Using Director > Text > Formatting chunks of text with Lingo |  |

Formatting chunks of text with Lingo

The Director interface lets you format a variety of text characteristics, such as the font, size, style, and line spacing. Using Lingo, you can format text dynamically as the movie plays. You can also use Lingo to rapidly format text during authoring.

Formatting text with Lingo

Lingo can format text in an entire cast member or any specific chunk of text using the following properties.

| To select or identify a chunk of text in a field cast member, use the `selStart` and `selEnd` cast member properties. These properties identify the first and last characters of a text selection. See `selStart` and `selEnd`.
| To refer to a selected chunk of text, use the `selection` cast member property. See `selection (text cast member property)`.
| To specify the font for a text cast member, field cast member, or chunk expression, set the `font` cast member property. See `font`.
| To specify the character size for a text cast member, field cast member, or chunk expression, set the `fontSize` property. See `fontSize`.
| To specify the line spacing for a field cast member, set the `lineHeight` property. See `lineHeight (cast member property)`.
| To specify the style for a text cast member, field cast member, or chunk expression, set the `fontStyle` property. See `fontStyle`.
| To specify the drop shadow size for the characters in a field cast member, set the `boxDropShadow` property. See `boxDropShadow`.
| To specify additional spacing applied to a chunk expression in a text cast member, set the `charSpacing` property. See charSpacing.
| To specify the foreground color for a field cast member, set the `foreColor` property. See `color()`.

Applying paragraph formats with Lingo

Lingo can control paragraph formatting such as alignment and indenting for a chunk expression.

| To set text alignment for a text or field cast member, set the `alignment` property. See `alignment`.
| To set line spacing in points for a text cast member, set the `fixedLineSpace` property. See `fixedLineSpace`.
| To add pixels below paragraphs in a text cast member, set the `bottomSpacing` property. See `bottomSpacing`.
| To add pixels above paragraphs in a text cast member, set the `topSpacing` property. See `topSpacing`.
| To specify line spacing in a field cast member, set the `lineHeight` property. See `lineHeight (cast member property)`.
| To add pixels to the first indent in a chunk expression in a text cast member, set the `firstIndent` property. See `firstIndent`.
| To set the left indent (in pixels) of a chunk expression in a text cast member, set the `leftIndent` property. See `leftIndent`.
| To set the right indent (in pixels) of a chunk expression in a text cast member, set the `rightIndent` property. See `rightIndent`.
| To specify or obtain a list of tabs that are in a chunk expression in a text cast member, set or test the `tabs` property. See `tabs`.