Game text

Entity description

An entity that displays text on players' screens. This text can be defined directly in the Hammer editor (unlike the similar env_message entity which uses the titles.txt file). This entity is suitable only for standalone bsp maps.

Warning:It is not suitable for any other usage, as it prevents localization and makes text editing impossible without a recompilation.

Warning:Don't use quotation characters (") in the Text Message field (not even \" characters). It will cause fatal errors with opening and/or compiling your map and may need to be fixed by manually editing the VMF in a text editor. Instead, use use detailed quotes (i.e. “ and ”).

• See also point_message - A similar entity that displays a small custom message at a specific position in the game world.
• Customizable triggered HUD-message - How to create a new entity that is similar to game_text but can receive the message string via a triggered input.

Warning:Don't use quotation characters (") in the Text Message field (not even \" characters). It will cause fatal errors with opening and/or compiling your map and may need to be fixed by manually editing the VMF in a text editor. Instead, use use detailed quotes (i.e. “ and ”).

If your text is not displaying properly in a multiplayer game, try checking the "All Players" flag.

Note:Does not function in Counter-Strike Source.

In code it is represented by class CGameText, defined in maprules.cpp.

Keyvalues

Name (targetname) <string>[ Edit ]

The name that other entities refer to this entity by, via Inputs/Outputs or other keyvalues (e.g. parentname or target).
Also displayed in Hammer's 2D views and Entity Report.

See also:  Generic Keyvalues, Inputs and Outputs available to all entities

• master

<target_destination> Legacy support: The name of a master entity. If the master hasn't been activated, this entity will not activate.

• message

<string> Message to display onscreen. \n signifies a new line in the text.

• x

<float> Horizontal position on the player's screens to draw the text. The value should be between 0 and 1, where 0 is the far left of the screen and 1 is the far right. -1 centers the text.

• y

<float> Vertical position on the player's screens to draw the text. The value should be between 0 and 1, where 0 is the top of the screen and 1 is the bottom. -1 centers the text.

• effect

<choices> Text Effect.

Literal value	Effect	Description
0	Fade In/Out	The whole text is faded in, and then faded out.
1	Credits	Todo: Unknown - seems to act like Fade In/Out. Provide description.
2	Scan Out	The text is scanned in letter by letter, and the whole text is then faded out.

• color

<color255> Color1 - The primary color used by all the text effects.

• color2

<color255> Color2 - The scanning color for the letter being scanned if the Text Effect keyvalue is set to Scan Out - usually a different shade of Color1.

• fadein

<float> The time it should take for the text to fully fade in.

• fadeout

<float> The time it should take for the text to fade out, after the hold time has expired.

• holdtime

<float> The time the text should stay onscreen, after fading in, before it begins to fade out.

• fxtime

<float> If the 'Text Effect' is set to Scan Out, this is the time it should take to scan out all the letters in the text.

• channel

<choices> Text Channel. You can have up to four individual game_text messages onscreen at once, stored in channels. Select which channel this text should be placed in, which will overwrite any active message already in that channel.

Note:Only Channels 1-4 are displayed in the choice list.

Literal value	Description
0	Channel 0
1	Channel 1
2	Channel 2
3	Channel 3
4	Channel 4
5	Channel 5

Flags

• 1 : All Players

Inputs

• Display

Display the message text.