Scriptographer.org - Text Pencil

Text Pencil lets you draw with text.

Note: To use Text Pencil you will need to download and install the latest version of Scriptographer (2.8.050 or above)

I used an earlier version of Text Pencil to create a poster

New features in v1.5:
• Allows the use of non monospaced fonts
• Draw with words
• Perfect spacing (turn it off for less perfect spacing)
• Select the position in the text with a popup list.

Please post any bugs you find in the comments

Text Pencil.js

Having problems using it with CS on OS X 10.3.9... :-/
I can't set it as the active script (// or **); all I get is this text in the console:

"/Applications/Adobe Illustrator CS/Plug-ins.localized/Scriptographer/scripts/tools/textpencil.js:1,3: syntax error (/Applications/Adobe Illustrator CS/Plug-ins.localized/Scriptographer/scripts/tools/textpencil.js#1)
java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.scriptographer.ai.Tool.setScript(Tool.java:68)
at com.scriptographer.gui.MainDialog$ToolButton.onClick(MainDialog.java:286)
at com.scriptographer.adm.Button.onNotify(Button.java:75)
at com.scriptographer.adm.NotificationHandler.onNotify(NotificationHandler.java:55)"

Maybe I'm missing something?... Thanks!

Hi Benp,
I can't reproduce the errors you're getting, so you'll have to help me out:
Could you try to delete the first 4 lines from the textpencil.js file?
Take out the following:

// Text Pencil v1.5
// Jonathan Puckey 2006
// www.jonathanpuckey.com

and this empty line here -

Save it, assign it to a tool and try again.. Let me know what happens!

Hey Jonathan, sorry for not writing before. This is what pops up in the scriptographer console when I try assigning the script to a button:

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.ClassCastException: sun.java2d.HeadlessGraphicsEnvironment
at sun.awt.windows.WToolkit$4.run(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

d:\programs\Adobe Illustrator CS2\Plug-ins\Scriptographer\scripts\tools\textpencil.js:1,3: syntax error (d:\programs\Adobe Illustrator CS2\Plug-ins\Scriptographer\scripts\tools\textpencil.js#1)

java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.scriptographer.ai.Tool.setScript(Tool.java:68)
at com.scriptographer.gui.MainDialog$ToolButton.onClick(MainDialog.java:286)
at com.scriptographer.adm.Button.onNotify(Button.java:75)
at com.scriptographer.adm.NotificationHandler.onNotify(NotificationHandler.java:55)

Hope it helps!

Uh, after updating to the latest plugin version I get this, still not working... but at least there are less errors...

d:\programs\Adobe Illustrator CS2\Plug-ins\Scriptographer\scripts\tools\textpencil.js:1,3: syntax error (d:\programs\Adobe Illustrator CS2\Plug-ins\Scriptographer\scripts\tools\textpencil.js#1)

java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.scriptographer.ai.Tool.setScript(Tool.java:68)
at com.scriptographer.gui.MainDialog$ToolButton.onClick(MainDialog.java:286)
at com.scriptographer.adm.Button.onNotify(Button.java:75)
at com.scriptographer.adm.NotificationHandler.onNotify(NotificationHandler.java:55)

Ok, so I got it to work. The solution was so DUMB that I don't really want to comment on it (Long story short, I'm an asshole :D)

So it works now! but I can't change font, size, tracking... nothing. It also stops working when unbinding-rebinding sometimes... but those are minor bugs, and I can finally start playing with this. Many thanks for your support Jonathan, and sorry for filling the comments section with error codes when it actually was my fault!

And now on to try the Tile tool, woooo!

Zeed, you're not the only one to feel embarrassed... *blush*
The problem was with the download! I was using Safari and for some reason it downloads an html file instead of the script, but keeps the .js extension!
I now downloaded the script with Firefox, installed it and everything works fine!
so... Thank you Jonathan! ;-)

you are not alone ;-)

It's good to hear these error reports. Everything is still pretty beta around here, and as soon a I get the time I will look into all this.

Zeed: could you post the errors you're experiencing when unbinding, rebinding? thanks!

Hey Jonathan, great tool, I am looking forward to using it in some personal projects, but first.

the error message I get is:

Scripts:tools:textpencil.js: line: 129: error: ReferrencError: FloatingDialog is not defined

I am running Mac OS 10.4.7 on a G5 (single 1.6) with Illustrator CS.

Whenever I try to difine the pencil I get this error, I have taken some advice from others and downloaded using firefox instead of safari, but still I get this message.

Sorry for being long winded.

Thanks