Have you noticed that TyranoBuilder asks you to select a Game Type when creating a new project? The options are Visual Novel and Sound Novel and whichever one you pick, the program uses as default for any instance of text you put into the scenario as dialogue. Some examples of what they typically look like here.


However, what if I told you there was a way to freely change between both styles? That you weren't 100% locked to one Game Type after picking it at the start of your project?

Well, it's true and it's honestly not all that hard to do either! Just follow this nifty guide and we'll have you switching between both options in no time!

There are 3 tags you'll need to learn to switch between both styles.

[position]
[layopt]
[current]

As well as two names you'll need to familiarize yourself with, "message0" and "message1".

The [current] tag will allow you to select which text window you want your text to go to at that particular moment and from then on until you change the [current] tag to a different text window.

The [layopt] tag will allow you to set your text windows to invisible or visible, depending on which you want active at the time. You can leave both visible if you want, but as far as I know, [current] makes it so that only one may be active and receptive to text at a time.

The [position] tag will allow you to choose the parameters of your text window, essential for making those big featureless narration boxes.

"message0" is the name of your default text box, depending on what you selected at the beginning of the project's creation.

"message1" will be the name of your secondary text box, which is invisible by default and needs to be messed with with the [position] tag to be made use of.

What you'll want to do, is create place a TyranoScript component, or use one that happened to already be there, at the beginning of your scene.

There, you'll need to place this script -
[position layer="message1" width=XXX height=XXX top=0 left=0 marginl=XX margint=XX color=black opacity=160]

Now that that's been placed... you're pretty much done. Adjust the XXX values to whatever size you want your narration box to be and it's ready to be used!

Whenever you want to switch to your Sound Novel style, simply put down another TyranoScript component and enter :
[current layer="message1"]
[layopt layer="message0" visible=false]
[layopt layer="message1" visible=true]

And voila, you've now switched up your game type to a sound novel!

Any text entered past this point will be placed inside your sound novel text box and your visual novel text box will have vanished in the meantime...

If you want to switch back, you simply need to reactive message0 and deactive message1 like so :
[current layer="message0"]
[layopt layer="message1" visible=false]
[layopt layer="message0" visible=true]

Annnd that's about it! From then on, your text will now place itself back on your default text box!

Example :

[current layer="message0"]
[layopt layer="message1" visible=false]
[layopt layer="message0" visible=true]
#Yuko
Hey dummy!
[current layer="message1"]
[layopt layer="message0" visible=false]
[layopt layer="message1" visible=true]
That there is my dumb little sister Yuko, we don't talk to her much.

And that's about all there is for this guide, short and sweet! Here's hoping it will help some of you out!