Values and Parameters

Control parameters are the graph's inputs. Value nodes calculate with those inputs. Neither is a C# variable containing the current evaluated result: each returned Node describes a runtime connection.

Declare every control parameter before adding any other node, including constants and calculations.

Control parameters

Names must be nonblank and unique, case-insensitively, across control and virtual parameters.

The convenience helpers start at zero, false, or an empty/unset value. To choose defaults, use AddControlParameter:

var speed = builder.AddControlParameter(
    "speed",
    GraphBuilder.NodeKind.Float,
    new GraphBuilder.ControlParameterSettings
    {
        Min = 0,
        Max = 300,
        DefaultFloat = 100
    }
);

ControlParameterSettings provides DefaultFloat, DefaultBool, DefaultID, and DefaultVector, plus Min, Max, Options, and Describe (default true). AddControlParameter supports Bool, Float, Id, Vector, and Target, not Pose or BoneMask.

Ranges and ID options are descriptions, not runtime restrictions. Use Clamp when a value must stay in bounds. Describe = false hides the parameter from descriptions/tools without preventing runtime writes.

Once the graph is assigned:

Renderer.Animation.Parameters.Set( "speed", 150.0f );

Use Parameters and Code for runtime writes, saved inspector values, and PlayerController inputs. A graph's parameter descriptions are not necessarily a list of every settable input.

Smooth a speed

After declaring speed, build a smoothed value and feed it to a blend:

var smoothSpeed = builder.Spring( speed, new GraphBuilder.SpringSettings
{
    Hertz = 4,
    DampingRatio = 1
} );

var movement = builder.BlendSpace( smoothSpeed )
    .Add( 0, builder.Clip( idleClip ) )
    .Add( 100, builder.Clip( walkClip ) );

Ease approaches changes over a chosen time; Spring follows them with a damped spring. Use one deliberately rather than stacking smoothing everywhere.

Set UseStartValue when the calculation should begin from StartValue instead of its initial input. A spring can overshoot; clamp its result if the consumer requires strict bounds.

GraphBuilder.Easing includes Linear, None, and In, Out, and InOut variants of Quad, Cubic, Quart, Quint, Sine, Expo, and Circ.

Constants and logic

FloatComparison provides GreaterThanEqual, LessThanEqual, GreaterThan, LessThan, and NearEqual. Use epsilon for the tolerance of NearEqual.

var moving = builder.Compare(
    speed, GraphBuilder.FloatComparison.GreaterThan, 5.0f
);
var canMove = builder.And( grounded, moving );

These are graph conditions, not C# bool expressions.

Float calculations

Switch is a float switch, not a generic switch for poses or targets. Unlike pose selectors, float selection responds to changes while evaluated. FloatSelector defaults to value 0, ease time 0.2 seconds, and linear easing.

FloatMathOperation includes the arithmetic above plus IntegerPart, FractionalPart, and InverseFractionalPart. FloatMathSettings.B supplies the second node, otherwise ValueB is used; AbsoluteResult and NegateResult modify the result. Avoid zero divisors.

Curve takes (Parameter, Value, InTangent, OutTangent) points, sorts them, and clamps outside the endpoint range. Its two-value (Parameter, Value) overload uses tangents of 1; it is not an arbitrary piecewise-linear mapping. Use distinct parameter positions.

AngleOperation provides ClampTo180, ClampTo360, FlipHemisphere, and FlipHemisphereNegate. The clamp operations wrap angles into their named ranges.

RandomFloat defaults to 0 to 1. Bounds must be finite and ordered. For a random clip choice, read the variation seed rules.

IDs

IDs are named choices, not integer animation indices.

IdSwitchSettings provides WhenTrue/WhenFalse nodes and TrueValue/FalseValue string fallbacks. ID value selection is not the same as an entry-only ID-based pose selector.

Vectors

VectorInfo( vector, component ) extracts a float: X, Y, Z, Length, AngleHorizontal, or AngleVertical. Angles are in degrees.

VectorCreate( x, y, z, baseVector ) creates a vector from optional Float nodes. Omitted components come from baseVector, or zero if no base is supplied. Provide at least one input. VectorNegate( vector ) reverses the vector.

For horizontal speed, remove the vertical component before measuring length:

var horizontalVelocity = builder.VectorCreate(
    z: builder.Constant( 0.0f ),
    baseVector: velocity
);
var speed = builder.VectorInfo(
    horizontalVelocity, GraphBuilder.VectorComponent.Length
);

Here velocity is an already-declared Vector control parameter; speed is a calculation, not another control parameter.

Targets

A Target can carry position and rotation, refer to a bone, or be unset. It is different from a Vector containing only a point or direction.

TargetInfoType includes AngleHorizontal, AngleVertical, Distance, DistanceHorizontalOnly, DistanceVerticalOnly, and DeltaOrientationX/Y/Z.

TargetInfo and TargetPoint default to world-space targets. TargetOffset defaults to applying offsets in the target's local/bone space. Match the coordinate space expected by IK and warp nodes.

Virtual parameters and cached values

Use a virtual parameter to name a calculation:

var smoothSpeed = builder.Spring( speed );
builder.BindVirtualParameter( "smooth_speed", smoothSpeed );

BindVirtualParameter names the existing value node and marks it persistent for the graph's lifetime. This is useful for a spring that should retain its initialized state across branch changes.

The typed helpers VirtualBoolParameter, VirtualFloatParameter, VirtualIdParameter, VirtualVectorParameter, VirtualTargetParameter, and VirtualBoneMaskParameter instead return a named wrapper around their value. These wrappers follow their referencing branches' lifetime; they do not automatically mark the calculation persistent.

Virtual parameters are calculated inside the graph, not written with Animation.Parameters.Set. Compatible named values can be reflected into internal child graphs.

Cached( source, cacheOnInit: true ) latches a Bool, Float, ID, Vector, or Target on initialization. With cacheOnInit: false, it caches on branch exit instead. It does not support poses or masks.

Initialization lifetime matters: a branch-local random or cached value can reset on re-entry, while a graph-lifetime calculation stays initialized. Persistent does not mean gameplay parameters are saved to disk or restored after the renderer's controller is recreated.