Create branching dialogue and cinematic sequences with visual story tools, localization, customizable presentation, NPC interactions and automatic dialogue cameras.Tested with Unity 2022.3.62f3 (Built-in RP) and Unity 6000.0.32f1 (Built-in RP, URP/HDRP 17.0.3). The Last Watch demo creates temporary pipeline-compatible materials in Play Mode without modifying source assets. Requires Input System, Unity UI and TMP Essential Resources. Cinemachine and Timeline are not required. Other configurations are untested.Limited-time offer: approximately 50% off for one week only! Regular price: $31.99Dali Cinematic Story SystemDali Story Studio is a Unity editor tool for creating branching dialogue, interactive conversations and cinematic story sequences.Write dialogue, connect choices, define conditions and events, customize the presentation, and manage translations from one workspace. When your sequence is ready, use Build Scene to generate the presentation setup and test it in Play Mode.Visual story authoringThe Story Graph lets you connect dialogue, choices, conditions and events. Variables can unlock responses, change narrative paths and trigger consequences in your game. Built-in validation helps identify structural problems before playback.Cinematic directionSelect a camera shot for individual dialogue passages, including Gameplay, Wide, Speaker, Listener and over-the-shoulder views. Dali can frame the speaker and listener automatically, blend between shots and restore the gameplay camera when the conversation ends or is skipped.Custom camera positions are also available when a scene requires precise artistic framing.NPC conversations and gameplay integrationUse the included NPC interaction component as a starting point for proximity-based conversations, or launch sequences from your own interaction, quest or gameplay systems.Events, signals and the C# API can connect dialogue decisions to actions in the scene, such as opening a door, changing an objective or updating the world state.Backgrounds and presentationUse images, solid colors or video backgrounds. Add background motion and visual layers, configure fades, and adjust dialogue panel position, size, colors, typography and transitions.The Direction workspace provides a composition preview while you work. Video, audio, input and final typography should be verified in Game view.Customizable choicesUse your own button sprites and icons, configure visual states and apply individual styles to different choices. Button dimensions, spacing and placement can be adjusted to suit your interface.Choice numbers can be displayed or hidden.Audio controlsConfigure sequence voice-over, dialogue voice clips, music and sound effects. Independent volume controls and optional music ducking help balance dialogue and background audio.LocalizationTranslation tables support dialogue, choices and optional localized voice clips. Import and export CSV files, preview another language in Story Studio and select the language used during playback.The runtime language API can connect Dali to your game’s language settings. Translation content is supplied by the developer.Playback controlsConfigure typewriter text, automatic progression, timing, continue input and hold-to-skip behavior for each dialogue.An optional toolbar provides pause, dialogue history, story checkpoint saving and loading, and playback-speed controls.Story checkpoints preserve narrative progress and do not replace a complete game save system.Included examplesThe package includes several example sequences and an interactive 3D demonstration named **The Last Watch**.In The Last Watch, the player can explore a guard post and speak with two NPCs. Information learned from one character unlocks a conditional response with another character, allowing the player to open the gate. The sample demonstrates:• Player movement and NPC proximity interaction• Branching conversations and conditional choices• Variables, signals and visible gameplay consequences• Automatic dialogue camera framing• Camera restoration after completion, stopping or skipping• Procedural character movement• Runtime material adaptation for Built-in, URP and HDRPThe demonstration uses Unity primitives and native cameras, without requiring Cinemachine or Timeline.Getting started1. Create a sequence or open an included example.2. Write dialogue and connect its choices.3. Add conditions, variables or gameplay events.4. Configure presentation, audio and camera shots.5. Add translations if needed.6. Run validation.7. Build the scene setup and test it in Play Mode.Illustrated documentation and AI Skills are included. Users of compatible coding agents can point their agent to the package’s AI/Skills folder for guided setup, story authoring, presentation, localization and runtime integration.RequirementsRequires Unity Input System, Unity UI and TextMesh Pro Essential Resources.See the compatibility section for the exact Unity editor and render-pipeline versions tested.AUTHORING• Dedicated Unity Editor window: Dali Story Studio.• ScriptableObject-based narrative sequences.• Visual Story Graph with dialogue, choices, conditions, events and ending steps.• Variables, conditional choices, state mutations and gameplay signals.• Structural validation before playback.• Scene presentation generation through Build Scene.• Navigation support for larger branching graphs.PRESENTATION• Screen Space Overlay Canvas using Unity UI and TextMesh Pro.• Image, solid-color and video backgrounds.• Sequence-level and per-dialogue background configuration.• Background motion and independent visual layers.• Configurable fade timing and fade-through-black behavior.• Adjustable dialogue panel position, size, color, transparency and padding.• Configurable typography, typewriter speed and continue/skip behavior.• Custom choice sprites, icons, visual states and per-choice appearance overrides.• Optional choice numbering.• Adjustable choice position, dimensions and spacing.• Composition preview in the Direction workspace.CINEMATIC CAMERAS• Per-dialogue camera direction.• Gameplay, Wide, Speaker and Listener shot modes.• Over Shoulder Speaker and Over Shoulder Listener modes.• Custom camera positions using named shot keys.• Automatic framing based on speaker and listener transforms.• Configurable camera blend duration.• Automatic gameplay-camera restoration after completion, stopping or skipping.• Uses native Unity Camera components; Cinemachine and Timeline are not required.NPC AND GAMEPLAY INTEGRATION• Reusable proximity-based NPC conversation component.• Story Studio setup actions for conversation cameras and NPC triggers.• Support for launching sequences from custom interaction, quest or gameplay systems.• Events, signals and public C# integration points.• Conditional dialogue based on runtime story variables.• Dialogue signals can trigger visible gameplay consequences.• Player control can be suspended during conversations and restored afterward.AUDIO• Sequence voice-over and per-dialogue voice clips.• Dialogue music and sound-effect support.• Independent master, voice, music and SFX volume controls.• Optional automatic music ducking during voice playback.• Configurable sound for choice-button presentation.LOCALIZATION• Stable localization keys for dialogue and choices.• Translation tables with CSV import and export.• Optional localized voice-clip references.• Separate preview and playback language settings.• Runtime language-selection API.• Translations must be supplied by the developer; automatic translation is not included.PLAYBACK• Configurable timing, automatic progression and input-driven progression.• Per-dialogue control over continue input.• Configurable hold-to-skip behavior.• Mouse, keyboard and gamepad choice navigation.• Optional pause, dialogue history, checkpoint save/load and playback-speed toolbar.• Story checkpoint persistence; not a complete game-state save framework.INCLUDED CONTENT• Multiple example narrative sequences.• Two story-focused demonstration scenes.• “The Last Watch” interactive 3D gameplay demonstration.• The Last Watch demonstrates player movement, NPC proximity interaction, conditional dialogue, gameplay signals, automatic cinematic cameras and an opening gate.• Demonstration characters are built from Unity primitives and use dependency-free procedural walking and idle motion.• Illustrated PDF documentation.• AI Skills covering setup, story authoring, presentation, localization and runtime integration.RENDER-PIPELINE COMPATIBILITY• Runtime material adaptation for Built-in RP, URP and HDRP in The Last Watch demo.• Temporary compatible materials are created when entering Play Mode.• Original customer and package material assets are not modified.• Built-in RP tested with Unity 2022.3.62f3 and Unity 6000.0.32f1.• URP 17.0.3 and HDRP 17.0.3 verified with Unity 6000.0.32f1.REQUIREMENTS• Requires Unity Input System, Unity UI and TextMesh Pro Essential Resources.• No additional Asset Store purchases required.• Cinemachine and Timeline are not required.• Video-format support depends on Unity and the selected target platform.• Other Unity editor versions, render-pipeline versions and target platforms have not been certified.AI-assisted tools were used to generate some demonstration images.The editor tools, runtime systems, source code, architecture, workflow and overall functionality of the Dali Cinematic Story System were designed and developed by Dali Studios and Codex.AI-generated content is used exclusively for demonstration image.
