Cocos Creator

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Cocos Creator 3.8 LTS · TypeScript

Start with one visible sentence. This small example reads the real Harbour export directly; it is not a complete dialogue player. Then connect the data to your game UI.

1 · Prepare files and scene

This is Cocos Creator 3.8, not Cocos2d-x. Put story.json in assets/resources/story/story.json. Create a Label under a Canvas. Attach FirstText.ts to a node and assign the Label to dialogue. Run Preview.

story.json · Export files explained

2 · Show the first text

import { _decorator, Component, JsonAsset, Label, resources } from 'cc';
const { ccclass, property } = _decorator;

@ccclass('FirstText')
export class FirstText extends Component {
  @property(Label) dialogue: Label | null = null;

  start() {
    resources.load('story/story', JsonAsset, (error, asset) => {
      if (!this.dialogue) return;
      if (error || !asset) { this.dialogue.string = 'Cannot load story.json'; return; }
      try {
        // A data-only sample: validate the complete contract in your integration.
        const story = asset.json as any;
        const locale = 'en';
        const id = 'fd7b61a3-8233-4ba7-8f77-b88b119a91bf';
        const translation = story.content.translations[locale]?.[id];
        const message = translation ? translation.message : story.content.texts[id].sourceMessage;
        this.dialogue.string = message.segments.map((segment: any) => {
          if (segment.kind !== 'text') throw new Error('Text-only example');
          return segment.text;
        }).join('');
      } catch (error) { this.dialogue.string = 'Cannot read this story text'; }
    });
  }
}

Expected: “Welcome to the harbour. I am Mira.” With locale = "de" or the language parameter de: “Willkommen im Hafen. Ich bin Mira.” A missing language uses source text. This sample supports text segments; it deliberately does not silently discard placeholders.

3 · From one sentence to a conversation

The fixed text ID above is for the first test. In your game choose flowRef/entryRef from story-index.json, read execution.entries[entryRef].nodeRef, then execution.nodes[nodeRef]. The current dialogue supplies text.textRef and speakerRef. Continuations depend on node kind.

Name/dialogue: Label.string. Answers: Button events or Node.EventType.TOUCH_END, retaining the option ID. End: set the dialogue parent node.active = false. A language change resolves the text again while keeping the current node ID.

1. Continue and End: follow connections, close the text box
2. Choices: answer ID, order and selected continuation
3. Conditions and variables: ten or two gold
4. Language: the same IDs, newly resolved content
5. Command: give an item or open a shop
6. Call/Return: visit a substory and return

// story is already loaded. Keep each optionId on its answer button.
const choice = story.execution.nodes['42edfff8-b8fe-46bf-ae0d-9e2347b6e726'];
for (const optionId of choice.optionOrder) {
  const option = choice.options[optionId];
  console.log(optionId, option.text.textRef); // Resolve text, then create your button.
}
// Inspect the actual purchase check. This particular node is Gold >= 5.
const branch = story.execution.nodes['c1c3c372-0a73-4cd0-851d-ede59d5709bb'];
const gold = 10; // Repeat with 2, using your current game value.
const next = gold >= branch.condition.right.value.value ? branch.whenTrue : branch.whenFalse;
console.log(next.nodeRef);

4 · Map your own images

This supplementary excerpt expects a current dialogue object named node and the UI elements named in its comments. For C++ and MonoGame, speakerRef has already been read as SpeakerId or speakerId. The key is Mira’s actual character ID; the image name and location belong to your game. Insert the lines at the indicated locations.

// Add Sprite and SpriteFrame to the imports from cc.
// Import mira.png at assets/resources/portraits/mira.png as a sprite-frame image.
const portraits: Record<string, string> = {'807b2957-7bab-4a28-83a4-1f3d1589bbc2': 'portraits/mira/spriteFrame'};
const path = portraits[node.speakerRef];
// portrait is the Sprite component assigned by your game.
portrait.spriteFrame = null;
if (path) resources.load(path, SpriteFrame, (error, frame) => {
  if (!error) portrait.spriteFrame = frame;
});
// If the dialogue can advance during loading, discard callbacks from older lines.

Resolve speaker names through content.characters[speakerRef].nameTextRef just like dialogue text. Missing mappings should hide the previous portrait or show a placeholder. Images are not selected by language.

Use image references from the complete export

5 · Ship files with the game

resources.load uses the path below resources without the extension. Wait for its callback. Include referenced SpriteFrames or images under resources; check paths and case in the built game too.

Check your result

1. English and German greetings display correctly; an unavailable language falls back to English.
2. When adding flow: try both answers, gold 10/2, the return from the substory and End.
3. Run the built game outside your project folder. JSON, fonts and portraits must be available there too.

Official documentation

API and setup references for this approach:

• Asset loading / SpriteFrame paths
• JsonAsset API
• Label