Sprite applications  

 Sprite applications:  Using sprites for text on walls

Builders ask how to manipulate text in Build for placing over windows, doors, hallways, etc.
Everyone has placed text on walls using sprites but the trouble is trying to align the text sprites, especially when you have some long winded message to place on a wall, panel, or view screen. We'll go discuss each in turn and in the end, you will also know how to implement view screens and monitors. After all, all of the things we just mentioned are done using sprites but let's start with text;
that's what this section is about.

Start by choosing a text sprite you want to use for your message. A text message should look consistent in size, colour, shape, palette, etc., (you can change the palette as well as the transparency to suit your needs). Once you have done whatever you want to the first text sprite, the rest will take on the same attributes when you copy them. Below on the left is a 2D shot and on the right we have 3D shot of a single text sprite.

Place one sprite on the floor either in 2D or 3D mode Choose the sprite you want and make whatever changes you want to it before making a copy

Don't judge these screen shots or the work you're about to see; I've done these just to have an example to show you as we talk about the procedure. As you may have noticed, this is a small rectangular room for our example.

Start with one sprite and, if you need to, make any changes such as width or height, palette or transparency; we want to make all the sprites the same and the easiest way is to make whatever changes to the first one and then make all the copies you need. Once we've got the aforementioned out of the way, changing the the actual letter that any sprite will be, will not present a problem. If you forgot or don't know, you change the width or height of a sprite in 3D mode by placing the cursor over the sprite and using the 2, 4, 6, and 8 keys on the numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard.

Make as many copies as you will need to spell out the message you want to write. Pair the sprites into the same number of letters that will make up each word. A whole lotta sprites? They still don't spell anything, yet...

Make as many copies as you will need to spell out the message you want to write then pair up the sprites into the same number of letters that will make up each word. That is, put them into groups of words.
Okay, so you don't know what you're spelling out, yet.. We're spelling, " this is the way to do it ". I just find this way to be the easiest from the various methods that I have tried over the years. Anyway, go into 3D mode and place the mouse cursor on each sprite and sequentially change each letter to the appropriate one that will spell out the message that you want. ( Place the mouse cursor on the sprite and press v to find the right tile).

2D mode, this is how you do it 3D mode, this is how you do it

Well, it's not thee way to do it. It's one way to work sprites into messages.
Once you're at this point, you're ready to manipulate the sprites, one word at a time (or more if needed).
You may have noticed that I have the sprites for this message lined up into three rows. You should keep all the words in your message separated until you're absolutely sure they are aligned left to right and vertically as you want them. If I need to have a message wrap on a wall, I line up the sprites so that the row of text that will be the highest on the wall are at the back or nearest the wall. You don't need to do this but I find it easier to remember which is what as I flip between 2D and 3D mode.

In 2D mode, press and hold the right shift key and move the mouse cursor to enclose the back row
( THIS IS text ) with a pink box. This will select the back row of sprites. Go immediately into 3D mode and hold the mouse cursor on any one of the sprites in the back row, press and hold the left mouse button and then tap the page up key until the back row of sprites are about the height that you want them. Do this for all rows of text but don't move the rows together in to one line, just yet.





Now comes the fun part. This part can get hairy if you're moving along too fast. The only tricky part, really, is just taking your time. What's left to do is align all your sprites, horizontally and vertically. You have do you vertical alignment in 2D mode and your horizontal alignment in 3D mode. Okay, this can be confusing because it all depends on which you call what. Let's say this, if you want to move your sprites up or down on the z plane, you do that in 3D mode. If you want to align the sprites left to right, you do that in 2D mode. If you're still confused, you will figure it out.

  Look at the 2D screen capture to the left. The top or back row of sprites is the line, " this is ". The middle row of sprites is the line, " how you ", and the bottom or the row in front is the line, " do it ". You can move your sprites in groups of words or with the grid locking on or off. You do what you have to do to move the sprites around. Switch between 2D and 3D mode to see how the sprites are lining up.


  Next, move the sprites around until they line up both vertically and horizontally ( again you will have to keep switching between 2D and 3D mode to do this ). At this stage, you can still manipulate all lines of text and easily change the position of any sprite. When they look as you want them to look in 3D mode, that is, apart from not yet being against the wall, they look aligned, then you're ready for the next step.


  When you have all lines of text aligned both vertically and horizontally, then you're ready to pull all the rows of text into one row just like you see I've done in the 2D screen capture to your left. But now, the sprites can only be manipulated marginally compared to when they were all in their own rows. So, be sure that they are as you want them before moving them all into one row.


wrapping up
Sprites are now against the wall Last step: turn the grid locking off, select all your sprites and drag them snug against the wall. You can still move your text up or down in 3D mode. Just select them as a group in 2D, then switch to 3D and page up or page down them. That's it.


notes

1.) By looking at the screen capture directly above, you can see that several sprites now share the same location. It would be very difficult to manipulate any of those sprites should they still need to be aligned. So, make sure they are as you want them before pulling them all together.

2.)This is not the only way to get your sprites against the wall. You can also, in 3D mode, hold the cursor over each sprite and then press the O key on it. You'll have to do this for each sprite because they won't move as a group even if they are all selected. If you're going to use this method of pressing the O key on each sprite, pull them close to the wall, first.