Graph Editor

The Graph Editor is the heart of State Machine 2, where you design and visualize your state machine logic.

Opening the Editor

There are several ways to open the Graph Editor:

• Window Menu: Go to Window → Ninjutsu Games → State Machine 2

• Double-click: Double-click any State Machine asset in the Project window

• Inspector Button: Click the "Open" button in the State Machine Runner inspector

• Context Menu: Right-click a State Machine asset and select "Open"

You can open multiple Graph Editor windows at the same time to work on different state machines simultaneously.

Editor Overview

The State Machine 2 Graph Editor

The editor consists of several key areas:

Toolbar

The toolbar at the top provides quick access to common operations:

Button	Description
Save	Save the current state machine
Minimap	Toggle the minimap visibility
Expand All	Expand all nodes to show their details
Collapse All	Collapse all nodes to compact view
Search	Open the node search dialog

Graph Canvas

The main workspace where you create and connect nodes:

• Pan: Hold middle mouse button or Alt + left mouse button and drag

• Zoom: Use the mouse scroll wheel

• Select: Click on a node or drag a selection box

• Multi-select: Hold Shift or Ctrl while clicking nodes

Node Inspector

Node Inspector showing node properties

When you select a node, the Inspector panel appears on the right side. Here you can:

• Edit the node's properties

• Configure actions, conditions, and triggers

• View and modify transitions

• Set networking options

You can select multiple nodes and edit their common properties at the same time.

Minimap

The minimap in the corner provides an overview of your entire graph. Click and drag on the minimap to quickly navigate large state machines.

Creating Nodes

There are several ways to create new nodes:

Right-Click Context Menu

Right-click anywhere on the canvas to open the node creation menu:

• Start Node — Entry point for the state machine

• Actions Node — Execute Game Creator 2 actions

• Conditions Node — Evaluate conditions before transitioning

• Branch Node — Create multiple conditional paths

• Trigger Node — React to Game Creator 2 triggers

• Sub-State Machine — Embed another state machine

• Exit Node — Terminate execution with callbacks

Drag & Drop

Drag and drop from the Project window:

• Game Creator Actions → Automatically creates an Actions node

• Game Creator Conditions → Automatically creates a Conditions node

• Game Creator Triggers → Automatically creates a Trigger node

• State Machine Assets → Creates a Sub-State Machine node

Connecting Nodes

To create transitions between nodes:

1. Click on an output port (right side of a node)

2. Drag the connection line to an input port (left side of another node)

3. Release to create the connection

Start nodes only have output ports. Exit nodes only have input ports.

Transition Conditions

Connections between nodes can have conditions:

1. Select a connection line

2. In the Inspector, add conditions that must be met for the transition to occur

Organizing Your Graph

Groups

Group related nodes together for better organization:

1. Select multiple nodes

2. Right-click and select "Group Selection" or press Ctrl/Cmd + G

3. Name your group and choose a color

Groups can be collapsed to hide their contents.

Sticky Notes

Add notes to document your state machine:

1. Right-click on the canvas

2. Select "Create Sticky Note"

3. Enter your documentation text

Alignment

Keep your graph tidy with alignment tools:

• Select multiple nodes

• Right-click and use the alignment options (Align Left, Right, Top, Bottom, Center)

Live Debugging

During Play mode, the Graph Editor provides real-time visualization:

• Active nodes are highlighted

• Running transitions show the current execution path

• Variable values update in real-time in the Blackboard

Tip: Keep the Graph Editor open during Play mode to see your state machine in action!

Settings

Access State Machine 2 settings via Edit → Preferences → State Machine 2:

Setting	Description
Show Node Inspector	Toggle the inline node inspector
Auto-Rename Nodes	Automatically name nodes based on their content
Minimap Default State	Show or hide minimap by default