Text Placement

[leet.firefox]

How do I make it so text messages appear in different parts of the screen. For example, on the bottom like subtitles, or straight in the middle like a title.

 

[Shadow Daemon]

Use x and y parameters of these functions to show text messages in specified positions:

native DisplayTextToPlayer      takes player toPlayer, real x, real y, string message returns nothing
native DisplayTimedTextToPlayer takes player toPlayer, real x, real y, real duration, string message returns nothing

x is text position by X (range of values is [0.0 .. 0.825]);
y is text position by Y (range of values is [0.0 .. 0.7]);
Bigger values will show the text out of game screen.

 

[leet.firefox]

As I just started learning JASS today, I am still getting used to it. Do you think you can add a little more detail to it?

 

[bounty hunter2]

It is basic math. X axis and y axis in coordinate system. I don't JASS but I think it is that.

 

[Shadow Daemon]

When x=0 and y=0, message will be displayed as usual (near the left bottom corner of game screen).

Note that text is displayed with left side justify. So if message "Have you cake?" will be centered on the game screen (via x and y), other message "Have you cake and eat it too?" with the same coordinates will not.

Well, I think, some examples would be easier to understand:

// this will display auto-timed message to red player right under the game clocks
call DisplayTextToPlayer(Player(0), 0.3, 0.65, "Have you an apple cake?")

// this will display message to blue player for 5 sec at the center of the gamescreen 
call DisplayTimedTextToPlayer(Player(1), 0.365, 0.27, 5.0, "FIGHT!")

// this will display message to all players for 10 minutes near the food usage window
local integer i = 0
loop
  call DisplayTimedTextToPlayer(Player(i), 0.65, 0.7, 600.0, "Food usage")
  set i = i + 1
  exitwhen i > 11
endloop

 

[leet.firefox]

don't hate me for this. How do I call the function using the custom script action in GUI?

 

[Shadow Daemon]

Just copy (or write by yourself) the function into custom script action and setup parameters:

call DisplayTextToPlayer(Player(0), 0.0, 0.0, "<your text>")

For example:

• Custom script: call DisplayTextToPlayer(Player(0), 0.3, 0.65, "Have you an apple cake?")

 

[leet.firefox]

How do I set it to be lower on the Y axis?

 

[Shadow Daemon]

This will display your text accurately above the user interface:

call DisplayTimedTextToPlayer(Player(0), 0.2, 0.28, 10.00, "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n" + "<your text>")

However, you can increase y (0.28) to get higher text position.

 

[TheBlooddancer]

What would n\n\n\n\ and so on, be in your example? The text?

 

[Shadow Daemon]

Well, Warcraft is written on C++. Jass natives are naturally c++ functions, with their pros and cons. So we can use some escape sequences to make such things.

I noticed that when I started learning Jass 2 years ago. I thought why users should type double backslash instead of one, and realized that the same notation uses C++.

I tested some sequences (with JNGP v5b) and got following results:

• \a - beep sound - syntax error
• \' - single quote - syntax error
• \b - backspace - no effect
• \t - tabulation - no effect
• \" - double quote - works
• \n - new line - works
• \\ - backslash - works

However, there is no need in \' sequence, we can just write ' character directly.

 

[leet.firefox]

So sorry, one more question. Can I make text bigger?

 

[Vegavak]

Is there a way to find the resolution the player is using to find the center? Because I don't think you can find a true center without that.

 

[Shadow Daemon]

1. Unfortunately no, there's no such function to make text, displayed by this way, bigger.
2. I have some tests (at 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x960, 1280x1024), and I would say that x and y coordinates are resolution independent.

 

[leet.firefox]

+Rep, Shadow Daemon. Thanks for the help!