Layout and Positioning
By default, messages appear at the top center of the screen. This page explains how to move them anywhere, resize them, add backgrounds, and combine these controls.
Screen Anchors
The <anchor> tag places a message at one of 9 fixed screen positions:
┌──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐
│ TOP_LEFT │TOP_CENTER│ TOP_RIGHT│
├──────────┼──────────┼──────────┤
│MIDDLE_ │ MIDDLE │MIDDLE_ │
│LEFT │ │RIGHT │
├──────────┼──────────┼──────────┤
│BOTTOM_ │BOTTOM_ │BOTTOM_ │
│LEFT │CENTER │RIGHT │
└──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘
| Anchor Value | Position |
|---|---|
TOP_LEFT | Top-left corner |
TOP_CENTER | Top center (default) |
TOP_RIGHT | Top-right corner |
MIDDLE_LEFT | Middle-left edge |
MIDDLE | Exact center of screen |
MIDDLE_RIGHT | Middle-right edge |
BOTTOM_LEFT | Bottom-left corner |
BOTTOM_CENTER | Bottom center |
BOTTOM_RIGHT | Bottom-right corner |
<anchor value=MIDDLE>Centered message</anchor>
<anchor value=BOTTOM_CENTER>Bottom of screen</anchor>
<anchor value=TOP_RIGHT>Top-right corner</anchor>
Messages are clamped to stay on screen — edge-anchored messages won't render off the edge.
Text Alignment
The <align> tag controls how text is aligned horizontally within its anchor position:
<align value=LEFT>Left-aligned</align>
<align value=CENTER>Center-aligned</align>
<align value=RIGHT>Right-aligned</align>
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
LEFT | Left-aligned (default) |
CENTER | Center-aligned |
RIGHT | Right-aligned |
Pixel Offsets
The <offset> tag nudges the message by an exact number of pixels from its anchor:
<offset x=10 y=-5>10px right, 5px up from anchor</offset>
<offset x=0 y=20>20px below anchor</offset>
| Parameter | Effect |
|---|---|
x | Positive = rightward, negative = leftward |
y | Positive = downward, negative = upward |
Use case: Position two messages at the same anchor with different offsets to stack them vertically.
Scale
The <scale> tag multiplies the entire message size:
<scale value=1.5>150% normal size</scale>
<scale value=0.75>75% normal size (smaller)</scale>
<scale value=2.0>Double size</scale>
Default scale is 1.0. The message stays anchored at its position — scaling grows from the anchor point.
Backgrounds
Add a colored rectangle behind message text.
Solid Background
<bg color=#60000000>Dark semi-transparent background</bg>
The color is 8-digit hex — first two digits are alpha (00 = fully transparent, FF = fully opaque):
| Alpha | Hex | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| 25% opaque | 40 | Very subtle |
| 50% opaque | 80 | Standard dark panel |
| 75% opaque | C0 | Strong background |
| Fully opaque | FF | Solid box |
Gradient Background
<bggradient from=40000040 to=40400000>Blue-to-red background gradient</bggradient>
The gradient blends left-to-right across the message width.
Background with Border
<bg color=#40000000 bordercolor=#80FFFFFF>Dark background, white border</bg>
<bg color=#40000000 borderstart=#80FF0000 borderend=#800000FF>Red-to-blue gradient border</bg>
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
color | Fill color (ARGB hex) |
bordercolor | Single border color |
borderstart | Gradient border start color |
borderend | Gradient border end color |
Message Shadow
Toggle the drop shadow behind all text:
<shadow value=true>With shadow (default behavior)</shadow>
<shadow value=false>No shadow</shadow>
For a custom-colored shadow with a specific offset, use the Shadow effect instead.
Combining Layout Controls
All layout tags can be combined in the same message. Nest them or place them as siblings:
<anchor value=MIDDLE>
<offset y=-30>
<scale value=1.2>
<bg color=#60000000>
<fade in=20 out=20>
<rainbow><bold>Welcome, Player!</bold></rainbow>
</fade>
</bg>
</scale>
</offset>
</anchor>
This creates: a centered message, shifted 30px above center, at 120% size, with a dark background, fading in and out, with rainbow bold text.
HUD Overlay Pattern
For a persistent HUD-style element in the top-right corner:
<anchor value=TOP_RIGHT><offset x=-10 y=10><align value=RIGHT>Status: Active</align></offset></anchor>
Boss-Fight Warning Pattern
Large centered warning with emphasis:
<anchor value=MIDDLE><offset y=40><scale value=1.4><bg color=#80000000><neon c=FF0000 r=3><shake a=0.5><color value=FF2222><bold>BOSS INCOMING!</bold></color></shake></neon></bg></scale></offset></anchor>