Getting Started

Table of Contents

Setup

Note: If you are upgrading from version 1.x, read the important instructions in Upgrading from Version 1.x first.

The Dialogue System for Unity requires Unity 2018.4+. To get started, open the Package Manager window and import the Dialogue System for Unity. It will add these folders into your project:

  • Plugins ► Pixel Crushers ► Dialogue System: The Dialogue System for Unity.
  • Plugins ► Pixel Crushers ► Common: Core scripts used by all Pixel Crushers products.

2D Support: If your project uses 2D physics, see Enable Physics2D Support.

Next Steps

After installing the Dialogue System, you may want to play the demo scene, read an overview, or do the quick start tutorial:

Upgrading from Version 1.x

If you are not upgrading from version 1.x, skip this section and proceed to the Demo Scene.

(Click Here For Video Version)

If you are upgrading from version 1.x, you must follow these steps:

  1. Back up your project.
  2. If your project uses Unity 5.x, you must change to Force Text serialization first.
    • Select menu item Edit → Project Settings → Editor.
    • Then change Asset Serialization to Force Text and Version Control to Visible Meta Files.
  1. If your project contains assets that were created in Unity 4.x, read the note below.
  2. Delete the entire Dialogue System folder. (If you're using Unity 5.x, do not do this until you've switched to Force Text serialization.)
    • If you've moved any Third Party Support folders out of the Dialogue System folder, delete them, too.
    • Make sure your project still compiles. If you have additional scripts that depend on the Dialogue System, you may need to temporarily export them to a unitypackage, delete them, and then reimport them after completing the upgrade.
  3. Import the Dialogue System for Unity 2.x from the Asset Store.
  4. Run Tools → Pixel Crushers → Dialogue System → Tools → Run 1x to 2x Updater….

Note: You will not be able to run the updater if the project has any compiler errors. After you resolve the compiler errors, the menu item should become available.

If you have any questions about the update process, please contact us.

Note About Unity 4.x Assets

The Dialogue System’s internal script references (GUIDs) changed from 1.x to 2.x. The updater tool locates assets with obsolete 1.x GUIDs and redirects them to the new 2.x GUIDs. Unity can store assets, such as scene files and dialogue databases, in binary or text format. This process is called serialization. The updater must temporarily convert assets to text serialization to update Dialogue System GUIDs. If your project contains assets that were binary serialized in Unity 4, Unity can't convert them to text serialization. This isn't specific to the Dialogue System; it's a Unity 32-bit vs 64-bit restriction. In this case, you must open them in Unity 4, change to text serialization, export the assets, and import them into your project before running the updater.

Upgrade Notes

Version 2.x introduces these changes:

  • The Dialogue System for Unity was moved to Plugins.
  • Source is directly included now, no longer separately included in a unitypackage with precompiled DLLs.
  • Legacy Unity GUI and the Unity UI Dialogue UI subsystems have been deprecated in favor of the more powerful and flexible Standard UI subsystem. They still work, but they’re not presented in the Component menu or the Inspector’s Add Component button.
  • Trigger components, such as Conversation Trigger and Quest Trigger, have been consolidated into a single simpler, optimized Dialogue System Trigger. The older components are still supported, but the preferred trigger component is now Dialogue System Trigger.

Next Steps

If you prefer to learn by doing, you may want to jump to the Tutorials.

<< Welcome to the Dialogue System for Unity! | Demo Scene >>