GASPALS¶
Epic's Game Animation Sample, extended with ALS-style overlay layering and a set of modular, networked gameplay systems. Unreal Engine 5.8, Blueprint only.
GASPALS is a character template. It starts from the Game Animation Sample (GASP): motion matching locomotion, traversal and the sample's characters. On top of that it adds overlay layering in the style of the Advanced Locomotion System (ALS): the character holds a rifle, a torch or a box while every locomotion animation keeps playing underneath. Around that core sit the systems most third- and first-person games need: a camera system, cover, equipment, first person with aim down sights, ragdoll and takedowns. Every system runs on both movement back ends (Mover and the Character Movement Component) and works in multiplayer.
Everything is a Blueprint inside one content plugin, mounted as /GASPALS. There is no C++ module to compile.
What you get¶
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Motion matching locomotion
The Game Animation Sample's motion matching on two pawns: one on Mover with Network Prediction, one on the Character Movement Component. Walk, run, sprint, crouch, strafe, slide, jump and traversal.
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Overlay layering
ALS-style overlay poses blended per body part with curves, on top of motion matching. Item and stance poses, three body styles, aim sweeps and hand IK.
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Cover
Soft cover by walking into walls, sticky cover on a button, cover run to the crosshair, corner turns, vault over cover, and aim from cover that picks the least exposed pose.
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First person
True first person on the full body, generated at runtime from your third-person meshes. Three modes, aim down sights, first-person overlays, and per-character eye offsets.
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Equipment
Data-driven items: a data asset per item links the overlay poses, the attach sockets and the actor to spawn. Rifle, pistol, bow, torch, binoculars, box and barrel included. Selection menu and hand IK.
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Camera
Gameplay Cameras with a Blueprint camera director: third person with three distances, first person, top-down and side-scroller, shoulder swap, crouch and cover offsets, crosshair and aim ray.
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Ragdoll and interactions
Networked ragdoll with get-up animations, takedowns and shoves between characters, and demo tools to shoot and spawn characters.
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Retargeted characters
Manny, Quinn and the MetaHuman Kellan run every system through runtime retargeting from the animation skeleton. Add your own character with an IK Retargeter and a few settings.
Where to start¶
| You want to... | Read |
|---|---|
| Install the plugin and play the demo | Installation, then Quick start |
| Understand how the pieces fit | Architecture |
| Put your own character in | Add a retargeted character |
| Add a weapon or a carried item | Add an equipment item |
| Build levels with cover | Set up cover in a level |
| Start your own game on GASPALS | Use GASPALS in your own project |
| Look up a setting | Blueprint reference |
| Fix something that does not work | Troubleshooting |
Requirements at a glance¶
- Unreal Engine 5.8.
- No C++. The plugin has no code module; a Blueprint-only project can use it.
- Engine plugins used by the content are listed in
GASPALS.upluginand are enabled with it. - Project settings: a few settings live in the project's config files (collision channels, data-driven console variables, navigation). Installation lists them and gives the lines to copy.