Update: The Javascript on this page is now built into Twine 1.4! It is no longer necessary to install it.

This script causes every single character in passages to be wrapped in a <span class="char"> element. This enables a number of mildly interesting CSS effects.

Note: in some versions of Twine, this won't take effect in the Start passage!

Javascript code is as follows:

Wikifier.formatters.push({name:"char",match:".",handler:function(a){insertElement(a.output,"span",null,"char "+(a.matchText===" " ? "space" : a.matchText),a.matchText);
}});Wikifier.formatters.forEach(function(e){if(e.name=="emdash"){e.handler=function(a){var b=insertElement(a.output,"span",null,"char",String.fromCharCode(8212));
};}else{if(e.name=="prettyLink"){e.handler=function(a){var b=new RegExp(e.lookahead,"mg");
b.lastIndex=a.matchStart;var c=b.exec(a.source);if(c&&c.index==a.matchStart&&c[2]){var d=Wikifier.createInternalLink(a.output,c[1]);
setPageElement(d,null,c[1]);a.nextMatch+=c[1].length+2;}else{if(c&&c.index==a.matchStart&&c[3]){var f;
if(tale.has(c[4])){f=Wikifier.createInternalLink(a.output,c[4]);}else{f=Wikifier.createExternalLink(a.output,c[4]);
}setPageElement(f,null,c[1]);a.nextMatch=c.index+c[0].length;}}};}}});

These characters have the class of "char", and also a class equal to themselves ("a" for the letter "a", "2" for "2", etc.) It's recommended that you use the :nth-child pseudo-class to select them. Some potential CSS effects that can be performed include the following (examples only):

Horizontally spin characters on mouseover:
(works best with large text)

.char:not(.space):hover {
  transform: rotateY(1440deg);
  -webkit-transform: rotateY(1440deg);
}
.char:not(.space) {
  display: inline-block;
  transition: transform 2s ease-out;
  -webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 2s ease-out;
}

Wavy text:

 .char{ position:relative; }
.char:nth-child(8n) { top:0px; }
.char:nth-child(8n+1) { top:-1px; }
.char:nth-child(8n+2) { top:-1.5px; }
.char:nth-child(8n+3) { top:-1px; }
.char:nth-child(8n+4) { top:-0px; }
.char:nth-child(8n+5) { top: 1px; }
.char:nth-child(8n+6) { top: 1.5px; }
.char:nth-child(8n+7) { top: 1px; }

Animated wavy text:

.passage {
  font-size: 3em;
}
.char { 
  position:relative;
}
.char:nth-child(8n) { 
  animation: wavetext 4s 0s infinite;
  -webkit-animation: wavetext 4s 0s infinite;
}
.char:nth-child(8n+1) { 
  animation: wavetext 4s -0.5s infinite;
  -webkit-animation: wavetext 4s -0.5s infinite;
}
.char:nth-child(8n+2) { 
  animation: wavetext 4s -1s infinite;
  -webkit-animation: wavetext 4s -1s infinite;
}
.char:nth-child(8n+3) { 
  animation: wavetext 4s -1.5s infinite;
  -webkit-animation: wavetext 4s -1.5s infinite;
}
.char:nth-child(8n+4) { 
  animation: wavetext 4s -2s infinite;
  -webkit-animation: wavetext 4s -2s infinite;
}
.char:nth-child(8n+5) { 
  animation: wavetext 4s -2.5s infinite;
  -webkit-animation: wavetext 4s -2.5s infinite;
}
.char:nth-child(8n+6) { 
  animation: wavetext 4s -3s infinite;
  -webkit-animation: wavetext 4s -3s infinite;
}
.char:nth-child(8n+7) { 
  animation: wavetext 4s -3.5s infinite;
  -webkit-animation: wavetext 4s -3.5s infinite;
}
@keyframes wavetext {
  0%, 100% { top: 0em; } 50% { top: 0.5em; }
}
@-webkit-keyframes wavetext {
  0%, 100% { top: 0em; } 50% { top: 0.5em; }
}

Rapid rainbow text:

.char:nth-child(8n) { color:hsl(45,100%,75%); }
.char:nth-child(8n+1) {color:hsl(90,100%,75%); }
.char:nth-child(8n+2) {color:hsl(135,100%,75%); }
.char:nth-child(8n+3) {color:hsl(180,100%,75%); }
.char:nth-child(8n+4) {color:hsl(225,100%,75%); }
.char:nth-child(8n+5) {color:hsl(270,100%,75%); }
.char:nth-child(8n+6) {color:hsl(315,100%,75%); }
.char:nth-child(8n+7) {color:hsl(0,100%,75%); }

Illuminate letters on mouseover

.char { 
  transition: all 5s; -webkit-transition: all 5s;
  opacity: 0.4;
}
.char:hover {
  transition: all 0.1s; -webkit-transition: all 0.1s;
  opacity:1;
  text-shadow: 0 0 1em white;
}

Erase text on mouseover

.char { 
  transition: opacity 999s step-end; -webkit-transition: opacity 999s step-end;
}
.char:hover {
  opacity:0;
  transition: opacity 1ms; -webkit-transition: opacity 1ms;
}

.char.t {
  display:none;
}

Change "u" to "U":

.char.u {
  visibility:hidden;
}
.char.u::before {
  content: "U";
  position:absolute;
  visibility:visible;
}

These are to be considered basic examples - prompts for more practical uses.

This code also enables some particularly interesting Javascript visual effects to be performed, which I shall explore in a future blog post.

_{Feel free to report any bugs to @webbedspace.}