Metadata

Metadata files provide the application with essential information about a story, such as its title, description, and the thumbnail image displayed on the story selection menu.

Steps:

1. Navigate to the Metadata folder: Assets/_Main/Story/Metadata
   
2. Right-click the Metadata folder and select Create > Interactive Story > Story Metadata to create a new metadata asset.
   
3. Select the new metadata asset to view its properties in the Inspector panel.
   
4. Fill in the Id field. This must be a unique identifier for your story.
   • Use underscores (_) instead of spaces.
   • Examples: the_lost_treasure, raymond_s_legacy, 3_musketeers
   tip

   Important: This Id must exactly match the name of your story's content folder (e.g. Assets/_Main/Story/Content/the_lost_treasure). It is case-sensitive.

5. Fill in the Name field with the display title for the story (this is what players will see).
6. Fill in the Description field with a brief summary of the story.
7. Fill in the Author field with the author's name.
8. Assign a Thumbnail image:
   • First, import your image (e.g., JPG or PNG) into Unity. A common practice is to drag it into your story's specific asset folder (e.g., Assets/_Main/Story/Content/[your_story_id]/assets).
   • Select the metadata asset again.
   • Drag the imported image from the Project panel into the Thumbnail field in the Inspector.
     
9. Assign a Dialogue Text Model by dragging a model from the Assets/_Main/Story/Theme/Dialogue Text folder into this field.
   You can also create a custom dialogue text model with a different theme. See Custom Dialogue Text Model for details.

This completed metadata asset allows the story to appear in the main menu where players can browse and select it.

Custom Dialogue Text Model

To create a custom dialogue text model, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Assets/_Main/Story/Theme/Dialogue Text
2. Select one of the existing prefabs and duplicate it by pressing CTRL+D.
   For example, you can duplicate the Orange Theme prefab, which will create a new prefab with a numerical suffix.
3. Rename the duplicated prefab by pressing F2.
4. Double-click the new prefab to open it in Prefab Mode.
5. To update the background color, select the Background GameObject in the Hierarchy.
   • In the Inspector, find the Color property.
   • Choose your desired color.
   • Press CTRL+S to save your changes.
6. To update the name's background color, select the Name GameObject in the Hierarchy.
   • In the Inspector, locate the UIEffect component.
   • Expand Gradation Mode and modify the Gradation Gradient colors.
   • Press CTRL+S to save your changes.
7. To update the name text's color, select the Name Label GameObject in the Hierarchy.
   • In the Inspector, find the TextMeshPro - Text (UI) component.
   • Locate the Vertex Color property and modify the color.
   • Press CTRL+S to save your changes.
8. After you finish customizing, you can use the new model by assigning your new prefab to the Dialogue Text Model property in the Story Metadata.