AppleHillsProduction/docs/interactables_readme.md

Apple Hills Interaction System

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the interaction system in Apple Hills, detailing how interactions are structured, configured, and extended with custom actions.

Overview

The Apple Hills interaction system allows players to interact with objects in the game world. It supports character movement to interaction points, timed and conditional interactions, and complex behaviors through a component-based architecture. The system is particularly powerful when combined with the Timeline feature for creating cinematic sequences during interactions.

Core Components

The interaction system consists of several key components that work together:

Interactable

The Interactable component is the foundation of the interaction system. It:

• Handles player input (tapping/clicking)
• Manages which character(s) should interact (Trafalgar, Pulver, or both)
• Coordinates character movement to interaction points
• Dispatches events during the interaction lifecycle
• Manages one-time interactions and cooldowns

CharacterMoveToTarget

The CharacterMoveToTarget component defines positions where characters should move when interacting:

• Can be configured for specific characters (Trafalgar, Pulver, or both)
• Supports position offsets for fine-tuning
• Provides visual gizmos in the editor for easy positioning
• Multiple targets can be set up for complex interactions

Interaction Actions

Actions are components that respond to interaction events and execute custom behavior:

• Derive from the abstract InteractionActionBase class
• Can be attached to interactable objects
• Multiple actions can be added to a single interactable
• Actions can optionally block the interaction flow until completion

The inspector for all interaction action components shows the key parameters from InteractionActionBase, with custom configuration options for specific action types:

Interaction Requirements

Requirements are components that determine whether an interaction can occur:

• Derive from the abstract InteractionRequirementBase class
• Can prevent interactions based on custom conditions
• Multiple requirements can be added to a single interactable
• Used for creating conditional interactions (e.g., requiring an item)

Interaction Event Flow

Interactions follow a defined event flow:

1. InteractionStarted: Triggered when the player initiates an interaction
2. PlayerArrived: Triggered when the player character reaches the interaction point
3. InteractingCharacterArrived: Triggered when the interacting character (often Pulver) reaches the interaction point
4. InteractionComplete: Triggered when the interaction is completed
5. InteractionInterrupted: Triggered if the interaction is interrupted before completion

InteractionActionBase

The InteractionActionBase is the abstract base class for all interaction actions. It provides the framework for creating custom behaviors that respond to interaction events.

Key Features

• Event Filtering: Actions can choose which interaction events to respond to
• Flow Control: Actions can optionally pause the interaction flow until completion
• Asynchronous Execution: Actions use async/await pattern for time-consuming operations
• Character References: Actions receive references to both player and follower characters

Implementation

public abstract class InteractionActionBase : MonoBehaviour
{
    // Which events this action should respond to
    public List<InteractionEventType> respondToEvents;
    
    // Whether to pause the interaction flow during execution
    public bool pauseInteractionFlow;

    // The main execution method that must be implemented by derived classes
    protected abstract Task<bool> ExecuteAsync(
        InteractionEventType eventType, 
        PlayerTouchController player, 
        FollowerController follower);
    
    // Optional method for adding execution conditions
    protected virtual bool ShouldExecute(
        InteractionEventType eventType, 
        PlayerTouchController player, 
        FollowerController follower)
    {
        return true;
    }
}

InteractionTimelineAction

The InteractionTimelineAction is a powerful action that plays Unity Timeline sequences during interactions. It enables cinematic sequences, character animations, camera movements, and more.

Key Features

• Multiple Timeline Support: Can play different timelines for different interaction events
• Timeline Sequences: Can play multiple timelines in sequence for a single event
• Character Binding: Automatically binds player and follower characters to timeline tracks
• Flow Control: Waits for timeline completion before continuing interaction flow
• Timeout Safety: Includes a configurable timeout to prevent interactions from getting stuck
• Looping Options: Supports looping all timelines or just the last timeline in a sequence

Timeline Event Mapping

Each mapping connects an interaction event to one or more timeline assets:

public class TimelineEventMapping
{
    // The event that triggers this timeline
    public InteractionEventType eventType;
    
    // The timeline assets to play (in sequence)
    public PlayableAsset[] timelines;
    
    // Character binding options
    public bool bindPlayerCharacter;
    public bool bindPulverCharacter;
    public string playerTrackName = "Player";
    public string pulverTrackName = "Pulver";
    
    // Playback options
    public float timeoutSeconds = 30f;
    public bool loopLast = false;
    public bool loopAll = false;
}

Custom Editor

The InteractionTimelineAction includes a custom editor that makes it easy to configure:

• Quick buttons to add mappings for common events
• Character binding options
• Timeline sequence configuration
• Validation warnings for misconfigured timelines

Implementation Pattern

For a cinematic interaction with timelines:

1. Add an Interactable component to your object
2. Add an InteractionTimelineAction component to the same object
3. Set up character move targets if needed
4. Create timeline assets for each interaction phase
5. Configure the timeline mappings in the inspector
6. Test the interaction in play mode

Timeline Configuration

When setting up a timeline for interaction, you'll need to create a Timeline asset and configure it in Unity's Timeline editor:

Working with the Interactable Editor

The Interactable component includes a custom editor that enhances the workflow:

Character Move Target Creation

The editor provides buttons to easily create character move targets:

• "Add Trafalgar Target" - Creates a move target for the player character
• "Add Pulver Target" - Creates a move target for the follower character
• "Add Both Characters Target" - Creates a move target for both characters

Target Visualization

The editor displays the number of targets for each character type and warns about potential conflicts:

Trafalgar Targets: 1, Pulver Targets: 1, Both Targets: 0

If multiple conflicting targets are detected, a warning is displayed to help prevent unexpected behavior.

Best Practices

Target Positioning

• Place character targets with appropriate spacing to prevent characters from overlapping
• Consider the character's facing direction (targets automatically make characters face the interactable)
• Use the position offset for fine-tuning without moving the actual target GameObject

Timeline Design

• Keep timelines modular and focused on specific actions
• Use signals to trigger game events from timelines
• Consider using director notification tracks for advanced timeline integration
• Test timelines with actual characters to ensure animations blend correctly

Action Combinations

• Combine multiple actions for complex behaviors (e.g., dialogue + timeline)
• Order actions in the Inspector to control execution priority
• Use the pauseInteractionFlow option strategically to control sequence flow

Technical Reference

InteractionEventType

public enum InteractionEventType
{
    InteractionStarted,        // When interaction is first triggered
    PlayerArrived,             // When player arrives at interaction point
    InteractingCharacterArrived, // When interacting character arrives
    InteractionComplete,       // When interaction is successfully completed
    InteractionInterrupted     // When interaction is interrupted
}

CharacterToInteract

public enum CharacterToInteract
{
    None,       // No character interactions
    Trafalgar,  // Player character only
    Pulver,     // Follower character only
    Both        // Both characters
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Characters not moving to targets: Ensure targets have the correct CharacterToInteract type set
• Timeline not playing: Check that the PlayableDirector has a reference to the timeline asset
• Characters not appearing in timeline: Verify the track names match the binding configuration
• Interaction getting stuck: Make sure timelines have a reasonable timeout value set
• Multiple timelines playing simultaneously: Check that the event mappings are correctly configured

Setup Example

Here's how a typical interaction setup might look in the Inspector:

1. Interactable component with appropriate settings
2. Character move targets positioned in the scene
3. InteractionTimelineAction component configured with timeline mappings
4. PlayableDirector component referencing timeline assets

Advanced Topics

Timeline Integration with Dialogue

Timeline actions can be synchronized with dialogue using:

• Animation tracks to trigger dialogue displays
• Signal tracks to advance dialogue
• Custom markers to synchronize dialogue with character animations

Interaction Sequences

Complex interaction sequences can be created by:

• Using multiple interactables in sequence
• Enabling/disabling interactables based on game state
• Using timelines to guide the player through sequential interactions