How to handle Dialogue Manager prefab between many scenes?

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undecode
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:53 pm

How to handle Dialogue Manager prefab between many scenes?

Post by undecode »

Hi.

I was wondering what was the best approach to handle all the dialogue manager settings between scenes.
I'm using the Menu Framework which will go to different scenes (not just a "play" button), something like different chapters.

From the Menu Framework documentation, I need a Dialogue Manager prefab on the Menu scene that uses a database and UI prefab as well. And I understand this Dialogue Manager (menu one) will be used for all scenes that are available from menu scene.

Then how do you make different settings for each scene, if needed? Or should I stick with a Dialogue System prefab on menu that uses the same options for all scenes? Is there any way to make changes to this prefab and replicate in all other scenes as well?

What should I do? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!
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Tony Li
Posts: 22054
Joined: Thu Jul 18, 2013 1:27 pm

Re: How to handle Dialogue Manager prefab between many scenes?

Post by Tony Li »

Hi,

Save a copy of the Menu scene's Dialogue Manager as a new prefab. Then add this prefab to any other scenes that you'd like to playtest directly in the Unity editor without having to have arrived from the Menu scene. (Keep in mind that when you do arrive from the Menu scene, the Menu scene's Dialogue Manager will replace any other Dialogue Manager at runtime.) Since the Dialogue Managers in all of the scenes use the same prefab, they will have the same settings, which is what you want in most cases. For example, you don't want to change 'Include SimStatus' or Persistent Data Settings between scenes because that could give you inconsistent saved game data.

However, it's not uncommon to want to use different display settings for different conversations (e.g., subtitles on/off, different default sequence, different menu settings). To use different display settings, you can either use an Override Display Settings component or inspect the conversation's properties (inspect the conversation and click blank canvas space) and tick Override Display Settings.
undecode
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:53 pm

Re: How to handle Dialogue Manager prefab between many scenes?

Post by undecode »

Hi Tony.

That approach looks good enough. The only thing I didn't fully understand is the Dialogue Manager overriding other managers (for example: coming from Menu to Chapter 1). Since Chapter 1 has a Manager, the settings are overwritten by Menu's Manager or the prefab get's copied as well?
What I want to understand is why is the purpose of a Manager in Chapter 1? Wjhat comes to mind is easy debug since we have the ability to play from Chapter 1? And if there wasnt a Manager there... well there wouldn't be DIalogue System.

As for the Override DIsplay Setting, that's a nice component I didn't know it existed. It'll be come handy in the future.

Thanks!
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Tony Li
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Joined: Thu Jul 18, 2013 1:27 pm

Re: How to handle Dialogue Manager prefab between many scenes?

Post by Tony Li »

undecode wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 8:10 amWhat I want to understand is why is the purpose of a Manager in Chapter 1? Wjhat comes to mind is easy debug since we have the ability to play from Chapter 1? And if there wasnt a Manager there... well there wouldn't be DIalogue System.
Exactly! It's only there to make it easy to playtest directly from Chapter 1. When you're playtesting from the Menu scene and come into Chapter 1, then Chapter 1's Dialogue Manager will not be there. But when you're playtesting directly from Chapter 1, it will use the Dialogue Manager in Chapter 1.
undecode
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:53 pm

Re: How to handle Dialogue Manager prefab between many scenes?

Post by undecode »

Ok got it! Thanks again!
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