Investigation Locations

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SirKnight
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Investigation Locations

Post by SirKnight »

Bad Player wrote:Yo 内藤様, you should make a thread for that guide...
Well, he told me to make a guide on how to move between investigation locations. If I was going to make a guide, I decided to perfect it and make it on how to make investigation locations and how to move between them.

Creating Investigation Locations
Spoiler : Creating Investigation Locations :
When you open the Trial Editor and are making your first case with an investigation, it may get a bit disorienting. You should first become accustomed on how to set-up a location before you actually decide to add moving areas or psyche-locks. This guide is on how to create investigation locations, examine the area, presenting evidence (and getting information from doing it), and moving between locations. This part is on how to make the location.
  1. Create a new frame.
  2. In the frame editor, click on the "actions" button (the cogs).
  3. In the actions menu, select the drop-box and find "Create a new event panel" heading.
  4. Underneath that bolded heading, you should see two items. Select "Create new investigation location panel"
  5. You have now created an investigation location.
That is how to create an investigation location.
Editing Investigation Locations
Spoiler : Editing Investigation Locations :
When you first create a new investigation location, it might be a bit confusing to find your way around (I know I was). When you figure out what everything does though, it is easy as pie.

When you first create the investigation panel, you should see something like this: (refer to attachments to see an image)

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Investigation location: Unknown (Id:1)
Home | Talk | Present | Examine | Move | Psyche-Locks
When the panel is first made, the "Home" tab will be highlighted and appear white.

Let us "dissect" the panel and see what we can find...

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Investigation location: Unknown
This is simply the investigation location's name. Unknown is the default name.

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(Id:1)
If you understand anything about how the frames work or evidence works with their Ids, you'll find this out quickly. It's an investigation location's Id. It allows the location to be hidden and revealed. Talk conversations can also become revealed using the action button with this Id.

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Home
This tab is the "home" tab. It basically contains the default background and music for a location. It can manipulate whether the location will be hidden until you reveal it with an action as well. The name of the location can be changed here as well. The introductory conversation can also be edited here, which is the conversation automatically played upon entering the location for the first time.

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Talk
This tab contains the talk options for the investigation location. All the conversations (whether they are hidden or not) will be listed here. Talk conversations have their own separate Id from the investigation location and other frames. Each Id is particular for their panel (aka, Ids will start at 1 in new investigation panels).

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Present
This tab contains the evidence presenting options for the game. You can set certain pieces of evidence or certain profiles to have certain conversations. You can also set it so that other evidence presented has its own conversation. AKA: Attorney's badge starts a conversation whereas Edgeworth's profile and other non-specified evidence plays the same conversation.

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Examine
This tab allows you to set the examine options for a place (AKA, certain dialogues played for certain examined locations. The "No clues here" played for everything else.

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Move
This tab allows you to move between the other investigation locations you set-up. It is, by-far, the easiest thing to use.

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Psyche-Locks
This tab allows to manage psyche-locks in an investigation location. This is not something the guide will talk about as I myself have not decided to experiment with Psyche-Locks yet.

Now that the parts of the investigation panel have been briefly described to you, I shall teach you how to do a multitude of things.

Editing "Home" Screen
Home screen is basically what will appear as the default upon entering a location.
  1. Select the "Home" tab.
  2. Look directly underneath the "Home" tab.
  3. Adjust the options for "Background", "Character", "Sound" to set the defaults for when you enter a place.
  4. The home screen will be set. You might want to play test the game to see how it turns out, it'll give you a good idea about what I'm talking about.
Editing Location Name
  1. Select the "Home" tab.
  2. Find the "Edit investigation location's name:" option in the tab (it is near the top).
  3. Write what you want the investigation location's name to be in the text box and click "Edit"
  4. Volia, the name has been edited.
    --NOTE: THE NAME CAN BE CHANGED AT ANY TIME, BUT BE WARY BECAUSE MOVE LOCATION NAMES WILL NOT CHANGE IN ACCORDANCE. THOSE WILL NEED TO BE MANUALLY SET AGAIN.
Adding Introductory Conversations
  1. Select the "Home" tab.
  2. Find the "Introductory conversation" heading (if you found the location name option, it's a bit below that.)
  3. Click the "Add" button.
  4. Add an introductory conversation like you'd make any other conversation.
  5. It has been finished.
    --NOTE: THIS WILL ONLY PLAY ONCE, UPON THE FIRST TIME YOU ENTER THE LOCATION.
Adding Talk Conversations
  1. Select the "Talk" tab.
  2. Click the "Rename" button.
  3. Write what you want the conversation to be called and appear as in the talk sub-screen in-game.
  4. Set it up like any scene you'd make in a frame! Play test to make sure it comes out correctly.
Hiding/Revealing Talk Conversations
  1. Select the "Talk" tab.
  2. Create a talk conversation.
  3. Write the conversation up.
  4. In the "bar" where the "Rename" button is, click the "Hidden?" drop box and select "yes"
  5. The conversation is now hidden until an action causes it to be revealed.
TO REVEAL:
  1. When the player has talked/examined/presented certain evidence and you want the hidden conversation to be revealed, create a new frame with a wait time of "1" somewhere inside the conversations that you want to reveal the hidden talk conversation.
  2. Click on the "action" button in that frame.
  3. Select the action, "Reveal a hidden talk conversation."
  4. In the "Investigation Location's Id", input the Id for the investigation location (can be found in the home tab)
  5. In the "Talk conversation's Id", input the Id for the hidden talk conversation.
  6. The new conversation has been revealed! The same process can be used to hide a conversation, just change the action to "Hide a talk conversation" and input the Ids accordingly!
Setting Conversations to Evidence
By this I mean when you present a certain piece of evidence, a conversation will ensue which explains something or is just for comedic relief.
  1. Select the "Present" tab.
  2. Click the "Add" button underneath the "Present" tab.
  3. Select the type of what you're presenting (Evidence or Profiles?)
  4. Find the Id for that piece of evidence or that profile.
  5. Click the "Add" button directly underneath the area where you input the evidence Id into.
  6. Create a conversation for that evidence in that area!
Setting Conversations to Other Evidence
If in a trial, you have a ton of evidence/profiles and aren't willing to go through each one and make a conversation for them then you should try this. It basically sets a conversation to all evidence that isn't one that you already set in the guide above.
  1. Select the "Present" tab.
  2. Find the "Other Evidence" heading inside the tab (below the first "Add" button where you set individual conversations to evidence)
  3. Hit the "Add" button below the "Other Evidence" heading.
  4. Make up a conversation for the all the evidence you don't want to go into detail about!
    --NOTE: BE GENERIC! THIS WILL PLAY FOR ALL EVIDENCE THAT ISN'T SET INDIVIDUALLY
Examining Certain Locations
  1. Select the "Examine" tab.
  2. Click the first "Add" button.
  3. Click the "Set Coordinates" button in the new heading that appears.
  4. Select the top-right edge and the bottom-left edge.
    --These will make a square. Anything inside the square will be one examinable area.
  5. Click the "Add" button underneath the coordinate heading.
  6. Create a conversation for that particular examinable area!
Other Examinable Areas
This is basically the "Setting Conversations to Other Evidence" guide for examining.
  1. Find the "Other coordinates" heading and click the "Add" button underneath it.
  2. Add a conversation for all the other places someone clicks on!
Moving Between Locations
Spoiler : Moving Between Locations :
In order to move between locations you'll need to make a second investigation location!
  1. Create a new frame below the investigation panel (MAKE THE NEW FRAME, DO NOT USE THE ONE PROVIDED)
  2. Select the "actions" button (cogs)
  3. Select the "Create a new investigation location panel" button.
  4. Create a new location and edit it.
Now that you've made the new location, you can make the place "linked" with the other location.
  1. Select the "move" tab.
  2. Press the "reload investigation locations list" button
  3. Select the location you want to move to.
  4. You can now move from that place to the selected investigation location.
NOTE, IF YOU DO NOT WANT PLAYERS TO GET BACK THEN STOP HERE. YOU ARE DONE. IF YOU WANT THE TWO PLACES TO GO BACK AND FORTH (or linking) THEN CONTINUE VIEWING.
  1. Go to the select investigation location (the place you just added as a reachable location)
  2. Select the "move" tab.
  3. Press the "reload investigation locations list" button.
  4. Select the location to want to move to (preferably the place you selected as able to move to the current location)
  5. The places are linked and you can move back-and-forth.

    This is a bit confusing so here's an example:
    • High Prosecutors' Offices can move to Wright Anything Agency.
      If you want to be able to get back to the High Prosecutors' Offices from the Wright Anything Agency you have to:
      -Select the Wright Anything Agency
      -Click the "Move" tab
      -Press the "reload investigation locations list" button.
      -Select the "High Prosecutors' Offices" from the list.
[/list]

Now you can move back-and-forth between the locations. They are linked.
Creating a Scrolling Investigation Location
Spoiler : Creating a Scrolling Investigation Location :
Thursday wrote:Or, just use the Move function. Name the new location something like, "Gant's Office (Left)," and don't set the music so the song from the other side continues. Then link the two sides using their Move tabs. Simple as that.
Basically, this method (posted by Thursday) is a workaround to get two-screened locations. It goes something like this:
  1. Create an investigation location panel.
  2. Edit it to your liking.
  3. Create a second investigation location panel which you want to be linked to the first one (the two-screen location)
  4. Edit the second investigation location panel to your liking.
  5. Go to the "Move" tab in the investigation panel.
  6. Click the "reload investigation location list" button.
  7. Select the first investigation location panel (the one you want to be a two-screened location)
  8. Go to the first investigation location panel.
  9. Go to the "Move" tab in the investigation panel.
  10. Click the "reload investigation location list" button.
  11. Select the second investigation location panel.
  12. The two areas are now linked! It will not allow you to scroll between them, but it is a workaround.
Now, you might not want the music to cut to a different theme in the new location. If you want the previous music, it's very simple. You can do one of two things:
  1. Set the music to the one used in the last location.
  2. Don't touch the music at all.
Now, don't just stop reading there. If you don't want to make different music play in the second location that varies from the first, it is important that you...
  1. DO NOT let that investigation location link to anywhere BUT the one place where the music will carry on.
That is how it works, I hope it'll help.

Now for the second way...
E.D.Revolution wrote:
Bad Player wrote:You can't.
Yeah, you can. Just paste the two sides together and set as background for that location. Saves you one investigation block. Though, you won't get scrolling function, it shouldn't matter.
I'm not entirely sure HOW THIS WORKS. If they could elaborate on it more, I'd test it out myself and make a guide.
Last edited by SirKnight on Sat Nov 19, 2011 4:40 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Bad Player
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Bad Player »

Well, I just figured that if you had the guide written up, it may as well be in this section where everyone can see it easily rather than hidden away in the questions sub-forum ^^'

You... really put in a lot of effort here xD
Phantom

Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Phantom »

Churning another guide so fast? I like!

I also like how you "dissect" what the tabs mean (such as Home/PResent etc), very clear and concise!

I'm not sure how effective the guide will help out users after "setting conversations to other evidence", since atm I don't do investigations at all, but I think users can get a grip on the concept ;)
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SirKnight
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by SirKnight »

I didn't put in too much effort, it only took me around an hour to type.

Frankly I worded some parts awkwardly (not very concise I'll say). If people could help me with those parts, I'd be more than grateful to add them (with credits, of course)

I haven't made an investigation ether, but I figured it out in 10 minutes so I don't think people will have a hard time with this. Phantom, you should make one.
-- df
Phantom

Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Phantom »

I think E.D. Revolution would be THE MAN to help you edit this guide (provided he thinks it needs revamp) since he's one of the experts on that field.

And make a guide on what, investigations? Something I haven't done? Hmm...Not too sure I'd wanna do that, but I've made a few detailed guides here a long time ago, it's what I was known for when I was new here ;P
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by E.D.Revolution »

I'm not sure this guide is necessary since all of this is technically covered in the documentation itself. However, because of the way this guide is written, I can advocate for the use of it. I'd say this is much more user-friendly than Unas' documentation.

However there's one thing I can criticize it's that "1ms" second thing.
When the player has talked/examined/presented certain evidence and you want the hidden conversation to be revealed, create a new frame with a wait time of "1" somewhere inside the conversations that you want to reveal the hidden talk conversation.
It can create a distraction. If you know how to use variables, you can seamlessly jump from main convo to reveal convo without a noticible pause. Variables are an advanced but vital tool for advanced users, so I understand if you won't use it right away.

Also, a psyche lock section is not necessary because there's two separate guides on it: the basic and the advanced-authentic version made by Kaj Aliv and me, respectively. :)

Also, I know it can be confusing, but to make it prettier, use the following tags instead of using "-"

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[list][*][/list] (for generic lists)
[list=1][*][/list] (for numbered lists, you know for instructions)
For every item in a list or instruction, you use a star tag ([*]) for every entry within a list.
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SirKnight
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by SirKnight »

Unfortunately, I haven't begun to mess with variables yet. I want to tackle psyche-locks before I move to variables (I'm sure your guides will help a lot). If you could post something a bit more step-by-step (for using variables to reveal conversations) I'll add it to the guide.

And I'll edit it and make it clearer with the

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[list][*][/list]
format a bit later.
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Sligneris »

How to make two-screened locations? I mean, locations like Gant's Office, Channeling Chamber, etc.
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Bad Player »

You can't.
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Thursday »

Or, just use the Move function. Name the new location something like, "Gant's Office (Left)," and don't set the music so the song from the other side continues. Then link the two sides using their Move tabs. Simple as that.

Although, I believe it was confirmed two-screen locations were confirmed for V6?
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by E.D.Revolution »

Bad Player wrote:You can't.
Yeah, you can. Just paste the two sides together and set as background for that location. Saves you one investigation block. Though, you won't get scrolling function, it shouldn't matter.
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Bad Player »

E.D.Revolution wrote:
Bad Player wrote:You can't.
Yeah, you can. Just paste the two sides together and set as background for that location. Saves you one investigation block. Though, you won't get scrolling function, it shouldn't matter.
But then it's less of a two-screened location, and more of a huge one-screened location ;P
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Thursday »

And given the size of the backgrounds, it would probably be squished too.
(Still say my workaround is the best option :P )
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by E.D.Revolution »

Bad Player wrote:
E.D.Revolution wrote:
Bad Player wrote:You can't.
Yeah, you can. Just paste the two sides together and set as background for that location. Saves you one investigation block. Though, you won't get scrolling function, it shouldn't matter.
But then it's less of a two-screened location, and more of a huge one-screened location ;P
So? I've already done that. Zeel has, too.
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Re: Investigation Locations

Post by Kroki »

E.D.Revolution wrote:Though, you won't get scrolling function, it shouldn't matter.
Hell you will.
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