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Beats

Beats are the building blocks of what a dialogue node actually presents.

Each chat node contains one or more beat groups, and each beat group contains one or more typed beats. When a node is entered, its beat groups play in sequence, one at a time.

Beat groups​

A beat group is a single presentation moment. It bundles together all the things that should happen at once during that moment -- the text that appears, the audio that plays, the mood that shifts, and the camera angle that frames it.

Each beat group also carries progression data that controls how long it stays on screen and whether it advances automatically.

The five built-in beat types​

Text​

Displays a line of dialogue. The text appears in the speech panel through DialogueSpeechView. Text beats support localisation through the per-beat key scheme.

Audio​

Plays an AudioClip during the beat. Audio beats drive lip sync when a lip sync provider is available. They also support localisation, allowing different audio clips per locale.

Animation​

Plays an AnimationClip on the speaking agent. Useful for gestures, emotes, or custom performance during a specific line.

Mood​

Sets the speaking agent's mood state. Mood changes drive non-verbal presentation (facial expressions, posture shifts) and can influence automatic camera shot selection through mood-driven rules.

Camera​

Overrides the dialogue camera for this beat. You can select a specific shot preset and transition type. When no camera beat is present, the automatic shot selection rules handle framing.

How playback works​

When a chat node is entered:

  1. the first beat group is displayed
  2. all beats in the group are presented simultaneously (text appears, audio plays, mood shifts, camera moves)
  3. when the group's duration elapses or the player advances, the next beat group is displayed
  4. after the last beat group, player options appear (if any connections are marked as options)

Duration is calculated from the longest beat in the group. Audio and animation beats provide their clip length. Text-only groups use progression data to control timing.

Combining beats​

The most common pattern is a text beat paired with an audio beat in the same group. This shows the subtitle text while playing the voice line, with lip sync driven by the audio.

Adding a mood beat to the same group changes the speaker's expression as the line plays. Adding a camera beat frames the moment with a specific shot.

You can have as many or as few beats per group as you need. A text-only beat group is perfectly valid for early prototyping.

Practical advice​

Start with text beats only. They are the fastest way to build out conversation structure and test flow. Add audio, mood, and camera beats as polish once the dialogue content is solid.

Where to go next​

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