I want to change the stance of a character and transition into that stance
like holding guns and Aiming
(for example, switching from unarmed to holding a rifle and moving while carrying it). I learned about using a ‘State Machine’ from some helpful people here (thanks!
), and now I can implement transitions like unarmed idle standing to walking, running, jumping, and then crouching idle to crouching move when triggered.
However, as I continue adding more features like iron sight aiming or hip holding, do I need to include every single stance and action into the state machine? It feels overwhelming to list every possible combination. Is this the right approach, or is there a better way to manage all these states without having to hard-code everything into the state machine?
Thanks for your help!
And, here’s what I’ve done, in case I failed to express:
I have the aiming animations (unreal gives us inside the Starter Anim Pack)
and I got to add them in the state machine? every related stateMachine? (like Armed idle walking/crouch, there are three already, not to mention that pistol\shotgun\launchers have their animations)
Here’s a structured approach to managing these states and transitions without becoming overwhelmed:
State Machine Basics
You’re on the right track with using a state machine for managing different states. For a game character, these states typically include:
Idle
Walking
Running
Jumping
Crouching
Aiming
Shooting (hip and aim)
2. Layered State Machines
Rather than putting every possible stance and action in one state machine, consider using layered state machines. This allows you to manage different aspects of your character’s animations in separate layers, which can be blended together. For example:
Base Layer: Manages basic states like idle, walk, run, crouch.
Aiming Layer: Manages aiming and weapon-related animations.
In Unreal Engine, you can use Animation Blueprints and State Machines to organize these layers. This way, you can separate aiming animations from movement animations.
Blend Spaces
Blend Spaces are useful for blending animations smoothly. For instance, you can use a blend space for walking to running transitions based on speed. For aiming, you can use a blend space to transition between hip fire and iron sights.
Animation Montages
For actions like aiming and shooting, Animation Montages are a powerful tool. They allow you to play specific sequences of animations in response to events (like aiming or shooting) and can be triggered from within your state machine or via code.
Combining Animations
You don’t need to hard-code every possible combination of actions and stances. Instead:
Use Animation States: Define broad states (e.g., armed vs. unarmed) and let the state machine manage transitions within those states.
Blend Animations: Use blend nodes to combine animations based on conditions like aiming or weapon type.
6. Setting Up Aiming
For aiming:
Create Aiming States: Add aiming states in your state machine. For example, you could have Armed_Idle_Aiming, Armed_Walking_Aiming, etc.
Use Transition Rules: Define rules for transitioning into AARP® Official Site and out of aiming states. These rules could be based on input (e.g., holding down the aim button) or other conditions (e.g., if the weapon is equipped).
7. Managing Multiple Weapons
For handling multiple weapon types:
Weapon-Specific Animations: Create separate animations for each weapon.
Weapon State Management: Use a system that switches between weapon types and their corresponding animations.
8. Learning Resources
To get more comfortable with these concepts, consider:
Unreal Engine Documentation: They provide comprehensive guides and examples on animation blueprints and state machines.
Tutorials: Look for specific tutorials on complex animation systems, like those dealing with weapon handling and aiming.
Thank you for your detailed answer. I’ll begin by carefully reviewing the layer machines and official documents. Although they may seem overwhelming at first, I believe it’s essential to understand them thoroughly to avoid any future regrets.
