textOverlay.X = 50;
textOverlay.Y = 50;

// Configure font properties for the text
textOverlay.FontFamily = "Arial";  // Set the font family
textOverlay.FontSize = 40;         // Set the font size in points
textOverlay.FontWidth = SkiaSharp.SKFontStyleWidth.Normal;   // Normal width characters
textOverlay.FontSlant = SkiaSharp.SKFontStyleSlant.Italic;   // Apply italic style
textOverlay.FontWeight = SkiaSharp.SKFontStyleWeight.Bold;   // Apply bold weight

// Set the text color to red
textOverlay.Color = SkiaSharp.SKColors.Red;

// Set a transparent background behind the text
// You could use any color with alpha channel for semi-transparency
textOverlay.BackgroundColor = SkiaSharp.SKColors.Transparent;

// Add the configured text overlay to your video project
videoEdit.Video_TextOverlays.Add(textOverlay);

# Positioning and Alignment Options

By default, the SDK uses the X and Y coordinates for absolute positioning. For more flexible positioning options:

// For custom positioning using X and Y coordinates:
textOverlay.HAlign = TextOverlayHAlign.Custom;
textOverlay.VAlign = TextOverlayVAlign.Custom;

// For centered text:
// textOverlay.HAlign = TextOverlayHAlign.Center;
// textOverlay.VAlign = TextOverlayVAlign.Center;

// For right-aligned text at the bottom:
// textOverlay.HAlign = TextOverlayHAlign.Right;
// textOverlay.VAlign = TextOverlayVAlign.Bottom;

# Working with Fonts

The SDK leverages the SkiaSharp library for powerful text rendering capabilities. This provides access to all system fonts and advanced typography features.

# Retrieving Available Font Families

You can dynamically retrieve the list of fonts available on the current system:

// Get all available fonts on the current system
// This is useful for creating font selection dropdowns in your UI
var availableFonts = videoEdit.Fonts;

// You can now iterate through the fonts or bind them to a UI control
foreach (var font in availableFonts)
{
    // Use the font information as needed
    Console.WriteLine(font);
}

# Advanced Styling Techniques

For more sophisticated text effects, consider combining text overlays with other SDK features:

Apply animation effects to make text move across the screen
Use multiple text overlays with different timing for sequential display
Combine with shape overlays to create text boxes with custom backgrounds
Integrate with video transitions for dynamic text entry and exit effects

# Development Resources

For more code examples and advanced implementation techniques, visit our GitHub repository containing comprehensive .NET SDK samples.