Rocks'n'Diamonds

Another interesting CE technique I've made. It can display messages to the player, so it could potentially be used as a replacement of envelopes in big levels which need more than four envelopes.

Download "improved scrolling text" at: http://www.zomis.net/rnd/download.php?id=527
An older version called "scrolling text", which contains more documentation, is available at: http://www.zomis.net/rnd/download.php?id=526

Excellent idea! I like it very much! There are some limits with the idea, but I have an idea which could make this technique much more effective

I was thinking about using CE Values on the CEs. But maybe you haven't checked out the new features in the pre-3.2.0-releases? Using this technique with CE values could get rid of most of the Group Elements...

The problem with using only one at once is a bit difficult to solve, but I'm sure that it could also be possible somehow... (without using double instances of CEs...)

BTW, is it meant that the top and bottom scroll can be active at once? When activating both then the bottom one is mixed up with the top somehow... I hope you understand me..

Pretty cool.

Wouldn't it be easier to store the message in the group elements as opposed to in the level?

*edit*

Ahh no, after a closer look I realise you are using actual RND letters and not a full custom alphabet! Great job!

About activating multiple texts at once: the problem is in Text Teleporter, which allows teleporting only one text at once. Let me explain: The Text Teleporter aims to create a way to teleport any number of any elements (there are not limitations like "max 32 elements" - as there are 32 changepages - or "elements must be CEs"). It emits events of type "switch of" by smashing the letters in order. Text output then checks for "switch of (any letter)" and uses pseudo-element "element triggering change" to create the element in the new location. However, as you can see, when more "text inputs" are active, the "text output" can't recognize which letters come from which text input, thus mixing the text. My solution: prevent the player from moving while the text is active :-)

About pre-3.2.0-8: I know about CE values and new pseudo-elements associated with them. They render the "text teleporter" technique almost obsolete. (I wonder how much CE techniques, for example mathematics, won't be needed anymore when 3.2.0 comes out?) However, I tried to make this technique for 3.1.1.

By the way, at the moment I'm experimenting with using Alan's 3.2.0 FMV technique for similar effects, but it's not so flexible (you have to edit the levelset images to change the text) and seems to use more CEs. However, it doesn't use any level space or GEs, and it looks pretty cool. :-P

Done!

"Animated text": http://www.zomis.net/rnd/download.php?id=528

Documentation: (there's too much of it to put it into envelopes)

The first, blank line in the image is for defining CE value 0, which isn't used. Lines are counted from the first line with content, so the line at ypos 0 is actually -1st line.

Every text from the graphics file has two numbers - offset and length. Offset is number of the line where the text starts length is number of animation frames the text has (= number of lines the text has - 1). (By coincidence, there are two texts with length 1 in the level, and I've created a sepearate element for each of them, but the only difference between them is the graphics (I wanted each text to have an offset and length of the same color). In behavior they're identical - both set the text length to 1.

I didn't use reversed scanline, as the original FMV did. It was used to reverse the order of creation of the FMV-content elements, so the CE values were be in order (1,2,3,4,5,6). If it wouldn't be used, they would be in order (6,5,4,3,2,1). However, I think that reversed scanline could maybe break some other techniques (don't ask me what or how), and I preferred not to use it. Instead, I just used substraction instead of addition, so the order of CE values would be (-6,-5,-4,-3,-2,-1) and added 7 to each of them, resulting in (1,2,3,4,5,6), as intended.

Tutorial for adding another, fourth text:
First, edit the image file, add more lines and write the text there. Find the text offset (number of lines above the first line of the text, not counting the first, blank line) and text length (number of lines the text occupies - 1). (Note: The blank line at the end of the file is a part of third text, leave it alone.) Then, edit graphicsinfo.conf and add more frames (3 * number of lines the text occupies). Go into level editor and add two more elements:
1. text length = X
CE value = X
after change by page of [text progress timer], set CE value - 1
changes to [text ended] when CE value gets 0
2. text offset = X
- CE value = 7 + 3*X
-- (why 7? see above. why 3? it's number of CE values per line.)
- changes to [text element] after delay 0
- must be present in GE1
Of course, you can use premade elements too, e.g. if text length is 5, you can use the green key and don't have to make a new one.
When you've done this, you just have to add a changepage to text starter. It should look like this:
- element changes to (extended change target) when
-- (something what should start the text happens)
- use extended change target:
OOO
OOO
ELB
O = your text offset, E = empty space, L = your text length, B = [text init delay]
- replace when empty
- replace all or nothing
That's all. Now it should work.

By the way, Alan's FMV can currently be donwloaded from http://www.bd-fans.com/

Why didn't anyone reply?
(I suppose it was a forum bug and it was marked as "no new messages", so I'm posting a new message.)

Actually, the forum is running slowly because of the bandwith servers...
And started problemly this week...

BTW: I checked your level, nice job on that level... (pretty much advanced CEs
by the way)

Very cool!

They're a bit like mini envelopes I like the last one with the multi-page text (what does the text mean btw?)

See www.lipsum.com