Input Reader

Component that reads input through the active profile and fires named gameplay events, with runtime group toggling and input claiming.
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The Input Reader component sits on any entity that needs to process input. It queries the Options Manager for the active Input Profile, then listens for raw O3DE input events and matches them against the profile’s bindings to fire named gameplay events.

For usage guides and setup examples, see The Basics: GS_Core.

Input Reader component in the O3DE Inspector

 

Contents

How It Works

On activation the Input Reader queries the Options Manager for the active Input Profile and subscribes to raw O3DE input events. Each frame it matches incoming raw input against the profile bindings. When a match is found it fires the associated named event into the gameplay event system. Input groups can be enabled or disabled at runtime to control which events are active at any moment.

Key Features

  • Group toggling — Enable or disable entire input groups at runtime. For example, disable “Combat” inputs during a dialogue sequence, or disable “Movement” inputs during a cutscene.
  • Claim input — The ClaimAllInput flag causes the reader to absorb matched input events, preventing them from reaching other readers. Useful for layered input (e.g., UI absorbs input before gameplay).
  • Extensible — Extend the Input Reader for specialized input handling. GS_Play uses this internally for player controller input and UI navigation input.

API Reference

GS_InputReaderComponent

FieldValue
HeaderGS_Core/GS_CoreBus.h

Request Bus: InputReaderRequestBus

Entity-addressed bus – call via Event(entityId, ...).

MethodParametersReturnsDescription
EnableInputGroupconst AZStd::string& groupNamevoidEnables a named input group for this reader. Events in this group will fire on matched input.
DisableInputGroupconst AZStd::string& groupNamevoidDisables a named input group. Events in this group will be ignored until re-enabled.
IsGroupDisabledconst AZStd::string& groupNameboolReturns true if the named group is currently disabled.

Usage Examples

Toggling Input Groups

#include <GS_Core/GS_CoreBus.h>

// Disable combat inputs during dialogue
GS_Core::InputReaderRequestBus::Event(
    playerEntityId,
    &GS_Core::InputReaderRequestBus::Events::DisableInputGroup,
    AZStd::string("Combat")
);

// Re-enable when dialogue ends
GS_Core::InputReaderRequestBus::Event(
    playerEntityId,
    &GS_Core::InputReaderRequestBus::Events::EnableInputGroup,
    AZStd::string("Combat")
);

Script Canvas

Input Groups handling nodes in the O3DE Script Canvas

See Also

For component references:

For related resources:

Get GS_Core

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