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DIGITAL CULTURETHE LAB / DIKULT105

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CONSTRUCT WORKSHOP / CONTINUE YOUR PROJECT

Make your scene respond.

You already made a tap reveal a thought. Now build a second response and decide how the two discoveries work together. Keep the same .c3p project and work in Construct beside this guide.

01 / RETURN TO YOUR SCENE

Start with the response that works.

  1. Open Construct 3. Choose Menu > Project > Open and open your saved .c3p.
  2. In the Project Bar, expand Layouts and open your map.
  3. Use Preview layout. Tap the object that reveals HiddenThought. Check that it works, then return to editing.
  4. Save a separate copy, such as my-scene-next.c3p.
Real Construct editor with Properties at left, layout in the middle and Project Bar at right.
Actual Construct manual screenshot of a blank project. Find the layout at marker 5, Properties at 6 and Project Bar at 7. Your map appears in the middle. Original source. Select to enlarge.
I do not have the first response yet.

Use the first Construct walkthrough to make one tap reveal HiddenThought, then return here.

02 / TWO PLACES, TWO DISCOVERIES

Choose another thing to uncover.

Choose a second visible object in your scene. Give it a different message: a memory, a clue, a rumour or another character's perspective.

For example, the entrance reveals “I always arrive too early.” The garden reveals “Someone has been waiting here.” Use your own places and words.

Point to both tap targets and decide which sentence each should reveal.

03 / BUILD THE SECOND RESPONSE

One new message. One new rule.

  1. Double-click empty space in the layout. Search for Text and insert a new object type. Name it SecondThought, separate from HiddenThought.

    Insert the object

    Actual Create new object type dialog with Search at top right and Insert at bottom.
    Double-click empty layout space to open this dialog. Type Text in Search, select Text, give the new type its name and choose Insert. The manual screenshot has Array selected; choose Text for this task. Real screenshot from Construct documentation. Select the image to enlarge it.
  2. Place it inside the map. Set its Text property to your second sentence. Turn Initially visible off. Make the box wide enough to read.
  3. Click empty space in the layout. Read its Event sheet property and open that sheet from the Project Bar.
  4. Click Add event. Choose Touch > On tap object, select the second visible object and confirm.

    Choose who listens

    Actual Add condition dialog showing object choices, Search at top right and Next at bottom.
    Add event opens an object picker. Search for Touch in your project, choose it, then choose On tap object. The screenshot is from another project, so its object list differs from yours. Real screenshot from Construct documentation. Select the image to enlarge it.
  5. On that new row, choose Add action > SecondThought > Set visible. Choose Visible and confirm.
  6. Preview layout. Tap each target. Each should reveal its own message.
Actual Construct event sheet with condition at left, action at right and Add action on the same row.
Real manual example: System / On start of layout changes Text. Your rule has the same structure, with Touch / On tap object at left and SecondThought / Set visible at right. This shows the controls, not your finished tap rule. Original source. Select to enlarge.

Test from the beginning: reload Preview. Both messages should start hidden.

The wrong message appears, or both appear together.

Check the object named in each action. The first rule should show HiddenThought, the second SecondThought. Two instances of the same Text object type can both be affected by Set visible. Use a separate object type for each message.

04 / CHANGE THE EXPERIENCE

Show one thought at a time.

Make the latest discovery replace the previous one.

  1. On the first tap row, keep the action that shows HiddenThought. Add another action on the same row: SecondThought > Set visible > Invisible.
  2. On the second tap row, keep the action that shows SecondThought. Add HiddenThought > Set visible > Invisible.
  3. Preview. Tap the first target, then the second, then the first again. Only the latest message should stay visible.

You kept the tap conditions and changed the actions. Choose whether one message at a time or several messages together fits your story better.

Add the response on the same row

Real Construct event sheet with Add event below and Add action on the existing row.
Use Add action to the right of your tap condition. Choose the object that should change, then its action and parameters. This screenshot shows a start-of-layout text example, not your tap rule. Real screenshot from Construct documentation. Select the image to enlarge it.

05 / LET SOMEONE EXPLORE

Can a visitor discover it?

Give a partner the fresh preview. Let them explore before telling them where to tap. Watch what they try and whether they can read the responses.

Change one thing after the test: move a target, improve its label or reposition a message. Preview and try again. You can test the same path yourself if a partner is unavailable.

Continue: rooms and rules in Construct

Run it, then return to editing

Actual Construct toolbar with Menu, Save and triangular Preview control.
The triangle is Preview. Use its menu to preview the layout you are editing. Test the response, close Preview, then save an editable .c3p copy through Menu. Real screenshot from Construct documentation. Select the image to enlarge it.