Howto design a "text box" (rpg like txt boxes)

#1 So, you want characters to pop out one by one? Something like:

%string = "Hello Steven";

for (%charNum=0; %charNum<strlen(%string); %charNum++)
{
    %textBox.schedule(10*%charNum, popNextChar, %string, %charNum);
}

function popNextChar(%this, %string, %charNum)
{
    %this.text = %this.text @ getSubstr(%string, %charNum, %charNum+1);
}

This is just off the top of my head, but its the basic idea that *should* work. Just loop through, scheduling characters popping out, and append a character onto your text box.

This assumes that you're using T2DTextObject, not GUITextObject.

If I've completely missed what you were getting at, then ignore the above.

#2 I came up with a way to show a line at a time, assuming you are using gui controls. The "moveMask" is a guibitmapctrl with a white image that starts on top of the guitextlist. It would be even nicer if you could "feather" the top of the bitmap to be partially transparent but there is currently no support for partially transparent bitmap controls.

%guiContent = new GuiControl(testgui) {
canSaveDynamicFields = "0";
isContainer = "1";
Profile = "GuiDefaultProfile";
HorizSizing = "right";
VertSizing = "bottom";
Position = "0 0";
Extent = "800 600";
MinExtent = "8 2";
canSave = "1";
Visible = "1";
hovertime = "1000";

new GuiWindowCtrl() {
canSaveDynamicFields = "0";
isContainer = "1";
Profile = "GuiWindowProfile";
HorizSizing = "right";
VertSizing = "bottom";
Position = "215 82";
Extent = "315 335";
MinExtent = "8 2";
canSave = "1";
Visible = "1";
hovertime = "1000";
maxLength = "1024";
resizeWidth = "1";
resizeHeight = "1";
canMove = "1";
canClose = "1";
canMinimize = "1";
canMaximize = "1";
minSize = "50 50";

new GuiScrollCtrl(textscroll) {
canSaveDynamicFields = "0";
isContainer = "1";
Profile = "GuiScrollProfile";
HorizSizing = "right";
VertSizing = "bottom";
Position = "6 24";
Extent = "304 307";
MinExtent = "8 2";
canSave = "1";
Visible = "1";
hovertime = "1000";
willFirstRespond = "1";
hScrollBar = "alwaysOn";
vScrollBar = "alwaysOn";
constantThumbHeight = "0";
childMargin = "0 0";

new GuiTextListCtrl(textlist) {
canSaveDynamicFields = "0";
isContainer = "1";
Profile = "GuiTextListProfile";
HorizSizing = "right";
VertSizing = "bottom";
Position = "2 2";
Extent = "284 2";
MinExtent = "8 2";
canSave = "1";
Visible = "1";
hovertime = "1000";
enumerate = "0";
resizeCell = "1";
columns = "0";
fitParentWidth = "1";
clipColumnText = "0";
};
new GuiBitmapCtrl(textmask) {
canSaveDynamicFields = "0";
isContainer = "0";
Profile = "GuiDefaultProfile";
HorizSizing = "right";
VertSizing = "bottom";
Position = "-1 -2";
Extent = "300 299";
MinExtent = "8 2";
canSave = "1";
Visible = "1";
hovertime = "1000";
bitmap = "~/data/images/white.png";
wrap = "0";
};
};
};
};

function testgui::onwake(%this)
{
textlist.addrow("word word word word word word",0);
textlist.addrow("word word word word word word",0);
textlist.addrow("word word word word word word",0);
textlist.addrow("word word word word word word",0);
textlist.addrow("word word word word word word",0);
textlist.addrow("word word word word word word",0);
textlist.addrow("word word word word word word",0);
textlist.addrow("word word word word word word",0);
testgui.schedule(30,moveMask);
}

function testgui::moveMask(%this)
{
if (textmask.Position > 400)
return;

%position = textmask.Position;
textmask.setPosition(getword(%position,0),getword(%position,1)+1);
testgui.schedule(100,moveMask);
}

#3 Sorry for the long time to reply, thank you both for the info

trying them both out right now actually

#4 Steven, did you get around to trying these ideas? How did they work?