LineReader & Parser

Once you have created your dialog, it is time to put it into the game.

Configuring your project

Configuring Parser

Parser is an AutoLoad can be configured by you. It is located at res://addons/diisis/parser/autoload/parser.tscn. Implicitly, when you save a file, the parser will automatically read that file (bound by Godot project). You can override this with any DIISIS-Generated file however if you set source_file_override.

Here you can also adapt the look of the history.

Configuring LineReader

LineReader is the other part of this equation. It is a node you can add with CTRL + A like any other node. Add it to the scene where you want the text from your file to be read in, or make a part of your game inherit from LineReader. (The VN template does this.)

Name Setup

When a new character starts speaking, the name_label will need to be updated accordingly. To give your characters proper names, you can use the exported LineReader.actor_config property. Keys should be the raw internal strings used in the Speaker Stringkit. You can use the name_display property to give a name.

If no name is set, the raw string will be displayed.

Mandatory References

LineReader itself only controls the output flow of the text and cannot know how you want it displayed. In the same scene tree, you have to add the respective and needed Control nodes yourself.

A simple visual novel-style layout may look like this:

Controlling the gamestate

Starting to read the dialog

If you want to start a blank new game, call Parser.reset_and_start(). (This starts parsing the dialog file with a blank state.)

To continue from a loaded game state, call:

Parser.load_parser_state_from_file("user://path/to/parser_state.json")
Parser.paused = false

Advancing the LineReader

LineReader is user-input driven. Within your input system, you need to call request_advance() to make the LineReader do the next thing, such as:

• completing text if it’s in the middle of it
• clearing text and starting to read the next line of text if it’s full

A very simple approach for the scene tree above would be to put these lines of code into the scene root.

func _gui_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
	if event is InputEventMouseButton:
		if event.button_index == MOUSE_BUTTON_LEFT and event.pressed:
			$LineReader.request_advance()

Saving and loading

To save the parser state when saving or quitting the game, simply call Parser.save_parser_state_to_file(). To load a game state, call Parser.load_parser_state_from_file().

LineReader similarly comes with a simple system that you can utilize for its behavior (text speed, etc.), assuming you have a rudimentary IO system yourself (which you should if you have any game settings.) When you want to save the preferences When loading those options, call Parser.line_reader.get_preferences(). Fetch that saved value and call Parser.line_reader.apply_preferences() when you load a game state to apply those preferences.