The Data Asset is the core of the system: this is where you set up all your locomotion animations. It is made of four tabs, which you can arrange however you like.
The Config tab
It gathers settings specific to certain parts of the plugin: mostly fine-tuning and debugging tools. In most cases, you will not need to touch it.
The Sections tab: the modes
- Forward: the character faces the direction it is moving in.
- Strafe: the character keeps facing the camera’s direction.
- Lean: the sideways tilt when the character turns.
- Jump: the jump animations.
- Traversal: every type of obstacle traversal.
The table: gaits and states
Each mode is laid out as a table. The columns are the gaits: you only add the ones you need, and right-clicking a header removes it. The rows are the animation states:
| State | Role |
|---|---|
| Start | Start animations |
| Loop | The gait’s cycle: walk, run or sprint |
| Stop | Stop animations |
| Pivot | Sharp changes of direction |
| Gait Transition | Transitions between gaits, from walking to running for instance |
| Reface | Transitions between Strafe and Forward modes, both ways |
| Turn In Place | Turning on the spot, with the character standing still |
| Body Layers | A layer on top of the locomotion: breathing, injury… |
Like the columns, each row is removed by right-clicking its header. Strafe mode works exactly like Forward mode. Lean is an additive animation applied on top of the locomotion. Jump and Traversal have their own table, with rows suited to them.
The Anims tab
It holds the slots that receive your animations. Clicking a cell of the table shows its slots: the Loop cell of the Idle column, for instance, shows the Idle animation slot. For some cells, such as Run, you first need to right-click and choose between a clip and a Blend Space.
The Anims tab shows the path of the item being edited — for example Forward › Run › Loop — so you always know which animation you are changing.
Movement Settings
Below the table, the Movement Settings category gathers the movement settings: speed, acceleration and deceleration.
The Profiles tab
Its columns define the character’s profiles: crouched, flying, swimming, in a vehicle… Right-clicking a profile’s cell enables it, and the Sections tab updates so you can set up its own animations. The rows are used for weapons and aiming animations.