Choice options
Many of these features require setting a specific parameter in ChatMapper, called a Custom Asset Field. The Scenario CMP Template file already includes a number of them already, but in case a required one is missing, a guide is available on how to create them: ChatMapper Cookbook: 1.3 Custom Asset Fields (CAFs)
Unless noted otherwise, these options need to be set on the nodes with Menu Text set to be evaluated correctly.
Horizontal layout
- Version: 2.10+
- Set on: Dialogue Nodes
Choices are displayed in a vertical layout by default, but from version 2.10 they can also be displayed horizontally. To set this up, a CAF is needed:
CAF details:
- Name: choice_style
- Type: Text
- Default value: (leave empty)
If this is set to "horizontal" (without quotes) in a choice node, that group will be laid out horizontally on screen.
Time-limited choices
- Version: 2.11+
- Set on: Dialogue Nodes
It is possible to have "timed" choices during a conversation. The interface will show a bar that ticks down until empty (representing how much time is left). Its color is initially blue, then turns to yellow at 50%, and red at 25%, giving the user an additional way to notice that time to choose an answer is running out.
Three Custom Asset Fields (CAFs) can be used to activate and customize the timer, but only the first (choice_isTimer) is required. If only using choice_isTimer, the default length is 10 seconds, and if the user fails to choose the conversation will go to the first option available.
Note that all three must be defined in the nodes that have the Menu Text, not in their parent
CAF 1: turning the timer on and off
- Name: choice_isTimed
- Type: Boolean
- Default value: False
When checked, this CAF will activate the default timer for the group of choices.
CAF 2: the timer length
- Name: choice_timerDuration
- Type: Text (not Number, as Number has a default value of 0)
- Default value: (leave empty)
To change the duration of the timer, set this field to the amount of seconds wanted. Any number can be written in the field, but the timer is only accurate to tenths of a second, and additional granularity will be rounded up: for example, 30.5 will correctly create a timer for 30.5 seconds, but writing 25.24 will count to 25.3 seconds (the additional .04 rounds the total from 25.2 to 25.3).
CAF 3: the node to choose automatically if the timer runs out
- Name: choice_nodeOnTimerEnd
- Type: Text (not Number, as Number has a default value of 0)
- Default value: (leave empty)
Default behavior is to choose the first node in the list if the timer runs out and the user has not made a choice. This can be overridden by filling this field with the NodeID of the node to be selected.
Play a sound on choice hover
- Version: 2.11+
- Set on: Conversations
If this CAF is set, hovering over a choice (with a pointer device, for instance a mouse on desktop, or Hand controllers/Gaze in VR) will play a sound.
CAF details:
- Name: choice_hover_sfx
- Type: Text
- Default value: (leave empty)
This should be a URL; you can use a file provided by LearnBrite if you want to play with the feature: https://cache.learnbrite.com/_assets_/audio/choiceHover.mp3
Choice position
- Version: 2.12+
- Set on: Conversations
Choices are positioned in the center of the screen by default. With this CAF, they can be set to display towards the top or the bottom of the screen.
CAF details:
- Name: choice_position
- Type: Text
- Default value: either top or bottom
We generally suggest using horizontal choices with top and bottom, as vertical choices (the default layout) are better suited to be stacked in the center of the screen.