How to Make a Visual Novel in Minutes with TyranoBuilder Visual Novel Studio
How To Create A Visual Novel With TyranoBuilder Visual Novel Studio
Have you ever wanted to create your own interactive story that can be played on various devices? Do you have a passion for storytelling, art, music, or game design? If so, you might be interested in making a visual novel.
TyranoBuilder Visual Novel Studio Download With License Key
What is a visual novel?
A visual novel is a video game genre that tells an interactive story primarily through text. They usually feature static or animated illustrations and a varying degree of interactivity. The format is more popular in Japan but has gained popularity worldwide in recent years.
Visual novels are often associated with romance or mystery genres but can cover any topic or theme. Some examples of famous visual novels are Clannad, Steins;Gate, Doki Doki Literature Club!, Katawa Shoujo, Butterfly Soup, etc.
What is TyranoBuilder?
TyranoBuilder is a software that allows you to easily and quickly make your own multi-platform visual novels with no programming knowledge required. You can create games for Windows, Mac OS X, iOS*, Android*, web browsers*, or any other device that supports HTML5.
*Requires free third-party software. See the TyranoBuilder Tutorial for details.
<p What do you need to create a visual novel?
To create a visual novel with TyranoBuilder, you will need the following:
A computer running Windows 7 or later, or Mac OS X 10.6 or later.
A copy of TyranoBuilder Visual Novel Studio, which you can purchase and download from Steam or the official website.
A license key to activate the software, which you will receive after purchasing it.
Some basic computer skills, such as creating folders, copying files, and using a text editor.
Some creative skills, such as writing, drawing, composing, or editing.
Some optional tools, such as image editing software, audio editing software, or third-party software for exporting to iOS or Android.
That's it! You don't need any programming knowledge or experience to make a visual novel with TyranoBuilder. However, if you want to customize your game further, you can learn how to use TyranoScript, the scripting language that powers TyranoBuilder.
Step 1: Download and install TyranoBuilder
The first step to create a visual novel is to download and install TyranoBuilder on your computer. Here's how:
How to download TyranoBuilder
You can download TyranoBuilder from either Steam or the official website. The Steam version requires a Steam account and the Steam client to run. The official website version does not require Steam, but you will need to manually update the software when new versions are released.
To download TyranoBuilder from Steam:
Go to the TyranoBuilder Visual Novel Studio page on Steam and click on the green \"Add to Cart\" button.
Follow the instructions to complete your purchase and payment. You will receive an email confirmation with your license key.
Launch the Steam client and log in with your Steam account.
Go to your Library and find TyranoBuilder Visual Novel Studio in your list of games. Click on it and then click on the blue \"Install\" button.
Wait for the download and installation to finish. You can check the progress on the bottom of the Steam client.
To download TyranoBuilder from the official website:
Go to the TyranoBuilder website and click on the \"Buy Now\" button.
Select your preferred payment method and follow the instructions to complete your purchase. You will receive an email confirmation with your license key and a download link.
Click on the download link and save the file to your computer. The file name should be something like \"TyranoBuilder_1_8_0.zip\".
Extract the zip file to a folder of your choice. You can use any zip extraction software, such as WinZip, WinRAR, or 7-Zip.
How to launch TyranoBuilder
To launch TyranoBuilder, you need to run the executable file that corresponds to your operating system. The file name should be something like \"TyranoBuilder.exe\" for Windows or \"TyranoBuilder.app\" for Mac OS X.
If you downloaded TyranoBuilder from Steam, you can launch it from the Steam client by clicking on \"Play\". You can also create a shortcut on your desktop or taskbar for easy access.
If you downloaded TyranoBuilder from the official website, you can launch it by double-clicking on the executable file in the folder where you extracted it. You can also create a shortcut on your desktop or taskbar for easy access.
The first time you launch TyranoBuilder, you will be asked to enter your license key. Copy and paste the license key from your email confirmation and click on \"OK\". You only need to do this once.
You will then see the launcher window, which looks like this:
The launcher window allows you to start a new project, open an existing project, access the tutorial and manual, change settings, and exit the software. You can also check for updates by clicking on the \"Check Update\" button at the bottom right corner. Step 2: Create your project
Once you have launched TyranoBuilder, you can create your project. A project is a folder that contains all the files and folders related to your visual novel, such as images, sounds, scripts, etc. You can create as many projects as you want, and switch between them easily.
How to set up your project
To create a new project, click on the \"New Project\" button on the launcher window. You will see a window that looks like this:
This window allows you to customize some basic settings for your project, such as:
Project name: The name of your project. This will be displayed on the title screen and the window title of your game. You can change it later in the editor.
Project folder: The location where your project folder will be created. You can browse and select a different folder by clicking on the \"...\" button. Make sure you have enough space and permission to create and modify files in that folder.
Screen size: The resolution of your game screen. You can choose from some preset sizes or enter a custom size. The default size is 1280x720 pixels, which is suitable for most devices. You can change it later in the editor.
Icon: The icon of your game. This will be displayed on the taskbar and the file explorer of your game. You can choose from some preset icons or import your own icon by clicking on the \"...\" button. The icon file must be a PNG file with a size of 256x256 pixels. You can change it later in the editor.
After you have entered or selected your settings, click on the \"Create\" button to create your project folder and open it in the editor.
How to use the editor
The editor is the main interface where you can design and script your visual novel. It looks like this:
The editor consists of several parts, such as:
Menu bar: The top bar that contains menus for file, edit, view, tool, help, etc. You can use these menus to access various functions and settings of the editor.
Tool bar: The second bar that contains buttons for common functions such as save, undo, redo, preview, export, etc. You can also switch between different modes of the editor by clicking on the tabs at the left end of the tool bar.
Scene list: The left panel that shows a list of scenes in your project. A scene is a unit of story that consists of one or more script commands. You can add, delete, rename, copy, paste, or drag and drop scenes in this panel.
Layer list: The right panel that shows a list of layers in your project. A layer is a graphical element that can display images, text, buttons, etc. You can add, delete, rename, hide, show, lock, unlock, or drag and drop layers in this panel.
Canvas: The center panel that shows a preview of your game screen. You can use this panel to arrange and edit layers visually by dragging, resizing, rotating, cropping, etc.
Status bar: The bottom bar that shows some information about your project, such as the current scene name, script line number, screen size, zoom level, etc.
You can adjust the size and position of each panel by dragging their borders or corners. You can also hide or show each panel by clicking on their icons on the tool bar.
How to add scenes, characters, backgrounds, etc.
To add scenes, characters, backgrounds, or any other assets to your project, you need to use the asset manager. The asset manager is a window that allows you to import, organize, and use your assets in your project. You can access it by clicking on the \"Asset Manager\" button on the tool bar or by pressing Ctrl+M on your keyboard.
The asset manager looks like this:
The asset manager consists of several parts \". This parameter tells TyranoBuilder to use the image file named \"school.jpg\" as the background image.
You can write multiple tags and parameters in one line, separated by spaces. For example, [bg storage=\"school.jpg\" time=1000] is a tag with two parameters, storage and time. The time parameter tells TyranoBuilder to change the background image with a fade effect of 1000 milliseconds (1 second).
You can also write multiple lines of tags and parameters, separated by line breaks. For example:
[bg storage=\"school.jpg\" time=1000] [show name=\"yuki\" storage=\"yuki_smile.png\" layer=1 x=200 y=300] [show name=\"akira\" storage=\"akira_angry.png\" layer=1 x=800 y=300] [cm] [wt]
This script will do the following:
Change the background image to \"school.jpg\" with a fade effect of 1 second.
Show the character named \"yuki\" with the image file \"yuki_smile.png\" on layer 1 at the position (200, 300) on the screen.
Show the character named \"akira\" with the image file \"akira_angry.png\" on layer 1 at the position (800, 300) on the screen.
Clear the message window.
Wait for the user to click or tap on the screen.
You can learn more about TyranoScript and its tags and parameters by reading the TyranoScript Reference or by using the tag reference window in the editor.
How to write dialogue, choices, branches, etc.
One of the most important aspects of a visual novel is dialogue. Dialogue is the text that appears on the message window and represents the speech or thoughts of the characters or the narrator. You can write dialogue by using the [p] tag followed by the text you want to display. For example:
[p]Hello, I'm Yuki. Nice to meet you.[/code]
This will display \"Hello, I'm Yuki. Nice to meet you.\" on the message window.
You can also use some parameters to customize your dialogue, such as:
Name: The name of the speaker. This will be displayed on the name window above the message window. For example, [p name=\"Yuki\"]Hello, I'm Yuki.[/li>
Face: The expression of the speaker. This will change the image of the character on the screen to match their emotion. For example, [p name=\"Yuki\" face=\"yuki_sad.png\"]I'm sorry...[/li>
Color: The color of the text. This will change the text color to any HTML color code or name. For example, [p color=\"#FF0000\"]This is red text.[/li>
Size: The size of the text. This will change the text size to any number in pixels. For example, [p size=24]This is big text.[/li>
You can also use some special characters to format your dialogue, such as:
\n: A line break. This will start a new line of text on the message window. For example, [p]This is\na line break.[/li>
\t: A tab. This will create a space of four characters on the message window. For example, [p]This is\ta tab.[/li>
\[: A square bracket. This will display a square bracket on the message window without interpreting it as a tag. For example, [p]\[This is a square bracket.[/li>
Another important aspect of a visual novel is interactivity. Interactivity is the ability to influence the outcome of the story by making choices or performing actions. You can create interactivity by using tags such as [select], [jump], [if], [else], etc.
One of the most common ways to create interactivity is to use choices. Choices are options that the user can select to branch the story in different directions. You can create choices by using the [select] tag followed by one or more [text] tags. For example:
[select] [text target=\"label1\"]Go to school.[/text] [text target=\"label2\"]Stay at home.[/text] [endselect]
This will display two options on the message window: \"Go to school.\" and \"Stay at home.\". The user can click or tap on either option to jump to a different label in the script. A label is a marker that identifies a specific point in the script. You can create a label by using the [label] tag followed by a name. For example:
[label name=\"label1\"] [p]You decided to go to school.[/p] ;Some more script here [jump target=\"label3\"] [label name=\"label2\"] [p]You decided to stay at home.[/p] ;Some more script here [jump target=\"label3\"] [label name=\"label3\"] [p]The story continues here.[/p] ;Some more script here
This will create three labels: label1, label2, and label3. The [jump] tag will make the script jump to another label. For example, if the user chooses \"Go to school.\", the script will jump to label1 and display \"You decided to go to school.\". Then, it will continue until it reaches the [jump] tag that will make it jump to label3 and display \"The story continues here.\".
You can also use conditions to create interactivity. Conditions are logical expressions that evaluate to either true or false. You can use conditions to check variables, flags, or other values and perform different actions based on the result. You can create conditions by using tags such as [if], [else], [elsif], etc.
One of the most common ways to use conditions is to use variables. Variables are values that can change during the game and store information such as names, numbers, strings, etc. You can create and modify variables by using tags such as [var], [calc], [eval], etc.
For example, suppose you want to create a variable named \"money\" that stores how much money the player has. You can do something like this:
[var name=\"money\" value=1000] [p]You have $[money].[/p]
This will create a variable named \"money\" and assign it a value of 1000. Then, it will display \"You have $1000.\" on the message window.
Suppose you want to change the value of the variable based on the player's choice. You can do something like this:
[select] [text target=\"buy\"]Buy a sandwich for $5.[/text] [text target=\"save\"]Save your money.[/text] [endselect] [label name=\"buy\"] [calc name=\"money\" exp=\"money-5\"] [p]You bought a sandwich for $5.[/p] [jump target=\"end\"] [label name=\"save\"] [p]You saved your money.[/p] [jump target=\"end\"] [label name=\"end\"] [p]You now have $[money].[/p]
This will display two options on the message window: \"Buy a sandwich for $5.\" and \"Save your money.\". If the user chooses \"Buy a sandwich for $5.\", the script will jump to label buy and use the [calc] tag to subtract 5 from the value of money. Then, it will display \"You bought a sandwich for $5.\" and jump to label end. If the user chooses \"Save your money.\", the script will jump to label save and display \"You saved your money.\" and jump to label end. In both cases, it will display \"You now have $[money].\" at label end.
Suppose you want to check the value of the variable and display different messages based on it. You can do something like this:
[if exp=\"money>=1000\"] [p]You have enough money for anything you want.[/p] [else exp=\"money>=500\"] [p]You have enough money for most things you want.[/p] [else exp=\"money>=100\"] [p]You have enough money for some things you want.[/p] [else] [p]You don't have enough money for anything you want.[/p] [endif]
This will use the [if], [else], and [endif] tags to evaluate the expression in the exp parameter and execute the corresponding block of script. For example, if the value of money is 800, the script will execute the second block and display \"You have enough money for most things you want.\".
You can learn more about variables, conditions, and other scripting features by reading the TyranoScript Reference or by using the tag reference window in the editor.
How to add music, sound effects, animations, etc.
Another important aspect of a visual novel is audiovisuals. Audiovisuals are elements that enhance the presentation and atmosphere of your game, such as music, sound effects, animations, transitions, effects, etc. You can add audiovisuals by using tags such as [playbgm], [playsound], [trans], [effect], etc.
One of the most common ways to add audiovisuals is to use music and sound effects. Music and sound effects are audio files that play in the background or in response to certain events in your game. You can import music and sound effects as assets in the asset manager and use them in your script by using tags such as [playbgm] and [playsound]. For example:
[playbgm storage=\"happy.mp3\" loop=true] [playsound storage=\"door.wav\"] [p]You heard a knock on the door.[/p>
This will play the music file \"happy.mp3\" in a loop as the background music and play the sound file \"door.wav\" once as a sound effect. Then, it will display \"You heard a knock on the door.\" on the message window.
You can also use some parameters to customize your music and sound effects, such as:
Loop: Whether to play the audio file in a loop or not. The default value is false for sound effects and true for background music.
Volume: The volume of the audio file. The value can range from 0 to 100. The default value is 100.
Fadein: The time in milliseconds to fade in the audio file. The default value is 0.
Fadeout: The time in milliseconds to fade out the audio file. The default value is 0.
You can also use some special tags to control your music and sound effects, such as:
[stopbgm]: This will stop playing the background music.
[stopsound]: This will stop playing all sound effects.
[fadeoutbgm]: This will fade out the background music with a specified time.
[fadeoutsound]: This will fade out all sound effects with a specified time.
Another common way to add audiovisuals is to use animations and transitions. Animations and transitions are graphical effects that change or move the images on the screen. You can use animations and transitions by using tags such as [trans] and [effect]. For example:
[trans method=\"crossfade\" time=1000] [bg storage=\"night.jpg\"] [effect name=\"shake\" time=2000] [show name=\"ghost\" storage=\"ghost.png\" layer=1 x=400 y=300] [p]You saw a ghost![/p>
This will change the background image to \"night.jpg\" with a crossfade effect of 1 second. Then, it will shake the screen f