Wanting to scroll messages on a "display"

Other Hardware Displays
48

That sounds like a plan.

But..... (sorry)

This is an extract from the code which I use and this gets the IP address.

Ok, first off this is THE line:
Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());

And this is how it is in the bigger picture.
(bit more maybe of interest at the bottom though)

void setup_wifi() 
{
  delay(10);
  byte l_count = 0;
  // We start by connecting to a WiFi network
  Serial.println();
  Serial.print("Connecting to ");
  Serial.println(ssid);
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);

  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) 
  {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
    if (l_count > 60)
    {
      Serial.println("");
      l_count = 0;
      //
      //  Need routine in here to show activity on display.
      //
      no_wap();
    }
  }

  Serial.println("");
  Serial.println("=================");
  Serial.println("WiFi connected");
  Serial.println("IP_Address: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
  Serial.println("=================");

This is a routine I call with the IP address:

It is a mess.
And I am not sure why byte is here.

void Show_IP_on_Display()
{
  header(3);

  char message[16];
  uint8_t *IpPtr = &(WiFi.localIP()[0]);
  sprintf(message, "%u.%u.%u.%u", WiFi.localIP()[0], WiFi.localIP()[1], WiFi.localIP()[2], WiFi.localIP()[3]);

  //Serial.println(message);
 
  byte x = format(message);            /////   Why is byte here?
  message_display();
  Serial.println("Message displayed.  Wiping display");
  delay(600);
  //post_message_wipe();
  wipe(15);
}
//------------------------------------------------------------
/*
 *    This takes "message[] and formats it so it can be
 *    displayed on the 7 segment display with the decimal
 *    points (etc)
 *    returns "output_loop" in the correct format.
 */
byte format(char message[])
//void format(char message[])
//void format()
{
  //
  byte data;                  //  Used to read IP address.  Storage of value/s.
  byte input_loop = 0;
  byte output_loop = 0;
  if (value_debug == 1)
  {
    //
    Serial.println("Creating bmessage.   Details below.");
    Serial.println("Value received is ");
    Serial.println(message);
  }
  while (message[input_loop] != '\0')
  {
    data = message[input_loop];
    //
    if (value_debug == 1)
    {
      Serial.print("Reading in from file ");
      Serial.println(message[input_loop]);
    }
    //
    if (data == '.')
    {
      //
      //    Decimal point detected.
      //
      if (value_debug == 1)
      {
        Serial.println("**  Decimal place detected  **  Editing this value");
        Serial.println(message[input_loop-1]);
        Serial.print("  at position  --> ");
        Serial.println(input_loop);
      }
      bmessage[output_loop-1] = (bmessage[output_loop-1] + 128);
      input_loop = input_loop + 1;
    } else
    {
      data = (data - '0' );                   // Take "number" and make it a real value.
      bmessage[output_loop] = data;
      input_loop = input_loop + 1;
      output_loop = output_loop + 1;
    }
  }
  return output_loop;
}