Unified Character Templates

A Unified Character Template is a Scriptable Object and is the most common method to create Unified Characters at runtime.

It acts as a reusable blueprint that defines:

The Character Type asset the character will use
The default name assigned when a character is created
The spritesheet used for rendering and animation

Workflow Overview

Create a Unified Character Template asset
Assign a Character Type
Set the default name
Assign a properly structured spritesheet
Attach the template to a Unified Character Renderer component

The template can now be reused anywhere in your project to consistently create that character.

Setup

Create

To create a Unified Character Template right click the Project window and navigate to
Create > BlazerTech > Character Management System > Character Templates > Unified Character Template.

Unified Character Template

Character Type

Assign the Character Type asset that all characters created from this template will use.

Unified Character Template: Character Type

This is used to determine:

If the Character Spritesheet is valid
The Animator Controller used to animate the character

Default Character Name

Set the default name assigned when a character is created from this template.

You may also optionally set a Display Name for use alongside created characters in-game.

Unified Character Template: Character Name

Character Spritesheet

Assign a spritesheet that has the same size and layout as the Character Spritesheet in the attached Character Type.

Unified Character Template: Character Spritesheet

Note

When the Character Spritesheet is assigned, the spritesheet is marked as Addressable automatically, allowing it to be loaded/unloaded during runtime.

Spritesheet Requirements

When a character is created from the template the spritesheet will replace the Base Spritesheet used in the Character Type, this means the spritesheet must contain the same animations and layout.

Read more about the Character Shader for more info.

The assigned spritesheet must:

Be the same size as the Base Spritesheet in the Character Type
Contain all the same animations and frames in the Base Spritesheet in the Character Type
Have the Sprite Mode set to Single

Caution

If the assigned spritesheet is not the correct size it will be rejected at runtime.

Runtime Usage

Once the Character Template is setup it can be assigned in a Unified Character Template Renderer component which at runtime will create a character from the template and animate it using the Animator Controller assigned in the Character Type.

Unified Character Renderer Component

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