This document describes the syntax for text objects in the scene graph.
Text nodes are configured using XML and may appear within a model description 
file, like other models or the particlesystem.

For the anxious reader, here is a complete example of a text node:

  <!-- Must be enclosed by a <text/> node
  <text>
    <!-- It should have a name. Can be used for other animations -->
    <name>My first Text</name>
    <!-- Use offsets for the initial placement -->
    <offsets>
      <pitch-deg>0</pitch-deg>
      <heading-deg>0</heading-deg>
      <roll-deg>0</roll-deg>
      <x-m>0</x-m>
      <y-m>0</y-m>
      <z-m>0</z-m>
    </offsets>

    <!-- instead of using pitch/heading/roll offset, one may use
         axis-alignment -->
    <!-- remember: x backwards, y right and z up -->
    <axis-alignment>xy-plane</axis-alignment>
    <!--
    <axis-alignment>reversed-xy-plane</axis-alignment>
    <axis-alignment>xz-plane</axis-alignment>
    <axis-alignment>reversed-xz-plane</axis-alignment>
    <axis-alignment>yz-plane</axis-alignment>
    <axis-alignment>reversed-yz-plane</axis-alignment>
    <axis-alignment>screen</axis-alignment>
    -->

    <!-- what type of text to draw, use on of literal, text-value or number-value -->
    <!-- A simple constant, never changing string -->
    <type type="string">literal</type>
    <text type="string">Hello, world!</text>

    <!-- The string value of a property -->
    <type type="string">text-value</type>
    <property type="string">some/property</property>
    <format type="string">%s</format> <!-- the printf() format to display the value -->

    <!-- A number from a property -->
    <type type="string">number-value</type>
    <property type="string">position/latitude-deg</property>
    <factor type="double">1.0</factor> <!-- optional, used to scale the propertie's value -->
    <offset type="double">0.0</offset> <!-- optional, used to shift the propertie's value -->
    <format type="string">%5.2lf</format> <!-- the printf() format to display the value -->
    <truncate type="bool">false</truncate> <!-- set to true to truncate to an integer value -->

    <layout>left-to-right</layout> <!-- default -->
    <!--
    <layout>right-to-left</layout> 
    <layout>vertical</layout> 
    -->

    <draw-text type="bool">true</draw-text> <!-- draw the text itself -->
    <draw-alignment type="bool">false</draw-alignment> <!-- draw a crosshair at the object center -->
    <draw-boundingbox type="bool">false</draw-boundingbox> <!-- draw a bounding box -->

    <font>led.txf</font> <!-- The font file name, relative to data/Fonts -->
    <character-size type="double">0.01</character-size> <!-- size (height) im meters -->
    <character-aspect-ratio type="double">1.0</character-aspect-ratio>
    <max-height>0.012</max-height> <!-- the maximum height of the text -->
    <max-width>0.040</max-width> <!-- the maximum width of the text -->
    <font-resolution>
      <width type="int">32</width>
      <height type="int">32</height>
    </font-resolution>

    <!-- chose one of the kerning types or omit for default -->
    <kerning>default</kerning>
    <!--
    <kerning>unfitted</kerning>
    <kerning>none</kerning>
    -->

    <alignment>center-center</alignment> <!-- alignment of the text itself -->
    <!-- possible values are 
    <alignment>left-top</alignment>
    <alignment>left-center</alignment>
    <alignment>left-bottom</alignment>
    <alignment>center-top</alignment>
    <alignment>center-center</alignment>
    <alignment>center-bottom</alignment>
    <alignment>right-top</alignment>
    <alignment>right-center</alignment>
    <alignment>right-bottom</alignment>
    <alignment>left-baseline</alignment>
    <alignment>center-baseline</alignment>
    <alignment>right-baseline</alignment>
    <alignment>baseline</alignment>
    -->

  </text>

The <text/> node may appear within <model/> or <PropertyList/> nodes. If you place your text directly within 
your model file, use <text></text> nodes. You can also put your <text> configuration into a separate file
using the well known include directive:

Your model.xml file:
<model>
  <path>may-fancy-model.ac</path>
  <text include="HelloWorld.xml"/>
</model>

Your HelloWorld.xml:
<PropertyList>
  <name>Hello World</name>
  <font>Helvetica.txf</font>
  <type type="string">literal</type>
  <text type="string">Hello, world!</text>
  <!-- etc. - you get the idea -->
</PropertyList>

Animation can be applied to text nodes like any other object. To give your text some color, use the material
animation, or translate, rotate, scale or spin your text as you like.