# Input Actions

Unity's **Input Action** assets connect named actions, such as jumping or interacting, to device controls. Use them when controls need rebinding, multiple devices, or runtime context switching.

![Event bound to a Unity Input Action](assets/trigger-input-actions.jpg)

## What Input Actions change

An **Input Action** gives an operation a name, such as `Jump`, `Interact`, or `Move`, and binds it to physical controls. Your Events refer to `Jump`, so changing its binding doesn't require editing each Event.

This separation provides three capabilities:

| Capability | Effect |
| :--- | :--- |
| **Rebinding** | The player changes the binding; your Events don't change at all. |
| **Multiple devices** | One action can be bound to a key, a button and a stick simultaneously. |
| **Context switching** | Actions are grouped into maps that can be enabled and disabled together. |

## Setting one up

1. Create an Input Action asset with `Create` → `Input Actions`.
2. Add an action map such as `Gameplay`, then add actions inside it.
3. Bind each action to the controls it should respond to.
4. Reference the asset from Visual Script's input Triggers and Signals.

## The three action Triggers

Unity's Input System reports an action's progress in phases, and there's a Trigger for each.

| Trigger | Fires when |
| :--- | :--- |
| **On Input Action Start** | The action begins — the button goes down. |
| **On Input Action Perform** | The action's interaction completes. |
| **On Input Action Cancel** | The action ends or is abandoned. |

For a simple button press, **Start** and **Perform** happen together. A hold interaction separates them: **Start** fires on press, **Perform** fires after the hold duration, and **Cancel** fires if the player releases early.

!!! example "Performed waits for the hold duration"
    * **On Input Action Start** → show the progress ring
    * **On Input Action Perform** → open the door
    * **On Input Action Cancel** → hide the ring

    Configure the hold duration in the Input Action asset. The three Events then respond to its phases without tracking elapsed time themselves.

## Reading action values

Read an action's current **Number** or **Vector2** value through a Signal inside an **On Update** Event. This lets movement respond to the action's current binding on each frame.

## Enabling and disabling

Four Instructions enable or disable actions:

| Instruction | Affects |
| :--- | :--- |
| **Enable Input Action** | One action. |
| **Disable Input Action** | One action. |
| **Enable Input Map** | Every action in a map. |
| **Disable Input Map** | Every action in a map. |

Prefer maps when an entire context changes. Opening a menu can disable **Gameplay** and enable **UI**; closing it reverses those actions. Later additions to the **Gameplay** map follow the same switch automatically.

![Event instructions enabling and disabling Input Action Maps](assets/instructions-toggle-input-maps.jpg)

!!! warning "Disabled actions are silent"
    A disabled action doesn't fire its Triggers and reports `0`. If an input stops responding after a menu closes, check that its action map was re-enabled.

## Devices and platforms

To add a gamepad binding to an existing action, edit the Input Action asset. Events that already reference that action continue to use it.

Use **Gamepad Count** to check how many controllers are connected. **Seconds Since Last Input** reports overall input inactivity, which you can use for idle behavior.

## Where to go next

- **[Input](index.md)** — compare direct device input with Input Action values.
- **[Bindings](../signals/bindings.md)** — react when input values change.
- **[Triggers](../events/triggers.md)** — inspect the complete Trigger catalog.