Navigating Dialogue Studio
The top header
Most important in the header is the deploy button. Any changes made to your Dialogue flows are saved, but not made available ‘live’ until the deploy button has been clicked. If a flow contains errors, the deploy button will warn you of these. You can still force a deployment, which is useful when troubleshooting for example.
On the right hand the header has a settings menu, not yet elaborated on this documentation.
The central canvas
The canvas is where the dialogue flows are shown, with the nodes involved and the connections between them. This is a drag and drop interface, with common interactions.
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Moving nodes: Using the mouse, click and hold a node to move it around.
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Select a node: Click it once to select a node, double-click it to open its configuration.
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Select multiple nodes: Hold down the shift button and use the mouse to drag a square. Any node in the square is now selected and can be moved at once.
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Select multiple nodes selectively: Hold down the CTRL button and click on the nodes you want to select. Each node clicked is now selected, and all can be moved at once.
When you need a fresh canvas for a second flow, the top-right of the canvas has a plus button. Clicking it will create new tab with a clean canvas. Name the canvas for convenience by double-clicking the label inside it, and use the description field to document and explain the flow to other (future) users.
Node menu
On the left of the canvas the various nodes available to you are listed in a scrollable list. At the top are the AnywhereNow specific nodes, and below it you find general nodes. At the top of this list is a search or filter box, that makes it easier to find the node you’re looking for.
Side menu
To the right of the canvas the following functions are available, each found by clicking the corresponding tab at the top.
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Information: Contains details about your flows and nodes within, such as their type and unique identifier.
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Help: Explains how Dialogue Studio work. This is especially helpful when selecting a node, as it explains what the node is intended for and what options are available.
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Debug: A chronological list of entries written by the system or any debug nodes. This panel is used to find problems in your flow. If a problem persists, but you lack information to solve it, adding debug nodes helps in retrieving more detailed information from specific areas in your flow.
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Configuration nodes: currently not used