Player Animations and State Machine Transitions- Godot 4.3 Tutorial - 2D Top Down Game - Pt 3

Introduction

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create player character animations and set up state machine transitions in Godot 4.3 for a 2D top-down game. By the end, you'll have a functioning player character with idle and walk animations, as well as a basic state machine to manage these states.

Step 1: Create Player Test Scene

• Open Godot and create a new scene for testing your player character.
• Set the scene type to "2D Scene."
• Save the scene with a relevant name, such as "PlayerTestScene."

Step 2: Create the Player Character

• Add a new Node2D as the root of your player character.
• Rename it to "Player."
• Add a Sprite node as a child of the Player node.
• Import your character sprites from the downloaded asset pack.
• Set the Sprite’s texture to the idle animation frame.

Step 3: Set Up Player Animations

• Create an AnimationPlayer node as a child of the Player node.
• Open the Animation panel and create the following animations:
  • Idle
  • Walk
  • Chopping
  • Tilling
  • Watering
• For each animation, add the corresponding sprite frames:
  • Idle: Use the idle frames.
  • Walk: Use the walking frames.
  • Other actions: Add frames for chopping, tilling, and watering as required.

Step 4: Implement Keyboard Inputs

• Create a new script for the Player node.
• Use the following code to handle keyboard inputs and move the player:

extends Node2D

var speed = 100

func _process(delta):
    var velocity = Vector2.ZERO

    if Input.is_action_pressed("ui_right"):
        velocity.x += 1
    if Input.is_action_pressed("ui_left"):
        velocity.x -= 1
    if Input.is_action_pressed("ui_down"):
        velocity.y += 1
    if Input.is_action_pressed("ui_up"):
        velocity.y -= 1

    if velocity.length() > 0:
        velocity = velocity.normalized() * speed
        position += velocity * delta
        # Play walk animation
    else:
        # Play idle animation

Step 5: Download State Machine Scripts

• Visit the provided GitHub repository for the state machine script.
• Download the necessary scripts and add them to your project directory.

Step 6: Create the State Machine

• Add a new Node to the scene for managing the state machine.
• Create a script for the state machine and implement the basic structure that will handle different states such as Idle and Walk.
• Example state transition code:

enum State {
    IDLE,
    WALK
}

var current_state = State.IDLE

func _process(delta):
    match current_state:
        State.IDLE:
            # Handle idle state logic
        State.WALK:
            # Handle walk state logic

Step 7: Implement Idle State

• Define the behavior for the idle state in the state machine script.
• Ensure the idle animation plays when the player is not moving.

Step 8: Implement Walk State

• Define the behavior for the walk state in the state machine script.
• Trigger the walk animation when the player moves.

Step 9: Optimize Input Handling

• Create a separate script for handling input events.
• Reuse keyboard input code to streamline the player control logic.

Conclusion

You have now set up a player character with idle and walk animations in Godot 4.3, using a state machine to manage transitions between these states. As a next step, consider expanding the state machine to include additional actions like chopping, tilling, and watering, as well as refining the animations for a smoother gameplay experience. Happy game developing!