Input System

NWH Common provides a flexible, provider-based input system used by all NWH physics assets.

Overview

The input system uses the Provider Pattern to abstract input sources, allowing easy switching between:

  • Unity Input Manager (legacy)
  • Unity Input System (new)
  • Custom input sources
  • Mobile touch controls

Architecture

Core Components

  • InputProvider - Abstract base class for all input providers, manages a static list of active instances
  • SceneInputProviderBase - Abstract base class for scene-level input providers (camera, scene, character controls)

Provider Pattern

InputProvider (abstract)
│
└── SceneInputProviderBase (abstract)
    ├── InputManagerSceneInputProvider (Unity Input Manager)
    ├── InputSystemSceneInputProvider (Unity Input System)
    ├── MobileSceneInputProvider (Touch controls)
    └── CustomInputProvider (your implementation)

How It Works

  1. A concrete input provider (e.g., InputManagerSceneInputProvider) is placed in the scene
  2. Controllers query InputProvider.Instances or use InputProvider.CombinedInput() to get input
  3. Input data is returned from provider methods that return specific input values
  4. Switching providers requires replacing the input provider component in the scene

Available Input Methods

Input providers expose the following methods for scene and camera control:

  • ChangeCamera() - Returns true when the change camera button is pressed
  • ChangeVehicle() - Returns true when the change vehicle button is pressed
  • CameraRotation() - Returns camera rotation input as a Vector2
  • CameraPanning() - Returns camera panning input as a Vector2
  • CameraRotationModifier() - Returns true when camera rotation modifier is held
  • CameraPanningModifier() - Returns true when camera panning modifier is held
  • CameraZoom() - Returns camera zoom input (positive = zoom in, negative = zoom out)
  • CharacterMovement() - Returns character movement input as a Vector2
  • ToggleGUI() - Returns true when the toggle GUI button is pressed

For vehicle-specific inputs (steering, throttle, brake), consult the NWH Vehicle Physics 2 documentation.

Input Providers

Unity Input Manager Provider

Class: InputManagerSceneInputProvider

Uses Unity's legacy Input Manager (Project Settings > Input Manager).

Setup:

  1. Add InputManagerSceneInputProvider component to scene
  2. Configure axis mappings in Input Manager (Project Settings > Input Manager)
  3. Configure button mappings for ChangeCamera and ChangeVehicle
  4. For vehicle-specific inputs, see NWH Vehicle Physics 2 documentation

Unity Input System Provider

Class: InputSystemSceneInputProvider

Uses Unity's new Input System package.

Setup:

  1. Install Input System package
  2. Add InputSystemSceneInputProvider to scene
  3. Assign Input Action Asset
  4. Enable Auto-Enable Input

Features:

  • Full rebinding support
  • Multiple control schemes
  • Gamepad, keyboard, mouse support
  • Better touch support

Mobile Provider

Class: MobileSceneInputProvider

Touch-based UI button provider for mobile devices.

Features:

  • UI button support for ChangeCamera and ChangeVehicle actions
  • Easy integration with mobile UI framework
  • Lightweight implementation for mobile platforms

Creating Custom Input Providers

Extend SceneInputProviderBase to create custom scene-level input providers:

using NWH.Common.Input;
using UnityEngine;

public class MyCustomInputProvider : SceneInputProviderBase
{
    public override bool ChangeCamera()
    {
        // Implement camera change detection
        return Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.C);
    }

    public override bool ChangeVehicle()
    {
        // Implement vehicle change detection
        return Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.V);
    }

    public override Vector2 CameraRotation()
    {
        // Implement camera rotation input
        return new Vector2(
            Input.GetAxis("Mouse X"),
            Input.GetAxis("Mouse Y")
        );
    }

    // Override other input methods as needed...
}

Then add your custom provider to the scene as a component.

Usage in Vehicle Controllers

Vehicle Physics 2

For use with NWH Vehicle Physics 2:

// VehicleController automatically queries available input providers
VehicleController vc = GetComponent<VehicleController>();
// Input is handled internally

Custom Controllers

using NWH.Common.Input;
using UnityEngine;

public class MySceneController : MonoBehaviour
{
    private void Update()
    {
        if (InputProvider.Instances.Count == 0) return;

        // Use CombinedInput to query all active input providers
        Vector2 movement = InputProvider.CombinedInput<SceneInputProviderBase>(i => i.CharacterMovement());
        Vector2 cameraLook = InputProvider.CombinedInput<SceneInputProviderBase>(i => i.CameraRotation());
        bool changeVehicle = InputProvider.CombinedInput<SceneInputProviderBase>(i => i.ChangeVehicle() ? 1 : 0) > 0;

        // Apply inputs to your controller...
        if (changeVehicle)
        {
            // Handle vehicle change
        }
    }
}

Input Smoothing

Controllers can apply smoothing to input values:

public float smoothing = 0.1f;  // Lower = smoother but more delayed

private Vector2 smoothedCameraRotation;

public void UpdateInput()
{
    Vector2 rawInput = InputProvider.CombinedInput<SceneInputProviderBase>(i => i.CameraRotation());
    smoothedCameraRotation = Vector2.Lerp(smoothedCameraRotation, rawInput, smoothing);
    // Use smoothedCameraRotation for camera movement
}

Mobile Input Setup

For mobile games using MobileSceneInputProvider:

  1. Add MobileSceneInputProvider component to a GameObject in your scene
  2. Create UI Buttons:
    • Add a MobileInputButton component to each UI button you want to track
    • Assign these buttons to the provider's changeCameraButton and changeVehicleButton fields
  3. Configure Button Behavior:
    • Buttons trigger ChangeCamera() and ChangeVehicle() methods
    • CharacterMovement and CameraRotation return zero by default (override if needed)
  4. Test on device (touch input doesn't work reliably in the Editor)

For vehicle-specific mobile controls (steering, throttle, brake), refer to the NWH Vehicle Physics 2 documentation.

Input Debugging

Enable debug mode in your input provider component in the Inspector to see live input values. You can also add logging to your custom input provider:

public override Vector2 CameraRotation()
{
    Vector2 rotation = base.CameraRotation();
    Debug.Log($"Camera Rotation: {rotation}");
    return rotation;
}

Best Practices

  1. Multiple Providers - Multiple input providers can be active simultaneously; use InputProvider.CombinedInput() to aggregate their inputs
  2. Provider Selection - Choose provider based on platform:
    • PC: InputSystemSceneInputProvider (recommended) or InputManagerSceneInputProvider (legacy)
    • Mobile: MobileSceneInputProvider
    • Custom: Extend SceneInputProviderBase with your own implementation
  3. Input Validation - Clamp and validate input before applying to physics
  4. Deadzone Handling - Apply deadzones for analog sticks
  5. Context-Aware Input - Disable input when UI is active

Common Issues

No input response:

  • Check that a scene input provider (e.g., InputManagerSceneInputProvider) exists in the scene
  • Verify the provider component is enabled
  • Check input mappings in Input Manager (for InputManagerSceneInputProvider) or Input System asset (for InputSystemSceneInputProvider)
  • Check that InputProvider.Instances is not empty

Jerky input:

  • Apply smoothing in your controller using Mathf.Lerp()
  • Enable interpolation on Rigidbody components
  • Check Project Settings > Time > Fixed Timestep value

Controller not detected:

  • For InputSystemSceneInputProvider: Check device is recognized in Window > Analysis > Input Debugger
  • For InputManagerSceneInputProvider: Verify axis/button names match your Input Manager configuration
  • Ensure the input provider is actively running in the scene

API Reference

For detailed API documentation, see the API reference in the navigation menu for: