Random Text String

Questions & Answers
1

Hi, I'm having trouble figuring out a way to randomise the text of a 3d text object. I'm aiming for having a selection of 5 different strings for the computer to choose from. I'm then thinking that having a random float calculate between 0 and 5.

I can't figure out how to have the number that the float randomly chooses be assigned to the 5 different string variables.

Basically, anyone want to add to this script to see if they can figure out how to select a random string and assign it the the 3d text game object (npcChitChat var)

Thanks in advance

//random text variables

Private var PrefabNum : float =0; var textLine1 = "hello world"; var textLine2 = ""; var textLine3 : String = "three"; var textLine4 : String = ""; var textLine5 : String = "";

function OnTriggerEnter (myTrigger : Collider) {

//checks to see if the players character is in the trigger area. If so, then it starts the trigger
if(myTrigger.gameObject.name == "Player")
{
    //prevent the script from firing the text multiple times, this checks whether the timer has begun. 
    if(npcChitChat.active == false)
    {

    //random text generation

    //displays the text
    Debug.Log("NPC is Chit Chatting");
    npcChitChat.GetComponent.<TextMesh>().text = textLine1;
    npcChitChat.active = true;

    //changes camera
    if(cameraZoom == true)
        {
        Debug.Log("camera wants to zoom");
        cameraObject.active = true;
        }

    //invoke the text so that it disappears after the var timeToWait
    Invoke("StartChitChat", timeToWait);

    }
}

}

    function StartChitChat ()
    {

    Debug.Log("NPC is Chit Chatting");
    npcChitChat.active = false;

    if(cameraZoom == true)
        {
        Debug.Log("stopped the camera zoom");
        cameraObject.active = false;
        }

    }
2

You might want to use a string array instead of separate variables, or composed of the contents of those variables.

you can initialize it like so (Javascript example):

var myLines = new String[5]; //string array with 5 strings

function Start(){
     myLines[0] = "Hello World";
     myLines[1] = "";
     myLines[2] = "three";
     myLines[3] = "";
     myLines[4] = "";
}

from there it's just a matter of a random int between 0 and 4, which you use with

npcChitChat.GetComponent.<TextMesh>().text = myLines[randomInt];
3

Alec's above comment looks to be a much more optimised version of the fix I had come up with.

Basically, I'm using if statements to pic from a series of 5 variable strings:

//random text generation

    var chance =(Random.Range(1, 2));

    //displays the text
    if(chance == 1)
    {
    Debug.Log("NPC is Chit Chatting");
    npcChitChat.GetComponent.<TextMesh>().text = textLine1;
    npcChitChat.active = true;
    }

        if(chance == 2)
    {
    Debug.Log("NPC is Chit Chatting");
    npcChitChat.GetComponent.<TextMesh>().text = textLine2;
    npcChitChat.active = true;
    }

The original script had a Random.Range from 1 through to 5. But I'm going to try implementing the one Alec suggested.