Timeline and Multiple Conversants

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3Gregg
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Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:03 pm

Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by 3Gregg »

Hi,

I am working on an intro scene to my game, and am trying to setup multiple different conversants. Unfortunately, it seems I can only add one "conversant" to the "start conversation" timeline object, which allows me to switch back and forth between two conversants, but I can't add a third, even if one is assigned in the dialogue database.

Is there a way to have multiple conversants in unity timeline?

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

Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by Tony Li »

Hi,

Unless I'm missing something in the way you're doing the intro, technically you don't need to assign any conversants. The scene just needs to contain a GameObject for each conversant. The conversation will find the GameObject regardless of whether it's assigned to the Start Conversation action or not.

To set up a GameObject for a conversant, add a Dialogue Actor component and select the actor from the dropdown. Or, if you don't want to use a Dialogue Actor for some reason, give the GameObject the same name as the actor in your database.
3Gregg
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:03 pm

Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by 3Gregg »

Thanks for the quick reply, Tony! I did do what you asked, but for some reason its only going back and forth between just two different characters. Here is my setup:


I have the first gameobject that is speaking on the "start conversation" timeline, and then I have the "continue conversation" below it (similar to how you have it in your example scene).
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I then have the conversation selected in the inspector of "start conversation" for the dialogue conversation that I want with no "conversant". That seems to be working fine.

I have all 3 characters in the scene here (Aneya, Claye, News Anchor):
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and they all have the Dialogue Actor component on them:
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Also, here is my conversation:
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For some reason, I have Aneya selected as the actor, but that final line "How could we let this..." gets spoken by the news anchor rather than Aneya. The ones above spoken by Claye work fine.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
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Last edited by 3Gregg on Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
3Gregg
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:03 pm

Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by 3Gregg »

Here is the dialogue entry that is being spoken by the news anchor and should be spoken by Aneya:
Snag_e8fbfb.png
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Also, as an addendum, I printed the logs to the console from the Dialogue Manager and it is indeed the News Anchor that is speaking it, I can't figure out why.
3Gregg
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:03 pm

Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by 3Gregg »

Actually, when I change it to another character, that works fine. Do you see any reason why selecting the second option in the actors database would make the original speaker the speaker?
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Tony Li
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Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by Tony Li »

What actors are assigned to the conversation's main properties? Open the conversation and click on blank canvas space to inspect the conversation's properties. Who are assigned as the conversation's Actor and Conversant? It should probably be News Anchor, since News Anchor is set as the Timeline: Start Conversation action's Actor.
3Gregg
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:03 pm

Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by 3Gregg »

Ok that and changing the position in the database -> actors area fixed the issue. Looks like that works now.

Thank you!
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Tony Li
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Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by Tony Li »

Great! What was happening is that the New Anchor GameObject, since it was assigned to the Timeline: Start Conversation action, was supplanting whatever actor was assigned as the conversation's main actor.
3Gregg
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:03 pm

Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by 3Gregg »

Ahh interesting. Thanks for the help! This plugin is amazing, thank you!
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Tony Li
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Re: Timeline and Multiple Conversants

Post by Tony Li »

Thanks, and glad to help!
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