Setting up the player controls.

In this tutorial we’ll do the basic player setup and create 2 schematics for the player’s controls – one for moving the player left and right, one for shooting the ball at the start.

Basic Player Setup

We’ll add a simple schematic to set the player – select the Paddle game object in the scene (it’s an already added instance of the Paddle prefab found at Assets/Tutorial Resources/Prefabs/).

Setting Player Schematic

We’ll use a schematic to set the player when the level starts or the player is spawned, 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.

Paddle: Schematic

Next, we’ll create a schematic to handle the player’s movement control. The control will simply move the player left and right within defined bounds.

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

Settings

We’ll set up local variables as Machine Start Variables for easy setup in the machine component at a later time. When using the schematic in a machine component, the defined start variables will be added automatically, using their default values.

Machine Start Variables

Click on Add Start Variable to add a local start variable that will be exposed to the machine component’s inspector.

Copy the previous start variable.

Again, copy the previous start variable.

Move

Add > Movement > Movement > Move

We’ll use this node to move the paddle left and right based on the Horizontal input key. The movement speed of the paddle will be stored in a local start variable of the Tick Machine that will play the schematic.

Moving Object

Move Change

Speed Settings

The movement will be based on the delta time, i.e. the time until the last frame.

Clamp Transform

Add > Movement > Movement > Clamp Transform

We’ll use this node to clamp the paddle’s position along the X-axis to stay within the level. The minimum and maximum values are stored in local start variables of the Tick Machine that plays the schematic.

Clamp Object

Clamp X-Axis

That’s it for this schematic – click on Save Schematic and save it as Paddle in Assets/Schematics/.

Ball: Schematic

Next, we’ll create the schematic to shoot the ball to start the game. The ball is mounted to the paddle first, in order to move it with the paddle before firing it. In this schematic, we’ll unmount the ball from the paddle, set a bool variable to not perform the machine again and send the ball flying through rigidbody force.

Create a new schematic and change the following settings.

Settings

We’ll set up local variables as Machine Start Variables for easy setup in the machine component at a later time. When using the schematic in a machine component, the defined start variables will be added automatically, using their default values.

Machine Start Variables

Click on Add Start Variable to add a local start variable that will be exposed to the machine component’s inspector.

Mount Object

Add > Game Object > Game Object > Mount Object

We’ll use this node to unmount the ball from the paddle.

Object

Change Variables

Add > Value > Variable > Change Variables

We’ll now set a global bool variable that’s used by the machine as condition – otherwise we’d be able to fire the ball again and again.

Click on Add Variable to add a variable change.

Rigidbody Kinematic

Add > Game Object > Rigidbody > Rigidbody Kinematic

At first, the ball’s kinematic option is enabled, we’ll need to disable it in order to have it bounce off walls.

Rigidbody Object

Enable/Disable Kinematic

Rigidbody Add Force

Add > Game Object > Rigidbody > Rigidbody Add Force

We’ll use this node to add a force to the ball – the force value is stored in a local start variable of the Interaction Machine that plays the schematic.

Rigidbody Object

Force

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

Paddle: Tick Machine

Next, we’ll add the Paddle schematic (moving the paddle) to the Paddle game object in the scene using a Tick Machine.

We’ll stop the player control when the Game Running game state is Inactive – it’ll be set inactive when the player won or lost all lives (game over).

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

Start Settings

Machine Execution Settings

Local Start Variables

The Machine Start Variables we’ve set up in the schematic are automatically added here with their default values – since the default values are already what we need, we don’t have more to do here. Make sure all variables are enabled.

Ball: Interaction Machine

Finally, we’ll add the Ball schematic (moving the paddle) to the Ball game object (child object of the Paddle) using an Interaction Machine.

Like the previous machine, we’ll stop this machine when the Game Running game state is Inactive. Additionally, we’ll use the ballInPlay global bool variable that marks if the ball has been fired already in a variable condition to prevent the machine from starting again.

Add an interaction machine component to the Ball game object (e.g. using the component menu: Makinom > Machines > Interaction Machine) and change the following settings.

Start Settings

Machine Execution Settings

Variable Conditions

We’ll check if ballInPlay is false, otherwise the machine shouldn’t start.

Local Start Variables

The Machine Start Variable we’ve set up in the schematic is automatically added here with its default value. Make sure the variable is enabled.

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

Testing

Hit Play to test the game. You can now move the paddle left and right (until the walls) and shoot the ball once by pressing the Fire key (space). Not much happening yet …

The next tutorial will handle the bricks.