Dialogue System for Unity 2.0.5 Released

[Tony Li]

Version 2.0.5 is now available on the Pixel Crushers customer download site and should be available on the Asset Store in 5-10 business days. (If anyone needs access to the Pixel Crushers customer download site, please PM me your Unity Asset Store invoice number.)

This is a big update. Some of the major highlights are:

• New localization export/import feature.
• RandomizeNextEntry() sequencer command and Lua function.
• Conversation position Lua functions. Jump into sub-dialogues and jump back out.
• ContinueConversation Timeline track. Control when to move to the next dialogue entry in a Timeline.
• Opsive Ultimate Character Controller integration. Works with all Opsive character controllers.
• uSurvival integration.

Note: If you're using Unity 2018+, Unity's Package Manager allows you to disable the Physics2D package. In Unity 2018+, the Dialogue System doesn't assume that you've enabled Physics2D. To tell the Dialogue System that you've enabled Physics2D, select menu item Tools > Common > Misc > Enable Physics2D Support. If you're using Unity 2017 or earlier, you don't need to do this.


Version 2.0.5 Release Notes

Changes:

• CHANGED: In Unity 2018+, if you need the Dialogue System to support 2D physics, you must now define the compiler
• symbol USE_PHYSICS2D.
• CHANGED: AudioWWW() sequencer command has been deprecated.
• CHANGED: Group nodes now run their OnExecute events.
• CHANGED: Renamed Lua "Library" folder to "LuaLibrary" to accommodate version control ignore lists. If updating from a previous version and you want this name change, you will need to manually rename it.

Misc:

• Updated for .NET Standard 2.0 compatibility.
• Fixed .NET4 issue when a class named Assets is defined in the global namespace.
• Removed copyright symbol from script file header comments. (Bug in Unity 2017-2018 inspector can't handle this symbol.)
• TimedEvent now has option to count time by # of frames.
• Tag masks on TriggerEvent and CollisionEvent now support >32 tags.

Editor:

• Added new localization export/import feature on Dialogue Editor's Database tab.
• Watches tab now shows correct quest entries in dropdown menu for selected quest instead of first watched quest.
• To reduce database size, if a node's Title is set to the default "New Dialogue Entry", it will be cleared as soon as you enter Dialogue Text or Menu Text.
• Exposed Allow Simultaneous Conversations checkbox.
• If unticking Dialogue Manager's Don't Destroy On Load, now checks Input Device Manager & Save System for Don't Destroy On Load.
• Added Control Graphic Raycasters checkbox to InputDeviceManager.

Lua & Sequences:

• Added RandomizeNextEntry() sequencer command & Lua function.
• Added conversation position stack Lua functions (save & return to conversation positions).
• Lua wizard multiple quest entry dropdowns now match their respective quests.
• LuaInterpreter now implements short circuit evaluation of 'and'/'or'.
• LuaInterpreter math.random(x) now returns values [1..x] to conform to Lua standard.
• TextInput() sequencer command now looks for text field UIs in the current dialogue UI first.
• SequencerShortcuts now maintains a stack. If you remove a shortcut, previous shortcut on stack takes effect again.
• Added Timeline ContinueConversation track.

Scripting:

• Added: DialogueLua.GetSimStatus() function.
• Fixed attributes [VariablePopup], [ActorPopup], and [QuestPopup] which weren't populating dropdown lists in all circumstances.
• Fixed ConversationView.OnConversationContinueAll(), which when manually called wouldn't notify listeners in certain circumstances.
• Added DialogueSystemController.initializationComplete event, isInitialized property.
• DialogueSystemTrigger methods are now virtual.

Save System:

• Added Assign Unique Keys menu item for Savers.
• If Active Saver activates inactive target, it now also tells target's other savers to apply data.
• PersistentDataManager now initializes new quest info and SimStatus when loading games saved with previous versions of database.
• ConversationStateSaver no longer requires that conversation has conversant assigned.
• ConversationStateSaver now stops active conversation if saved game had no active conversation.
• AnimatorSaver now saves parameter values as well as states.

UI:

• Added Sci-fi Standard Dialogue UI.
• Fixed StandardDialogueUI null reference exception when a custom menu panel didn't have a canvas.
• If a custom StandardUISubtitlePanel is already closed, it will no longer play the unfocus animation on start of conversation.
• Fixed NullReferenceException in SelectorUseStandardUIElements after changing scenes.
• Fixed StandardUIQuestLogWindow Show Details On Select feature.
• Added "Add EventSystem If Needed" checkboxes to Standard & Unity UI dialogue UIs & quest log windows.
• StandardUIMenuPanel now prevents second button clicks while menu panel is playing hide animation.
• TextMesh Pro: TextMeshProTypewriterEffect now properly recognizes alternate audio clips.
• Fixed QuestStateListener null reference exception when unable to add a QuestStateDispatcher.

Third Party Support:

• articy:draft: Instructions and Jumps are now converted as blank nodes with None() sequences instead of Group nodes.
• Corgi Platformer Engine: Improved appearance of dialogue bubble.
• Invector Controller: Added Lua functions to get/set stats and add items to inventory. Saves items & stats.
• Inventory Pro: Stats and inventory are now integrated with Save System.
• Opsive Ultimate Character Controller: Added support.
• PlayMaker: Added GetCurrentConversationInfo action. Fixed PlayMakerLua unregistering if on multiple Dialogue Managers. Fixed GetLocalizedText. Added GetLocalizedVersion to GetLuaField.
• Rog Inventory Engine: Updated actor prefab.
• uMMORPG: Updated for uMMORPG 1.140+.
• uSurvival: Added support.

[Alatriste]

Great update!

[nathanj]

Indeed. Thanks for the uSurvival l support! It’s fantastic.

[Tony Li]

Thanks, guys! And thanks for helping test the uSurvival integration, Nathan!

[Alatriste]

Hi Tony,

Could you point me out to where to find information regarding these new features, please? I'd like to know how I can use them:

Conversation position Lua functions. Jump into sub-dialogues and jump back out.
ContinueConversation Timeline track. Control when to move to the next dialogue entry in a Timeline.

Thanks!

[Tony Li]

Hi,

Conversation position Lua functions. Jump into sub-dialogues and jump back out.

Conversation Position Stack Functions. For example, let's say the NPC is a professor giving a lecture on biology. At any point in the conversation, the player can interrupt to ask if mushrooms are plants or animals. This will link to a new conversation about mushrooms. When the conversation is done, the professor should return to her original place in the lecture. To do this:

• In the nodes of the lecture that jump to the new conversation, call the Lua function PushConversationPosition().
• At the end of the mushroom conversation, call PopConversationPosition(). This will return the conversation to the node in the lecture.

ContinueConversation Timeline track. Control when to move to the next dialogue entry in a Timeline.

See the Continue Conversation section of Timeline & Cinemachine. If you have questions, please let me know.