Version 1.70 - Objectives, UI resizing, ActionList Editor improvements, and new Timeline tracks
It's the first update of the new year, and it's a big one - possibly AC's biggest update yet! As such, this one does have a fair few more "upgrade notes" than usual, so please go through them carefully.
Key features:
Objectives
Objectives help players track progression quests or tasks that they're given over the course of the game. Objectives are defined in the Inventory Manager, and can be given descriptions, textures, and multiple win/lose/in-progress states. The new Objectives menu, included in the default interface, lets you view all "active" Objectives, and then click to reveal the current state of each. These states are read/set with the new Objective Actions, so they're not automatically synced to gameplay tasks, but overall they should benefit games that give players multiple tasks at once.
ActionList Editor improvements
The ActionList Editor window gets some much-needed attention, with improved panning, selection, dragging and zooming behaviour - including keyboard shortcuts. New context menu items allow you to auto-frame multiple Actions, and mark Actions as favourites.
Save file API improvements
New functions have been added to the SaveSystem script to aid with the extraction of data (e.g. Variables) from save game files without actually loading them into the game proper - allowing for things like custom save menus with progress details in the labels. The new save-file manager also lets you view and manage save data from the Editor - as well as extract the contents of save game files, which should be useful when debugging.
Translation improvements
You can now choose exactly which types of game text (i.e. speech, menus) are available for translating. In Unity 2019.2 and later, CSV files are now 'true' CSV files - using commas to separate fields. For backwards-compatibility, however, you can switch back to the 'legacy' format in AC's new 'Project settings' section:
Project settings
In Unity 2019.2, AC has it's own section in Unity's Project settings, where you can tweak a few things like gizmo colours and Hierarchy icon display.
Default parameters
ActionList parameters now have default values. In the case of scene-based ActionLists, these default values will be used each time they're run - unless explicitly set (using e.g. the Set parameters? option in the ActionList: Run Action. In the case of ActionList assets, you can specify if these default values are used each time - or only for the first time an asset is run.
New Timeline tracks
A couple of new Timeline tracks - one to control camera fading, another to control 2D character animation. The latter aims to let 2D games rely more on Timeline, and works by animating a character according to their movement - so if a character moves right (due to a separate Animation track), they will automatically play they're "walk right" animation.
ID references
Want to know how a particular GameObject is used by your project? Attach a Constant ID component to it (if it hasn't one already), and choose Find references in it's Context menu. This will then have AC search Menus and ActionLists for anything that references it - and list such references in the Console.
Menu resizing
The interface will now adapt to the screen's "safe area" (i.e. account for notched areas on mobile devices). UI-based menus can also now account for both this, and enforced aspect-ratios, with the new Auto Correct UI Dimensions component. This works by modifying the RectTransform boundary's Anchor points - see the updated Default UI prefabs for examples.
Happy 2020!
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Comments
And the full changelog:
Upgrade notes
Objectives
ActionList Editor
Saving
Inventory
Containers
Characters
Speech and language
ActionList parameters
Scene switching
Timeline
Cameras
Editor
Documents
Menus
Hotspots
Variables
Music
Input
Misc
Hey Chris,
Unity Asset Store shows version 1.67 instead of 1.70 (just so you know).
Objectives look like a fantastic idea indeed! I've been using global variables for that purpose, but it wasn't perfect. The list of variables tends to grow really fast and makes the project a little bit messy. Only now I realize how much I needed that feature. Objectives in an adventure game are rather obligatory.
I assume there is no way to convert global variables to objectives automatically? If not I believe it's worth it to do it manually anyways. It should save time in the long run.
Year 2020 looks very promising with update like that! Thanks!
Great update, I was thinking about having an objective system in place mostly to organize my mind.
Oh objectives looks really lovely! What amazing update
This. Is. FANTASTIC.
Where is the "say once" option in the speech manager? I've gathered all of the lines, but I can't seem to find the option:
Superb.
@Jensen: Whoops!!! All that, and I managed to type in the wrong number. Thanks, will correct this.
@Martin: You could do it in code, since both variables and objectives can be accessed via script. How they transfer from one to another would really be a case-by-case basis though, so likely it'd be best to just transfer manually.
@zebbi: It should appear above the Description field. Which version of Unity did you download from?
@ChrisIceBox I downloaded from 2019.2.
Try updating again - re-download and re-import from the Asset Store, and make sure v1.70 is listed in the Manager window.
This looks to be an awesome update, bringing many features and fixes that will help. Thanks, Chris!
@ChrisIceBox: Objectives are a game changer. AC now ventures into Quest Machine territory. Well done, and hopefully the feature gets more elaborate with new versions.
Yeah, agree with everyone else, this looks like an awesome release. The Objectives feature is a direction I've always hoped AC would move in - edging towards RPG territory, while still keeping true to its Adventure roots
Whenever I dream of a certain feature I find it in the next update. Spooky, but great. Thank you!
It seems to me that the diary menu has stopped working. Is it possible?
https://imgur.com/mM4LL27
I am using this script additionally:
https://adventure-creator.fandom.com/wiki/Adding_images_to_documents_and_journals
Thanks for this, Chris! Lots of good stuff.
It seems that all my Change rendering -> Set -> Sorting layer actions have stopped working though.
This doesn't do anything where it used to.
@OhNoo: Open up a new thread in Technical Q&A with more details (including the error message in full) and we'll see what's up.
@Rairun: Same, can you start a new thread for this? Please share more info about the character you're trying to affect.