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

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.

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 . 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? 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! )

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 . 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 , 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

Category Class (UT2003)

Category Class (UT2004)

Category 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.