Typewrite text on screen (One letter at a time)

Brick Nash · 20 April 2018, 09:02

I'm looking to make some text appear on screen one by one. I have a nice arcade font sheet which I wrote a grabber procedure for and they are sitting nicely in my Icon bank.

At the moment I've got a rather clumsy bit of code which works within a loop and pastes the appropriate letter one after the other.

EG

For T=1 to 50

If T=1 Then Paste Icon, TX,TY,13
If T=2 Then Paste Icon, TX+8,TY,27
If T=.........
If T=.........etc.

Wait 3
Next T

It's time consuming, but it works and if need be I can just use that method, but I'm wondering if there is a way to use a string to just type out what I have and then to scan the string and allocate each letter within it to a corresponding image number in the Icon bank?

I know there is graphic text, but honestly, it's skimmed over so vaguely in the manual I came away just as clueless as before I read it, and my text fonts are 8x16 not 8x8.

Anyway, any info would be great, thanks!

Samurai_Crow · 20 April 2018, 10:40

Asc(Mid$(s$,t,1)) will give you the ASCII code for character t in string s$. If capital A is tile 0 in your icon bank, you need to subtract 65 from that, for example.

Also, multiplying t*8 is a bit shift when compiled so that will help your position when looping.

Brick Nash · 23 April 2018, 13:10

Thanks for the tip! I've not quite got what I want to do yet, but this is certainly an interesting part of the manual to read.

Would I have to set up a Mid$ code for each letter/character, or could I put all the characters in one string (EG: S$= "ABCDEFGH....etc.) and then assign some sort of variable for the returned code? Also, once the ASCII code has been returned, how would I apply that to the images within the Icon bank to be used on screen? Just a paste command with custom variables? E.G. Paste Icon, X,Y,CHAR.

I think I'm getting a good idea of what to do in theory, but it's still a little muddy.

Thanks.

idrougge · 23 April 2018, 14:18

Mid$ gives you the character at a certain position, Asc() will give you the ascii code for a character, so Asc(Mid$(S$,T,1)) will give you the ascii code for the character at position T (which could be the counter in a For…Next loop, for instance). The letter A is ascii code 65, so just put your icons in the alphabetical order and subtract the difference between 65 and the position of the letter A in your bank and you'll get the correct icon number to paste.

Brick Nash · 23 April 2018, 14:56

Ok that's a little clearer, thanks!

20 April 2018, 09:02	#1
Brick Nash Prototron Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 411	Typewrite text on screen (One letter at a time) I'm looking to make some text appear on screen one by one. I have a nice arcade font sheet which I wrote a grabber procedure for and they are sitting nicely in my Icon bank. At the moment I've got a rather clumsy bit of code which works within a loop and pastes the appropriate letter one after the other. EG For T=1 to 50 If T=1 Then Paste Icon, TX,TY,13 If T=2 Then Paste Icon, TX+8,TY,27 If T=......... If T=.........etc. Wait 3 Next T It's time consuming, but it works and if need be I can just use that method, but I'm wondering if there is a way to use a string to just type out what I have and then to scan the string and allocate each letter within it to a corresponding image number in the Icon bank? I know there is graphic text, but honestly, it's skimmed over so vaguely in the manual I came away just as clueless as before I read it, and my text fonts are 8x16 not 8x8. Anyway, any info would be great, thanks!

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20 April 2018, 10:40	#2
Samurai_Crow Total Chaos forever! Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Waterville, MN, USA Age: 49 Posts: 2,186	Asc(Mid$(s$,t,1)) will give you the ASCII code for character t in string s$. If capital A is tile 0 in your icon bank, you need to subtract 65 from that, for example. Also, multiplying t*8 is a bit shift when compiled so that will help your position when looping.

23 April 2018, 13:10	#3
Brick Nash Prototron Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 411	Thanks for the tip! I've not quite got what I want to do yet, but this is certainly an interesting part of the manual to read. Would I have to set up a Mid$ code for each letter/character, or could I put all the characters in one string (EG: S$= "ABCDEFGH....etc.) and then assign some sort of variable for the returned code? Also, once the ASCII code has been returned, how would I apply that to the images within the Icon bank to be used on screen? Just a paste command with custom variables? E.G. Paste Icon, X,Y,CHAR. I think I'm getting a good idea of what to do in theory, but it's still a little muddy. Thanks.

23 April 2018, 14:18	#4
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,332	Mid$ gives you the character at a certain position, Asc() will give you the ascii code for a character, so Asc(Mid$(S$,T,1)) will give you the ascii code for the character at position T (which could be the counter in a For…Next loop, for instance). The letter A is ascii code 65, so just put your icons in the alphabetical order and subtract the difference between 65 and the position of the letter A in your bank and you'll get the correct icon number to paste.

23 April 2018, 14:56	#5
Brick Nash Prototron Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 411	Ok that's a little clearer, thanks!

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