.. _doc_first_3d_game_player_scene_and_input: Player scene and input actions ============================== In the next two lessons, we will design the player scene, register custom input actions, and code player movement. By the end, you'll have a playable character that moves in eight directions. Create a new scene by going to the **Scene** menu in the top-left and clicking **New Scene**. .. image:: img/02.player_input/new_scene.webp Click the **Other Node** button and select the ``CharacterBody3D`` node type to create a :ref:`CharacterBody3D ` as the root node. .. image:: img/02.player_input/add_character_body3D.webp Rename the :ref:`CharacterBody3D ` to ``Player``. Character bodies are complementary to the area and rigid bodies used in the 2D game tutorial. Like rigid bodies, they can move and collide with the environment, but instead of being controlled by the physics engine, **you** dictate their movement. You will see how we use the node's unique features when we code the jump and squash mechanics. .. seealso:: To learn more about the different physics node types, see the :ref:`doc_physics_introduction`. For now, we're going to create a basic rig for our character's 3D model. This will allow us to rotate the model later via code while it plays an animation. Add a :ref:`Node3D ` node as a child of ``Player``. Select the ``Player`` node in the **Scene** tree and click the "**+**" button to add a child node. Rename it to ``Pivot``. .. image:: img/02.player_input/adding_node3D.webp Then, in the FileSystem dock, expand the ``art/`` folder by double-clicking it and drag and drop ``player.glb`` onto ``Pivot``. .. image:: img/02.player_input/instantiating_the_model.webp This should instantiate the model as a child of ``Pivot``. You can rename it to ``Character``. .. image:: img/02.player_input/scene_structure.webp .. note:: The ``.glb`` files contain 3D scene data based on the open source glTF 2.0 specification. They're a modern and powerful alternative to a proprietary format like FBX, which Godot also supports. To produce these files, we designed the model in `Blender 3D `__ and exported it to glTF. As with all kinds of physics nodes, we need a collision shape for our character to collide with the environment. Select the ``Player`` node again and add a child node :ref:`CollisionShape3D `. In the **Inspector**, on the **Shape** property, add a new :ref:`SphereShape3D `. .. image:: img/02.player_input/add_capsuleshape3d.webp The sphere's wireframe appears below the character. .. image:: img/02.player_input/sphere_shape.png It will be the shape the physics engine uses to collide with the environment, so we want it to better fit the 3D model. Make it a bit larger by dragging the orange dot in the viewport. My sphere has a radius of about ``0.8`` meters. Then, move the collision shape up so its bottom roughly aligns with the grid's plane. .. image:: img/02.player_input/moving_the_sphere_up.png To make moving the shape easier, you can toggle the model's visibility by clicking the **eye icon** next to the ``Character`` or the ``Pivot`` nodes. .. image:: img/02.player_input/toggling_visibility.webp Save the scene as ``player.tscn``. With the nodes ready, we can almost get coding. But first, we need to define some input actions. .. _doc_first_3d_game_input_actions: Creating input actions ---------------------- To move the character, we will listen to the player's input, like pressing the arrow keys. In Godot, while we could write all the key bindings in code, there's a powerful system that allows you to assign a label to a set of keys and buttons. This simplifies our scripts and makes them more readable. This system is the Input Map. To access its editor, head to the **Project** menu and select **Project Settings...**. .. image:: img/02.player_input/project_settings.webp At the top, there are multiple tabs. Click on **Input Map**. This window allows you to add new actions at the top; they are your labels. In the bottom part, you can bind keys to these actions. .. image:: img/02.player_input/input_map_tab.webp Godot projects come with some predefined actions designed for user interface design (see above screenshot). These will become visible if you enable the **Show Built-in Actions** toggle. We could use these here, but instead we're defining our own to support gamepads. Leave **Show Built-in Actions** disabled. We're going to name our actions ``move_left``, ``move_right``, ``move_forward``, ``move_back``, and ``jump``. To add an action, write its name in the bar at the top and press Enter or click the **Add** button. .. image:: img/02.player_input/adding_action.webp Create the following five actions: .. image:: img/02.player_input/actions_list_empty.webp To bind a key or button to an action, click the "**+**" button to its right. Do this for ``move_left``. Press the left arrow key and click **OK**. .. image:: img/02.player_input/left_inputmap.webp Bind also the :kbd:`A` key, onto the action ``move_left``. .. image:: img/02.player_input/keyboard_keys.webp Let's now add support for a gamepad's left joystick. Click the "**+**" button again but this time, select the input within the input tree yourself. Select the negative X axis of the left joystick under **Joypad Axes**. .. image:: img/02.player_input/joystick_axis_input.webp Leave the other values as default and press **OK**. .. note:: If you want controllers to have different input actions, you should use the Devices option in Additional Options. Device 0 corresponds to the first plugged gamepad, Device 1 corresponds to the second plugged gamepad, and so on. Do the same for the other input actions. For example, bind the right arrow, D, and the left joystick's positive axis to ``move_right``. After binding all keys, your interface should look like this. .. image:: img/02.player_input/move_inputs_mapped.webp The final action to set up is the ``jump`` action. Bind the Space key and the gamepad's A button located under **Joypad Buttons**. .. image:: img/02.player_input/joy_button_option.webp Your jump input action should look like this. .. image:: img/02.player_input/jump_input_action.webp That's all the actions we need for this game. You can use this menu to label any groups of keys and buttons in your projects. In the next part, we'll code and test the player's movement.