Change dynamic text color

[gunsofthomaso]

So I have this typewriter script that looks like this:
frame 1:

firstname = "Tom";
_root.strText = "Hi "+firstname+". Allow me to introduce myself.";
_root.counter = 1;

frame 2 (labeled "loop"):

_root.text1 = _root.strText.substr(0,_root.counter);
_root.counter++

frame 3:

gotoAndPlay("loop");

I'm looking to get 'firstname' to be a different color than the rest of the text. How can I do this?

[dawsonk]

What version of flash are you using?

[gunsofthomaso]

sorry.. using cs3 with as2.0

[dawsonk]

I'm using MX2004, maybe you can adapt this to want you are trying to do...

// txt1 and txt2 are instances of the same movieclip, txt2 masks txt1
// font used in dynamic text field needs to be in library and exported
stop();
var firstname = "Tom";
var firstnameHTML = "<FONT COLOR='#FF0000'>" + firstname + "</FONT>";
//
txt1.myTxt.htmlText = "Hi " + firstnameHTML + ". Allow me to introduce myself.";
//
var myStrText = txt1.myTxt.text;
var CT = 0;
txt2.onEnterFrame = function() {
	txt2.myTxt.htmlText = myStrText.substr(0, CT++);
	if (CT > myStrText.length) {
		delete this.onEnterFrame;
	}
};
//

[gunsofthomaso]

Thanks dawsonk, but I was looking to have the text be center aligned. I notice when i change this the effect doesn't work that same. I started working with another typewriter script:

var firstname = "Tom";
var phrase_string:String="Hi "+firstname+". Allow me to introduce myself";
var n:Number= phrase_string.length;
var i:Number=0;
this.onEnterFrame=function(){
 if (i<n){
//display_txt is the instance of my dynamic text box
  display_txt.text+=phrase_string.substr(i,1);
  i+=1;
 }
}

I tried to mash up what you posted

hover.fin.fish.openMov.gotoAndStop(1);
var firstname = "Tom";
var firstnameHTML = "<FONT COLOR='#FF0000'>"+firstname+"</FONT>";
var phrase_string = "Hi "+firstnameHTML+". Allow me to introduce myself.";
var n:Number = phrase_string.length;
var i:Number = 0;
this.onEnterFrame = function() {
	if (i<n) {
		//display_txt is the instance of my dynamic text box
		display_txt.htmlText += phrase_string.substr(i, 1);
		i += 1;
	}
};

but my script doesn't literally spells out "Hi <FONT...."

[gunsofthomaso]

i don't see much of a difference between what you posted and what i posted.. can any one explain this to me?

[dawsonk]

//
var firstname = "Tom";
var phrase_string = "Hello " + firstname + ". Allow me to introduce myself.";
//
var sX = phrase_string.indexOf(firstname);
var eX = sX + firstname.length;
var phraseArray = phrase_string.split("");
var n:Number = phraseArray.length;
for (j = 0; j < n; j++) {
	if (j >= sX && j < eX) {
		phraseArray[j] = "<font color='#FF0000'>" + phraseArray[j] + "</font>";
	}
}
//
var phrase = "";
var i:Number = 0;
this.onEnterFrame = function() {
	if (i < n) {
		phrase += phraseArray[i];
		//display_txt is the instance of my dynamic text box
		this.display_txt.htmlText = "<p align='center'>" + phrase + "</p>";
		i++;
	} else {
		delete this.onEnterFrame;
	}
};

[gunsofthomaso]

beautiful dawsonk! thanks a lot!