The Dive ability will allow the character to dive head first from an elevated area. The Dive ability inherits from the Detect Ground Ability Base ability to determine that the character is on an object that they can dive from.
Dive owns the transition from a valid platform into the water. It applies the configured launch force, keeps a portion of gravity, changes animation as the surface approaches, and then hands control to Swim after entry.
Setup
Position Dive above the Swim ability so it can own the airborne water-entry transition.
Key settings
Min High Dive Height
The minimum distance from the dive platform to the water for the dive to be considered a high dive.
Dive Force
The amount of force to apply when the dive ability starts.
Frames
The number of frames that the Start Force is applied in.
Will Enter Water Distance
The distance at which the character should play an animation which prepares the character for entering the water.
Entrance Splash
Water Effect that should play when the character enters the water.
Retained Gravity Amount
The percentage that the gravity force is retained each frame after the character enters the water.
Author a dive platform
The start object must satisfy the inherited ground detection and provide a clear forward trajectory into a valid water volume. The ability should not be offered where the launch can hit a wall, miss the volume, or enter water shallower than the character’s dive pose.
Use Min High Dive Height to separate the animation treatment for ordinary and high dives. Measure representative platforms from the launch surface to the authoritative water height, especially when a custom water integration moves that height.
Tune the flight
Dive Force controls the launch impulse and Frames spreads that start force across multiple frames. Tune them together: the same total-looking motion can feel abrupt with a short application or floaty with a long one. Will Enter Water Distance should change to the preparation animation early enough to align the body before contact, but not so early that a long fall remains locked in the entry pose.
Assign Entrance Splash on Dive when the effect should be tied to the dive entry. Coordinate it with Swim’s entrance splash so the same contact does not produce duplicate effects.
If the character dives but never transitions to Swim, verify the destination water trigger, surface height, and Swim priority. If the preparation animation never plays, inspect Will Enter Water Distance against the current water height. If the arc overshoots the pool, reduce the force or restrict which platform directions can start the ability.