DialogManager_ConvList

See - Conversation ScriptableObjects

Required: Import: ScriptableObject Factory Package

Link: Unity Package with SimpleDialog Prefab

Link: Unity Package with Prefab_Dialog_wImage Links, Instructions

To use the prefabs linked above, you'll need to add the DialogManager.cs script to the top-level panel, and you'll need to populate the script-component in the inspector with a scriptable object: ConversationList.

Goal: You will create a new DialogPrefab_wImg, which includes an image, and uses the DialogManager.cs script component, which uses a ConversationList scriptable object. Follow steps detailed below:

Create new version of DialogPrefab :DialogPrefab_wImg

To be used with DialogManager.cs (which uses ScriptableObjects )

  1. Create a duplicate GameObject in the hierarchy, this is created from the the original DialogPrefab.

  2. Give the new prefab a unique name: DialogPrefab_wImg.

  3. Disable or Delete the original DialogPrefab GameObject in the hierarchy panel. (so you don't get confused)

  4. Remove the SimpleDialog.cs script component, this will be replaced by the DialogManager.cs script component once the script has been created.

  5. Use the RectTransform tool to resize the DialogPanel, DialogText, NextButton as necessary to make room for your speakerImage.

  6. Select the top-level, parent-panel, and add a UI-Image as a child. The image below shows that the SpeakerImg is the bottom gameObject for the prefab, it is a sibbling to the other 2 Panels: DialogPanel, SpeakerPanel. Note that the SpeakerImg is the 5th child image which has index [4], because all panels and buttons also have an image component.

  7. Adjust the Rect-Transform Component of this new image gameObject, to set the anchors so the Image is aligned to the left-side of the panel. Either Middle or Bottom is fine. The image below shows middle-left anchor set.(see image below)

  8. Adjust the Image (Script) component so that PreserveAspect checkbox is selected as true.

  9. Select an Image from Assets (Script) by selecting an image from your assets folder that is sized to match your speaker images, speaker images should have similar aspect ration and scaling. Adjust the image as necessary, larger, smaller, etc.

  • Create the DialogManager.cs script [see below] and attach to the DialogPrefab_wImg gameObject.

  • Drag to Resources folder to create a new Prefab for this newly configured GameObject.

NextPanelToOpen

The DialogManager script has a public reference variable that can be set in the Inspector allows for the nextPanelToOpen to be populated. After all of the dialog entries has been displayed, the dialogPanel is closed, and then the nextPanelToOpen will be opened. If not populated, no error will occur because the code first checks to see if that variable contains a valid object reference (memory address).

Add the linked script to the DecisionPanel so it will stay closed at the start of the scene, if desired Hide_Show_Panel Script

Coroutines

See Unity Manual

A coroutine is like a function that has the ability to pause execution and return control to Unity but then to continue where it left off on the following frame. In C#, a coroutine is declared as shown below:

It is essentially a function declared with a return type of IEnumerator and with the yield return statement included somewhere in the body. The yield return null; code is the point at which execution will pause and be resumed the following frame. To set a coroutine running, you need to use the StartCoroutine function: In the DialogManager StartCoroutine is executed each time the GetNextDialog( ) Method is Executed: 

//this allows single characters to be added to look like typed text
    IEnumerator TypeSentence(string sentence)
    {
        dialogText.text = ""; //clear previous sentance
        foreach (char letter in sentence.ToCharArray())
        {
            dialogText.text += letter;
            yield return new WaitForSeconds(0.05f); ;
        }
    }/ 

//Example Use: in GetNextDialog( ) method
            
        StopAllCoroutines(); //stop if still running from prior dialog
        string curSentence = item.dialogText; 
        StartCoroutine( TypeSentence( curSentence ) );

OpenDialogBtn

The OpenDialogBtn public obj-reference variable in the Inspector should be populated if a button will be used to open the dialog. Otherwise, the ShowOnStart checkbox in the Inspector should be selected, it will make the panel visible at the beginning of the scene.

For example, set OpenDialogBtn to a StartDialog Button

Includes public CanvasGroup nextPanelToOpen;

 if(nextPanelToOpenCG != null){
        Utility.ShowCG(nextPanelToOpenCG);
        }

DialogManager.cs

using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.UI;

/// <summary>
/// Dialog manager.
/// Put this script on a panel with canvasGroup, 
/// Important:  remove SpriteRenderer from Panel
/// required child objects: dialogText, speakerName, nextDialogBtn
/// </summary>
public class DialogManager : MonoBehaviour {

    public CanvasGroup nextPanelToOpenCG;  //next panel to open, set in Inspector
    public Button openDialogBtn; //Button that will open Dialog
    public bool showOnStart = false;

    private Button nextBtn;
    private CanvasGroup dialogPanelCG;
    private Text dialogText, speakerName; //speakerName;
    private Image speakerImage;


    public ConversationList convList; //attach scriptable object in Inspector
    private Queue<ConversationEntry> conversationsQueue = new Queue<ConversationEntry>();

    // Use this for initialization
    void Start () {


        dialogPanelCG = GetComponent<CanvasGroup>(); //used to show/hide panel

        Text[] textChildren = GetComponentsInChildren<Text>();
        Image[] imageChildren = GetComponentsInChildren<Image>();

        dialogText = textChildren[0];
        speakerName = textChildren[2];
        speakerImage = imageChildren[4]; //fifth child image - in SpeakerPanel

        nextBtn = GetComponentInChildren<Button>();
        nextBtn.onClick.AddListener(GetNextDialog);

        InitializeDialog(); //call once in Start
        //checkbox that can be set in inspector, if checked, then this is not exected
        if (!showOnStart)
        {
            Utility.HideCG(dialogPanelCG);
            if (openDialogBtn != null ) //if opening dialog with a Button, Populate OpenDialogButton in the Inspector 
            {
                openDialogBtn.onClick.AddListener(ShowDialogPanel);
            }
        }
        else{ //if showing on scene load, get first Dialog 
            Utility.ShowCG(dialogPanelCG);
        }
    } //end of Start


//Populates the Queue with ConversationEntries 
//from the ConvList scriptableObject's Conversation variable.
//Also calls GetNextDialog to populate initial conversation data for first conversation
    void InitializeDialog()
    {
        foreach (ConversationEntry item in convList.Conversation)
        {
            conversationsQueue.Enqueue(item); //put each string -item in the queue
        }
        GetNextDialog();  //get first item
    } //end method


    /// <summary>
    /// Opens the dialog.
    /// this method is called if there is an 
    /// openDialog button set in the Inspector
    /// otherwise, select checkbox showOnStart 
    /// </summary>
    public void ShowDialogPanel()
    {
        Utility.ShowCG(dialogPanelCG);
        openDialogBtn.gameObject.SetActive(false);
        
    } //end method


    /// <summary>
    /// Nexts the dialog.
    /// Sets UI elements: speakerName, speakerImage, dialogText
    /// </summary>
    /// <returns><c>true</c>, if dialog there is more dialog, <c>false</c> otherwise.</returns>
    public void GetNextDialog()
    {   
        if (conversationsQueue.Count >0)
        {   ConversationEntry item = conversationsQueue.Dequeue();
            speakerName.text = item.speakerName;
            if( speakerImage != null){ //if not using Sprite
                speakerImage.sprite = item.speakerImg;
            }
            StopAllCoroutines();
            string curSentence = item.dialogText;
            StartCoroutine(TypeSentence(curSentence));
        }
        else //no more conversations
        {
            Utility.HideCG(dialogPanelCG); // close panel
            if (nextPanelToOpenCG != null) //check to see if valid gameObject was set in inspector
            {
                Utility.ShowCG(nextPanelToOpenCG);
            } 
        }

    } //end GetNextDialog method

    //this allows single characters to be added to look like typed text
    IEnumerator TypeSentence(string sentence)
    {
        dialogText.text = ""; //clear previous sentance
        foreach (char letter in sentence.ToCharArray())
        {
            dialogText.text += letter;
            yield return new WaitForSeconds(0.05f); ;
        }
    }//end TypeSentence method

} // end class
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