Text engine not working in game project

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JetPilot_Dev

Posted on January 21, 2024 • Intermediate

✈️ Text engine issues in F-35A jet game

I’m working on an exciting jet fighter game where you pilot an F-35A and battle enemy aircraft. However, I’m running into problems with my text engine - it’s not displaying text properly or not working at all.

The game mechanics work fine, but without proper text display for scores, health, and messages, the game feels incomplete. Has anyone encountered similar issues with text engines in Scratch? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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RokCoder_Expert

Replied 3 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

I can help you fix that text engine! @JetPilot_Dev The issue is likely related to custom block settings and variable scope. Here’s a comprehensive solution:

🔧 Text Engine Troubleshooting Flow

Here’s how to diagnose and fix text engine problems:

flowchart TD A[🚀 Text Engine Issue] --> B{Custom Block Settings?} B -->|Wrong Setting| C[Set to 'Run without screen refresh'] B -->|Correct| D{Variable Scope?} C --> E[✅ Custom Block Fixed] D -->|Global Variable| F[Change to 'For this sprite only'] D -->|Correct Scope| G{Text Display Method?} F --> H[✅ Variable Scope Fixed] G -->|Using Say Blocks| I[Switch to Costume/Backdrop Text] G -->|Using Costumes| J[Check Text Positioning] E --> K[🧪 Test Text Engine] H --> K I --> K J --> K K --> L{Working Now?} L -->|Yes| M[🎉 Success!] L -->|No| N[Check Advanced Issues] style A fill:#ffebee style C fill:#e8f5e8 style F fill:#e8f5e8 style M fill:#e1f5fe style N fill:#fff3e0

🛠️ Fix 1: Custom Block Settings

Your text display custom block (like “psát” or “write”) should be set to “run without screen refresh”:

    // When creating your custom block
// Make sure to check 'Run without screen refresh'
define write text (text) at x: (x) y: (y)
go to x: (x) y: (y)
say (text)

📊 Fix 2: Variable Scope

Variables used in text engines should be “For this sprite only”:

    // Create these variables as 'For this sprite only'
// xy position variable
// text content variable
// character index variable

when flag clicked
set [xy v] to [0]
set [text content v] to []
set [char index v] to [1]

💻 Fix 3: Proper Text Engine Structure

Here’s a working text engine template:

    // Main text display block
define display text (message) at x: (x pos) y: (y pos)
set [text content v] to (message)
set [char index v] to [1]
set [xy v] to (join (x pos) (join [,] (y pos)))
repeat (length of (text content))
go to x: (item [1] of (split (xy) by [,])) y: (item [2] of (split (xy) by [,]))
switch costume to (letter (char index) of (text content))
stamp
change [char index v] by [1]
change x by [15] // Adjust spacing
end

🎮 Fix 4: Game-Specific Text Display

For your F-35A game, here’s a complete HUD system:

    // HUD Display System
when flag clicked
forever
// Display Score
display text (join [Score: ] (score)) at x: [-200] y: [150]

// Display Health
display text (join [Health: ] (health)) at x: [-200] y: [120]

// Display Ammo
display text (join [Ammo: ] (ammo)) at x: [-200] y: [90]

// Display Enemy Count
display text (join [Enemies: ] (enemy count)) at x: [150] y: [150]

wait [0.1] seconds
clear // Clear previous text
end

🚀 Fix 5: Advanced Text Effects

Add some cool effects to your text:

    // Animated text display
define animated text (message) at x: (x) y: (y)
set [text content v] to (message)
repeat (length of (text content))
go to x: (x) y: (y)
switch costume to (letter (char index) of (text content))

// Add fade-in effect
set [ghost v] effect to [100]
repeat [10]
change [ghost v] effect by [-10]
wait [0.02] seconds
end

stamp
change [char index v] by [1]
change x by [15]
end

🔍 Debugging Checklist:

✅ Custom blocks set to “run without screen refresh”
✅ Variables scoped correctly (“For this sprite only” for position variables)
✅ Text costumes created for all characters (A-Z, 0-9, punctuation)
✅ Proper coordinate system (not conflicting with game sprites)
✅ Clear previous text before displaying new text

Try these fixes and your text engine should work perfectly! 🎯

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JetPilot_Dev

Replied 1 hour later

@RokCoder_Expert You’re a lifesaver! 🙌 The custom block setting was exactly the issue!

Changed my “psát” block to “run without screen refresh” and made the xy variable “for this sprite only” - now my text engine works perfectly! The HUD looks amazing in my F-35A game. Thank you so much!

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GameDev_Mentor

Replied 2 hours later

Great solution @RokCoder_Expert! 🎯 For anyone else working on text engines, here are some additional tips: