Using Action Maps

This doc will go over how to use Action Maps in script for the New Input System in Unity 6.3 ...

Now that you have an example of an Action Input, we can use this within code. That said, there are two main ways to apply this information with the use of a generated C# Class, or without.

The C# Class component offers a tool to get to the Actions you've mapped faster, whereas not using it allows you to use the code within your own scripts as needed. It's completely up to you which approach you prefer.

Without C# Generation

First thing we need to do is link to the Input Actions data.

• Either click the parameter at the top of the 'Input Actions' tab, or usually found within your default Assets folder.

Location of Input Actions file...

• Open a script, and add the 'InputSystem' namespace at the top.

using UnityEngine.InputSystem;

• Create a variable for the Input Actions.

public InputActionAsset inputActions;

Make sure that you drag and drop the InputActions asset into this public variable in the Unity Editor otherwise it will not work.

• Add variables for all the Actions we want to reference.

private InputAction m_SetupRotate;      // for 'Rotate' action 
private InputAction m_SetupScale;       // for 'Rotate' action 
private InputAction m_SetupAccept;      // for 'Accept' action 
private InputAction m_SetupCancel;      // for 'Cancel' action 

• Add variables for all the Action variables we want to reference.

private Vector2 m_SetupRotateAmount;    // Vector2 from 'Rotate' action 
private Vector2 m_SetupScaleAmount;     // Vector2 from 'Scale' action 
private float m_SetupAcceptAmount;      // float from 'Accept' action 
private float m_SetupCancelAmount;      // float from 'Cancel' action
private bool m_isSetupAccept;           // bool from 'Accept' action
private bool m_isSetupCancel;           // bool from 'Cancel' action

• Enable and Disable the Action Map on load.

private void OnEnable() {
    inputActions.FindActionMap("Setup").Enable();
}

private void OnDisable() {
    inputActions.FindActionMap("Setup").Disable();
}

• Define the Input Action variables in the 'Awake()' method.

private void Awake() {
    // Apply the Input Actions to their respective variables
    m_SetupRotate = InputSystem.actions.FindAction("Rotate");               // Use 'RotateScale' from Setup Action Map
    m_SetupScale = InputSystem.actions.FindAction("Scale");                 // Use 'RotateScale' from Setup Action Map
    m_SetupAccept = InputSystem.actions.FindAction("Accept");               // Use 'Accept' from any Setup Action Map
    m_SetupCancel = InputSystem.actions.FindAction("Cancel");               // Use 'Cancel' from any Setup Action Map
}

• Add the values of the Actions in the 'Update()' or 'FixedUpdate()' method, depending on if physics are involved for example.

void FixedUpdate(){
    m_SetupRotateAmount = m_SetupRotate.ReadValue<Vector2>();   // 'Rotate' variable as a Vector2
    m_SetupScaleAmount = m_SetupScale.ReadValue<Vector2>();     // 'Scale' variable as a Vector2
    m_SetupAcceptAmount = m_SetupAccept.ReadValue<float>();     // 'Accept' variable as a float
    m_SetupCancelAmount = m_SetupCancel.ReadValue<float>();     // 'Cancel' variable as a float        
    m_isSetupAccept = m_SetupAccept.IsPressed();                // 'Accept' variable as a boolean
    m_isSetupCancel = m_SetupCancel.IsPressed();                // get the 'Cancel' variable as a boolean
}

With that you have your variables for use in script as you see fit. Some features such as buttons can be checked for a specific frame or in general, including :

if (m_SetupAccept.IsPressed()) {              // Pressed 
if (m_SetupAccept.WasPressedThisFrame()) {    // Pressed this frame
if (m_SetupAccept.WasReleasedThisFrame()) {    // Released this frame

Final result

The final script would look like the following :

using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.InputSystem;

public class InputSystemExample : MonoBehaviour
{
    public InputActionAsset inputActions;

    private InputAction m_SetupRotate;      // for 'Rotate' action 
    private InputAction m_SetupScale;       // for 'Rotate' action 
    private InputAction m_SetupAccept;      // for 'Accept' action 
    private InputAction m_SetupCancel;      // for 'Cancel' action 

    private Vector2 m_SetupRotateAmount;    // Vector2 from 'Rotate' action 
    private Vector2 m_SetupScaleAmount;     // Vector2 from 'Scale' action 
    private float m_SetupAcceptAmount;      // float from 'Accept' action 
    private float m_SetupCancelAmount;      // float from 'Cancel' action
    private bool m_isSetupAccept;           // bool from 'Accept' action
    private bool m_isSetupCancel;           // bool from 'Cancel' action
    
    private void Awake() {
        // Apply the Input Actions to their respective variables
        m_SetupRotate = InputSystem.actions.FindAction("Rotate");               // Use 'RotateScale' from Setup Action Map
        m_SetupScale = InputSystem.actions.FindAction("Scale");                 // Use 'RotateScale' from Setup Action Map
        m_SetupAccept = InputSystem.actions.FindAction("Accept");               // Use 'Accept' from any Setup Action Map
        m_SetupCancel = InputSystem.actions.FindAction("Cancel");               // Use 'Cancel' from any Setup Action Map
    }
    
    void FixedUpdate(){
        m_SetupRotateAmount = m_SetupRotate.ReadValue<Vector2>();   // 'Rotate' variable as a Vector2
        m_SetupScaleAmount = m_SetupScale.ReadValue<Vector2>();     // 'Scale' variable as a Vector2
        m_SetupAcceptAmount = m_SetupAccept.ReadValue<float>();     // 'Accept' variable as a float
        m_SetupCancelAmount = m_SetupCancel.ReadValue<float>();     // 'Cancel' variable as a float        
        m_isSetupAccept = m_SetupAccept.IsPressed();                // 'Accept' variable as a boolean
        m_isSetupCancel = m_SetupCancel.IsPressed();                // get the 'Cancel' variable as a boolean
    
        if (m_SetupAccept.IsPressed()) {              // Just Pressed
            // Do something cool!
        }

        if (m_SetupAccept.WasPressedThisFrame()) {    // Just pressed this frame
            // Do Something cool!
        }

        if (m_SetupAccept.WasReleasedThisFrame()) {    // Just released this frame
            // Do something cool!
        }
        
        float rotateX = m_SetupRotateAmount.x;         // Use the x axis on Rotate
        float rotateY = m_SetupRotateAmount.y;         // Use the Y axis on Rotate
    }
}
    

With C# Generation

With that we have access to our Input Action Maps and Actions. Now, all you have to do if you want to add a new controller is update the Actions directly and it will just work!