Custom Chat - Pressing / activates TextBox and allows direct input

Help and Feedback Scripting Support
#1

As the title says, I’m making a custom chat. Basically, like the majority of the players communicate, they use the / key to trigger the chat box where they input the message and then send it. However, I’m not sure how that can be accomplished.

Is there a way on how this could be done?

#2

You can use UserInputService for that. The code must be client-sided, Since UserInputService only works via Client. It would look like this:

-- Variables
local UserInputService = game:GetService("UserInputService")
local SlashKeyCode = Enum.KeyCode.Slash

-- Main
UserInputService.InputBegan:Connect(function(Input: InputObject, IsTyping: boolean)
	if not IsTyping then
		-- Will only run if we're not Typing
		-- For example, Writing on a TextBox.
		if Input.KeyCode == SlashKeyCode then
			-- Will only run if the Key Pressed is Slash
			-- You can write the code here.
		end
	end
end)
#3 
local uis = game:GetService("UserInputService")
local KeyFunctions = {}
function KeyFunctions.Slash()
 local a,b
 a = -- TextBox
 a.Text = ""
 game:GetService("RunService").RenderStepped:Wait()
 a:CaptureFocus()
 local function FocusLost()
  if b then
   b:Disconnect()
   ChatRemote:FireServer(a.Text)
   a.Text = ""
  end
 end
 b = a.FocusLost:Connect(FocusLost)
end
function Handler(k,gpe)
 if not gpe and KeyFunctions[(k.Name or "1")] ~= nil then
  KeyFunctions[k.Name]
 end
end


uis.InputBegan:Connect(Handler)
2 Likes
#4

Sounds great! Will look into it right now.

#5

I decided to create a system for this as well, as of right now it just displays the text in the console for every client (via print commands) but that can easily be changed to have the text display on a ScreenGui/SurfaceGui/BillboardGui GuiObject instance instead.

--LOCAL

local StarterGui = game:GetService("StarterGui")
StarterGui:SetCoreGuiEnabled(Enum.CoreGuiType.Chat, false)

--LOCAL

local Run = game:GetService("RunService")
local UserInput = game:GetService("UserInputService")
local Replicated = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage")
local FilterRemote = Replicated:WaitForChild("FilterRemote")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")
local Player = Players.LocalPlayer

local TextBox = script.Parent

local function OnInputDetected(Input, Processed)
	if Processed then
		return
	end
	
	if Input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.Slash then
		Run.RenderStepped:Wait()
		TextBox:CaptureFocus()
	end
end

local function OnTextBoxFocusLost(Return, Input)
	if TextBox.Text:len() > 0 then
		FilterRemote:FireServer(TextBox.Text)
		TextBox.Text = ""
	end
end

local function OnFilterRemoteFired(Message)
	print(Player.Name..": "..Message)
end

FilterRemote.OnClientEvent:Connect(OnFilterRemoteFired)
UserInput.InputBegan:Connect(OnInputDetected)
TextBox.FocusLost:Connect(OnTextBoxFocusLost)

--SERVER

local Text = game:GetService("TextService")
local Replicated = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage")
local FilterRemote = Replicated.FilterRemote

local ProtectedCall = pcall

local function OnFilterRemoteFired(Player, Message)
	local Success1, Result1 = ProtectedCall(function()
		return Text:FilterStringAsync(Message, Player.UserId, Enum.TextFilterContext.PublicChat)
	end)
	
	if Success1 then
		local Success2, Result2 = ProtectedCall(function()
			return Result1:GetNonChatStringForBroadcastAsync()
		end)
		
		if Success2 then
			FilterRemote:FireAllClients(Result2)
		else
			warn(Result2)
		end
	else
		warn(Result1)
	end
end

FilterRemote.OnServerEvent:Connect(OnFilterRemoteFired)

This implementation makes use of 3 scripts and 1 RemoteEvent instance (which is used to fire both the server & its clients). The first local script which goes inside the ReplicatedFirst folder (such that its replication is prioritised over the other elements of the experience) disables the existing core chat gui (this is optional), the second local script is placed inside the “TextBox” instance which is receiving user inputted text and the server script is placed inside the ServerScriptService folder. The single RemoteEvent instance used is named “FilterRemote” and it’s parented to the ReplicatedStorage directory.

If you need any additional help/support let me know.

1 Like