Setting up the player’s movement controls.

In this tutorial we’ll do the basic player setup and create a schematic to control the player’s movement, i.e. running and jumping. The player control schematic will be extended in later tutorials to fire rockets and lay bombs.

Basic Player Setup

The player’s basic setup involves adding object variables to store the player’s attributes and adding a simple schematic to set the player. Select the hero game object in the scene (it’s an already added instance of the hero prefab found at Assets/Tutorial Resources/Prefabs/) and add the following components.

Object Variables

First, we’ll add object variables to the player’s game object. Add an Object Variables component (e.g. using the component menu: Makinom > Scenes > Object Variables).

Change the following settings of the object variables component.

Click on Add Variable to add a new variable to the object variables. This variable will be used remember which direction the player is facing, since we’re building a 2D game, we wont rotate the game object, but flip the sprite by inverting the scale on the X-axis.

Again, click on Add Variable. This variable will be used to store the player’s health.

Setting Player Schematic

Now, we’ll use a schematic to set the player when the level starts and add it using an Auto Machine component.

Follow the steps in this schematic tutorial – it explains how to create the schematic and add an auto machine to the game object.

Player Control: Schematic

Next, we’ll create a schematic to handle the player’s control. For now, we’ll only set up running and jumping – firing rockets and laying bombs will be added to this schematic at a later time. We’ll be making use of node layers to separate the different control parts. The player will be moved by a Rigidbody2D component.

Open the Makinom editor, navigate to Schematics and create a new schematic. Change the following settings.

The following nodes are placed in layer 0: Base Layer. Layer 0 is the default layer.

Settings

We’ll add an audio clip resource to play a random jump sound effect.

Audio Clips

Click on Add Audio Clip Resource to add an audio clip resource.

Change Variables

Add > Value > Variable > Change Variables

We’ll use this node to store the player’s input into a Vector3 variable. The player can only move horizontally (left and right).

Click on Add Variable to add a variable change.

Play Mecanim Animation

Add > Animation + Audio > Mecanim > Play Mecanim Animation

This node is used to play an animation or set parameters of an animator. We’ll use it to play the walking animation of the player by setting the Speed float parameter.

Vector3 Multiply

Add > Value > Vector > Vector3 Multiply

We’ll use this node to multiply the input vector by the movement force of our player.

Variable Settings

Vector3 Value

Multiply By

Rigidbody Add Force

Add > Game Object > Rigidbody > Rigidbody Add Force

We’ll use this node to add the movement force to the player.

Clamp Transform

Add > Movement > Movement > Clamp Transform

We’ll use this node to limit the velocity of the player, otherwise he would just continue to get faster due to adding force to the rigidbody.

Clamp Object

Clamp X-Axis

Check Variables

Add > Value > Variable > Check Variables

We’ll use this node to check if the player is moving to the right but not facing right – in that case we’ll need to flip the sprite.

Click on Add Variable to add a variable condition.

Click on Add Variable to add another variable condition.

Check Variables

Add > Value > Variable > Check Variables

We’ll use this node to check if the player is moving to the left but facing right  – in that case we’ll need to flip the sprite.

Copy the previous Check Variables node and connect the new node to the Failed slot of the previous node.

In the first variable condition, change the following settings.

In the 2nd variable condition, change the following settings.

Start Tagged Machine

Add > Machine > Start Tagged Machine

We’ll use this node to start a tagged machine with the tag flip. This will flip the sprite for us – we’ll set up the schematic for this later.

This node is connected to the Success slots of both Check Variables nodes.

Machine Object

Starting Object

Tag Settings

Gate Entry (Layer Gate)

Next, we’ll add a Layer Gate node to the reach the next layer. This node is connected to the previous node’s Next slot and the 2nd Check Variables node’s Failed slot (i.e. when we’re moving left and already facing left).

Right click on the Next slot and select Add > Gate to Layer > Add New Layer. This will create a new layer and add a layer gate to it.

To display the new layer, either double click on the on the node’s title or select it in the layer popup field in the upper right corner of the editor.

You can rename the layer by clicking on the Rename Layer icon right of the popup field – e.g. name the layer Jump. Clicking on the icon again will stop editing the layer’s name.

The following nodes are placed in layer 1: Jump. In this layer, we’ll handle the player’s jumping.

Input Key

Add > Input > Input Key

We’ll use this node to check if the player pressed the Jump input key.

This node is connected to the Next slot of the Gate Exit from layer 0.

Raycast

Add > Game Object > Raycast

We’ll use this node to check if the player is on the ground by sending a raycast downwards. We don’t need to store any hit points or found game objects – this is just used to check if the ground is there.

This node is connected to the Jump slot of the Input Key node.

Raycast Settings

Play Mecanim Animation

Add > Animation + Audio > Mecanim > Play Mecanim Animation

We’ll use this node to play the player’s jump animation by setting the Jump trigger parameter.

This node is connected to the Success slot of the Raycast node.

Play Sound At Point

Add > Animation + Audio > Audio > Play Sound At Point

We’ll use this node to play the jump sound at the current position of the player.

Position

Audio Settings

Rigidbody Add Force

Add > Game Object > Rigidbody > Rigidbody Add Force

We’ll use this node to add the jumping force to the player.

Gate Entry (Layer Gate)

Finally, we’ll add a Layer Gate node to the reach the next layer. This node is connected to the previous node’s Next slot and the Failed slots of the Input Key and Raycast nodes.

Right click on the Next slot and select Add > Gate to Layer > Add New Layer. This will create a new layer and add a layer gate to it.

To display the new layer, either double click on the on the node’s title or select it in the layer popup field in the upper right corner of the editor.

You can rename the layer by clicking on the Rename Layer icon right of the popup field – e.g. name the layer Shoot. Clicking on the icon again will stop editing the layer’s name.

This layer will handle firing rockets, we’ll continue here at a later time. For now, this schematic is finished – click on Save Schematic and save it as PlayerControl in Assets/Schematics/.

Player Control: Tick Machine

The schematic handling the player’s control will try to start each frame, but will only be able to when the player is in control. We’ll stop the player control when the player died through changing the In Control game state.

Add a tick machine component to the hero game object (e.g. using the component menu: Makinom > Machines > Tick Machine) and change the following settings.

Start Settings

Machine Execution Settings

Flip: Schematic

Next, we’ll set up a simple schematic to flip a sprite.

Open the Makinom editor, navigate to Schematics and create a new schematic. Change the following settings.

Change Variables

Add > Value > Variable > Change Variables

We’ll use this node to toggle the facingRight bool variable – toggling a bool will change true to false and false to true.

Click on Add Variable to add a variable change.

Change Scale

Add > Movement > Movement > Change Scale

We’ll use this node to negate the X-axis scale – this will turn 1 to -1 and -1 to 1.

When working with 2D (sprites), flipping them is done by using negative scales.

Scaling Object

Scale

And that’s it for the schematic – click on Save Schematic and save it as Flip in Assets/Schematics/.

Take Damage: Tagged Machine

Finally, we’ll add the tagged machine handling flipping the sprite. Select the hero game object in the scene and add a tagged machine component to it (e.g. using the component menu: Makinom > Machines > Tagged Machine). Change the following settings.

Start Settings

Click on Add Starting Tag to add a tag that can start this machine.

Machine Execution Settings

And that’s it for now – apply the changes to the prefab by clicking on Apply (top of the inspector).

Don’t forget to save the scene.

Testing

Click on Play to test the game. You’ll be able to move the player around using the arrow keys and jump using the jump key.

The next tutorial will handle the camera and background.