Event Maps and playback

An Event Map is a Data Asset that centralizes the parameters of a haptic stimulus: Clip, Gain, Target, and Loop. Game code only decides when to play which entry; the Event Map adjusts the haptic type, intensity, destination, and duration.

Create an Event Map

1. In the Content Browser, select Add → Hapbeat → Hapbeat Event Map.
2. Open the asset and add an entry.
3. Set its Display Name and playback method. Stream Clip uses a Clip asset; Command uses the Category and Event Name of a deployed Kit. Adjust Gain, Pan, Target, and Loop as needed.

Each entry has the following values:

• Id: an automatically assigned GUID. It keeps references stable when entries are reordered; do not enter it manually.
• Clip: the haptic clip to play, or an event already deployed to the device.
• Gain: base intensity.
• Pan: left/right placement.
• Target: logical address of the Hapbeat that receives the event.
• Loop: whether to continuously play a Stream Clip. Repeating a Command depends on the Kit definition.

When Target is empty, every connected Hapbeat is eligible. See Targeting to separate destinations for multiple HMDs using player / group.

Play from Blueprint

Add Play Event (Hapbeat) to the Event Graph and specify its Map and Entry.

Game event
  → Play Event (Hapbeat)
      Map: DA_HapbeatEventMap
      Entry: pickup

Gain Multiplier, Pan, and Delay Seconds are advanced pins. They adjust this call only, without changing the entry. A Stream Clip entry returns a Hapbeat Stream Playback, which can adjust Gain / Pan or Stop at runtime.

For node inputs and return values, see Blueprint nodes.

Play from C++

UHapbeatBlueprintLibrary exposes the same Event Map path as the Blueprint nodes to C++.

#include "HapbeatBlueprintLibrary.h"

UHapbeatBlueprintLibrary::PlayHapbeatEvent(
    this,
    EventMap,
    Entry,
    /* GainMultiplier */ 1.0f,
    /* Pan */ 0.0f,
    /* DelaySeconds */ 0.0f);

UHapbeatSubsystem::Play(EventId, Gain, Target, Pan) sends directly without an Event Map. Use it only when the event ID must be assembled at runtime or cannot be managed by a Data Asset.

See C++ API for the API reference and guidance on direct delivery.

Choose a playback method

Goal	Use
Play one entry from a button, UI, or custom game event	Play Event (Hapbeat)
Watch Hit / Overlap and play an entry	Hapbeat Collision Trigger component
Combine start, held loop, and end	Hapbeat Sequence component
Continuously change a Stream Clip’s Gain / Pan from a value	Hapbeat Parameter Binding component
Play a one-shot at each step of a knob or slider	Hapbeat Tick Emitter component