Using Lively Chat Bubble as reponse menu

[mozyonum]

Hello,

I am trying to integrate the Lively chat bubble into the dialogue system and wondering if it can be adjusted in a way that player to have different bubble's to choose from for their response menu instead of just using them as subtitle panel
Thanks!

[Tony Li]

Hi,

That would require a bit of scripting on your part, but it should be possible.

Alternatively, you can use a regular Standard UI Menu Panel on a world space canvas, such as the Bubble Template Standard UI Menu Panel prefab. This prefab shows response buttons in 3 separate bubbles, but you could modify it to show the responses in a single bubble. Add a Dialogue Actor component to the player GameObject, set the Actor dropdown to Player, and set Dialogue UI Settings > Menu Panel Number to Custom. Then assign your world space menu prefab, and set Use Menu Panel For to "Me And Responses To Me".

[mozyonum]

Thanks for the suggestions, using the latter suggestion can work actually with some small changes.

Would it be possible to use this bubble setting for the regular conversation(not just for answers) without the Lively chat bubble for simplicity?
Thanks.

[Tony Li]

You certainly could. See: How To: Show Overhead Conversation Bubble Text

Pros:

• Uses same type of setup as overhead StandardUIMenuPanel mentioned above.
• Can use TextMesh Pro and Text Animator if you want.

Cons:

• Lively Chat Bubbles does a good job of adjusting the bubble's "tail" to follow the character. (You can use the script in the Feel + Text Animator + Dialogue System demo scene to achieve something similar.)

[mozyonum]

Ok i set it up using the responses using Standard UI Menu Panel with the Bubble Template Standard UI Menu Panel and using Lively bubbles for the regular conversations.

Would it be possible to adjust the time bubbles stay on screen? In the previous behaviour, dialogues was staying on screen until user selects a response but with the change they disappear as soon as they appear on screen.

Thanks.

[Tony Li]

Hi,

The subtitle panel's Visibility dropdown specifies when the subtitle panel should disappear. Try setting the LCB subtitle panels' Visibility dropdown to Until Superceded.

[mozyonum]

ok that worked, thanks..

is there a way to show the answer bubbles after finish writing the whole conversant question on screen?

or where can i control when the answer bubbles show up on screen during the conversation?

[Tony Li]

Hi,

The response menu will appear when the subtitle is done.

The subtitle is done when its Sequence is done.

For example, say your conversation is:

• (NPC) Dialogue Text: "How are you?"
  Sequence: Delay(3)
• (Player) Menu Text: "Fine, thanks."

Then this occurs:

• NPC shows bubble "How are you?"
• Conversation waits 3 seconds (i.e., waits for Sequence to finish).
• Conversation shows menu: "Fine, thanks."

If you want the subtitle to finish as soon as the text is done, inspect your LCB ChatOutputProfile. It has a Characters Per Second value (e.g., 60). Set the Dialogue Manager's Subtitle Settings > Subtitle Chars Per Second to the same value, and set Min Subtitle Seconds to a low value such as 0.5.

Leave the Dialogue Manager's Camera & Cutscene Settings > Default Sequence set to: Delay({{end}})
and leave the dialogue entries' Sequence fields blank, or include "{{default}};" (without quotes) in them.

[mozyonum]

ok very useful, i didnt know i can add Delay(seconds) directly into the node's sequence to force it a certain seconds

another question i have is if it is possible to play 2 different dialogues at the same time, like triggering another dialogue when one dialogue is already going on.

I see that there is "Allow Simultaneous Conversation" but when I tried that bool and trigger a second conversation, the first one dissapeared..

I havent tried having more than one instance of Dialogue Manager though, maybe that's the way to go?

[Tony Li]

Only ever use one Dialogue Manager in a scene.

Do you want to play two different conversations at the same time? If so, use these steps:

1. Write the conversations to involve different actors (e.g., Conversation 1 uses actors A & B. Conversation 2 uses actors C & D.)

2. On the GameObject of actor A or B (either or both is fine), add an Override Dialogue UI component, and assign the Basic Standard Dialogue UI prefab. Each dialogue UI can only manage one conversation at a time. By adding an Override Dialogue UI component, A & B will use their own dialogue UI. The Basic Standard Dialogue UI's visible elements won't be visible since you're using LCB subtitle panels, but it will still be there to coordinate the conversation.

3. Do the same for C or D.

4. Tick the Dialogue Manager's Other Settings > Allow Simultaneous Conversations.

5. Set up Dialogue System Triggers (or whatever method you prefer) to start the conversations.