The Curious Reader

Overview

The Curious Reader project is an open source children's platform written in Unity that plays fun and engaging reading and learning content that combines interactive app elements with educational best practices.

We're trying to teach the world to read, one smart device at a time! Find out how you can contribute to the Curious Reader project by reading our contribution guidelines (FORTHCOMING).

If you would like to program your own content using the Curious Reader platform, you can start by reading our Content Creation Guide for Developers.

The Curious Reader is currently available for Android.

History

The Curious Reader project is a collaborative effort between Curious Learning and Digital Impact Square (DISQ), a TCS Foundation Initiative, under the support of the MIT Media Lab.

The original collaboration saw the development of an open source Unity application, the Player, as well as an open JSON standard for content.

This app repo consists of 4 main parts:

1. The Shelf-- where a reader selects a book to read.
2. The Reader-- where books are read and interacted with.
3. Data collection-- where usage data is collected and sent to Firebase Analytics.
4. The Books-- the book files themselves.

Shelf

Including a list of what scripts and files are used in creating the Shelf and how those interact.

Files Used:

1. Shelf Scripts
   Path: TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Scripts
   

Script Name	Description	Attached to which game object
ShelfManager.cs	Main contoller script of shelf and contains all functions performed in shelf	Canvas
BookObject.cs	Its a book object class for book.cs	Every child of books_wheel game object
BookCollision.cs	It extends shelf manager and uses colliders to detect position of books in shelf	Every child of books_wheel game object

2. Shelf Images
   Path: TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Resources\Thumbnail

Interaction:

ShelfManager.cs -> BookObject.cs -> BookCollision.cs

 1. Load initial/local asset bundle on shelf scene
 
 // TODO: Pull manifest and book files from a server. Today they are stored locally.
 2. Call server manifest file with timeout of 1.0 sec.

 3. if (server manifest is newer than local manifest) 
         use server manifest         
    else
         use local manifest
     
 4.  LoadShelfData();
     LoadInitialCenterBook();
       
 5. if( clicked on Image || Title || center book)
        it ll load scene asynchronusly from "Books/Decodable/CatTale/Common/Scenes/Scene01"
 6. if (clicked on any other book other than center)
        rotate the books clockwise/anticlockwise

Player

Section for the "Player" including what scripts parse the Tinkr Book JSON, display the book, and listing all the interactive function scripts.

Json related Scripts:

Script Name	Description
JsonHelper.cs	all functions needed to parse json
Anim.cs	Parse anim related info from respective book json to this class
AudioClass.cs	Parse audio related info from respective book json to this class
GameObjectClass.cs	Parse game objects related info from respective book json to this class
Movable.cs	Parse movable gameobject related info from respective book json to this class
PageClass.cs	Parse page related info from respective book json to this class
Sequence.cs	Parse animation sequence related info from respective book json to this class
StoryBookJson.cs	Parse storybook related info from respective book json to this class
TextClass.cs	Parse text related info from respective book json to this class
TimeStampClass.cs	Parse time stamp of audio related info from respective book json to this class
TriggerClass.cs	Parse triggers related info from respective book json to this class

Other Major Scripts:

Script Name	Description	Attached to which game object
GGameManager.cs	Script responsible for controling scenes,touch events and home menu	GameManager
GGameManagerInitializer.cs	Initialize game manager instance	GameManagerInitializer
LoadAssetFromJSON.cs	Script to load the scene based on JSON describing the book.	Canvas
GStanzaManager.cs	Script responsible for all stanza related functions	Canvas
GSManager.cs	Script responsible for controling the scenes.	SceneManager0
StanzaObject.cs	its a stanza object class for GStanzaManager	StanzaObject(Clone)
GTinkerText.cs	Script responsible for every function of the text.	every child of stanzaobject
GTinkerGraphic.cs	Script responsible for every function of the graphic.	graphic_game_object

Creating a New Book

Section for "Creating a New Book" to detail what needs to be done in creating a new content.

For a more in-depth guide, please refer to the Content Creation Guide for Developers.

Recipe to make Tinkrbook

1. Setting the folder hierarchy right.

StepNo	Description	How
1.1	Create a folder at this path with title of the book example "xyzTale"	Path:TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Books\Decodable
1.2	Create 6 folders at this path with level-wise-name of the book example "xyzTaleLevel0"..and soon.	Path:TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Books\Decodable\xyzTale\
1.3	Create a folder with name "Common" at the following path(it refers to common assets and ll contain 5 subfolders)	Common/AnimPNGs; Common/Audio; Common/Images; Common/Scenes

2. Creating book specific json and other scripts

Step No	Description	How
1.	Creating Book specific JSON	Refer any book json at this path "TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Books\Decodable\CatTale\catstorylevel2\Resources" and modify values at R.H.S according to proper value,positioning ,timing, scaling of game object and add corresponding script to it as needed.
2.	Updating manifest	Fill in new book details in shelf manifest at this path: TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Resources\Manifests
3.	books assets path	TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Books\Decodable\xyzTale\xyzTalelevelx
4.	shelf assets path	TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Resources\Thumbnail

What led to specific scripts creation

Also detailing what functionality to date has required the creation of separate scripts rather than what is included in the collection of interactive functions.

Scene No	Script Name	Description
3	LX PQRTale SManager3	This script is wriiten to handle the simultanious play of two animations ( runnning of both man and cat) when man,cat or word run is tapped.This type of animation is not handled generically
7	LX PQRTale SManager7	The page of book to which this script is attached also invovles two seperate gameObjects in the animation so this type odf animation is not handled generically
9	LX PQRTale SManager9	This script has the functionally similar to the Smanager 7
16	LX PQRTale SManager16
18	LX PQRTale SManager18

**this section details ll be modified in next sprint due to user story #250.

Data Collection

Files Used:

Script Name	Description	Path
FirebaseHelper.cs	Script responsible for logging events to firebase.	TinkrTeam\TinkrShelf\Assets\Scripts\Data\

Functions Used:

Functions Name	Description
AddBook	Assigns the value of book id to appID.
AddSection	Assigns the value of page number to secID.
LogInAppSection	Logs IN_APP_SECTION event to firebase. IN_APP_SECTION depicts time spent on a particular page.
LogInShelfSection	Logs IN_APP_SECTION event for shelf to firebase(special functions because shelf doesnot have section id!!!).
LogInAppTouch	IN_APP_TOUCH event depicts the touch on any graphic, text, button.
LogInShelfTouch	Logs IN_APP_TOUCH event for shelf to firebase(special functions because shelf doesnot have section id!!!) IN_APP_TOUCH event depicts the touch on any graphic, text, button.
LogInAppResponse	Logs the IN_APP_RESPONSE event to firebase. IN_APP_RESPONSE event depicts response given to any question asked in the Tinkbook.

Resources

1. User defined firebase parameters
2. Implementation Decisions and Issues Faced.