Legacy:PlayerController

UT2003 :: Object >> Actor >> Controller >> PlayerController (Package: Engine)

The player controller class determines what the player sees and how Bot players behave, tying in Bot AI functions to control the player Pawn. This class determines what the player sees when in first person view and in third person view and how the "camera" behaves. It handles things like view shaking and the display of fog. There are also handling functions in there for force-feedback events and support for more console commands than you can shake a stick at.

Properties

Player Info

player Player (const) 

Player Input Control

bool bLookUpStairs (globalconfig) 

look up/down stairs (player)

bool bSnapToLevel (globalconfig) 

Snap to level eyeheight when not mouselooking

bool bAlwaysMouseLook (globalconfig) 

bool bKeyboardLook (globalconfig) 

no snapping when true

bool bCenterView 

Player Control Flags

bool bBehindView 

Outside-the-player view.

bool bFrozen 

set when game ends or player dies to temporarily prevent player from restarting (until cleared by timer)

bool bPressedJump 

bool bDoubleJump 

bool bUpdatePosition 

bool bIsTyping 

bool bFixedCamera 

used to fix camera in position (to view animations)

bool bJumpStatus 

used in net games

bool bUpdating 

bool bNeverSwitchOnPickup (globalconfig) 

If true, don't automatically switch to picked up weapon

bool bHideSpectatorBeacons 

bool bZooming 

bool bHideVehicleNoEntryIndicator 

bool bAlwaysLevel (globalconfig) 

bool bSetTurnRot 

bool bCheatFlying 

instantly stop in flying mode

bool bFreeCamera 

free camera when in behindview mode (for checking out player models and animations)

bool bZeroRoll 

bool bCameraPositionLocked 

bool bViewBot 

bool UseFixedVisibility 

bool bFreeCam 

In FreeCam mode to adjust the cam rotator

bool bFreeCamZoom 

In zoom mode

bool bFreeCamSwivel 

In swivel mode

bool bBlockCloseCamera 

bool bValidBehindCamera 

bool bForcePrecache 

bool bClientDemo 

bool bAllActorsRelevant (const) 

used by UTTV. DO NOT SET THIS TRUE - it has a huge impact on network performance :

bool bShortConnectTimeOut 

when true, reduces connect timeout to 15 seconds

bool bPendingDestroy 

when true, playercontroller is being destroyed

bool bEnableAmbientShake 

bool bNoVoiceMessages (globalconfig) 

bool bNoTextToSpeechVoiceMessages (globalconfig) 

bool bNoVoiceTaunts (globalconfig) 

bool bNoAutoTaunts (globalconfig) 

bool bAutoTaunt (globalconfig) 

bool bNoMatureLanguage (globalconfig) 

bool bDynamicNetSpeed (globalconfig) 

bool bSmallWeapons (globalconfig) 

bool bWeaponViewShake 

bool bLandingShake (globalconfig) 

bool bAimingHelp (globalconfig) 

bool bEnableStatsTracking (globalconfig) 

bool bOnlySpeakTeamText (globalconfig) 

bool bWasSpeedHack 

bool bIsSpaceFighter 

Hack for spacefighter joystick controls

bool bWasSaturated (const) 

Used by servers to identify saturated client connections

float FOVBias 

float DesiredFOV (globalconfig) 

float DefaultFOV (globalconfig) 

float ZoomLevel 

float DesiredZoomLevel 

EDoubleClickDir DoubleClickDir 

Direction of movement key double click (for special moves)

byte AnnouncerLevel (globalconfig) 

0=none, 1=no possession announcements, 2=all

byte AnnouncerVolume (globalconfig) 

1 to 4

float TextToSpeechVoiceVolume (globalconfig) 

float MaxResponseTime 

How long server will wait for client move update before setting position

float WaitDelay 

Delay time until can restart

Pawn AcknowledgedPawn 

Used in net games so client can acknowledge it possessed a pawn

HUD myHUD 

heads up display info

float LastPlaySound 

float LastPlaySpeech 

Pawn TurnTarget 

int EnemyTurnSpeed (config) 

int GroundPitch 

rotator TurnRot180 

vector OldFloor 

Used by PlayerSpider mode - floor for which old rotation was based.

array<PlayerNameInfo> PlayerNameArray (private, const) 

Security PlayerSecurity 

Used for Cheat Protection

float LoginDelay 

float NextLoginTime 

float ForcePrecacheTime 

float LastPingUpdate 

float ExactPing 

float OldPing 

float SpectateSpeed 

float DynamicPingThreshold (globalconfig) 

float NextSpeedChange 

float VoiceChangeLimit 

int ClientCap 

AnnouncerQueueManager AnnouncerQueueManager 

Handling Announcer Queueing

AnnouncerVoice StatusAnnouncer 

AnnouncerVoice RewardAnnouncer 

float LastActiveTime 

used to kick idlers

Actor CalcViewActor 

optimize PlayerCalcView

vector CalcViewActorLocation 

vector CalcViewLocation 

rotator CalcViewRotation 

float LastPlayerCalcView 

float LastBroadcastTime 

string LastBroadcastString[4] 

float LastSpeedHackLog 

string PlayerOwnerName 

for savegames

ClientAdjustment PendingAdjustment 

ForceFeedback

bool bEnablePickupForceFeedback (globalconfig) 

bool bEnableWeaponForceFeedback (globalconfig) 

bool bEnableDamageForceFeedback (globalconfig) 

bool bEnableGUIForceFeedback (globalconfig) 

bForceFeedbackSupported 

true if a device is detected

VoiceChat

bool bVoiceChatEnabled 

Whether voice chat is enabled on this client

bool bEnableInitialChatRoom (globalconfig) 

Enables speaking on DefaultActiveChannel upon joining server

bool bViewingMatineeCinematic 

bool bCustomListener 

bool bAcuteHearing 

Makes playercontroller hear much better (used to magnify hit sounds caused by player)

bool bMenuBeforeRespawn 

Forces the midgame menu to pop up before player can click to respawn

bool bSkippedLastUpdate 

bool bLastPressedJump 

byte AutoJoinMask (globalconfig) 

Contains a bit-mask of which channels to auto-join ( 1 - Public, 2 - Local, 4 - Team )

class<ChatRoomMessage> ChatRoomMessageClass 

array<StoredChatPassword> StoredChatPasswords (globalconfig) 

VoiceChatRoom ActiveRoom 

The chatroom we're currently speaking to

string LastActiveChannel (globalconfig) 

Stores the currently active channel when switching maps

string VoiceChatCodec (globalconfig) 

Which voice chat codec to request in internet games (will only be used if it exists on server)

string VoiceChatLANCodec (globalconfig) 

Which voice chat codec to request in LAN games

string ChatPassword (globalconfig) 

Password for our personal chat room

string DefaultActiveChannel (globalconfig) 

Channel we initially want to make active

Input Bytes

byte bStrafe (input) 

byte bSnapLevel (input) 

byte bLook (input) 

byte bFreeLook (input) 

byte bTurn180 (input) 

byte bTurnToNearest (input) 

byte bXAxis (input) 

byte bYAxis (input) 

Input Floats

float aBaseX (input) 

float aBaseY (input) 

float aBaseZ (input) 

float aMouseX (input) 

float aMouseY (input) 

float aForward (input) 

float aTurn (input) 

float aStrafe (input) 

float aUp (input) 

float aLookUp (input) 

Vehicle Move Replication

float aLastForward 

float aLastStrafe 

float aLastUp 

float NumServerDrives 

float NumSkips 

Vehicle Check Radius

float VehicleCheckRadius 

Radius that is checked for nearby vehicles when pressing use

bool bSuccessfulUse 

Gives PC a hint that UsedBy was successful

Camera

int ShowFlags 

int Misc1 

int Misc2 

int RendMap 

float OrthoZoom 

Orthogonal/map view zoom factor.

Actor ViewTarget (const) 

Controller RealViewTarget (const) 

PlayerController DemoViewer 

float CameraDist 

Multiplier for behindview camera dist

range CameraDistRange 

vector OldCameraLoc 

Used in behindview calculations

rotator OldCameraRot 

array<CameraEffect> CameraEffects (transient) 

A stack of camera effects.

Audio

vector ListenerLocation 

rotator ListenerRotation 

Fixed Visibility

vector FixedLocation 

rotator FixedRotation 

matrix RenderWorldToCamera 

Screen Flashes

vector FlashScale 

vector FlashFog 

float ConstantGlowScale 

vector ConstantGlowFog 

float ScreenFlashScaling (globalconfig) 

Distance Fog Fading

color LastDistanceFogColor 

float LastDistanceFogStart 

float LastDistanceFogEnd 

float CurrentDistanceFogEnd 

float TimeSinceLastFogChange 

int LastZone 

Remote Pawn ViewTargets

rotator TargetViewRotation 

rotator BlendedTargetViewRotation 

float TargetEyeHeight 

vector TargetWeaponViewOffset 

Music

string Song 

EMusicTransition Transition 

Move Buffering

For network games, clients save their un-acknowledged moves in order to replay them when they get position updates from the server.

SavedMove SavedMoves 

buffered moves pending position updates

SavedMove FreeMoves 

freed moves, available for buffering

SavedMove PendingMove 

float CurrentTimeStamp

float LastUpdateTime 

float ServerTimeStamp 

float TimeMargin 

float ClientUpdateTime 

float MaxTimeMargin 

float TimeMarginSlack (globalconfig) 

OBSOLETE

Weapon OldClientWeapon 

int WeaponUpdate 

Progess Indicator

Used by the engine to provide status messages (HUD is responsible for displaying these).

string ProgressMessage[4] 

color ProgressColor[4] 

float ProgressTimeOut 

Localized Strings

string QuickSaveString (localized) 

string NoPauseMessage (localized) 

string ViewingFrom (localized) 

string OwnCamera (localized) 

ReplicationInfo

GameReplicationInfo GameReplicationInfo 

VoiceChatReplicationInfo VoiceReplicationInfo 

VotingReplicationInfoBase VoteReplicationInfo 

Stats Logging

string StatsUsername (globalconfig) 

string StatsPassword (globalconfig) 

class<LocalMessage> LocalMessageClass 

View Shaking

Affects roll, and offsets camera position.

vector ShakeOffsetRate 

vector ShakeOffset 

current magnitude to offset camera from shake

vector ShakeOffsetTime 

vector ShakeOffsetMax 

vector ShakeRotRate 

vector ShakeRotMax 

rotator ShakeRot 

vector ShakeRotTime 

float AmbientShakeFalloffStartTime 

float AmbientShakeFalloffTime 

Time taken for shaking to stop after AmbientShakeFalloffStartTime has passed.

vector AmbientShakeOffsetMag 

float AmbientShakeOffsetFreq 

rotator AmbientShakeRotMag 

float AmbientShakeRotFreq 

Components ( Inner Classes )

CheatManager CheatManager (private, transient) 

Object within playercontroller that manages "cheat" commands

class<CheatManager> CheatClass 

Class of my CheatManager

PlayerInput PlayerInput (private, transient) 

Object within playercontroller that manages player input.

class<PlayerInput> InputClass (config) 

Class of my PlayerInput

AdminBase AdminManager (private, transient) 

MaplistManagerBase MapHandler (transient) 

Used by AdminBase

string PlayerChatType 

PlayerChatManager ChatManager 

Manages all chat, speech, and voice messages sent to player

vector FailedPathStart (const) 

Camera Control for Debugging/Tweaking

BehindView Camera Adjustments

rotator CameraDeltaRotation 

The rotator delta adjustment

float CameraDeltaRad 

The zoom delta adjustment

rotator CameraSwivel 

The swivel adjustment

TeamBeacon

float TeamBeaconMaxDist 

float TeamBeaconPlayerInfoMaxDist 

Texture TeamBeaconTexture 

Texture LinkBeaconTexture 

Texture SpeakingBeaconTexture 

Color TeamBeaconTeamColors[2] 

Color TeamBeaconCustomColor 

Demo recording view rotation

int DemoViewPitch 

int DemoViewYaw 

Menu

string MidGameMenuClass (config) 

Menu that is shown when Escape is pressed

string DemoMenuClass (config) 

Menu used for demos

string AdminMenuClass (config) 

Menu that is shown when adminmenu command is used

string ChatPasswordMenuClass (config) 

Menu that appears when attempting to join a chatroom that has a password

Structs

Voice Chat

;struct StoredChatPassword
 
{
 
	var string ChatRoomName;
 
	var string ChatRoomPassword;
 
};

Player Names

;struct PlayerNameInfo
 
{
    var string mInfo;
    var color  mColor;
    var float  mXPos;
    var float  mYPos;
 
};

ClientAdjustPosition

;struct ClientAdjustment
 
{
    var float TimeStamp;
    var name newState;
    var EPhysics newPhysics;
    var vector NewLoc;
    var vector NewVel;
    var actor NewBase;
    var vector NewFloor;
 
};

Native Functions

native final function SetNetSpeed(int NewSpeed);
 
native final function string GetPlayerIDHash();
 
native final function string GetPlayerNetworkAddress();
 
native final function string GetServerNetworkAddress();
 
native function string ConsoleCommand( string Command, optional bool bWriteToLog );
 
native final function LevelInfo GetEntryLevel();
 
native(544) final function ResetKeyboard();
 
native final private function ResetInput();
 
native final function SetViewTarget(Actor NewViewTarget);
 
native final function string GetURLProtocol();
 
native final function string GetDefaultURL(string Option);
 
// Execute a console command in the context of this player, then forward to Actor.ConsoleCommand.
 
native function CopyToClipboard( string Text );
 
native function string PasteFromClipboard();
 
native final function bool CheckSpeedHack(float DeltaTime);
 
native(524) final function int FindStairRotation(float DeltaTime);

Native Events

native event ClientTravel( string URL, ETravelType TravelType, bool bItems );
 
// Validation.
 
private native event ClientValidate(string C);
 
private native event ServerValidationResponse(string R);
 
native event ClientHearSound (
    actor Actor,
    int Id,
    sound S,
    vector SoundLocation,
    vector Parameters,
    bool Attenuate
 
);

Events

ClientSetViewTarget ( Actor A ) 

InitInputSystem() 

ReceiveLocalizedMessage( class<LocalMessage> Message, optional int Switch, optional PlayerReplicationInfo RelatedPRI_1, optional PlayerReplicationInfo RelatedPRI_2, optional Object OptionalObject ) (simulated) 

ClientMessage( coerce string S, optional name Type ) 

TeamMessage( PlayerReplicationInfo PRI, coerce string S, name Type ) 

PreClientTravel() 

ProgressCommand( string Cmd, string Msg1, string Msg2 ) 

SetProgressMessage( int Index, string S, color C ) (exec) 

SetProgressTime( float T ) (exec) 

TravelPostAccept() 

PlayerTick( float DeltaTime ) 

AddCameraEffect( CameraEffect NewEffect, optional bool RemoveExisting ) 

RemoveCameraEffect( CameraEffect ExEffect ) 

PlayerCalcView( out actor ViewActor, out vector CameraLocation, out rotator CameraRotation ) 

ClientOpenMenu( string Menu, optional bool bDisconnect, optional string Msg1, optional string Msg2 ) 

ClientReplaceMenu( string Menu, optional bool bDisconnect, optional string Msg1, optional string Msg2 ) 

ClientCloseMenu( optional bool bCloseAll, optional bool bCancel ) 

StartClientDemoRec() (simulated) 

Called on the client during client-side demo recording.

Related Topics

• Controller Overview – An overview of controllers.
• Customising the Player View – How to put the the player view where you want it.
• Customising the Player Input – How to get the control behaviour you want.
• Creating An Interaction From A PlayerController – Player input and output (HUD display, keyboard input, etc.)

Class Tree

Controller – Parent class.
  +- AIController – Artificially intelligent agents.
  +- PlayerController – This class.
       +- UnrealPlayer – subclass.

Discussion

EntropicLqd: Anyone have any preference on what gets covered in PlayerController? I'll do the third person view and first person view functions. Might spend some time figuring out which events a player controller actually does recieve before the Pawn event. The other thing I've started doing is prefixing the class name with the package it's contained within. I know I find it useful, does anyone else? if not I'll drop it.

Chazums Other than as much as possible / relevant, not really :D . Putting in the package name is useful i think, makes it easier to see where the stuff being looked at is.

EntropicLqd: Hmm, I'll do what I can but I don't want to make the page too long. Thanks to Wormbo for fixing my markup ealier :).

EntropicLqd: I wish Tim Sweeny would take a look at this and add a bit of in depth knowledge. So much of it feels like speculation and almost educated guesswork that it makes me uncomfortable. However, the cool thing about it is that this stuff occurs right at the engine level rather than the UT2K3 game level.

Trystan: "Page too long"? Can you give too much knowledge?  :D Perhaps begin with as much knowledge as you can shove in here (because I'm looking forward to it as much as Chazums) and then one of us could refactor it for you? It'd be a good test of our understanding of what you're trying to convey, that's for certain. This is mostly a minor note to let you know that there's another person looking forward to this information. :) (I expect you to work all of Thanksgiving on this! :D)

EntropicLqd: It's a good job I'm working on something so dull that it makes my brain want to crawl out of my head and escape screaming then. Thanksgiving? They don't have that where I come from. Too much knowledge is a very dangerous thing. It's wisdom you can never have enough of.

Trystan: Damn global stuff. Sorry, I'm one of those asinine Americans who think that everyone is like them. Chaz is slowly but surely beating that out of me by refusing to be anything American like. I'll learn sooner or later. :)

Chazums Silly Trystan :D . nice work EntropicLqd you've certainly busy. In referance to the code at the end, could it be that it's used for when a bot replaces a client? My other thought is that its creating a duplicate so that the right stuff is displayed on the spectators screen.

EntropicLqd: If we were a bot taking over a player pawn we'd be in the AIController class. Still, nice theory.

EntropicLqd: Chazums & Trystan - is there anything on this page (or the Customising the Player View page) that doesn't make sense or needs further elaboration? I've kind of lost track a bit here.

Pingz: Shouldn't there be a class outline on this page like for all the other classes? You can then move all this content to a page like 'Explaining the PlayerController' or something.

PsychoSk8r: I'm looking to make a new gametype for UT2004 based on direct control of a katana for combat. Naturally, that would be dependant on precise network replication. Would this be possible? I couldn't quite tell from this, and I have often seen where the game will only do rough interpretations of a players action, so I'm not quite sure if it would work.

GRAFIK: You can ask on the Help Desk.

SuperApe: Yes, there should be a class page here. Controller Overview issues belong at Controller Overview. This page needs Property, Function, Event and State definitions.

OlympusMons: Added properties and structs, might want to check it for typo's :P, straight from the source. Removed Class tree already have one in the super.class so I figured its not needed.

SuperApe: Thanks. :) I tidied up a bit. Of the part of the overview that remains here, should it be moved under the class info?

OlympusMons: Maybe we should add a PlayerController Overview it can be similar to the Controller Overview. This should give us some space to fix this page and bring it up to speed. Ok so I moved the stuff hope you guys dont mind.

SuperApe: The second class path box isn't necessary as they have the same path in UT2003 and UT2004. These event declarations really needed the arguements included. If we add some decs and leave out the args, someone will think it's complete. I'm just afraid no one will think to check it and fix it. I think it took me just about as much time as if I had started from scratch. ;) I couldn't find ServerChangeVoiceChatter() or ServerGetVoiceChatters() in UT200x.

OlympusMons: added part of a class tree for easier navigation and fixed a few typos :)

Xian: Can someone please tell me the difference between GetPlayerNetworkAddress() and GetServerNetworkAddress() please? UT had only the latter, and it was server-side... Also, what are GetURLProtocol(), CheckSpeedHack(), ClientValidate() and ServerValidationResponse() for?

I couldn't find any detailed info on them at all :(

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Category:Legacy Class (UT2003)

Category:Legacy Class (UT2004)

Category:Legacy To Do – Move overview info to Controller Overview or Controller and add standard class header and properties/methods descriptions. Update class hierarchy, but for only PlayerController subclasses.