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Variables

A variable is a named container for a value.

Examples:

  • Lives stores the number of lives a player has.
  • Position stores the current position of an enemy.

Tip

Use clear, consistent names for variables to avoid confusion as your FSMs grow.

Actions can use variables as parameters:

Use Variable

A variable has several advantages over a constant value:

  • It has a name that makes its value more meaningful (e.g., Lives instead of 3).
  • A variable can be used in multiple places with its value updated in one place.
  • A variable's value can change at runtime.

The last quality lets actions manipulate values.

For example:

Variable Example

  • Get Position stores the Owner's position in a variable called Position
  • Vector3 Add adds an offset to Position
  • Set Position sets the Owner's position to the new value in Position

Global Variables

Global variables can be accessed by any FSM.

They are useful for storing game state like Player Lives or Score

Or values that are shared in many places, like Player1 Color or Player Name

Use the Global Variables Browser to manage global variables.

Data Types

Common variable data types and their potential usages:

Float

A number that can have decimal places, useful when precise values are needed, like measuring distance, temperature, or percentages.

Examples: Speed, Height, Weight

Integer

A whole number, used for counting discrete things.

Examples: NumberOfLives, HitCount, NumberOfKeysFound

String

Text, useful for names and labels.

Examples: PlayerName, LevelName, PopupText

Bool

A boolean, true/false value, useful for storing binary state.

Examples: IsOn, IsOpen, IsLocked

GameObject

Stores a reference to a GameObject.

GameObjects can either be in the Scene or be Prefab assets in the Project.

Examples:

  • A prefab to spawn.
  • The object hit by a raycast or collision.
  • A scene object to enable/disable.

Vector3

Contains 3 float values (x, y, z), useful for storing 3D information.

Examples: Position, Velocity, Scale

Vector2

Contains 2 float values (x, y), useful for storing 2D information.

Examples: Position, Velocity, Scale

Rect

Contains 4 float values (x, y, width, and height) that define rectangular areas.

Examples: ScreenArea, EndZone, TeleportZone

Quaternion

Represents a 3D rotation. They are an advanced topic in 3D math, but in PlayMaker you typically use them to store a rotation without worrying about exactly how the rotation is represented.

Enum

Enums represent named options.

For example, the System.DayOfWeek enum defines: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

See the Using Enums guide.

List Variables

List variables store a collection of values of a given type. E.g. A Float List stores float values, a GameObject List stores GameObject values etc.

Use list actions to add items, remove items, sort items, find items, etc.

Data Records

A data record stores custom fields defined by a Data Definition.

For example:

  • A HighScore Data Definition might be a string Name, integer Score, and float Time.
  • A Data Record using this definition is a single High Score instance: Bob, 550, 10.

Use Data Actions to read and write data record fields.

See Also