Setup Input Map

Configures Godot 4.x InputMap actions and provides a remap UI scaffold.

Default actions (genre-agnostic)

ui_* actions exist by default — adjust as needed but don't remove (Control nodes rely on them).

project.godot — [input] section

[input]

move_left={
"deadzone": 0.5,
"events": [
  Object(InputEventKey,"resource_local_to_scene":false,"resource_name":"","device":-1,"window_id":0,"alt_pressed":false,"shift_pressed":false,"ctrl_pressed":false,"meta_pressed":false,"pressed":false,"keycode":0,"physical_keycode":65,"key_label":0,"unicode":0,"location":0,"echo":false,"script":null),
  Object(InputEventKey,"resource_local_to_scene":false,"resource_name":"","device":-1,"window_id":0,"alt_pressed":false,"shift_pressed":false,"ctrl_pressed":false,"meta_pressed":false,"pressed":false,"keycode":0,"physical_keycode":4194319,"key_label":0,"unicode":0,"location":0,"echo":false,"script":null),
  Object(InputEventJoypadMotion,"resource_local_to_scene":false,"resource_name":"","device":-1,"axis":0,"axis_value":-1.0,"script":null),
  Object(InputEventJoypadButton,"resource_local_to_scene":false,"resource_name":"","device":-1,"button_index":13,"pressure":0.0,"pressed":false,"script":null)
]
}

(That's just move_left. The full block is verbose — easier to add actions through the editor's Input Map panel and let Godot serialize. Recommended: open Project Settings → Input Map, click "Add" for each action listed above, bind keys/buttons, then save.)

Physical keycode reference (physical_keycode):

• A=65, S=83, D=68, W=87
• Space=32
• Left=4194319, Right=4194321, Up=4194320, Down=4194322
• Esc=4194305, Enter=4194309
• Shift=4194325

Gamepad button indices (Xbox layout):

• 0=A, 1=B, 2=X, 3=Y
• 4=LB, 5=RB
• 6=Select, 7=Start
• 11=DPad up, 12=DPad down, 13=DPad left, 14=DPad right

Joypad axes:

• 0=LStick X, 1=LStick Y, 2=RStick X, 3=RStick Y
• 4=LT, 5=RT

Reading input in code

# Movement vector (handles 8-direction + analog stick)
var input_dir := Input.get_vector("move_left", "move_right", "move_up", "move_down")
velocity.x = input_dir.x * MAX_SPEED

# One-shot in _unhandled_input (preferred for actions)
func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
    if event.is_action_pressed("jump"):
        _try_jump()
    elif event.is_action_pressed("pause"):
        _toggle_pause()

# Held check in _physics_process
if Input.is_action_pressed("attack"):
    _charge_attack(delta)

# Just-pressed in _physics_process (alternative to _unhandled_input)
if Input.is_action_just_pressed("dash"):
    _dash()

Genre-specific additions

Platformer

• jump (already in defaults)
• crouch — Ctrl, Down (modifier)
• wall_grab — Shift held

3D action / FPS

• look_left/right/up/down (mouse fallback for keyboard-only)
• aim — RMB / L2
• fire — LMB / R2
• reload — R / X(Square)
• zoom_in/out — scroll wheel

Top-down shooter

• Same as 3D action, omit jump

Turn-based

• confirm — Space, Enter, A
• cancel — Esc, B
• next_unit — Tab, RB
• end_turn — F, Start

Runtime remap UI

scenes/ui/input_remap_menu.tscn skeleton. Mark ActionList and ResetButton as unique names (%ActionList, %ResetButton) in the editor so the controller can grab them:

InputRemapMenu (Control)
├── VBoxContainer
│   ├── ScrollContainer
│   │   └── ActionList (VBoxContainer, unique name %ActionList — action rows generated at runtime)
│   └── HBoxContainer
│       ├── ResetButton (Button, unique name %ResetButton, text "Reset to defaults")
│       └── BackButton (Button, optional)

Controller scripts/ui/input_remap_menu.gd:

extends Control

const REMAPPABLE := [
    "move_left", "move_right", "move_up", "move_down",
    "jump", "attack", "interact", "dash", "pause",
]
const SAVE_PATH := "user://input_map.cfg"

@onready var _list: VBoxContainer = %ActionList
@onready var _reset_button: Button = %ResetButton
var _capturing_action: StringName = &""
var _row_for_action: Dictionary[StringName, HBoxContainer] = {}

func _ready() -> void:
    _reset_button.pressed.connect(_on_reset_pressed)
    _load_overrides()
    _build_rows()

func _on_reset_pressed() -> void:
    InputMap.load_from_project_settings()
    DirAccess.remove_absolute(SAVE_PATH)
    _build_rows()

func _build_rows() -> void:
    for child in _list.get_children():
        child.queue_free()
    for action in REMAPPABLE:
        var row := HBoxContainer.new()
        var label := Label.new()
        label.text = action
        label.custom_minimum_size.x = 200
        var btn := Button.new()
        btn.text = _format_event(InputMap.action_get_events(action))
        btn.pressed.connect(_capture.bind(action, btn))
        row.add_child(label)
        row.add_child(btn)
        _list.add_child(row)
        _row_for_action[action] = row

func _capture(action: StringName, btn: Button) -> void:
    _capturing_action = action
    btn.text = "press a key..."

func _input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
    if _capturing_action == &"":
        return
    if event is InputEventKey or event is InputEventMouseButton or event is InputEventJoypadButton:
        if event.pressed:
            InputMap.action_erase_events(_capturing_action)
            InputMap.action_add_event(_capturing_action, event)
            _save_overrides()
            _build_rows()
            _capturing_action = &""
            get_viewport().set_input_as_handled()

func _format_event(events: Array[InputEvent]) -> String:
    if events.is_empty():
        return "(unbound)"
    return events[0].as_text()

func _save_overrides() -> void:
    var cfg := ConfigFile.new()
    for action in REMAPPABLE:
        var events := InputMap.action_get_events(action)
        cfg.set_value("input", action, events)
    cfg.save(SAVE_PATH)

func _load_overrides() -> void:
    var cfg := ConfigFile.new()
    if cfg.load(SAVE_PATH) != OK:
        return
    for action in REMAPPABLE:
        var events: Array = cfg.get_value("input", action, [])
        if events.is_empty():
            continue
        InputMap.action_erase_events(action)
        for ev in events:
            InputMap.action_add_event(action, ev)

Persists to user://input_map.cfg and restores at startup.

Notes

• Use physical_keycode (positional) not keycode (layout-dependent) for movement keys — works across QWERTY / AZERTY / Dvorak.
• Input.is_action_pressed() is fine in _physics_process; for one-shots prefer _unhandled_input so UI captures take precedence.
• For couch co-op, set device on each InputEvent and read with Input.is_joy_known(device).