Setting up the player’s movement controls and camera.

In this tutorial we’ll do the basic player setup and create a schematic to control the movement. Additionally, we’ll let the camera follow the player’s movement.

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 Player game object in the scene (it’s an already added instance of the Player 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 to store the player’s health. When the health reaches 0, the player’s ship will be destroyed.

Again, click on Add Variable. This variable will be used to store the player’s fire rate (i.e. time between shots).

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 Movement: Schematic

Next, we’ll create a schematic to handle the player’s movement control. Open the Makinom editor, navigate to Schematics and create a new schematic. There are is no additional setup needed in the schematic’s Settings.

The player’s game object will be moved using the Rigidbody component’s MovePosition function. Additionally, we’ll play/stop the walking animation in the game object’s Animator component (Mecanim).

Please note that the machine component used to play the schematic will set up the local float variable speed.

Settings

We’ll set up a local variable as Machine Start Variable for easy setup in the machine component at a later time. When using the schematic in a machine component, the defind 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.

Move

Add > Movement > Movement > Move

This node is used to move a game object each frame. We’ll use it to move the player using it’s rigidbody component.

Moving Object

Move Change

Speed Settings

The speed will be defind by the local start variable speed.

Rotate To

Add > Movement > Rotation > Rotate To

This node is used to rotate a game object toward something (i.e. look at). We’ll use it to rotate the player toward the mouse cursor.

Rotating Object

Rotation Target Settings

Upward Direction

Raycast Settings

This settings define how the mouse cursor position in world space will be found.

Check Speed

Add > Movement > Movement > Check Speed

This node is used to check the movement speed of a game object. We’ll use it to determine if we’ll play the walk animation.

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 IsWalking bool parameter.

This node is connected to the Success slot of the Check Speed node.

Play Mecanim Animation

Add > Animation + Audio > Mecanim > Play Mecanim Animation

Copy the previous Play Mecanim Animation node and connect it to the Failed slot of the Check Speed node.

We’ll use it to stop the walking animation – change the following setting.

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

Player Movement: Tick Machine

The player is moved using a Rigidbody component, i.e. we’ll need to Fixed Update for the physics updates.

Add a Tick Machine component to the player’s game object (e.g. using the component menu: Makinom > Machines > Tick Machine). Change the following settings.

Start Settings

Machine Execution Settings

Condition Settings

We’ll only want the controls to work while the player is alive, i.e. we need to check the health of the player.

Local Start Variables

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

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

Camera Follow: Schematic

We want the camera to follow the player’s movement, so we’ll set up a simple schematic to do that.

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

Smooth Follow

Add > Movement > Movement > Smooth Follow

This node is used to let one game object follow another game object each frame. We’ll use it to let the camera follow the player.

Move Object

Follow Object

Position Offset

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

Camera Follow: Tick Machine

Finally, we’ll add the CameraFollow schematic to the camera using a tick machine. Select the Main Camera game object in the scene hierarchy.

Add a tick machine component to the camera’s game object (e.g. using the component menu: Makinom > Machines > Tick Machine). Change the following settings.

Start Settings

Machine Execution Settings

And that’s it for now – 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 change the rotation using the mouse cursor. The camera will follow the player.

The next tutorial will handle the player’s weapon control.