Playables

Playables are pre-configured animations, sounds, visual effects, and other actions that play during gameplay. They are used in combat (ability cast animations, hit effects), interactions (chest opening animations), and other systems that need visual or audio feedback.

Playable Types

Spark includes several playable types, each handling a different kind of action:

Animation Playables

PlayableAnimationEntry defines an animation to play on a character or object.

Configure:

  • Which animation clip to play

  • Blend time (how quickly to transition into and out of the animation)

  • Speed and speed curves

  • Whether the animation locks the character from performing other actions

  • Target selection (who should play the animation)

Sound Playables

PlayableSoundEntry defines a sound to play.

Configure:

  • Audio clip to play

  • Volume, pitch, and spatial blend

  • Whether it plays at a position in the world or as a UI sound

Transform Playables

PlayableTransformEntry defines a position, rotation, or scale change on an object.

Configure:

  • Target object

  • Destination transform values

  • Duration and easing curve

  • Whether to use local or world space

Transform playable overrides can be set per entity through PlayableTransformEntryOverride and PlayableTransformEntity.

Coordinate Playables

PlayableCoordinatesEntry defines movement to specific coordinates. Used for scripted movement sequences (walk to a position, move to a waypoint).

GameObject Playables

PlayableGameObjectEntry defines actions on GameObjects: show, hide, enable, disable, spawn, or destroy.

Used for spawning projectiles, showing/hiding VFX objects, activating/deactivating scene elements.

Playable Configurations

A PlayableConfiguration bundles multiple playables together into a sequence. For example, an ability's visual feedback might include playing the cast animation, playing the cast sound, spawning the projectile, and on impact playing the hit animation, impact sound, and hit VFX on the target.

All of these are configured as playable entries and combined in the ability's playable configuration.

How Playables Are Used

Playables are referenced from:

  • Abilities (Combat plugin): Cast animation, projectile, impact effects.

  • Interactions: Object interaction animations and sounds.

  • Triggers: "Play this playable" as a trigger action.

  • NPC Interactions: NPC gesture animations during dialogue.

You do not need to write code to use playables. Configure them as entries in the Spark Editor and reference them from the systems that need them.

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