BigPicture.Client

Working with Steam's BigPicture Mode

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Introduction

using BigPicture = HeathenEngineering.SteamworksIntegration.API.BigPicture.Client;

public static class BigPicture.Client

This leverages features of ISteamUtil to simplify working in Steam's BigPicture mode. In particular tests for "IsBigPicutre", "RunningOnStemDeck" and handling Gamepad Text Input.

Events

EventGamepadTextInputShown

This is invoked when the Gamepad Text Input feature of Steam's Big Picture mode is displayed to the user. This only occurs when your game triggers it by calling ShowTextInput.

public static UnityEvent EventGamepadTextInputShow => get;

This event has no arguments so its handler is simply

void HandleGamepadTextInputShownEvent()
{
    // Do work when the Gamepad Text Input is shown
}

EventGamepadTextInputDismissed

This is invoked when the Gamepad Text Input feature of Steam's Big Picture mode is dismissed e.g. closed and carries the resulting text it captured.

public static UnityStringEvent EventGamepadTextInputDismissed => get;

This event has 1 argument of type string so its handle should take the form of

void HandleGamepadTextInputDismissed(string result)
{
    // Result is the string the user typed with the gamepad
}

Fields and Attributes

InBigPicture

public static bool InBigPicture => get;

Returns true if the Steam client is running in Big Picture mode.

RunningOnDeck

public static bool RunningOnDeck => get;

Returns true if the app is running on a Steam Deck

Methods

ShowTextInput

Activates the big picture text input dialog which only supports gamepad input.

This is not a virtual keyboard, it is dependent on the Steam client being in Big Picture mode and cannot be used when it is not.

Steam does have a virtual keyboard that you can use. Please see the Utilities API for more information.

public static bool ShowTextInput(
                EGamepadTextInputMode inputMode,
                EGamepadTextInputLineMode lineMode,
                string description, 
                uint maxLength, 
                string currentText)

Returns true if the client is in Big Picture mode false otherwise

inputMode

Selects the input mode to use, either Normal or Password (hidden text)

lineMode

Controls whether to use single or multi line input.

description

Sets the description that should inform the user what the input dialog is for.

maxLength

The maximum number of characters that the user can input.

currentText

Sets the pre-existing text which the user can edit.