Here’s how to get started with a new Story Machine project.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Create a new project
Double click on Story Machine. Choose File > New Project.
In Story Machine, Projects are folders. Create a new Folder called “My Project” somewhere and select “New Project.”
Story Machine will create a New Project.smb file in that folder.
Now you have a Story Machine project!
Step 2: Put image files in your project folder
Copy images into your project folder using the Finder. As you add files and folders to your project folder, they will appear in the Story Machine project window.
Step 3: Drag an image onto the stage
Click and drag an image file from the project window onto the stage. The image will appear on the stage. Note that Story Machine supports png, jpg, gif, as well as other formats like tga, bmp, and psd.
You can resize the image by grabbing the purple handles at its edges. Hold the Shift key to maintain the image’s aspect ratio. You can also resize, rotate, or move the image by adjusting the values in the Inspector window when the image is selected.
Step 4: Add a text box
In the Tools window, select the [T] tool. Click in the stage and drag to create a new text box. Text boxes in Story Machine come with a default font and filler text, which can be customized later. See the [Text Boxes](text boxes) documentation for details.
With the text box selected, find the Text Name field and enter “Hello World”. In the Text box directly below it, enter “I made a text box!”. The text box on the stage will update to display your text.
Step 5: Run your game!
Select Run > Play to run your (very simple) game in Story Machine. You should see your text type out next to your image against a black background. This isn’t much of a game yet, but Play mode lets you test your game very quickly, directly in the editor. Choose Run > Stop to return to editing mode.
Step 6: Save your scene
Select File > Save... to save your test scene. Make sure you save it somewhere inside your project folder!
You’ve just created your first (exceptionally simple) Story Machine project. Check out the Tutorials section for more examples of Story Machine features.