enhanced-input

Development

Create and configure Enhanced Input — Input Actions, Mapping Contexts, key mappings, triggers, and modifiers (InputService). Use when the user asks to set up player input, create an Input Action (IA_) or Input Mapping Context (IMC_), bind keys to actions, or configure input triggers/modifiers.

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QUICK START

How to use this skill

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Inspect the Agent Skill at https://github.com/kevinpbuckley/VibeUE/blob/HEAD/Content/Skills/enhanced-input/SKILL.md and all supporting files. Report provenance, permissions, scripts, dependencies, and security risks. Propose an exact installation into .agents/skills/enhanced-input, but wait for my approval before writing files or running scripts.

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🧠 Brains complement: IF an unreal-engine-skills-manager tool (external MCP) exists in this session, call it with {action: "load", skill: "enhanced-input"} for UE domain knowledge on this topic — correct APIs, architecture, best practices — and treat it as the rubric for any review / "best practices" question. If no such tool is available (e.g. running under Claude Code or Codex without that MCP), skip this line entirely and proceed with this skill alone — do NOT attempt the call.

Enhanced Input Skill

Critical Rules

🚨 Real Python method names — do NOT search for the docstring's "action" names

The InputService class docstring lists MCP-style action ids (action_create, mapping_list_contexts, action_configure, ...). Those are not the Python method names — discover_python_class(method_filter=...) matches nothing for them. The complete real API is below; you rarely need a discovery call at all:

Area	Methods
Reflection	`discover_types()`, `get_available_keys(filter="")`, `get_available_modifier_types()`, `get_available_trigger_types()`
Actions	`create_action(name, path, value_type="Axis1D")`, `list_input_actions()`, `get_input_action_info(action_path)` → info or None, `configure_action(action_path, consume_input=True, trigger_when_paused=False, description="")`, `input_action_exists(action_path)`
Contexts	`create_mapping_context(name, path, priority=0)`, `list_mapping_contexts()`, `get_mapping_context_info(context_path)` → info or None, `mapping_context_exists(context_path)`
Mappings	`get_mappings(context_path)`, `add_key_mapping(context_path, action_path, key_name)`, `remove_mapping(context_path, mapping_index)`, `key_mapping_exists(context_path, action_path)`
Modifiers	`add_modifier(context_path, mapping_index, modifier_type)`, `remove_modifier(context_path, mapping_index, modifier_index)`, `get_modifiers(context_path, mapping_index)`
Triggers	`add_trigger(context_path, mapping_index, trigger_type)`, `remove_trigger(context_path, mapping_index, trigger_index)`, `get_triggers(context_path, mapping_index)`

create_action value types are the strings discover_types() returns: "Boolean" (alias "Digital"), "Axis1D", "Axis2D", "Axis3D". Modifiers and triggers are addressed by index on the mapping, so get_mappings / get_modifiers / get_triggers first, then add/remove by index.

⚠️ Property Names on Info Structs

Struct	WRONG	CORRECT
`InputTypeDiscoveryResult`	`value_types`	`action_value_types`
`KeyMappingInfo`	`key`	`key_name`
`InputModifierInfo`	`modifier_type`	`type_name` or `display_name`
`InputTriggerInfo`	`trigger_type`	`type_name` or `display_name`

⚠️ Value Types

Value Type	Use Case
`Boolean`	Simple press/release (Jump, Fire)
`Axis1D`	Single axis (Throttle, Zoom)
`Axis2D`	Two axes (Move, Look)
`Axis3D`	Three axes (3D manipulation)

⚠️ Key Names

Keyboard: SpaceBar, LeftShift, W, A, S, D, F1, Enter, Escape, BackSpace...
Mouse: LeftMouseButton, RightMouseButton, MouseScrollUp
Gamepad: Gamepad_FaceButton_Bottom, Gamepad_LeftThumbstick, Gamepad_LeftTrigger, Gamepad_RightTrigger
Paired axes (use these for Axis2D bindings): Mouse2D (mouse look), Gamepad_Left2D / Gamepad_Right2D (analog sticks)

Verify any other name with get_available_keys("thumb") (substring filter) instead of guessing.

⚠️ Triggers and Modifiers

Triggers: Pressed, Released, Down, Hold, Tap, Pulse
Modifiers: Negate, DeadZone, Scalar, SwizzleAxis (also: Smooth, SmoothDelta, ScaleByDeltaTime — use get_available_modifier_types() for the full set)

Workflows

Create Input Action

import unreal

result = unreal.InputService.create_action("Jump", "/Game/Input", "Boolean")
if result.success:
    unreal.EditorAssetLibrary.save_asset(result.asset_path)

Create Mapping Context

import unreal

result = unreal.InputService.create_mapping_context("Default", "/Game/Input", 0)
unreal.EditorAssetLibrary.save_asset(result.asset_path)

Add Key Mapping

import unreal

context_path = "/Game/Input/IMC_Default"
action_path = "/Game/Input/IA_Jump"
unreal.InputService.add_key_mapping(context_path, action_path, "SpaceBar")
unreal.EditorAssetLibrary.save_asset(context_path)

Add Triggers and Modifiers

import unreal

context_path = "/Game/Input/IMC_Default"
action_path = "/Game/Input/IA_Fire"

unreal.InputService.add_key_mapping(context_path, action_path, "LeftMouseButton")

# Get mapping index
mappings = unreal.InputService.get_mappings(context_path)
mapping_index = len(mappings) - 1

# Add trigger/modifier using mapping index
unreal.InputService.add_trigger(context_path, mapping_index, "Pressed")
unreal.InputService.add_modifier(context_path, mapping_index, "DeadZone")
unreal.EditorAssetLibrary.save_asset(context_path)

Get Mappings Info

import unreal

mappings = unreal.InputService.get_mappings("/Game/Input/IMC_Default")
for m in mappings:
    print(f"Action: {m.action_name}, Key: {m.key_name}")

info = unreal.InputService.get_input_action_info("/Game/Input/IA_Jump")
if info:
    print(f"Action: {info.action_name}, ValueType: {info.value_type}")

Discover Available Types

import unreal

types = unreal.InputService.discover_types()
print(f"Value Types: {types.action_value_types}")
print(f"Modifiers: {types.modifier_types}")
print(f"Triggers: {types.trigger_types}")

keys = unreal.InputService.get_available_keys()

Sample scripts (run via `execute_python_code`)

scripts/setup_input.txt — create an Input Action + Mapping Context and bind a key.