Best way to handle multiple weapons and animations?

Development Programming & Scripting Blueprint
1

So I’ve got my little man running around and I’m finally figuring out some animation stuff on my own. I’ve come to the point that I want to have a guy who can use a pistol, or a sword, or a rifle and switch between them easily. I see two ways I can go about this.

  1. I can make a separate AnimBP for each weapon and switch out the character’s AnimBP with the SetAnimInstanceClass node.
  2. I can make a giant “one size fits all” AnimBP that handles all possible weapons and their transitions from idle/run/crouch etc.

So I’m asking those who have been down this road before - what is the “best” way to do this? What did you choose to do and why? I am currently leaning in the direction of 1 (separate AnimBP for each equipped weapon) simply because it seems the easiest way. Method two just seems like it will end up as a giant plate of spaghetti as I add more implements of mayhem later. But then I’m new to this and am likely overlooking something obvious. I’d really appreciate any feedback on this.

Many thanks!

2

I am far from being an expert on this, as I am just learning all this too, but it seems that if you set variables for what is equipped, you can use those in the animation BP to play the proper animation, then you do not need to switch animation BP’s.

3

Read all of it

4

That is very helpful! Thanks!

5

No problem.

6

Very nice, Pabooklas. Thank you!