Advanced Input Handling in Decentraland

For basic click/hover events, see the add-interactivity skill. This skill covers advanced input patterns.

Pointer Lock State

Detect whether the cursor is captured (first-person mode) or free:

import { engine, PointerLock } from '@dcl/sdk/ecs'

function checkPointerLock() {
  const isLocked = PointerLock.get(engine.CameraEntity).isPointerLocked

  if (isLocked) {
    // Cursor is captured — player is in first-person control
  } else {
    // Cursor is free — player can click UI elements
  }
}

engine.addSystem(checkPointerLock)

Pointer Lock Change Detection

PointerLock.onChange(engine.CameraEntity, (pointerLock) => {
  if (pointerLock?.isPointerLocked) {
    console.log('Cursor locked')
  } else {
    console.log('Cursor unlocked')
  }
})

Cursor Position and World Ray

Get the cursor's screen position and the ray it casts into the 3D world:

import { engine, PrimaryPointerInfo } from '@dcl/sdk/ecs'

function readPointer() {
  const pointerInfo = PrimaryPointerInfo.get(engine.RootEntity)
  console.log('Cursor position:', pointerInfo.screenCoordinates)
  console.log('Cursor delta:', pointerInfo.screenDelta)
  console.log('World ray direction:', pointerInfo.worldRayDirection)
}

engine.addSystem(readPointer)

Input Polling with inputSystem

Per-Entity Input Commands

Check if a specific input action occurred on a specific entity:

import { engine, inputSystem, InputAction, PointerEventType } from '@dcl/sdk/ecs'

function myInputSystem() {
  // Check for click on a specific entity
  const clickData = inputSystem.getInputCommand(
    InputAction.IA_POINTER,
    PointerEventType.PET_DOWN,
    myEntity
  )

  if (clickData) {
    console.log('Entity clicked via system:', clickData.hit.entityId)
  }
}

engine.addSystem(myInputSystem)

Global Input Checks

Fires regardless of whether the player's cursor was over an entity.

function globalInputSystem() {
  // Was the key just pressed this frame?
  if (inputSystem.isTriggered(InputAction.IA_PRIMARY, PointerEventType.PET_DOWN)) {
    console.log('E key pressed!')
  }

  // Is the key currently held down?
  if (inputSystem.isPressed(InputAction.IA_SECONDARY)) {
    console.log('F key is held!')
  }
}

engine.addSystem(globalInputSystem)

Tag-Based Input Batching

If you have many similar entities that all respond to the same input (e.g., every barrel responds to E to break), tag them via the Tag component and iterate the tag query each frame:

import { engine, Tag, inputSystem, InputAction, PointerEventType } from '@dcl/sdk/ecs'

// At setup: tag the entities (or declare Tag in main-entities.ts).
for (const barrel of [b1, b2, b3]) {
  Tag.createOrReplace(barrel, { value: 'breakable' })
}

engine.addSystem(() => {
  for (const [entity] of engine.getEntitiesByTag('breakable')) {
    const cmd = inputSystem.getInputCommand(InputAction.IA_PRIMARY, PointerEventType.PET_DOWN, entity)
    if (cmd) {
      // entity was the IA_PRIMARY target this frame
      engine.removeEntity(entity)
    }
  }
})

Cleaner than registering N individual pointerEventsSystem.onPointerDown handlers when the behavior is uniform.

All InputAction Values

Event Types

PointerEventType.PET_DOWN         // Button/key pressed
PointerEventType.PET_UP           // Button/key released
PointerEventType.PET_HOVER_ENTER  // Cursor enters entity
PointerEventType.PET_HOVER_LEAVE  // Cursor leaves entity

InputModifier (Movement Restriction)

Restrict or freeze the player's movement:

import { engine, InputModifier } from '@dcl/sdk/ecs'

// Freeze player completely
InputModifier.create(engine.PlayerEntity, {
  mode: InputModifier.Mode.Standard({ disableAll: true })
})

// Restrict specific movement (every flag is optional and defaults to false)
InputModifier.createOrReplace(engine.PlayerEntity, {
  mode: InputModifier.Mode.Standard({
    disableWalk: false,
    disableJog: false,
    disableRun: true,
    disableJump: true,
    disableDoubleJump: true,
    disableGliding: true,
    disableEmote: true
  })
})

// Restore normal movement
InputModifier.deleteFrom(engine.PlayerEntity)

While restricted: gravity still applies, the camera still rotates, and pointer / proximity events still fire. All restrictions auto-lift when the player leaves the scene.

Important: InputModifier only works in the DCL 2.0 desktop client. It has no effect in the web browser explorer.

Cutscene Pattern

Freeze the player during a cinematic sequence:

function startCutscene() {
  // Freeze player
  InputModifier.create(engine.PlayerEntity, {
    mode: InputModifier.Mode.Standard({ disableAll: true })
  })

  // ... play cinematic with VirtualCamera ...

  // After cutscene ends, restore movement
  // InputModifier.deleteFrom(engine.PlayerEntity)
}

WASD Movement Pattern

Poll movement keys to control custom entities:

import { engine, inputSystem, InputAction, PointerEventType, Transform } from '@dcl/sdk/ecs'
import { Vector3 } from '@dcl/sdk/math'

const MOVE_SPEED = 5

function customMovementSystem(dt: number) {
  const transform = Transform.getMutable(controllableEntity)
  let moveX = 0
  let moveZ = 0

  if (inputSystem.isPressed(InputAction.IA_FORWARD)) moveZ += 1
  if (inputSystem.isPressed(InputAction.IA_BACKWARD)) moveZ -= 1
  if (inputSystem.isPressed(InputAction.IA_LEFT)) moveX -= 1
  if (inputSystem.isPressed(InputAction.IA_RIGHT)) moveX += 1

  transform.position.x += moveX * MOVE_SPEED * dt
  transform.position.z += moveZ * MOVE_SPEED * dt
}

engine.addSystem(customMovementSystem)

Combining Input Patterns

Action Bar with Number Keys

function actionBarSystem() {
  if (inputSystem.isTriggered(InputAction.IA_ACTION_3, PointerEventType.PET_DOWN)) {
    console.log('Slot 1 activated')
    useAbility(1)
  }
  if (inputSystem.isTriggered(InputAction.IA_ACTION_4, PointerEventType.PET_DOWN)) {
    console.log('Slot 2 activated')
    useAbility(2)
  }
  if (inputSystem.isTriggered(InputAction.IA_ACTION_5, PointerEventType.PET_DOWN)) {
    console.log('Slot 3 activated')
    useAbility(3)
  }
  if (inputSystem.isTriggered(InputAction.IA_ACTION_6, PointerEventType.PET_DOWN)) {
    console.log('Slot 4 activated')
    useAbility(4)
  }
}

engine.addSystem(actionBarSystem)

Best Practices

• Use isTriggered() for one-shot actions (fire weapon, open door) — it returns true only on the frame the key is first pressed
• Use isPressed() for continuous actions (movement, holding a shield) — it returns true every frame while held
• getInputCommand() gives hit data (position, entity) — use it when you need to know what was clicked
• Prefer pointerEventsSystem.onPointerDown() for simple entity clicks — use inputSystem for complex multi-key or polling patterns
• InputModifier only works in the DCL 2.0 desktop client — test with the desktop client if your scene relies on it
• WASD keys (IA_FORWARD, etc.) also control player movement — polling them reads the movement state but doesn't override it

For basic pointer events and click handlers, see the add-interactivity skill.