This guide will walk you through adding n00dFootsteps Plugin to your own project. The plugin also supports Modular Gameplay Features but isn't packaged for it out of the box, and is not covered in this tutorial.

Adding Character Component

Config

DefaultEngine.ini

Project Settings

Setting Up Animations

PDA_N00dFootstepsFoley

PDA_N00dFootstepsSurface

Casts

Getting Started

Plugin Setup

After adding the plugin to your library, go to your vault and install it to your desired Engine verison. Alternatively, you can download it from GitHub.

Navigate to the Edit menu and select Plugins

Enable the Plugin

And Restart the Editor

Adding Character Component

Once you're back in, open the ThirdPersonCharacter blueprint

Add the component to the character

The defaults of the component can be mutated with your own data - these are example data assets that the system will use. We will make our own later in this guide, but for now we will setup the fundamentals.

Hover over any one of these variables for more information.

Check the Debug flag here if you'd like more information about the controlled character in our testing phase.

Config

You need to tell the Editor what surfaces exist; you can do this through the DefaultEngine.ini, or the Project Settings under Physics.

DefaultEngine.ini

[/Script/Engine.PhysicsSettings]

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType1,Name="Concrete")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType2,Name="Dirt")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType3,Name="Glass")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType4,Name="Grass")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType5,Name="Gravel")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType6,Name="Metal")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType7,Name="Mud")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType8,Name="Rock")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType9,Name="Water")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType10,Name="Wood")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType11,Name="Sand")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType12,Name="GrassDry")

+PhysicalSurfaces=(Type=SurfaceType13,Name="Forest")

Make sure that you don't duplicate the [/Script/Engine.PhysicsSettings] block.

Project Settings

Setting Up Animations

Open the locomotion animations and under the Window menu make sure that Animation Data Modifiers is opened

Hit the Add Modifier dropdown and select AM_N00dAutoFootsteps, followed by Apply All Modifiers.

Do this with all your locomotion animations you want to have footsteps.

Automatically added footsteps to the animation, you are free to do this manually also.

Testing

If you've added the notifies to the correct animation, we should be ready to go!

Data

IMPORTANT: When creating new data assets (or any child classes or duplicates for that matter), do not store them in the plugin. Make a new folder in your own project file structure and store them there. Failure to do so will result in you losing these assets upon update from the marketplace!

Data Assets

Right-click in the folder you want to create a data asset, and navigate to Miscellaneous>Data Asset. Choose from one of the included Primary Data Assets for your new Data Asset

PDA_N00dFootprint

Override ConvertToFootprint in the component to handle different implementations if you add more data here, such as creatures with misfigured feet

This primary data asset contains data that we use in the component for a standard bipedal character. You may extend this however you'd like. Left and Right feet are determined by the anim notify and not by the data in this asset.

PDA_N00dFootstepsFoley

Here we have a container for defintions that span across all characters that want foley.

Create however many foley defintions you want and define them in the component

View from the data asset

PDA_N00dFootstepsSurface

This is how you define each surface that you want footsteps to know about.

Casts

All variables used in the footsteps component are base engine classes or data types, and we have helper functions that cast to the the variable or type we are after. Feel free to extend the included data types or override these casts with your own conversions.