# Narrative Design Keys Not Working **URL:** \ **Category:** Character Intelligence\ **Tags:** question, unreal-engine\ **Created:** [June 14, 2025, 11:58am UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278 "2025-06-14T11:58:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mountain](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/mountain/32/4683_2.png) [@Mountain](https://forum.convai.com/u/Mountain)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 11:58am UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/1 "2025-06-14T11:58:24Z")
“I created a standard blueprint using the Time of Day template, but when I launch the project, the character doesn’t tell me what time of day it is. Could the character description affect this if I added something like ‘do not respond to other topics’?” ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/2X/a/a4a16e409a9816bd9343625da642607ce0e5bb5e.png) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/2X/2/28acfd29129e5cc287eafac27a1944c74140e333.png) ---
**Author:** ![K3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/k3/32/2611_2.png) [@K3](https://forum.convai.com/u/K3)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 1:06pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/2 "2025-06-14T13:06:07Z")
Hello @Mountain, Which version of Convai Plugin are you using? ---
**Author:** ![K3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/k3/32/2611_2.png) [@K3](https://forum.convai.com/u/K3)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/4 "2025-06-14T14:47:08Z")
This is not the version of the Convai Plugin. Please check it in the Plugins within the project. ---
**Author:** ![K3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/k3/32/2611_2.png) [@K3](https://forum.convai.com/u/K3)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/6 "2025-06-14T15:10:55Z")
Please use our latest version. 1. Download the ZIP file matching your Unreal Engine version from our latest release: [Releases · Conv-AI/Convai-UnrealEngine-SDK · GitHub](https://github.com/Conv-AI/Convai-UnrealEngine-SDK/releases) 2. In your Unreal project directory, create a `Plugins` folder if it doesn’t already exist. 3. Move the extracted `Convai` folder into the `Plugins` folder. 4. Open your project. 5. Navigate to **Project Settings \> Convai** and enter your API key. ---
**Author:** ![Mountain](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/mountain/32/4683_2.png) [@Mountain](https://forum.convai.com/u/Mountain)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/7 "2025-06-14T15:13:05Z")
Do I need to disable the plugin before installation? ---
**Author:** ![K3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/k3/32/2611_2.png) [@K3](https://forum.convai.com/u/K3)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/8 "2025-06-14T15:19:20Z")
You can remove the old plugin. ---
**Author:** ![Mountain](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/mountain/32/4683_2.png) [@Mountain](https://forum.convai.com/u/Mountain)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 4:14pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/9 "2025-06-14T16:14:51Z")
![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/2X/3/38d6f5532af31d8f4aac5fd48ba7c696b314669c.png) Thank you, it works. Now I have another question — is it possible to insert dynamic values into responses taken from a Data Table? For example, I ask for a refrigerator, and the assistant searches through the answers in the table, finds the correct one, and replies that the refrigerator is located in sector A6. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/2X/e/ee24f319afe844d78f29de8e181b24f50926fd57.png) ---
**Author:** ![Mountain](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/mountain/32/4683_2.png) [@Mountain](https://forum.convai.com/u/Mountain)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/10 "2025-06-14T16:18:56Z")
![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/2X/5/5d57cd5bec4b15bbc0e9360308bfcf5fa59f198c.png) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/2X/e/e69ef0933b3b80722b3cb77ad9dbc6800544c82a.jpeg) its work in Transcription received ---
**Author:** ![K3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/k3/32/2611_2.png) [@K3](https://forum.convai.com/u/K3)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 9:32am UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/11 "2025-06-15T09:32:52Z")
I don’t understand exactly what you are doing or what you want to do. Could you explain in detail? ---
**Author:** ![Mountain](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/mountain/32/4683_2.png) [@Mountain](https://forum.convai.com/u/Mountain)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 10:02am UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/12 "2025-06-15T10:02:55Z")
**I need to implement a feature where the assistant listens to what I say, then searches a data table for matching product names. For example, if I say “refrigerator”, it finds that word in the table and responds: “The refrigerator is located in Sector B2”.** **The table has two columns: one for product names and one for product locations.** **Can this be done using variables in the narrative design system? Do you support dynamic variables that can pull and insert values from a data table into responses?** ---
**Author:** ![K3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/k3/32/2611_2.png) [@K3](https://forum.convai.com/u/K3)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 11:32am UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/13 "2025-06-15T11:32:53Z")
You can use our `Action` feature for this and you can use the Invoke Speech Function with speak tags for your Action. > **[Simple actions | Convai Documentation](https://docs.convai.com/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/unreal-engine/guides/actions-guide/stage-2-custom-actions/simple-actions)** > > This document explains how to add simple actions to your Convai characters. > **[Event-Aware Convai Characters | Convai Documentation](https://docs.convai.com/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/unreal-engine/guides/event-aware-convai-characters)** > > This document explains how to make characters respond to events happening in their surroundings with a small example. ---
**Author:** ![Mountain](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/mountain/32/4683_2.png) [@Mountain](https://forum.convai.com/u/Mountain)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 1:24pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/14 "2025-06-15T13:24:19Z")
![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/2X/f/f57d444d7d0826aa49ea6ae0883f0bc324904e46.png) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/2X/6/617dc121fa600b3e372512be3eff27f705a4660d.png) **That’s not what I meant. I don’t need the assistant to show the product physically — I want it to say the location.** **For example, I have a table with products — it could contain around 30,000 items. When I say the name of a product, the assistant should search the table using something like a “Contains” check, find the matching product, then find the row with its location, and respond by saying where I can find it.** - I ask: _“Where can I find a refrigerator?”_ - The AI responds: _“Refrigerator” is located on shelf “A2.”_ ---
**Author:** ![K3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/k3/32/2611_2.png) [@K3](https://forum.convai.com/u/K3)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 12:30pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/15 "2025-06-16T12:30:16Z")
Just to explain: in Convai, an “Action” doesn’t always mean a physical animation or movement. It can simply be a way to trigger a custom Blueprint in response to what the user says. For example, when a user says “open the door,” the character doesn’t need to physically move. You can just play a door-opening animation via Blueprint. Similarly, in your case, your action could trigger a Blueprint that performs a search through your data. However, given the size of your dataset (around 30,000 items), using actions might not be optimal for speed. Instead, the most efficient solution would be to upload this data to your character’s Knowledge Bank. ---
**Author:** ![Mountain](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/mountain/32/4683_2.png) [@Mountain](https://forum.convai.com/u/Mountain)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/16 "2025-06-16T12:53:16Z")
**The Knowledge Bank doesn’t work reliably — sometimes the assistant responds correctly, and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s why I’d prefer to handle this using Narrative Design or some kind of dynamic variables. Ideally, the character would go through an array of data from a table and respond based on what it finds.** **Also, I want to add another feature based on this: using filters. For example, I don’t want to create separate Actions for every possible price value. Instead, I’d like to say any number out loud, and have that number be passed into a filter that sets the value dynamically.** ---
**Author:** ![K3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/forum.convai.com/k3/32/2611_2.png) [@K3](https://forum.convai.com/u/K3)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 7:03am UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/18 "2025-07-02T07:03:12Z")
You can create an Action or a Narrative Design section, for example, define a section like “User is querying a product.” Once that section is triggered, you can handle your product lookup logic dynamically at that point. **Narrative Design:** - [Overview](https://docs.convai.com/api-docs/convai-playground/character-creator-tool/narrative-design) - [Unreal Engine Integration](https://docs.convai.com/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/unreal-engine/guides/narrative-design) - [Narrative Design Guide (Google Doc)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o9G7eBK0oIkYPly4Aev6JkfehajW6OiyHuQlHvWdwTw/edit?tab=t.0) **Action System:** - [Action System in Unreal Engine](https://docs.convai.com/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/unreal-engine/guides/actions-guide) For your second question, yes, you can use `Invoke Speech` to make the character say a predefined line. ```plaintext I will speak this line ``` ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/convai/original/1X/e60ef96aa7334c5ccf6682f6c6dbc20fcfa96b49.png) [@system](https://forum.convai.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 1:17pm UTC](https://forum.convai.com/t/narrative-design-keys-not-working/4278/19 "2025-09-03T13:17:06Z")
Closed on September 3, 2025, 1:17pm UTC This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.