Text Object Panel

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The 'Text' Panel shows properties for the current Text Object.


Note: You can only specify a single font, style and color for a Text Object. You cannot mix colors or styles in the one Text Object

Name
This is the name of the text object. It is also the name that appears in the Outline Panel. If no name is specified, the outline panel will display the actual text. A name must be specified if the text object is a Scripting Object.

Target
If set, allows the object to be treated as a script object. The target option is only displayed if the object is named.

Font Selection
You are able to choose the font for the current Text Object. Only TrueType and Postscript fonts can be used with SWiSH. The pull-down Menu lists all the TrueType and Postscript fonts installed on your computer. When the pull-down list is activated, a window appears next to the current selection showing you what the font looks like.

Font Size
Lets you choose the size of the font (in points) for the current Text Object. You may select the size from the drop-down list of preset sizes, or type the size into the available space.

Text Color button
Lets you select the color of the Text Object using the Color Selector. You may select both color and transparency value (alpha). The default text colour is black.

Typeface Options
Lets you choose various options for displaying the text.
Use Vector Fonts: Displays text in normal vector format.
Use Device Fonts: Specifies that the Flash Player uses device fonts to display the text. Using device fonts means no fonts will be embedded into the Movie, instead the Flash Player will use the font on the local machine that is the closest match. Using device fonts can decrease the Movie size and increase readability for text under 10 points (see the note below for the limitations of using Device Fonts).
Pixel Fonts (sharp): This option will convert any vector font into a pixel-based font. Each part of a pixel font is aligned to exact pixels on the monitor which gives it a crisp appearance even at smaller sizes as opposed to vector fonts which can appear blurred at small sizes.
Pixel Fonts (smooth): Same as sharp pixel fonts; however, this option will add anti-aliasing on the corners and diagonal lines making it look more smooth than sharp pixel fonts.
Vector Font (pixel aligned): This option forces text to be top-left aligned to a whole pixel. Turn it on when using a pixel font (such as minml) to ensure the text is properly aligned. Doing so means you do not need to manually set the text to whole pixels and don't need to change the text alignment.

Note: Due to a Flash Player limitation, Device Fonts cannot be scaled, rotated, masked, or have an alpha value of less than 100% (opaque). When receiving this error message, make sure you choose Vector Fonts instead of Device Fonts (change the "D" icon to "V" or "P"), and do not use the fonts: _sans; _serif; or, _typewriter. Check to make sure the fonts are at 100% scale on the Transform panel (both vertical and horizontal scale). Do not apply any complex effects to Device Fonts (eg, explode, snake, vortex, etc).




Character Options
When using Dynamic or Input text, this will open the character embedding options.

Characters for embedded fonts

Defines which characters will be embedded in the Movie:

·

All characters (ASCII) : All character embedded.

·

Only these characters : A defined set of characters will be embedded.

·

Upper case letters (A..Z ) : Embed all upper case letters

·

Lower case letters (a..z) : Embed all lower case letters

·

Digits (0..9) : Embed all digits

·

Punctuation : Embed all punctuation characters

·

These characters : The inputted set of characters will be embedded ( Note: No spaces or commas are required between the character list)

Bold and Italic Buttons
Lets you set the style of the text to plain, bold, italic or a combination of both. The default settings are for plain text.


Justification
Lets you set the text justification for the text object.
Left: Aligns the text to the left side.
Center: Aligns all of the text to the center.
Right: Aligns the text to the right side.
Full: Aligns all lines of text except lines that have been wrapped to the right and left sides. It will add spaces between words to spread them out (this option is only available for Static text).
Full (all lines): This aligns all lines to both the left and right sides - It will add spaces between individual words to spread them out (this option is only available for Static text).
Full (all except bottom line): Aligns all lines except the bottom line to both the right and left side (this option is only available for Static text).


These justification options are the same as above; however, these options are only available when the text flow is changed to 'Top to Bottom' (full justification options are only available for Static text).


Text Flow
Lets you select the direction of the text flow. The flow can only be defined for Static Text. The available directions are:
from left to right, top to bottom. This is the default setting.
from top to bottom, right to left.
from right to left, top to bottom.
from top to bottom, left to right.

Insert Character
Allows you to selected special characters to be inserted from the drop-down menu provided.

Text Type Selection
Text objects can be defined as one of three types:

·	Static: A standard text object.

·	Dynamic: A text object that can be altered by a script while the Movie is running.

·	Input: A text object that can be altered by the Movie viewer, typically used for input forms.

Hide Options/Dimensions/Formatting/Advanced
Displays the following text options dependant upon your selection:

·	Hide Options

Hides the dimensions, formatting and advanced text options.

·	Dimensions

Displays the following options for controlling your text fields dimensions:

Enable Margins and Indent

This option allows you to set Margins and an Indent for your text object. When selected you can set the following options:

Indent

Sets the amount to indent the first line of the Text Object.

Width

Sets the sizes of the right margin for the Text Object.

Auto-Size Height

When selected defines the height of the text field to be the size of the text. When unselected you can define the height of the text field using the Height/Lines selection.

Height/Lines

When Height is selected you can define the height of the text field to be a set number of pixels. When Lines is selected you can define the height of the text field to be a set number of lines.

·	Formatting

Displays the following formatting options:

Auto Kerning

When selected the Auto Kerning option uses the kerning settings in the font in use.

Render Text as HTML

Preserves HTML text formatting options such as size and hyperlinks for input and dynamic text fields. HTML text formatting can only be seen externally from SWiSHmax, for example using File | Test | In Player. The HTML tags <A>, <B>, <FONT COLOR>, <FONT FACE>, <FONT SIZE>, <I>, <P>, and <U>. The HTML attributes supported are LEFTMARGIN, RIGHTMARGIN, ALIGN, INDENT, and LEADING.

Wrap Text at Word Breaks

Wraps lines of text at the end of the text field, otherwise text is only wrapped at carriage returns.

Kerning

The Kerning control adjusts the horizontal distance between characters in a word. A negative number will move the characters closer together, while a positive number will move the characters further apart. A value of zero (the default setting) resets the kerning to the standard distances defined by the font.

Leading

The Leading control adjusts the vertical distance between lines in a multi-line Text Object. A negative number will move the lines closer together, while a positive number will move the lines further apart. A value of zero (the default setting) resets the leading to the standard distance defined by the font.

·

Advanced

Displays the following advanced text options:

Black Border with White Background

Shows the text field with a black border and a white background.

Text is Selectable

The user can select the text in the text field.

Password Text

The * character is displayed for each text character, useful for password input fields.

Multi-line Text

Allows users to use the enter key for newlines when entering text in an input text field.

Use Parent Name as Text

Uses the name of the parent group/sprite/button/scene as the text. Useful for text in button states, as the text that appears in the button has the same name as the button.

Variable (Input and Dynamic Text only)

If the dynamic/input text field is a target, then setting this option lets you use a variable to access the text field contents, otherwise you need to use the ".text" property of the text field. If you do set this option, then the variable you specify MUST have a name different to the name of the text field itself. If the dynamic/input text field is NOT a target, then it is automatically associated with a variable of the same name (eg. for a simple text field called 'myfield' you would use the variable also called 'myfield' to access the text field contents via the scripting language. See Text Field Object for more information on scripting).

Maximum characters allowed (Input text only)

For Input text, this option will allow you to limit the number of characters that the user will be able to type into this field.

Text window
The text window is the large window in the middle of the Panel, where text is entered and edited. New lines can be added by pressing the Enter key. Changes in the text window are updated in the Layout Panel as you type. If you have the Show Formatting option enabled (in Tools Preferences), then the text in the windows will be displayed in the font and color you have chosen. However, the font size remains unchanged so that the text does not become too large or small to be legible. The word "text" is the default setting.


A text object with Margins has additional handles that allow adjustment of the Margin and text box size.