Not played with AL for a while.  So decided to have a play.  Whilst there are a few (easier) ways to accomplish the task, I just wanted to concentrate on custom script.  NOTE, if you do not have 'Lucida Console' font on the computer (which is normally included with windows), it may not work properly without alteration.

This is simply another example of using custom script to manipulate an object, in this case some text.  the tcw file is saved as v21, so should open in all modern versions.   The custom script is commented so anyone can follow what is happening.  It's nothing special, I just wanted to do something different.  If it looks a bit 'jerky', it is designed that way (changes every 5 frame),  like an old style LED display, except I did not have an LED font on my computer (and works best as monospaced text).

The main oddity found, is that normally Move absolute uses the reference point as shown on screen,  however with text,  it does not use the displayed reference point (which is the justification of the text), but the centre of extents of character(s). Equivalent to setting justification to centre & middle.   Which I didn't know until doing this test.

Click the blue rectangle below to start the gif animation.

Andy

Nice one Andy, your animation examples are always handy as references. Ive done a lot of work with the ship design to date and its progressing well. I know that Im gunna have problems with lighting when I add animation for internal views of all spaces ( read engineering and sleeping quarters etc ).

I was wondering if lights could be made to travel along a path just like a camera ( like Kais house animation video a few years ago )?

I was wondering if lights could be made to travel along a path just like a camera ( like Kais house animation video a few years ago )?

Thanks Darryl.    Yes. one can use lights on a path (except headlight and ambient), just like other objects, though they will probably be trial and error.  Personally I don't tend to move lights.  I would be more inclined to use a square or sphere object with a luminance attached.  But that's just me.  One could quite easily use a spotlight and path to simulate a torch being moves around in a dark room.

I did originaly consider a spotlight to be used as a torch just wondering if that might work. But I have no experience with lights within anialb whatsoever.

But I guess the best approach would be a luminance sphere attached that would maybe follow the camera as I move through each space.