SCRATCH

APP – ANIMATED TEXT

DESCRIPTION

For this application, you will use new sprites and create an animated version of your name.

STEPS

STEP 0 – NEW APPLICATION

• You need to start with a new application. So choose File > New. Of course, you need to save any previous work beforehand or it will be lost.

STEP 1 – NEW SPRITE – FIRST LETTER

• In the Sprite section, click to add a new sprite (see image below). Choose the first letter of your name. Note that letters are at the bottom of all the sprites.

STEP 2 – THE REST OF THE LETTERS

• Add the rest of the letters from your name. You can use a nickname if you have too many letters.

STEP 3 – REMOVE THE CAT

• We do not need the cat so you can remove that sprite by clicking on the trash that appears to the top right of it.

STEP 4 – PLACE THE LETTERS

• In the Application section, place all the letters to your name nicely by dragging them into place.

STEP 5 – ADD GREEN FLAG EVENT

• Like most programs, we will start coding with the When green flag clicked block. Drag it in.
  
  
• Do this for each of your letters! So if you have 5 letters, you must drag it in once for each letter (by selecting that letter first).

STEP 6 – ADD A GLIDE

• Under the Motion statements, find the glide (1) secs to x (#) y(#). Notice that the numbers for x and y actually reflect the current location of your letter.
  
  Drag this statement in for each letter without changing the # values.

STEP 7 – RUN THE PROGRAM (NOTHING HAPPENS)

• When you try running the program, nothing happens. This is because the letters are already at the location where they need to glide to.

STEP 8 – MOVE LETTERS AND RUN

• Try dragging the letters in the Application section all over the place and then run the application. All your letters should now move to their resting location to form your name.

STEP 9 – GO TO STATEMENTS

• Constantly having to scatter the letters before running the program is not ideal. Instead, we want to put in a command that will scatter the letters for us.
  
  
• Manually move the letters to a starting position that you like.
• Find the go to x(#) y(#) statement block. Notice that the # already represent the current location of the letter.
• For each letter sprite, drag this statement in, but above the glide statement.
• Run your program.

STEP 10 – SAVE YOUR WORK

• Save your work.

RECAP

• The go to command makes a sprite instantly jump to the specified coordinates while the glide command makes a sprite gradually move to the specified coordinates.

GOT EXTRA TIME?

• Try changing the backdrop.
  
  
• Try adding a few more sprites that also move like the letters. Perhaps a hat and sit on top of one of the letters. Or perhaps you have a better idea?