Cutscene System for Godot 4.3

Overview

This is a flexible cutscene system for 2D point-and-click adventure games in Godot 4.3. It supports both sequential and parallel action execution, with a focus on extensibility and dynamic behavior. The system can be used directly with code or with the visual Cutscene Editor plugin that manages cutscene resources.

Features

Sequential action execution
Parallel action execution
Extensible action system
Signal-based completion system
Error handling and recovery
Resource-based cutscene management (with Cutscene Editor plugin)

System Components

Core Classes

Action: Base class for all actions
CutsceneManager: Orchestrates action execution

Action Types

MoveAction: Move characters to specific positions
TurnAction: Rotate characters to face targets
DialogueAction: Display dialogue text
AnimationAction: Play character animations
WaitAction: Time-based delays

Usage

Basic Setup (Code-based)

# Create a cutscene manager
var cutscene_manager = CutsceneManager.new()
add_child(cutscene_manager)

# Add sequential actions
cutscene_manager.add_action(MoveAction.new(character, Vector2(100, 100)))
cutscene_manager.add_action(DialogueAction.new(character, "Hello, world!"))

# Start the cutscene
cutscene_manager.start()

Parallel Actions (Code-based)

# Create parallel actions
var parallel_actions = [
    MoveAction.new(character1, Vector2(200, 200)),
    MoveAction.new(character2, Vector2(300, 300))
]
cutscene_manager.add_parallel_actions(parallel_actions)

Resource-based Setup (With Cutscene Editor)

# Load a cutscene resource created with the visual editor
var cutscene_resource = preload("res://path/to/your/cutscene.tscn")

# Generate actions from the resource
var generator = CutsceneGenerator.new()
var cutscene_manager = generator.generate_cutscene(cutscene_resource)

# Add to scene and start
add_child(cutscene_manager)
cutscene_manager.start()

The Example Scenario

The system supports complex sequences like the one described in the requirements:

# 1. Character1 moves to 234, 591
# 2. At the same time Character2 moves to 912, 235
# 3. When both arrive, character2 turns to character1
# 4. Character2 says a dialogue line to character1
# 5. A special animation (shocked) is played for character1

var cutscene = CutsceneManager.new()
add_child(cutscene)

# Add parallel movements
var moves = [
    MoveAction.new(character1, Vector2(234, 591)),
    MoveAction.new(character2, Vector2(912, 235))
]
cutscene.add_parallel_actions(moves)

// Add sequential actions
cutscene.add_action(TurnAction.new(character2, character1))
cutscene.add_action(DialogueAction.new(character2, "Hello there!"))
cutscene.add_action(AnimationAction.new(character1, "shocked"))

cutscene.start()

Extending the System

Creating New Action Types

Create a new class that extends Action
Implement the required methods:
- start(): Initialize and begin the action
- update(delta): Update the action each frame (optional)
- is_completed(): Return true when the action is finished
Use the action in cutscenes like any other

class_name CustomAction
extends "res://cutscene/Action.gd"

func _init(custom_parameter):
    # Initialize custom properties
    pass

func start() -> void:
    # Start the action
    ._set_running()

func update(delta: float) -> void:
    # Update the action each frame
    pass

func is_completed() -> bool:
    # Return true when the action is completed
    return state == State.COMPLETED

File Structure

/cutscene/
  ├── Action.gd
  ├── CutsceneManager.gd
  ├── actions/
  │   ├── MoveAction.gd
  │   ├── TurnAction.gd
  │   ├── DialogueAction.gd
  │   ├── AnimationAction.gd
  │   └── WaitAction.gd
  ├── examples/
  │   ├── sample_cutscene.tscn
  │   ├── sample_cutscene.gd
  │   ├── animated_character.tscn
  │   └── animated_character.gd
  └── tests/
      └── test_cutscene_system.gd

Testing

Run the test script at cutscene/tests/test_cutscene_system.gd to verify the system is working correctly.

License

This cutscene system is provided as-is for educational and prototyping purposes.

4.3 KiB Executable File Raw Blame History