Learning Processing: A Beginner's Guide to Programming Images ...

Exercise 17-9: Using textWidth( ) , redo Example 17-4 (the text “ mirror ” ) to use a nonfi
xed-width font with proper character spacing. Th e following image uses Arial.
Text 319
Th is “ letter by letter ” methodology can also be applied to a sketch where characters from a String move
independently of one another. Th e following example uses object-oriented design to make each character
from the original String a Letter object, allowing it to both be displayed in its proper location as well as
move about the screen individually.
Example 17-6: Text breaking up
PFont f;
String message = " click mouse to shake it up ";
// An array of Letter objects
Letter[] letters;
void setup() {
size(260,200);
// Load the font
f = createFont( "Arial",20,true);
textFont(f);
// Create the array the same size as the String
letters = new Letter[message.length()];
// Initialize Letters at the correct x location
int x = 16;
for (int i = 0; i < message.length(); i + + ) {
letters[i] = new Letter(x,100,message.charAt(i));
x + = textwidth(message.charAt(i));
}
}
fi g. 17.11
Letter objects are initialized with
their location within the String
as well as what character they
should display.