Text that types out...

gamesfua

Hey all! Quick question-
I'm pretty sure you can't but is there a way for text to write out?
Kinda like rpg's where the text animates out instead of just displaying all at once.
If not i think this should be a feature. Especiay since retro games are so big now.
Thanks!

Chimoru

My method isn't very efficient because it involves a timer and a big table (depending on how long your text is), but I did it by displaying text from an attribute that is constrained to a tableCellValue + another index attribute. The table it is displaying from has a a row with the text cascading up by one letter. Ex. row 1=m, row 2= my, row 3= my n, row 4 =my na, etc. A timer changed the index attribute by +1 every desired iteration and the text being displayed appears to add one letter at a time.

Hope that helps

gamesfua

@fractured_core_studios thanks!
The fact you had to come up with that extremely complex strategy also answers my question of "can it be done." Yes it can be, but not out of the box.
I think GameSalad shouldd efinitely add this as a feature. I can't imagine it being too complex. It can even feature a timer on it so you can plot out how long it takes to write out.

gyroscope

Hi @anatomyofdreams I think this is not generic enough for GS to consider it as a behaviour...so the only solution would be using the existing stuff we've got, the table "trick" for one, as @Fractured_Core_Studios wrote - or, if the font used is monospaced (fixed width) you can put your text, complete, using Display Text, then cover each line with strips the same colour as a plain background, then a few simple Timers to reveal each letter, one after the other, line after line... but then I'm sure you'd thought of that as well; but hey, it'd do the job!

gamesfua

@gyroscope all good suggestions!
I think you have a point about it not being "generic" enough.
That said, I still think it should be a feature (I'm going to play it lazy and greedy here . Hell, I think text as a whole should be redesigned. For instance I'd like to be able to see (as an option) my text in the creator window as opposed to constantly having to preview it so I can see if its aligned properly, etc. A simple animate out option within the display text behavior can't possibly require 40 engineers and programmers to accomplish. Perhaps I'm wrong.
But to me this is almost like an interpolate behavior. Perhaps interpolation can be modified for text as well. This would be last on the list that I'd need GS to consider, but I hope it can at least be thought about.
Thanks for your response and suggestions!