Vertical writing

[k6ccc]

I am trying to do some text using 12 strips in a star ray configuration. I want the characters to be vertical and move up or down and cant find any way to do that (except by making a separate text animation for each character). To make sure I am communicating what I want to do, I want something like:

M

E

R

R

Y

C

H

R

I

S

T

M

A

S

Is there an easier way to do this that one character at a time?

[jimswinder]

I wish that option was there also....

[BrianBruderer]

Unfortunately there is no easy way to do what text that way. As you say, you must do it one character at a time. Possibly a feature for next year.

[Frank Farmer]

Hey Guys,

I created a custom font to do just that. You have to play with the timing a little bit to get the speed you want, but I have done just that in one of my sequences.

Download the following file:

10-12x12_TEST.custom.txt

rename it so it ends with .font instead of .txt (couldn't upload font files here).

copy it into your \superstar\fonts folder and then restart superstar.

You'll have a new font called TEST.

I only rotated the uppercase letters because that's all I was using, but you rotate any other letters your using.

Hope this helps,

Frank

[BrianBruderer]

Doh! I didn't think of that. I should complete that font and make it part of the standard download.

[Frank Farmer]

Brian, I had to set the width to 12 for all the characters and center them in the box.

I'm sure you could clean it up to center the text automatically and adjust the timing.

Thanks for giving us the tools to do it!

Frank

[jimswinder]

Hey Guys,

I created a custom font to do just that. You have to play with the timing a little bit to get the speed you want, but I have done just that in one of my sequences.

Download the following file:

10-12x12_TEST.custom.txt

rename it so it ends with .font instead of .txt (couldn't upload font files here).

copy it into your \superstar\fonts folder and then restart superstar.

thanks Frank!!!!

[wbaker4]

Here is a font that can be used for a vertical matrix - 8 wide - 25 high.

I set ! and caps A-Z.

Change txt to font

I hope someone finds this useful.10-12x12_VERT.system.txt

Walt

[jimswinder]

Here is a font that can be used for a vertical matrix - 8 wide - 25 high.

I set ! and caps A-Z.

Change txt to font

I hope someone finds this useful.10-12x12_VERT.system.txt

Walt

hmm...I can't get yours or Franks to show up in the Superstar Font List...

Even though I have changed it from .txt to .font, it still says it is a text document

Edited December 10, 2012 by jimswinder

[wbaker4]

If I remember right, using Notepad, when saving the file with the .font extension, change the flie type from txt to something else and then save it.

Make sure you copy it to the right superstar font subdirectory. For some reason on my computer I have two superstar subdirectories. Each has their own font folder.

[jimswinder]

I used Notepad and changed the file type...still saves it as a text document...

I only have one font directory...

Never mind...got it to work...had to go back and re-download it...

Edited December 10, 2012 by jimswinder

[BrianBruderer]

You can change the name of the file by finding the file in explorer, then doing a right click on the file and selecting "rename"

[jimswinder]

You can change the name of the file by finding the file in explorer, then doing a right click on the file and selecting "rename"

yep..did that...still saved it as a text document... all is good..got it to work

Edited December 10, 2012 by jimswinder

[BrianBruderer]

The problem is that the operating system defaults to "not showing file extensions" so if your file name was "MyFile.txt" it is displayed as "MyFile" in explorer, and if you rename it, it will be "MyFile.font" in explorer, but the real file name will be "MyFile.font.txt" because they don't display the file extension. This is intended to prevent people from changing the file type because they can unintentionally mess things up.

If you are running Windows 7, do the following:

1) launch explorer

2) Click on the "Oranize" button in the upper left area

3) Click on "Folder and search options"

4) Click on the "View" tab at the top

5) Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"

6) Click on the "Apply to Folders" button

7) If it asks "Do you want all folders of this type to match this folder's view settings?" answer Yes

8) Click on Ok

Now the file extensions will be displayed and you can modify the file extension

[wbaker4]

I am planning on modifying the file to make small graphics that can be shared among sequences by selectiong various characters in the font file.

Will be quicker than redrawing them for each sequence!

Any ideas for pictures for an 8x7 array? (In my case)

[BrianBruderer]

Cool, sounds like what they sometimes call a "Wing Dings" font. The obvious things to include are a circle, square, triangle, star, heart, every other pixel on.

[jimswinder]

I still can't get the font to work properly...I have "Good Night!!" in the text box, but only the letter "G", "N" and exclamation points are vertical...

EDIT: IF I make them all CAPITAL letters it works....Bug??

It also goes to the "left"...any way to "center" it?

Oh..and this is Walts 10-12x12 VERT.system.txt font...

Oh..one more thing..any way to modify the letters, as they are not all the same width...IE the "O"'s are 10 ribbons wide, the "D" is 7 ribbons wide and the "G" is only 6 ribbons wide...

OOps...just noticed everything is vertical now except the last "T" and the exclamation points!! LOL

Edited December 12, 2012 by jimswinder

[BrianBruderer]

I tested the font, and he has only made the upper case letters vertical, and he missed a few. Looks like 'O' and 'T' have not been done.

[jimswinder]

I tested the font, and he has only made the upper case letters vertical, and he missed a few. Looks like 'O' and 'T' have not been done.

just my luck!!! LOL

[BrianBruderer]

I will see if I can finish the font.