Changelog

All notable updates, improvements, and fixes to the BlazerTech Character Management System are listed below.
This log follows the Keep a Changelog convention and uses Semantic Versioning.

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[0.4.0] - 9-19-2026

Added

• Added Randomized Layered Character Template.
• Added Character Overlay Layers.
• Added Default Direction setting to all Animator Handlers.
• Added Display Name option to Character Preview Animation Options in Layered Character Type assets.
• Added CCMSaveCharacterButton component.
• Added fourth sample scene - Continuous randomized NPC spawning demo.

Changed

• Character Shader result is now cached instead of being re-run every frame to vastly improve performance.
• Improved many logs, warnings and errors to be more descriptive.
• Renamed Character Piece Shaders dictionary to Layered Character Shaders in CMS Reference Handler.
• Layer Options list in Layer Definition assets are now cleared when Layer Asset Label is changed.
• Extracted Fixed and Randomized Layered Character Template editors into their own classes.
• Renamed LoadedCharacterHandler class to CharacterShaderState to better convey its purpose.
• Renamed Layered Character Group Renderer component to Layered Character Group Entry Renderer.
• Renamed Character Controller to Animator Controller in Character Type asset.
• Converted all input related scripts to New Input System.
• The Character Previews Preview Mode now defaults to Animated instead of Static.
• Renamed CCMAnimationPreviewSwitcherManager to CCMAnimationSwitcher.
• Renamed LayerOptionUIElement to LayerSelectorListElement.
• Renamed LayeredCharacterSelectionList to CharacterGroupEditor.
• Renamed Enable Menu methods in Character Creation Menu Manager to better convey their meaning.

Fixed

• Fixed Character Creator animation preview buttons staying enabled if the animation assigned to play does not exist.

Removed

• Removed Log When Character Material Updated bool in CCMCharacterPreviewHandler component in favor of using the new CMS logging system.
• Removed Layer Option Preview Settings section of Character Creator Settings in favor of using Character Preview Sprite.

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[0.3.0] - 11-13-2025

Added

• Added third premade Character Creation Menu prefab.
• Added Project Settings page under Edit > Project Settings > BlazerTech/Character Management System.
• Added binary saving support (Toggleable in project settings page).
• Added Auto Save Triggers options in project settings page.
• Added debug log options in project settings page.
• Added Character Display Name Renderer component for displaying a characters name.
• Added ICharacter interface for instances where any type of character can be used.
• Added assignable Input Actions to the Top Down Movement Controller component.
• Added hold/toggle options for sprint/couch states in the Top Down Movement Controller component.
• Added Create Character If Null bool to Layered Character Group Renderer component.
• Added Active Character Types list in Project Settings page. (Replaces Addressables requirement for Character Types)

Changed

• Converted Top Down Movement Controller to use the New Input System.
• Replaced Character Type assets ISValid bool with a check if the Character Type asset is contained within the Valid Character Types list within the CMS Reference Handler.
• Moved Character Shader out of Character Type asset and into a centralized dictionary with an entry for each validated Character Type.
• Migrated Character Type initialization to use pre-set list inside Project Settings page instead of loading through Addressables.

Fixed

• Fixed major issue causing Character Types to not be functional in build versions.
• Fixed issue when loading a Character Creation Menu with Animation Controls multiple times.

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[0.2.0] - 10-23-2025

Added

• Added Top-Down Character Physics Animator Handler component. Uses the direction and speed of the game object to set parameters within an Animator Controller.
• Added Random Layered Character Renderer component. Automatically creates a new layered character at runtime using the selected Character Type and random layer options.
• Added randomized NPCs sample scene (Sample 2).
• Added Built-In Character documentation page. Explains wha's included and how to use the built-in modular characters.
• Added Character Animation Setup documentation page. Explains the setup process for animations and animator controllers for your characters.

Changed

• Renamed PlayerMovementController to TopDownMovementController.
• Renamed all Character Loader components to Character Renderers (e.g., Layered Character Template Renderer).
• Renamed CharacterAnimatorHandler to TopDownCharacterAnimatorHandler.
• Exposed animator parameters in Character Animator Handler components.
• Changed Animator Controller Speed float to Is Moving bool.
• Revised Quick Start Guide.
• Revised entire site layout and structure (The site you're on right now!).

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Legend

• 🆕 Added — New features or systems.
• 🔄 Changed — Updates, improvements, or refactors.
• 🐛 Fixed — Bug or issue resolution.
• ⚠ Deprecated — Soon-to-be removed features.
• ❌ Removed — Old features now removed.