unreal-enhanced-input

name	unreal-enhanced-input
description	Implement Unreal input with Enhanced Input — Input Actions, Mapping Contexts, triggers/modifiers, and runtime remapping.
origin	everything-game-dev-code
category	unreal

Unreal Enhanced Input

Purpose

Implement Unreal input with Enhanced Input — Input Actions, Mapping Contexts, triggers/modifiers, and runtime remapping.

Use When

• adding or unifying input handling for an Unreal project (UE5 Enhanced Input)
• gameplay code binds raw keys/axes or legacy input names directly
• input must change by context (gameplay, vehicles, menus, cinematics) or support rebinding

Inputs

• list of gameplay actions and their value types (bool, Axis1D/2D/3D)
• supported devices and platforms (keyboard/mouse, gamepad, touch)
• gameplay contexts that change available input (on foot, vehicle, UI, spectator)
• rebinding, accessibility, and local multiplayer requirements

Process

1. model each action as an Input Action asset with an explicit value type; gameplay code binds to actions in SetupPlayerInputComponent via UEnhancedInputComponent, never to raw keys
2. group bindings into Input Mapping Contexts per gameplay state and add/remove them on the local player's UEnhancedInputLocalPlayerSubsystem with explicit priorities, instead of branching inside handlers
3. put press semantics into Triggers (Pressed, Released, Hold, Tap, Combo) and stick/axis shaping into Modifiers (dead zone, swizzle, negate, scalar) on the action or mapping — not re-implemented in C++/Blueprint handlers
4. route UI through CommonUI or input modes (SetInputMode*) so menus consume input cleanly, and treat "UI open" as a context switch rather than per-handler checks
5. implement rebinding with Player Mappable Keys (or UEnhancedInputUserSettings in newer versions), persist per user, and update on-screen prompts from the active mappings
6. for local multiplayer, keep contexts and rebinds per ULocalPlayer and validate device assignment per player on each target platform
7. test context transitions explicitly: entering/leaving vehicles, opening menus mid-hold, focus loss, and controller hot-plug

Outputs

• Input Action and Mapping Context asset inventory with priorities
• trigger/modifier configuration per action
• context-switch rules (which contexts exist and what adds/removes them)
• rebinding and persistence design plus device test scenarios

Quality Bar

• no gameplay code binds raw keys, legacy axis names, or IsKeyDown checks outside the Enhanced Input setup
• context switches are mapping-context adds/removes with priorities, not booleans inside input handlers
• hold/tap/combo semantics live in Triggers so designers can tune them without code changes
• rebinds persist per player, apply without restart, and drive the input prompts shown on screen
• a held action that loses its context (menu opens, vehicle exited) cancels cleanly instead of sticking

Common Failure Modes

• one giant mapping context with handler-side branching instead of per-state contexts
• dead zones and sensitivity hardcoded in handlers, fighting the Modifiers configured on the mapping
• UI and gameplay both receiving the same press because input modes/CommonUI routing was skipped
• rebinding implemented against the legacy input ini, which Enhanced Input ignores
• local multiplayer sharing one set of contexts so player two remaps player one

Related Agents

• unreal-reviewer
• gameplay-programmer
• ui-programmer

Related Commands

• input-review
• unreal-review
• verify

Related Skills

• unreal-gameplay-framework
• unreal-blueprint-patterns

Notes

• Keep this skill aligned with the relevant rules layer and current project documentation.
• The engine-neutral action-abstraction policy lives in engineering-common/input-abstraction; this skill is the Unreal-specific implementation of it.