18. Manipulating user input

Handling user input is a crucial part of game development, especially when working with Unity. This chapter of the eBook course will cover in detail how you can handle different types of user input in your Unity games.

User inputs are essentially the actions that the player can perform in your game. This can include things like moving a character, firing a weapon, jumping, etc. In Unity, there are several ways to handle these inputs, and learning how to handle them correctly is critical to creating an engaging and responsive gaming experience.

First, let's talk about Unity's default input system. This system is responsible for receiving input from a variety of devices, including keyboard, mouse, game controller, and even touch devices. You can access these inputs using Unity's Input class.

The Input class has several functions that you can use to check the status of different types of inputs. For example, the Input.GetKey function can be used to check whether a certain keyboard key is being pressed. Similarly, the Input.GetMouseButton function can be used to check whether a mouse button is being pressed.

In addition, the Input class also provides functions for checking the state of game control inputs. For example, the Input.GetAxis function can be used to get the value of a game control axis, such as a game controller's analog stick.

An important thing to remember when working with Unity's default input system is that it is frame-based. This means that it checks the state of all inputs at the beginning of each frame. Therefore, if you want to check the state of an input at a specific point in time, you will need to do so at the beginning of a frame.

In addition to the default input system, Unity also provides the new input system, which was introduced in Unity version 2019.1. This system is more modern and flexible than the standard input system, and offers several advantages, such as the ability to handle multiple input devices simultaneously, and the ability to map inputs to actions in a more intuitive way.

The new input system uses the InputSystem class, which provides a unified interface for handling all types of inputs. It allows you to register callbacks for different input events, such as pressing a key, releasing a key, moving the mouse, etc. This makes it much easier to handle inputs in a reactive manner.

To use the new input system, you will first need to install the Input System package through the Unity Package Manager. After that, you can start using the InputSystem class and all its functions.

In summary, handling user input is an essential part of developing games with Unity. Whether using the default input system or the new input system, Unity provides all the tools you need to create a responsive and immersive gaming experience. We hope this chapter has given you a good overview of how to handle input in Unity, and that you're eager to start experimenting on your own!

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