Bird Chara Controller

This post is subject to change. It is mainly here to show the character pipeline work behind my folio, but it does not represent a fully polished production asset

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Intro

Here is a character controller I've been developing for my game prototype called Halfly
I handled the full pipeline myself, from modeling to rigging and animation, as I wanted to gain experience across all stages of character creation

A significant part of this work also involved R&D around the morphing effect, with the goal of achieving a smooth, fast, and visually coherent transition between the bird and human forms
Alongside that, I spent time refining the overall game feel, ensuring that transitions and controls feel responsive and satisfying

I initially used the ALS (Advanced Locomotion System) plugin as a foundation for the grounded character, and then extended it to fit my specific needs

Showcase

As shown in the breakdown, I implemented a regional skeletal mesh blending system with Niagara, allowing particles from the left arm to dynamically flow toward the left wing during the morph
This adds an extra layer of motion continuity and visual coherence, making the transformation feel more alive and coherent

I also experimented with layering the animation blueprint alongside custom shader-driven animations, using them to slightly emphasize certain movements based on gameplay context
While this kind of approach might not be ideal for a production-ready game due to added complexity and performance considerations, it was worth exploring

Breakdown

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Soundtracks

I also worked on a few soundtrack experiments for the prototype while learning FL Studio