Car Controller

A simple demo vehicle controller showcasing WheelController3D integration. This barebones controller is intended for standalone use only - for a complete vehicle physics solution with advanced features, use NWH Vehicle Physics instead.

Overview

The CarController component provides basic arcade-style car control: steering, acceleration, braking and handbrake. It accepts any wheel inheriting from the WheelUAPI interface, which is currently:

• WheelController - The main wheel physics component
• WheelColliderUAPI - An extension to the Unity WheelCollider that provides WheelUAPI bindings for compatibility

Setup

For step-by-step setup instructions including how to configure the CarController, see:

• Quick Start Guide - Step 7: Add Vehicle Control (Standalone Only)
• Wheel Controller Setup - Car Controller section

Configuration

The CarController is configured per-wheel through the _Wheel struct properties:

• Steer - Enable steering for this wheel (typically front wheels)
• Power - Enable motor torque for this wheel (front for FWD, rear for RWD, all for AWD)
• Handbrake - Enable handbrake application for this wheel (typically rear wheels)

Behavior

The CarController provides the following features:

• Steering - Dynamic steering angle based on vehicle speed (ranges between maxSteeringAngle and minSteeringAngle)
• Acceleration - Motor torque applied to powered wheels up to maxMotorTorque
• Braking - Brake torque applied to wheels up to maxBrakeTorque
• Handbrake - High brake torque applied to handbrake-enabled wheels

Input

The CarController uses Unity's Input System package for input handling. The input bindings are defined in the CarInputActions asset located in Runtime/Input/.

Default Controls:

Action	Keyboard	Gamepad
Steering	A/D	Left Stick Horizontal
Throttle/Brake	W/S	Left Stick Vertical
Handbrake	Space	South Button (A/X)

To customize bindings, modify the CarInputActions.inputactions file in the package.

Note: Ensure Project Settings > Player > Active Input Handling is set to Input System Package (New) or Both.

Important Notes

• This is a simple demo controller and is not a replacement for a complete vehicle physics solution
• The controller uses Unity's new Input System package (not the legacy Input Manager)
• Wheels are found automatically but the Steer, Power, and Handbrake settings must be configured per wheel
• For full vehicle physics including transmission, traction control, and advanced suspension tuning, use NWH Vehicle Physics
• The CarController inherits from the Vehicle class for compatibility with NWH's VehicleChanger and other vehicle management systems