Steps to set up Sierra dialogs

[Monsieur OUXX]

Hi!
This is a really silly question... But I was wondering what are the steps to set up Sierra dialogs with a GUI background?
I'd say :
1- Go to the game's "General settings" and enable Speech style = Sierra with background
2- Go to the character and add a speech View. That will be used as his portrait

...But how to you choose the background GUI that will appear behing the portrait and the dialog line when the character speaks?

Additional questions :
- What's the best "queued speech" module on the market at the moment? (I'd like to have a cinematic continue running while the characters speak because there is a scripted animation int he background). I'd say this one. Am I right?
- What's the best "fancy dialogs interface" module on the market at the moment? (you know, to have custom  dialog options and custom dialogs display). I'd say this one. Am I right?

[Monsieur OUXX]

Bump.

I'll go with those modules but I'm still not sure how to define the GUI behind the dialog line of the character.

[Monsieur OUXX]

For example isn't there a "Tales of 2 Kingdoms" template/module to set all that up?

[Calin Leafshade]

I'd argue that you are better off scripting this yourself.

The built in sierra speech isnt very flexible so unless you plan on using the lip syncing function I suggest to make this yourself.

the easiest way is to make the speech font blank and then switch the gui on before a regular speech like and off afterwards like this:

Code: ags

function CustomSay(this Character*, string what) {


//**set the portrait graphic here**

lblSpeech.Text = what;
gSpeech.Visible = true;

this.Say(what);

gSpeech.Visible = false;

}

this preserves all the mouse click and speech length code built into the engine.

[Monsieur OUXX]

But then you have to implement functions to check that the dialog line fits in your cutom GUI and plenty of other little things, am I correct?

What about that module? http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=34996.0 Do you think that's obsolete?

[Calin Leafshade]

I tried that module and found it a little unwieldy.. but your milage may vary.

Also gui labels automatically wrap text. I use this method on McCarthy 2 with no problems.

[Monsieur OUXX]

Also gui labels automatically wrap text.

What I meant is that there are plenty of small little side effects that need to be thought through. For example, they indeed wrap text in width but then you have to choose the right height oterwise you'll either have a GUI full of void (if the dialog line is very short), or the text will be truncated at the bottom (if it's too long). And if you don't want either issue you have to code a custom "smart" GUI. 

Anyway, it doesn't matter -- I just want to be sure of what I'm doing, so that I don't randomly find a modulke that already does what I'm planning on doing ust after I'm done implementing it. 

So if I understand correcty, AGS "Sierra" built-in options only impact the portrait, but it does not offer to display a GUI. One has to display one manually by using a custom "Say". Is that correct?