Performer Manager & Skin Slots

Performer manager lifecycle, skin slot system for modular character appearance, and config profile assets.
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The Performer Manager and Skin Slot system provide modular character appearance management at runtime. The manager handles global performer registration and lookup. Skin slots define individual mesh/material combinations that can be swapped independently, enabling runtime costume and equipment changes.

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

 

Contents

GS_PerformerManagerComponent

Singleton manager extending GS_ManagerComponent. Handles global performer registration, coordinates skin slot configuration across the level, and provides performer lookup.

Bus: PerformerManagerRequestBus (Single, Single)

Skin Slot System

Skin Slot Configuration Profile in the O3DE Asset Editor

PerformerSkinSlotComponent

Individual skin slot component. Each slot holds one actor mesh asset and its material overrides. Addressed by slot ID.

Bus: PerformerSkinSlotRequestBus (ById, Single)

PropertyTypeDescription
Slot NameAZStd::stringIdentifier for this skin slot.
Skin DataSkinSlotDataActor asset and material list for this slot.

SkinSlotHandlerComponent

Manages the complete collection of skin slots for a character entity. Applies PerformerSkinSlotsConfigProfile presets to swap entire outfits at once.

Bus: SkinSlotHandlerRequestBus (ById, Single)

Data Types

TypeDescription
SkinSlotDataActor asset reference + material asset list for a single slot.
SkinSlotNameDataPairSlot name string + SkinSlotData pair for serialization.
PerformerSkinSlotsConfigProfileAsset class defining a named preset of skin slot assignments. Loaded and applied at runtime for outfit/costume changes.

VelocityLocomotionHookComponent

Velocity Locomotion Hook component in the O3DE Inspector

Reads entity velocity each tick and writes locomotion parameters (speed, direction) to the EMotionFX animation graph. Drives blend trees automatically without manual parameter management.

PropertyTypeDescription
Speed ParameterAZStd::stringThe EMotionFX parameter name to write speed values into.
Direction ParameterAZStd::stringThe EMotionFX parameter name to write direction values into.

PrefabAnimAssetsReloaderComponent

Hot-reloads prefab animation assets during development without requiring a full level restart.

Setup

  1. Add GS_PerformerManagerComponent to the Game Manager prefab and include it in the Startup Managers list.
  2. Add SkinSlotHandlerComponent to the character root entity.
  3. Add one PerformerSkinSlotComponent per modular slot (head, body, arms, legs, etc.) to child entities.
  4. Create PerformerSkinSlotsConfigProfile assets in the Asset Editor for each outfit configuration.
  5. For locomotion, add VelocityLocomotionHookComponent to entities with an EMotionFX actor.

Extension Guide

The Skin Slot system uses the companion component pattern. Custom slot behavior (equipment integration, visual effects on swap) should be added as companion components that listen to SkinSlotHandler bus events on the same entity.

See Also

For related component references:

For conceptual overviews and usage guides:

Get GS_Performer

GS_Performer — Explore this gem on the product page and add it to your project.