Determining Player Movement in Unity 3D
      No Comments
     

Input Devices

The first step in determining player movement is to gather input from the player. Unity provides several input devices that can be used for this purpose, including:

  • Keyboard: The keyboard can be used to move the player character (PC) horizontally and vertically using the left and right arrow keys or the WASD keys (Walk, Attack, Sprint, Dodge).
  • Mouse: The mouse can be used for look and aim control by mapping the horizontal and vertical movement of the mouse to the PC’s rotation.
  • Touchscreen: Touchscreens can be used for input by using gestures such as swipes and pinches to move the player character.
  • Joystick/Gamepad: Joysticks and gamepads can be used for input in games designed specifically for these devices.

Scripting Techniques

Once the input is gathered, it needs to be translated into movement commands for the PC. This can be achieved using various scripting techniques, including:

  • Rigidbody: The rigidbody component can be used to control the movement of the PC by setting its velocity and angular velocity.
  • Animator: The animator component can be used to control the animation of the PC by setting its animation state.
  • Input System: Unity’s input system provides a powerful way to gather and process input from various devices, including touchscreens and joysticks.
  • Custom Scripts: Custom scripts can be written to handle specific movement commands or to integrate multiple input devices.

Combining Input Devices and Scripting Techniques

In most games, the player will use a combination of input devices to control their character’s movement. For example, the player may use the keyboard for horizontal movement and the mouse for aim and look control. The following is an example of how this can be achieved in Unity:

  1. Create a new script called “Player Movement”.
  2. In the “Player Movement” script, add a rigidbody component to the PC game object and set its velocity and angular velocity based on the input received from the keyboard and mouse.
  3. Add an animator component to the PC game object and set its animation state based on the input received from the keyboard and mouse.
  4. In the “Input System” window, map the horizontal and vertical movement of the mouse to the PC’s rotation and the WASD keys to the PC’s velocity.
  5. Test the game by moving the PC character using a combination of the keyboard and mouse.

Conclusion

Determining player movement in Unity 3D involves gathering input from various devices and translating that input into movement commands for the PC using scripting techniques. By combining these techniques, developers can create engaging and responsive games that allow players to interact with their game world in meaningful ways.