Text

This page documents text displayed on the screen. For the text format stored in the games, see GXT.

Message

A message displayed in Vice City.

The same message but with widescreen switched on.

A message is text positioned on the bottom of the screen. The default text color of the message is white, which uses the token ~h~ in the GXT file. For Vice City and San Andreas, enabling widescreen repositions the message so that it appears centered and inside the black bars. This type of text is used extensively during cutscenes where messages can be hidden if the subtitles option is switched off. In the "Brief" section of the pause menu, the last few uniquely printed messages are added and can be viewed. If the message already appears there, it will not be readded to the section.

The game can queue up to eight messages if there are multiple calls to print messages before the game finishes displaying them. The game displays the first message in the queue for the set duration. All messages in the queue are moved up after it is done. In a full queue, any additional messages are lost. For a call to print a normal message, the game places the message after the last message in the queue. For a call to print a now message, the game places the message in the first position of the queue, overwriting any message there. For a call to print a soon message, the game places the message in the second position of the queue and moves any message and subsequent messages down the queue. If the queue is empty, the game places it in the first position of the queue instead.

Mission script

Opcodes

00BB		PRINT
00BC		PRINT_NOW
00BD		PRINT_SOON
01E4		PRINT_WITH_NUMBER
01E5		PRINT_WITH_NUMBER_NOW
02FC		PRINT_WITH_2_NUMBERS
02FD		PRINT_WITH_2_NUMBERS_NOW
02FE		PRINT_WITH_2_NUMBERS_SOON
02FF		PRINT_WITH_3_NUMBERS
0300		PRINT_WITH_3_NUMBERS_NOW
0302		PRINT_WITH_4_NUMBERS
0303		PRINT_WITH_4_NUMBERS_NOW
0305		PRINT_WITH_5_NUMBERS
0306		PRINT_WITH_5_NUMBERS_NOW
0308		PRINT_WITH_6_NUMBERS
0309		PRINT_WITH_6_NUMBERS_NOW
0375		PRINT_STRING_IN_STRING
0384		PRINT_STRING_IN_STRING_NOW
0385		PRINT_STRING_IN_STRING_SOON

Help message

A help message displayed in Vice City.

A help message is text positioned on the top left corner of the screen with a dark semi-transparent rectangular background. The default text color of the help message is gray, which uses the token ~w~ in the GXT file.

Mission script

The following tables list all opcodes and native functions related to help messages that can be used in a script.

Opcodes

03E5		PRINT_HELP
03E6		CLEAR_HELP
0512		PRINT_HELP_FOREVER
0513		PRINT_HELP_FOREVER_WITH_NUMBER
0517		CREATE_LOCKED_PROPERTY_PICKUP
0518		CREATE_FORSALE_PROPERTY_PICKUP
08FE		IS_HELP_MESSAGE_BEING_DISPLAYED
0989		SET_HELP_MESSAGE_BOX_SIZE
0A2A		IS_THIS_HELP_MESSAGE_BEING_DISPLAYED

Native functions

	CLEAR_HELP
	PRINT_HELP
	PRINT_HELP_FOREVER

Hardcoded messages

The following table lists all help messages that are hardcoded into the games to print in certain events. Like all help messages, they can be cleared through the script.

Games	GXT	Event
	CHEAT1	Inputting most cheats.
	CHEAT2	Inputting weapon cheats.
	CHEAT3	Inputting health cheat.
	CHEAT4	Inputting armor cheat.
	CHEAT5	Inputting wanted level cheats.
	CHEAT6	Inputting money cheat.
	CHEAT7	Inputting weather cheats.
	CINCAM	Selecting cinematic camera
	GA_6	Acquiring car bomb with timed detonator at the bomb shop.
	GA_6B
	GA_7	Acquiring car bomb with engine ignition detonation at the bomb shop.
	GA_7B
	GA_8	Acquiring car bomb with remote-control detonator at the bomb shop.
	GA_21	Attempting to open a garage that already has the maximum number of cars allowed.
	PROP_1	Attempting to pickup a forsale property pickup without enough money.
	PROP_2	Attempting to pickup a forsale property pickup while on a mission.
	PU_CF1	Attempting to pick up a weapon that you already have of the same type.
	PU_CF3
	PU_CF4

Big message

One style of a big message displayed in Vice City.

A big message is a large styled text generally positioned on the center or bottom right side of the screen depending on the style of message. A big message can prioritize its display over other big messages of the same style. A high-priority big message immediately overwrites any other big messages of the same style currently being displayed. Any low-priority big messages will queue up until the one being currently displayed is finished. Big messages of styles 1 and 2 behave differently — their fading sequence must end before the overwriting text is displayed. They still obey the time duration so if the time duration for the overwriting text ends before it is displayed, it will not display at all.

Mission script

Opcodes

00BA		PRINT_BIG
01E3		PRINT_WITH_NUMBER_BIG
0217		PRINT_BIG_Q
0218		PRINT_WITH_NUMBER_BIG_Q
036D		PRINT_WITH_2_NUMBERS_BIG
036E		PRINT_WITH_3_NUMBERS_BIG
036F		PRINT_WITH_4_NUMBERS_BIG
0370		PRINT_WITH_5_NUMBERS_BIG
0371		PRINT_WITH_6_NUMBERS_BIG
03D6		CLEAR_THIS_BIG_PRINT

Hardcoded messages

The following table lists of all big messages that are hardcoded into the games to print in certain events.

Games	GXT	Duration	Style	Event
	BUSTED	5000	3	Being arrested
	DEAD	4000	3	Being killed
	GOODBOY	5000	1	Hitting a criminal being chased by a cop
	TAXI	4500	2	Taking a taxi shortcut

Intro text

An intro text is created through the script and allows a large number of customizations to it. This type of text was initially used in GTA III's introduction sequence, hence the name, but subsequent games have used this type of text in various places. The following table lists all opcodes related to displaying this type of text.

Opcode	Games	Command	Image
033E		DISPLAY_TEXT
033F		SET_TEXT_SCALE
0340		SET_TEXT_COLOUR
0341		SET_TEXT_JUSTIFY
0342		SET_TEXT_CENTRE
0343		SET_TEXT_WRAPX
0344		SET_TEXT_CENTRE_SIZE
0345		SET_TEXT_BACKGROUND
0346		SET_TEXT_BACKGROUND_COLOUR
0347		SET_TEXT_BACKGROUND_ONLY_TEXT
0348		SET_TEXT_PROPORTIONAL
0349		SET_TEXT_FONT
03E0		SET_TEXT_DRAW_BEFORE_FADE
03E4		SET_TEXT_RIGHT_JUSTIFY
03F0		USE_TEXT_COMMANDS
045A		DISPLAY_TEXT_WITH_NUMBER
045B		DISPLAY_TEXT_WITH_2_NUMBERS

Garage message

A garage message is a large, blue styled text positioned at the center of the screen. All garage messages are hardcoded to print in certain events and cannot be triggered by the script.

Games	GXT	Duration	Event
	CO_ALL	5000	Collecting the last hidden package (pickup type 6)
	CO_ONE	5000	Collecting a hidden package (pickup type 6)
	CR_1	4000	Attempting to deliver a car a crusher crane cannot lift
	GA_1	4000	Attempting to use a spray garage in a car it does not accept
	GA_1A	5000	Attempting to deliver a mission car to an import export garage
	GA_2	4000	Repairing and respraying a car at a spray garage
	GA_3	4000	Attempting to use a spray garage with no money
	GA_4	4000	Attempting to use a bomb shop with no money
	GA_5	4000	Attempting to use a bomb shop in a car already fitted with a car bomb
	GA_10	4000	Delivering a car to a military crane or to a garage that collects the specific car
	GA_11	4000	Delivering more than ten Securicars or Police cars to a garage that collects the specific car
	GA_12	3000	Arming a car bomb
	GA_13	5000	Delivering a car to an import export garage
	GA_14	5000	Delivering the last car to an import export garage
	GA_15	4000	Respraying a car at a spray garage
	GA_16	4000	Respraying a car at a spray garage
	GA_19	4000	Attempting to deliver a car that a military crane does not accept
	GA_19	5000	Attempting to deliver a car that an import export garage does not accept
	GA_20	4000	Attempting to deliver a car that a military crane already has
	GA_20	5000	Attempting to deliver a car that an import export garage already has
	HM2_5	5000	Driving an RC Bandit into restricted zones
	PU_MONY	6000	Attempting to buy a weapon with no money (pickup type 1)