ActionMaps

Action Maps are a feature of modern input systems used to organize controls for a given context. In systems like Unity’s Input System, an Action Map represents a collection of input actions grouped for a particular mode or control scheme, such as gameplay or UI.

An Action Map contains multiple actions. Each action has a name, a type (Button, Value, Pass-Through), and may specify expected control types and interactions (for example, a Button action with a press interaction). Bindings within the map connect physical inputs from devices to the actions and can include composites such as a 2D Vector built from separate keys.

Bindings and control schemes: Bindings specify the input sources (keyboard, mouse, gamepad, touch) and can be mapped to multiple devices. Control schemes allow different bindings depending on the active device, enabling seamless switching between keyboards, controllers, or touch.

Lifecycle: Maps can be enabled or disabled at runtime. This makes it easy to switch contexts—for instance enabling a Player map during gameplay and a UI map when a menu is open. Multiple maps may be active at the same time if appropriate.

Implementation: In Unity, input actions are defined in an InputActionAsset that holds several maps; developers can generate a C# class for convenient access. At runtime, you enable or disable maps or the entire asset.

Use and advantages: Action Maps simplify input configuration, support multi-device setups, and enable context-sensitive controls and dynamic rebinding. They are commonly organized into categories such as Player, UI, and Menu.

Limitations: While widely used in Unity, the concept may be implemented under different names in other engines, and not all frameworks use the same terminology.