user14291: I have a tricky (seems to me) task: I need to make 3 layers of text lose their shape and fall down to the bottom of the screen like a heavy mass of letters, so that in the end all the letters lay there in one heap. Here is what the text looks like from the beginning:

Is it at all possible in AE? I remember doing per character animation with text once, but it doesn't seem to be the way to go here, or am I missing something? Please tell me it's doable! :) 

user4426: If the text is random characters, you could possibly do this using a particle engine.  Assign one character per frame to a comp, then apply those frames to the particles texture... Something like Particular from Trapcode would work with this.
Alternatively if it's a full page of actual text:
I reckon Newton 2 could do this..
http://www.motionboutique.com/newton/
Or Cinema 4D, but I don't think the free version that comes with AE now has the physics plugins included.

14291: <p>I have a tricky (seems to me) task: I need to make 3 layers of text lose their shape and fall down to the bottom of the screen like a heavy mass of letters, so that in the end all the letters lay there in one heap. Here is what the text looks like from the beginning:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/h9C6D.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/h9C6D.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Is it at all possible in AE? I remember doing per character animation with text once, but it doesn't seem to be the way to go here, or am I missing something? Please tell me it's doable! :) </p>
 4426: <p>If the text is random characters, you could possibly do this using a particle engine.  Assign one character per frame to a comp, then apply those frames to the particles texture... Something like <a href="http://www.redgiant.com/products/trapcode-particular/" rel="nofollow">Particular from Trapcode</a> would work with this.</p>

<p>Alternatively if it's a full page of actual text:
I reckon Newton 2 could do this..
<a href="http://www.motionboutique.com/newton/" rel="nofollow">http://www.motionboutique.com/newton/</a>
Or Cinema 4D, but I don't think the free version that comes with AE now has the physics plugins included.</p>
