Version 1.0  (09/12/2011) :: Initial release

Version 1.01 (10/12/2011) :: Minor bugfix that prevented string-render on some occasions.

Version 1.1  (10/12/2011) :: Major improvement to OVERLAY flag functionality.
                             Implemented TRANSLUCENT flag functionality.
                             Implemented new parameter to support TRANSLUCENT flag. 
                             Implemented new parameter to support Skin-Number selection.

Version 2.0  (11/12/2011) :: Major change. Function is now capable of DYNAMIC updates.
                             Implemented TIME parameter for 'potential' update timing.
                             Added string-data retrieval from a POINTER.

//
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
void still_alive(ENTITY* ent)		//entity monitoring function used by string_onto_tex
{	if(proc_status2(still_alive,(me=ent)))	{	return;	}			while(1)	wait(-999);		}
//
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
void string_onto_tex(ENTITY*	targ, STRING* text,	VECTOR* pos,	VECTOR* size, 
							FONT* 	font, COLOR*  FGcol, COLOR*  BGcol, long flags	)
{	if((targ==NULL)||(text==NULL)||(str_len(text)<1))		return;	//invalid core parameters
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	STRING* _text=str_create(text);		BMAP *ent_skin, *targ_map, *pan_back;		var x,y;
	PANEL *pan;		FONT* _font;			VECTOR _pos, _size, size2;		COLOR _FGcol, _BGcol;
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	if(pos==NULL)	{	vec_set(_pos, nullvector);	}				else	{	vec_set(_pos, pos);	}
	if(size==NULL)	{	vec_set(_size, vector(128,32,0));	}	else	{	vec_set(_size,size);	}
	if(font==NULL)	{	_font = font_create("Arial#16b");	}	else	{	_font = font;			}
	if(FGcol==NULL)	{	vec_set(_FGcol, COLOR_WHITE);	}	else	{	vec_set(_FGcol, FGcol);	}
	if(BGcol==NULL)	{	vec_set(_BGcol, COLOR_BLACK);	}	else	{	vec_set(_BGcol, BGcol);	}
	if(_pos.z==0)		{	_pos.z = 1;	}						if(_size.z==0)		{	_size.z = 50;	}
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	//calculate 'power of 2' size based on _size
	size2.x=_size.x;	size2.z=2;	while((size2.x/=2)>1)  { size2.z*=2; }		size2.x=size2.z;
	size2.y=_size.y;	size2.z=2;	while((size2.y/=2)>1)  { size2.z*=2; }		size2.y=size2.z;
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	//setup CLONED skin of original model
	ent_cloneskin(targ);		ent_skin=ent_getskin(targ,_pos.z);
	ent_skin = bmap_createblack(ent_skin.width, ent_skin.height, ent_skin.bytespp*8);
	bmap_blit(ent_skin, ent_getskin(targ,_pos.z), NULL, NULL);		
	pan_back = bmap_createblack(size2.x, size2.y, ent_skin.bytespp*8);
	bmap_blitpart(pan_back, ent_getskin(targ,_pos.z), NULL, NULL, _pos, size2);	
	ent_setskin(targ,ent_skin, _pos.z);
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	//'compress' middle of text if ( str_width() > size.width )
	var font_x=str_width(_str("~"),_font), font_y=font_x*2;
	var font_avg = str_width(_text,_font)/str_len(_text);
	if(str_width(_text, _font) > (_size.x-2))
	{	var str_ends = integer(size.x/3/font_avg);	STRING* tmp = str_create(_chr(_text));
		str_trunc(_text,str_len(_text)-str_ends);		str_cat(_text, "...");	
		str_clip(tmp,str_len(tmp)-str_ends-3);	str_cat(_text,tmp);	str_remove(tmp);			}
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	//setup PANEL and necessary BMAPs
	pan=pan_create("flags=SHOW;",10000);		pan.bmap= pan_back;		pan.alpha = _size.z;
	pan.target_map = targ_map = bmap_createblack(size2.x,size2.y,24);		set(pan, flags);
	if(is(pan,CENTER_X))	{	x=_size.x/2;	} 	else	{	x=2;	}
	if(is(pan,ARIGHT))	{	x=_size.x-2;	} 
	if(is(pan,CENTER_Y))	{	y=_size.y/2;	} 	else	{	y=2;	}
	if(!is(pan,OVERLAY))	{	bmap_fill(pan_back, _BGcol, 100);	}
	pan_setstring(pan,0, x,y , _font, _text);					pan_setcolor(pan,1,1, _FGcol);
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	wait(1);		/*wait for render into targ_map*/			pan.target_map=NULL;
	bmap_blitpart(ent_skin,targ_map,_pos,NULL,NULL,_size);	//bmap_blit onto entity's skin
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	//cleanup temporary workspace
	if(font==NULL)	{	font_remove(_font);	}				str_remove(_text);
	bmap_purge(pan_back);	bmap_remove(pan_back);		
	bmap_purge(targ_map);	bmap_remove(targ_map);		pan_remove(pan);		
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	//cleanup custom-texture workspace once entity no longer exists
	//#### not necessary on STATIC entities.  ent_remove DOES release ent_cloneskin skins
	still_alive(targ);		
	while(proc_status2(still_alive, targ))		{	proc_mode=PROC_GLOBAL;	wait(-5);	}
	bmap_purge(ent_skin);	bmap_remove(ent_skin);
}
//
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//