dialog Action

The dialog action group is used to control the appearance of dialogue interface, including dynamically setting dialogue titles and avatars.

Basic Syntax

dialog <sub-action> <parameter>

Available Sub-actions

dialog title - Set Dialogue Title

Dynamically set the title for the next dialogue display.

Syntax

dialog title <text>    # Set title
dialog title clear     # Clear title

Usage Examples

Basic Title Setting:

# Set dialogue speaker name as title
dialog title "Village Chief Edward"
dialog title "Mysterious Merchant"
dialog title "Sage Odin"

Clear Title Setting:

# Clear title setting, use default title
dialog title clear

Conditional Title:

# Set different titles based on player data
if player-data("reputation") >= 100 then {
    dialog title "Respected Hero"
} else if player-data("reputation") >= 50 then {
    dialog title "Famous Adventurer"
} else {
    dialog title "Strange Traveler"
}

Dynamic Title:

# Set greeting based on time
if time-of-day >= 6000 && time-of-day < 12000 then {
    dialog title "Good Morning, Traveler"
} else if time-of-day >= 12000 && time-of-day < 18000 then {
    dialog title "Good Afternoon, Friend"
} else {
    dialog title "Good Evening, Warrior"
}

dialog avatar - Set Dialogue Avatar

Set the character avatar displayed in the dialogue interface.

Syntax

dialog avatar <avatar>    # Set avatar
dialog avatar clear       # Clear avatar

Usage Examples

Basic Avatar Setting:

# Set avatar in BetterHud image format
dialog avatar "<image:villager_happy>"
dialog avatar "<image:merchant_smile>"
dialog avatar "<image:guard_serious>"

Clear Avatar Setting:

# Clear avatar setting, use default avatar
dialog avatar clear

Emotional Avatar:

# Set different avatars based on NPC mood
if player-data("npc_mood") == "happy" then {
    dialog avatar "<image:npc_happy>"
} else if player-data("npc_mood") == "angry" then {
    dialog avatar "<image:npc_angry>"
} else if player-data("npc_mood") == "sad" then {
    dialog avatar "<image:npc_sad>"
} else {
    dialog avatar "<image:npc_neutral>"
}

Quest Status Avatar:

# Adjust avatar based on quest status
if quest-completed("help_villager") then {
    dialog avatar "<image:villager_grateful>"
} else if quest-available("help_villager") then {
    dialog avatar "<image:villager_worried>"
} else {
    dialog avatar "<image:villager_normal>"
}

Comprehensive Usage Examples

Complete Dialogue Setup

# Set title and avatar when dialogue starts
dialog title "Village Chief Thomas"
dialog avatar "<image:elder_wise>"

# Dialogue content...

# Clean up settings when dialogue ends
dialog title clear
dialog avatar clear

Dynamic Dialogue Updates

# Update dialogue appearance based on player choice
if var("player_choice") == "help" then {
    set player-data("npc_attitude") to "friendly"
    dialog title "Friendly Village Chief"
    dialog avatar "<image:elder_happy>"
    narration "The village chief expresses gratitude for your help." duration 40
} else if var("player_choice") == "refuse" then {
    set player-data("npc_attitude") to "disappointed"
    dialog title "Disappointed Village Chief"
    dialog avatar "<image:elder_sad>"
    narration "The village chief looks somewhat disappointed." duration 40
} else {
    dialog title "Village Chief Thomas"
    dialog avatar "<image:elder_neutral>"
}

wait 40
goto-self  # Refresh dialogue to reflect new settings

Dialogue Sequence

# Appearance changes in multi-stage dialogue
dialog title "Mysterious Wizard"
dialog avatar "<image:wizard_mysterious>"
narration "A wizard wearing a dark cloak appears before you..." duration 60

wait 60

# Change appearance after revealing identity
dialog title "Archmage Merlin"
dialog avatar "<image:wizard_revealed>"
narration "The wizard removes his hood, revealing a kind face." duration 50

Avatar Formats

BetterHud supports various avatar formats:

Image References

# Standard image reference format
dialog avatar "<image:avatar_name>"

# Supported image formats
dialog avatar "<image:player_head>"        # Player avatar
dialog avatar "<image:villager_face>"      # Villager avatar
dialog avatar "<image:custom_npc_01>"      # Custom NPC avatar

Dynamic Avatars

# Use variables as avatars
set avatar_name to "wizard_" + player-data("wizard_rank")
dialog avatar "<image:" + var("avatar_name") + ">"

# Avatar based on player name
dialog avatar "<image:player_" + player-name + ">"

Configuration Requirements

BetterHud Settings

Title and avatar display depends on BetterHud's dialogue Popup configuration:

# BetterHud configuration example
dialog_popup:
  layouts:
    default:
      # Title display area
      title:
        text: "{bhc_dialog_title}"
        font-size: 18
        color: "gold"
        
      # Avatar display area  
      avatar:
        image: "{bhc_dialog_avatar}"
        width: 32
        height: 32
        
      # Dialogue content area
      content:
        text: "{bhc_dialog_content}"
        font-size: 14
        color: "white"

Variable Binding

The plugin automatically sets the following variables for BetterHud use:

• bhc_dialog_title: Dialogue title content
• bhc_dialog_avatar: Dialogue avatar reference
• bhc_dialog_content: Dialogue text content

Best Practices

1. Consistency: Use consistent title and avatar styles for the same character
2. Cleanup: Clear custom settings when dialogue ends to avoid affecting other dialogues
3. Conditional: Dynamically adjust appearance based on player status and relationships
4. Testing: Ensure all referenced image resources exist in BetterHud configuration

The dialog action allows you to create more personalized and dynamic dialogue interfaces, enhancing player immersion.