Scripting Request: Text Outlines

[Tigairius]

Similar to textshadows, it would be incredibly nice if we could outline text.

I imagine it could work like so:

PHP Code:

with (findimg(100)) {
  this.text = "Hello";

  this.textoutline = true; // enable text outlines
  this.outlinethickness = 2; // 2 pixel outline
  this.outlinecolor = {0, 0, 0, 255}; // text outline color
} 


Example:

[cbk1994]

From March:

Originally Posted by Stefan

Outline colors is quite complex, because we couldn't re-use the same texture for different colored texts. Black and white could work but other things are complex. Often programs just draw with a bigger font behind the current text. So it is possible but will probably not be added very soon.

[Tigairius]

Originally Posted by cbk1994

From March:

That makes me sad, but it was expected because I can't imagine outlining being very easy to add.

[DustyPorViva]

Lack of text outlines means no decent looking text in some instances

[Tigairius]

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

Lack of text outlines means no decent looking text in some instances

I'm afraid I agree entirely.

[blader2007_p2p]

Yeah it'd be nice to see on Graal. While you're at it, it would be really nice to see it being possible to add actual shading to text, imagery or GUI windows.

Example:


As for the outline, you should also be able to choose to either draw the outline outside of the text, inside of the text and on top of the border.

Example:

[Crow]

I'm using a customized function that will create eight TShowImg objects using the same text and different shadow offsets to get an outline to it. Not the best way to do it, but then again, I'm not using it often.

[MattKan]

Would benefit me because I wouldn't have to look at the ugly text that many servers seem to use.

[BigBear3]

Would be awesome

[Hezzy002]

PHP Code:

for (i=0;i<4;i++) {
  //Create child text controls at vecx(i), vecy(i) with the desired outline color.
} 


Probably the best you'll be able to get for a long time.

[DustyPorViva]

Originally Posted by Hezzy002

PHP Code:

for (i=0;i<4;i++) {
  //Create child text controls at vecx(i), vecy(i) with the desired outline color.
} 


Probably the best you'll be able to get for a long time.

You'd actually need 8, and it's not the most flexible method around. Also, text isn't really the fastest thing to render, so it's not very desirable(especially for say, nick names or chat text).

[Hezzy002]

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

You'd actually need 8, and it's not the most flexible method around. Also, text isn't really the fastest thing to render, so it's not very desirable(especially for say, nick names or chat text).

For a one-pixel (or even two, if you don't mind the small artifact on the corners) sized outline, four would suffice. Anything more than one pixel usually looks like ass (in my opinion) anyway. Could you somehow cache it in a texture using a TDrawingPanel?

[DustyPorViva]

Originally Posted by Hezzy002

For a one-pixel (or even two, if you don't mind the small artifact on the corners) sized outline, four would suffice. Anything more than one pixel usually looks like ass (in my opinion) anyway. Could you somehow cache it in a texture using a TDrawingPanel?

The corners would kind of bug the hell out of me.

Don't think you can draw text to the DrawingPanel(might be able to in v6) but I doubt you'd get much of a performance boost, at least not for active stuff like chat. It's too taxing to constantly draw to one every frame.

[Crow]

Here's a sample:


The first two ones use only four text controls. First one is adding shadows at top, left, bottom and right, second one is adding them at top left, bottom left, bottom right, top right. Third one has them all.

[xXziroXx]

Originally Posted by Crow

Here's a sample:


The first two ones use only four text controls. First one is adding shadows at top, left, bottom and right, second one is adding them at top left, bottom left, bottom right, top right. Third one has them all.

First one looks best