MotionBreathingComponent

Applies subtle breathing motion to the camera when the character is stationary, adding life and realism to the first-person view. Automatically manages breathing state based on character movement with seamless transitions.

Requirements

• Character with MotionCameraComponent attached
• MotionPlayerState configured in GameMode
• Gameplay Ability System (GAS) initialized
• Gameplay Effects:
  • GE_Motion_BreathingActive - Grants breathing active tag
• Gameplay Tags:
  • Motion.Camera.BreathingActive - Active when breathing effect is applied

Installation

1. Add UMotionBreathingComponent to your Character Blueprint or C++ class
2. Ensure MotionCameraComponent is also added to the character
3. Configure the CameraBreathingCurve with your desired breathing pattern:
   • Set Translation curves for subtle head movement
   • Configure Rotation curves for natural head tilt
   • Adjust PlayRate for breathing rhythm
4. Set the BreathingActiveTagEffect to GE_Motion_BreathingActive
5. The component will automatically activate when the character is idle

Functionality

Breathing State Machine

Expandability

The MotionBreathingComponent provides virtual functions for customization:

Core Functions

Function	Parameters	Returns	Use Case Examples
IsBreathingActive()	None	bool	• Query state • UI indicators

State Management Functions

Function	Parameters	Returns	Use Case Examples
UpdateBreathingState()	None	void	• State logic • Condition checks
StartBreathing()	None	void	• Begin effect • Sound trigger
StopBreathing()	None	void	• End effect • Clean up
InitializeComponent()	None	void	• Setup refs • Validation

Utility Functions

Function	Parameters	Returns	Use Case Examples
IsCharacterWalking()	None	bool	• Movement check • State detection
GenerateCurveIdentifier()	None	FString	• Unique IDs • Multi-component
PrintDebugInformation()	None	void	• Debug display • State logging

Configuration

Breathing Settings

Property	Type	Description
CameraBreathingCurve	FStructMotionCurve	The breathing shake curve applied to camera: • Translation curves for subtle head bob (X, Y, Z) • Rotation curves for natural head tilt (Pitch, Yaw, Roll) • PlayRate for breathing rhythm speed • Duration for complete breath cycle • Multiplier for effect intensity

GAS Integration

Property	Type	Description
BreathingActiveTagEffect	TSubclassOf<UGameplayEffect>	Grants breathing active tag

Read-Only State Properties

Property	Type	Description
BreathingCurveIdentifier	FString	Unique identifier for breathing curve
bHasActiveCurve	bool	Whether breathing curve is currently active
bWasWalkingLastFrame	bool	Previous frame's walking state
BreathingActiveTagHandle	FActiveGameplayEffectHandle	Handle to active tag effect

Debug Configuration

Property	Type	Default	Description
bShowDebugInformation	bool	false	Debug information display

State Access

Query breathing state for gameplay logic:

• IsBreathingActive() - Check if breathing effect is currently active
• GetMotionCameraComponent() - Access the camera component for custom effects

Automatic Activation

The component automatically manages breathing state:

• Instant activation when character becomes idle
• Immediate deactivation when movement starts
• No delay or transition time for responsive feel
• Frame-perfect detection of movement state changes