Plugins: show text by sprites

Demo

• Put some text in textbox

The text are shown by sprites (not an image only, it's a sprite for each character), the sprite object has a sine behavior to control the angle.

Capx

Related plugins

Plugin: Layouter (Update: 2013/06/09)

Behavior: Layouter_Linear (Update: 2013/06/09)

Behavior: Layouter_Text

There are 3 parts for showing text by sprites

1. there have some sprites in a box -- Plugin: Layouter

2. arrange (set position, angle) these sprites -- Behavior: Layouter_Linear

3. set frame index of these sprites according to character in text -- Behavior: Layouter_Text

Steps of create sprite text:

1. put a Plugin:Layouter

2. add Behavior: Layouter_Linear, and Behavior: Layouter_Text into this Layouter object

3. add a sprite with text images.

<img src="http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j352/rexrainbow1/screen2-12_zps4173d59a.png" border="0">

4. set the properties of Behavior: Layouter_Linear, for example

• the delta distance is the distance between two characters.

5. set the character -> frame index mapping.

<img src="http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j352/rexrainbow1/screen1-31_zpsdaac5d88.png" border="0">

6. in event sheet, assign the character sprite (Behavior: Layouter_Text action: set character object)

7. Now you could show text by sprites (Behavior: Layouter_Text action: set text).

More.

• "Plugin Layouer Condition : Pick instances" could pick all characters in this layouter object.

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Now, the Behavior: Layouter_Linear only could arrange sprites in a single line. I will try to add another arrange mode to support multi-lines, or a spiral mode might be interesting.

The Plugin: Layouter and Behavior: Layouter_Linear could be used to arrange sprites.

Here are two examples.

Card layout - linear

Plugin: Layouter + Behavior: Layouter_Linear

Card layout - cyclic

Plugin: Layouter + Behavior: Layouter_Cyclic

• click card.

This is brilliant. Great work man!

Is there any way to loop through the string and change a property of a single character or whole word? Not sure how that can be done with events.

Also would it be possible to have a mode that spaces each character based on its size? That would more or less allow kerning - not all bitmap fonts use fixed size characters!

Tokinsom

Yes, it could pick all characters by condition. I had update the example demo. Now it will set scale of each character randomly.

I will try to make arrangement more better for showing text, thanks for suggestion.

Thanks! Just what i have looked for my project. Awesome <img src="smileys/smiley4.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

rexrainbow rex, cool thing man.

btw, the correct term for "delta distance" is called Tracking, just an FYI.

rexrainbow

This is a great plugin! I have been using it today to replace SpriteFont and it works perfectly! I love the spacing options available, so much more flexible than spritefont.

California

I agree, delta distance is not a suitable name in this case. I will try to fix it. Tracing is a great option. Or... Spacing?

Thanks rexrainbow, you rock. I suspect this will be getting a lot more active support. Though I think Mippey did fine job while he was working on it.

I plan to use this plugin extensivly as it is, but I have one request if you could. Would it be possible to get the font sprite going in a single plugin rather than spread across 3?

rexrainbow

Is it possible to align the text using an image point? I am noticing that it aligns to whatever edge you have selected (ie left). I am just trying to center some text and it is aligning just off center, because of this.

Thanks for any help! This thing is awesome! :)

jayderyu

It is possible to have a single "sprite text" absolutely. There will be a single plugin if it is an official one.

The problem is, I'm just a part time plugin maker. I need to find a way to reduce the maintenance effort.

Combined plugins will more easier to maintain (and less bugs), since I don't need to copy most code to create another arrangement of characters, for example.

Zharzew

Thanks for these suggestions, I will try.

Update

Behavior: Layouter_Linear , changing property name "Delta distance" to "Spacing" in properties table.

rexrainbow

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is the best way to 'hide' or 'remove' a layouter? Usually, there would be a 'show' / 'hide' command, but all I see is Create Reference and Remove Reference, which I don't think do what I need.

Basically, what is the best way to Show and Hide text? None of your examples has any 'removing' of a sprite, hence my confusion. :/

Thanks a lot! :)

Zharzew

Do you mean a visible action to set invisible to all characters?