To learn about all changes, please see the complete change log.

articy:draft X - Version 4.1.0

New features

Modelling conditional choices

With this version of articy:draft X, we make it easier than ever to design common user choice scenarios. articy:draft X now keeps track of the paths a player has already seen during play, and exposes this information in the form of new values (seen, unseen, seenCounter) and functions (fallback(BranchingPointReference), getSeenCounter(ObjectRef), setSeenCounter(ObjectRef, Value), resetAllSeenCounters()) in our scripting language articy:expresso.
Use these to define conditional paths that depend on if or how often your players have already walked a specific path. Check out the dedicated entry in our help center to learn how to use them. We also updated the demo project Maniac Manfred to give you an actual example on how to utilize this new feature.
Naturally, our engine integrations for both Unity and Unreal already support this new feature as well, starting with version 1.2.0.

Make template properties read-only

What's more, you now have the option to mark template properties as read-only. This ensures that a template property's value cannot be changed on an object, within the articy:draft X application. You will still be able to override the propery value on Features and Templates as well as manipulate those values via our API, if necessary.

Migration to .NET 8

Before, articy:draft X was built on top of the .NET Framework. With this new release, we migrated our code base to .NET 8. While this will not have a direct effect on your daily usage of articy:draft X, we believe that this will not only make our product more future-proof, but also allow us to benefit from all current and upcoming perks .NET 8 and future versions will offer. One immediate positive side-effect is that the performance when working with big flow graphs improved.

DevKit improvements

DevKit Tools plugin

Our DevKit comprises everything related to your custom MDK plugins and API programs. We realized that creating and deploying both new MDK plugins and API programs requires users to do a lot of manual, boilerplate steps. Hence, with articy:draft X 4.1, we introduce the new DevKit Tools plugin.

This plugin automates the majority of these boilerplate tasks and allows you to get started and ship your extensions in a blink. Check out the dedicated documentations for both, MDK plugins and API programs.

We also added "How-to" articles for more specific tasks, like working with objects and templates, or writing custom importers and exports.

articy:draft API update

You can now get the articy:draft API as NuGet Package ("Articy.API") and have an easier time setting up projects. Check out the documentation to learn how this works.

Extended API

You can now create and modify templates, features, and property definitions programmatically. Learn how in our documentation.

Quality-of-Life improvements

• we integrated our help center into articy:draft X 4.1 as In-App Help; you can access this new view via the jumpstart page
• Creating a Dialog Fragment with Speaker will now focus the spoken text directly, placing the cursor exactly where you need it so you can go on writing with less clicks.

articy:draft X - Version 4.0.0

Localization and Voice-Over support

Localization is by far the most requested feature from users across all our versions. Much-needed toolsets such as Project Languages, Localization state management, Automatic Translation with DeepL, Spelling Dictionaries, Localization export and import, Localization report, and the brand new dedicated Localization View are there to help you get your content localized either directly in-app or externally using the import-export function.
The added Voice-Over support will make it easy to manage, localize and play voice-over files directly in articy:draft and of course match localized voice-over files with their corresponding localized texts.
When all narrative content is in one place it becomes much easier to manage project languages, provide context, match text with voice-over, track progress, export and import new or changed content to articy:draft and finally to the game engine.
Learn how to do all that in the Localization section.

Simulation Mode improvements

Following the addition of new languages and localized texts and voice-over, we wanted to make sure that you can take your story out for a spin in any language you choose to add to your project. The Simulation Mode now supports switching languages and automatic playback of attached voice-over sound files.

AI Extensions

The new AI Extensions allow you the ability to access third party AI services in order to save time and use them directly within articy:draft X. With the use of third party AI services you get access to AI assisted barks, dialogues, and preview images.
If AI is not your thing, you can choose to disable the AI Extensions plugin altogether. For companies who decide not to use it, the server administrator in Multi User environments has the option to disable and also restrict access to the AI Extensions for all user accounts.
For additional information and instructions on how to set up and use the AI Extensions, please refer to the AI Extensions section. Should you have questions or concerns related to the use of your data in relation to the AI Extentions please refer to the dedicated section in our FAQ page.

Generic Engine Export

This new export is a good starting point to collect content created in articy:draft X for your own engine, open-source engines, like Godot, for example or any other engine that handles JSON data.

MDK Enhancements

The ability to write plugins which integrate and extend the functionality of articy:draft X now includes the possibility to add custom Imports & Exports with their own configuration UI directly into the Export-Dialog & Import Wizard; existing localization export and import plugin source code available to modify and recompile; and access to Multi-Language Texts.

Advanced configuration

Customize different starting parameters to your preferences and workflow through the articy configuration file.