Start Creating

Start developing with Inventool right away!

This section covers the minimal information needed to get started with Inventool.

Inventool is an object manager and UI builder designed to handle all item-related systems in a game. To get started, there are only a few core concepts you need to understand:

1. How to create Inventool objects

2. The available components

3. How to build your own UI

4. Scripting with Inventool

Creating Objects

To create objects, you need to use the available editor windows. All editor windows can be accessed from Window > Inventool. The ones you'll be working with the most are the Object Manager, which manages all Inventool objects, and the Stats editor, which manages item and character stats.

Components

Most components can be accessed from the GameObject menu. Right-click in the hierarchy and navigate to Inventool. However, not all components are there, as this menu is only for components that have a default setup.

Here's a list of the most common components you'll be working with:

• Inventool Initializer: Initializes Inventool without requiring any code.

• Blocks: explained in Building UI.

• Inventory: Stores item and currency data and manages all grid-based inventory logic.

• Equipment: Stores equipped items and equipment slot data.

• Recipe Catalog: Maintains a collection of obtained crafting recipes.

• Item Drop (2D/3D): Represents a single item drop that is visible in the game world.

• Item Spawner: Spawns items based on configured properties.

Building UI

It's recommended to build your own UI, but you can use the UI from the demos as a starting point.

When it comes to building UI, you'll be using the Blocks system the most. Blocks is a modular system that allows you to create your own UI that works with Inventool's objects. All blocks can be accessed from GameObject menu (GameObject > Inventool > Blocks).

Blocks can be something small, like a text block, or large, like an inventory block, and each block is customizable and optional.

There are too many blocks to list here, but they are something you'll get to understand over time as you use them. Each block has a clear and specific goal, which is usually obvious.

Scripting

It's important to understand this concept related to scripting in general:

If it can be done through the inspector, it can be done through code.

For example, if you have a Text Block and you bind it to a string getter through the inspector, you can do the same thing through code:

myTextBlock.BindWith(() => "My String");

It's recommended to go through the Scripting section to find the correct API for each task. Generally, scripting gives you greater control and opens up more possibilities compared to just using the editor tools.

Common Namespaces

Remember to use the correct namespaces in your scripts. The most common ones are:

using Esper.Inventool;
using Esper.Inventool.Blocks.UGUI;
using Esper.Inventool.Items;
using Esper.Inventool.Currencies;
using Esper.Inventool.CraftingSystem;
using Esper.Inventool.EnchantingSystem;
using Esper.Inventool.Merchants;
using Esper.Inventool.Rewards;

Still Confused?

Try going through the dedicated pages for each topic—they are more detailed and thorough. And remember, you have the option to reach out.