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NBA: Roll Credits

Introduction
Options to Specify
Using Roll Credits
Steps to Add Roll Credits
Automatic Timer & Test Actions
Video
Practice Session

Introduction

This NBA allows you to automatically scroll the contents of a text field. Roll Credits works better the more text you have to "scroll". You can specify the speed and direction that the text will move.

One use for this would be to scroll through a list of credits much like at the end of a motion picture. A project about one's family with the names listed, a thank-you to those people and other resources that contributed to completing a project, or maybe an introduction of the characters in a fairy tale story. Roll Credits can be a fun or useful way to display textual information.

View this stack on My Family. The first card and last card have rolling credits for the list of family members this project was about.

Setup Options to Specify

Name	Enter the name of the field to scroll. You can give a field a name by selecting a field and choosing. 'Edit this object' from the Edit menu.
Number of steps	Enter the number of scroll steps the field should perform. Enter zero to scroll to the very end of the field. If you do not want all of the text in a specific text box to "scroll" you can try a larger number.
Speed	Enter then number of scroll steps that should occur in a second. Use the 'Test Speed' button to get a feel for the various speeds.
Scroll lines	Choosing this option will cause the scroll to occur one text line at a time, regardless of the font size.
Scroll pixels	Choosing this option will cause the field to scroll the specified number of pixels each step. Use this option for finer control over the scrolling.
Number of pixels	Enter the number of pixels the field should scroll each step. A value of 1 or 2 will give smooth scrolling for an average size font. Other values might be used to scroll large fonts at something other than a line at a time. (A pixel is a dot on the screen, there are 12 pixels from the bottom to top of the character A).

Using Roll Credits

You must have a text object with the text that you want to "scroll". To insert a text object go to Objects>Add a Text Object.

You can make the text box small and wide, tall and narrow, etc. The text will adjust to the size of the box.

You can also adjust the length and width of a text box to fit the shape needed on the card.

Depending on where you need to put the text box and the amount of space available on the card, you can readjust the size and shape of the text box by putting the cursor arrow over the dotted border of the text box, holding the mouse button down while you drag the box inward/outward or up/down to change the shape of the box.

Steps to Adding Roll Credits:

1. Add a text box.

The text box does not require the scroll bar, but does have to be made "scrollable".

2. Add the text to your text box.

You can type in the text you want to scroll.

You can copy/paste some text into a text box. You may have to adjust the text or the size of the text box after you paste it in the text box.

This text was typed in the text box.

This text was copied and pasted into the text box.

3. Add NBA to text object or button .

Now that you have text in the text box you can add the NBA Roll Credits. You can add this

NBA to the text object/box itself or add an invisible button that can activate the text to start "scrolling". You must name the text object that you want to activate.

For instance, this text object is named "my family", so you need to type this name into the "Name" field.

The "name" of the text object must match what you type in the "Name" field under Roll Credits Setup.

4. Bring up Actions box.

Double-click on the button to bring up the Button Appearance box.

Click on ACTIONS. Click on NEW BUTTON ACTIONS.

5. Select "Roll Credits" from the NBA list.

6. Select your Setup options

Section 1: Roll Credits Setup
Section 2: Scrolling Setup
Section 3: Scrolling Direction

To add Roll Credits you need to follow the directions for each section below. Step-by-step details are listed for each section. Follow the procedure listed to fill in the information needed for each section you

see highlighted in the image to the right.

Section 1: Roll Credits Setup

1. First you will fill in the needed information for Roll Credits Setup.

2. Check name of text object you want to activate the text scrolling. Under Roll Credits Setup you need to be sure you name the text object that will be activated. The name needs to be typed exactly as it is on the text object.

3. The Roll Credits Set Up Information will look like this>>

Roll Credit Steps:

A. Select the number of steps.

Using zero (0) will allow the text to scroll the entire

length of the text object/box.

B. Select the speed the text will run.

The speed the text flows will be influenced by:

the size of the text
the amount of text
whether you use pixels or lines scrolled
number of lines or pixels

C. You can click on the Test Speed button to see if the text flows at the speed you want it to before you click OK.

Section 2: Scrolling Setup

Set up these features to determine the scrolling direction of the text.

A. Select if you want the text to scroll per line or per pixel.

B. Choosing "scroll pixels" will cause the field to scroll the specified number

of pixels for each "step" you listed in the Scroll Set up section. This will give

finer control over the scrolling speed.

C. If you choose Scroll pixels, select the number of pixels you want the text

to scroll by.

Determing how many pixels to select:

Remember a pixel is a dot on the screen there are 12 pixels from

the bottom to top of a character/letter.

Number of pixels:Enter the number of pixels the field should scroll

each step. A value of 1 or 2 will give smooth scrolling for an average

size font. Other values might be used to scroll large fonts at something

other than a line at a time.

Section 3: Scrolling Direction

A. Select if you want the text to scroll vertically or horizontally.

B. For rolling credits such as those used for a movie or at the end of a project or story, it is best to use vertical scrolling. This is the most commonly used way to scroll the text. You may want to have the text "slide"in from the side, which is where the horizontal option may used.

Complete Roll Credits Setup

A. Check that all the information you filled in is correct. When you have made all your selections for your Roll Credits options, you are ready to click OK.

B. Activate with Automatic Timer.

You can activate "roll credits" by selecting the automatic timer. Have the text start scrolling as soon as the card is shown or so many seconds after the card is shown.

You can also have the text start to scroll when the text object is clicked. If you click "Ignore mouse clicks" on the Roll Credits box this will not work.

9. Testing the NBA Actions

Now you can text the text object you added Roll Credits to. Go back and click on

the Browse tool to test out the NBA Roll Credits. If you did not apply the

automatic timer, then click on the button or text object to which you applied Roll Credits.

If you applied the automatic timer, then you will need to go to that card so the automatic

timer will activate. You will need to go to another card and then go back to that card to

activate the automatic timer.

View Video:

Using Roll Credits

Practice Session: Roll Credits

Created by Neva B.Odom

Last updated April 27, 2007