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| Home >>Unit 3 >> Lesson 4 |
| NBA: Ghost Writer | |||
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Introduction |
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| This NBA allows text to be automatically typed into a text field one letter at a time, as if a ghost was sitting at the keyboard. This can be a cool way to display a message or bit of information. | |||
| To use Ghost Writer you have to have a text object to "activate". To be sure to activate the text object you want to, it is best to name that text object. If there is more than one text object/box on the card, Ghost Writer will type the text into any "active" text object. So if there is a text object on your card that is not named it may type the text into that one.If you do not name the text object, it will be automatically named "untitled". | |||
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You can also choose which text in a specific text object the text will go into by enclosing the name of the field in curly brackets. If you do not choose a text field, the text will go into the currently active text object on the card. So if you have more than one text object/box on the card, you can specify that you want the text "typed" into. |
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| For instance, you may have one text object/box that does not have a name, it will be automatically named "untitled". If you want the Ghost Writer text in the text box named, "end message", you can name the text object/box that name. Be sure to spell the name of the text object/box with the exact way it is spelled in the NBA "name" field when you are setting up your NBA directions. | |||
When you double-click on the text object you will bring up the Text Appearance box. The name of the text object will be the same name that you will fill in for Ghost Writer to activate in the NAME field in {curley brackets}where you type the instructions on the New Button Actions dialog box. |
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| At any point in your message you can change the speed of the typing by enclosing a speed command in curly brackets (the default is 5 letters per second). There are different speed commands you can specify. | |||
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| The speed commands are: | |||
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Tips! If you do not want the message to still be there when it finishes typing, then you will have to use a @ symbol for each key to delete. Long messages or statements may not work well to try and delete the entire message. Just try it and see if it works. |
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| Every time you click on the text object/box, it will activate Ghost Writer again. This will cause the text to retype where ever the cursor had left off before. | |||
| If you do not want anyone else that has HyperStudio to change the text objects in your stack, you need to check the "read only" box. That way if they click on the text object they will not be able to select it. You have to perform this action with every object separately. | |||
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Applying Ghost Writer |
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| To use Ghost Writer, you have to have a text object available. You do not write the text in the text object. You will type in the text that will "appear" in the text field when you are setting up your ghost writer instructions. | |||
1. Insert a text object onto the card by going to Objects>Add a Text Object. You can adjust the size and shape of the text object as needed. The text will fit to the size and shape of the text box. Do not type in your message in this text box. Ghost Writer will do that. |
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2. Name your text object you want to activate. If you have any other text object/box on that same card, Ghost Writer may write the text in the wrong text box. Remember that an "untitled" text box is an active text field. |
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| After you insert the text object, you can name it. You can also double-click on the text object to bring up the Text Appearance box. You name the text object there. |  |
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| 3.Next, click on Actions. Then click on New Button Actions. | |||
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| 4.Select the Ghost Writer NBA from the list. Then click Use this NBA. | |||
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| 5. Type in the text you want Ghost Writer to type. | |||
| If you need the change the speed for a specific part of the message, then put the number per second you want the text to run in curly brackets in front of that part of the text. The speed range is 1-20 or fastest. For example {3} or {5} or {10}..... |  |
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| 6. Click OK when finished with instructions. | |||
| If you want any part of the text to be deleted, then type in a @ symbol for every letter you want "backspaced" out of the text field. |  |
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| When you have completed typing the text and any other instructions (text object name- {message1}, speed {5, or the @ to delete a letter) then you are ready to click OK on the New Button Actions box. | |||
| 7. Set Automatic Timer if desired. | |||
| You have the text start typing when you click on the text object, but you can also set the automatic timer to start the text at a specific time. | |||
You can choose from:
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| Note: It is not advisable to use repeating for Ghost Writer action, it may cause the stack to become unstable due to the repeating action. Ghost Writer can be tricky | |||
| 8. Test Actions | |||
| Always test out the actions you added. Choose the browse tool on the Tools Palette in order to put the stack in active mode. To test out your new button actions when using the automatic timer, you need to go to another card (using the buttons or the move menu) and come back to the card you set the timer on to activate the action. | |||
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