How to create a tooltip in a video

A Tooltip is a combination of a shape and a text object. It can be useful when you’re working on a video tutorial and need explanation elements for the viewers while creating educational or training videos.

Applying the Tooltip

  1. There are three ways of applying a Tooltip:
    • From the Add object drop down menu on the Editor tab;
    • From the vertical toolbar on the left from the scene;
    • By using hotkey shortcut Shift + U.
  2. Define the location within the Object position settings window or leave the default settings by clicking the OK button. You can change them any time later directly on the Timeline area.
  3. Place the cursor to the scene area. When it becomes a crosshair, click and stretch to set the Tooltip area.

Editing the Tooltip

If you want to adjust the parameters of the tooltip shape or the text, select it on the timeline and navigate to the Properties window. The following options are available:

Text Object Settings

  • Text: if you want to edit the Tooltip text, click the button with three dots next to the Text field. Enter your text within the opened Text Editor window. Also you can enter your text straight in the Enter text field.
  • Mode: the text can remain as it is or be used as subtitles. When using the Treat as subtitles option, open the Text Editor again and manually add subtitles or load a subtitles file. More info about adding subtitles is in our How-to tutorial.
  • Text font: here you can select the text font, its style, size and effects from the list.
  • Text color: here you can select the color of the text.
  • Hor./Vert.Alignment: by using these options, you can center, right-align, or left-align the text vertically or horizontally.
  • Antialising: this option makes the text smoother.
  • Hotkey prefix mode: here you can set the mode of displaying some hotkeys e.g.&.
  • Trimming mode: here you can set the way how the text will be transferred from line to line.
  • Text features: here you can adjust the way the text is placed within the tooltip area.
  • Margins: here you can set the margins to specify the distance from the text to the edges of the tooltip object.

Tooltip Object Settings

  • Round size: here you can adjust the form of the tooltip by making the edges of the tooltip shape rounder.
  • Pen: here you can adjust Color and Thickness of the outline of the tooltip shape or make it transparent.
  • Brush: here you can adjust Color of the tooltip shape.
  • Antialising: this option smooths transitions between shapes by softening lines on the edges.

Apart from that, you can change Text, Pen and Brush color and choose the tooltip style on the Editor tab above the scene.

Creative Ideas for Using Tooltip in VSDC

This software can be downloaded from Free Video Editor description page.