AnimNotify and Sequencer¶

Gameplay Cues can be triggered from Animation Montages and Level Sequences, not just from Gameplay Effects or direct code calls. This is essential for tightly syncing VFX/SFX to specific animation frames or cinematic moments.

Animation Notifies¶

UE 5.7 provides two anim notify classes for Gameplay Cues:

UAnimNotify_GameplayCue (Burst)¶

Editor display name: GameplayCue (Burst)

A standard UAnimNotify that fires a one-shot (Execute) Gameplay Cue at a specific frame in an animation. Use this for instant feedback tied to animation events -- weapon swish sounds, footstep impacts, cast effects.

Properties:

How it works:

When the notify fires during animation playback, it:

1. Finds the owning actor's skeletal mesh component
2. Gets the actor from the mesh component
3. Calls UGameplayCueManager::ExecuteGameplayCue_NonReplicated on the actor

Setup:

1. Open your Animation Montage in the editor
2. Right-click on the Notifies track at the desired frame
3. Select Add Notify > GameplayCue (Burst)
4. In the Details panel, set the GameplayCue tag
5. Create a matching cue notify asset (Burst is the natural fit)

UAnimNotify_GameplayCueState (Looping)¶

Editor display name: GameplayCue (Looping)

A UAnimNotifyState that triggers a duration-based Gameplay Cue across a range of animation frames. It fires Add at the start of the notify range and Remove at the end.

Properties:

Lifecycle mapping:

Setup:

1. Open your Animation Montage
2. Right-click on the Notifies track
3. Select Add Notify State > GameplayCue (Looping)
4. Drag the ends to set the duration range
5. Set the GameplayCue tag
6. Create a matching Looping or Actor cue notify

Use cases:

• Weapon trail effects during the active swing frames
• Charge-up particles while a heavy attack winds up
• Ground pound dust cloud that persists during the landing recovery

Combining with Abilities¶

A common pattern is to have an ability play a montage (via PlayMontageAndWait ability task), and the montage's anim notifies trigger the cues:

Ability activates
  → PlayMontageAndWait starts montage
    → Frame 12: AnimNotify_GameplayCue fires "GameplayCue.Ability.Slash.Swish"
    → Frame 18: AnimNotify_GameplayCue fires "GameplayCue.Ability.Slash.Impact"
    → Montage ends
  → Ability ends

This keeps VFX timing tightly coupled to animation without any manual delay management in the ability itself.

Sequencer Integration¶

Level Sequences (cinematics, in-game cutscenes) can trigger Gameplay Cues through a dedicated track type.

UMovieSceneGameplayCueTrack¶

The Gameplay Cue track can be added to any actor binding in Sequencer. It supports multiple rows and two section types.

To add:

1. In Sequencer, select your actor binding
2. Click + Track > Gameplay Cue
3. Right-click on the track to add sections

Section Types¶

Trigger Section (UMovieSceneGameplayCueTriggerSection)¶

Fires one-shot (Execute) cues at specific keyframe times within the section. Each key is a FMovieSceneGameplayCueKey with full cue parameter configuration.

Use for: hit impacts at specific cinematic moments, ability cast flashes, explosion effects.

Range Section (UMovieSceneGameplayCueSection)¶

A duration section that fires Add at the start and Remove at the end. Contains a single FMovieSceneGameplayCueKey for configuration.

Use for: persistent effects during a cinematic sequence (aura while a character powers up, fire while a building burns).

FMovieSceneGameplayCueKey¶

Each key/section configures the cue through this struct:

Custom Track Handler¶

You can override how sequencer cues are invoked by setting a custom handler:

UMovieSceneGameplayCueTrack::SetSequencerTrackHandler(MyCustomHandler);

The delegate signature is:

DECLARE_DYNAMIC_DELEGATE_FourParams(FMovieSceneGameplayCueEvent,
    AActor*, Target,
    FGameplayTag, GameplayTag,
    const FGameplayCueParameters&, Parameters,
    EGameplayCueEvent::Type, Event);

This is useful if you need custom routing for cinematic cues (e.g., routing through a different manager, or adding game-specific context).

Practical Patterns¶

Animation-Driven Combat VFX¶

AttackMontage
├── Section: WindUp
│   └── NotifyState: GameplayCue.Weapon.Trail (Looping)
│       → Weapon trail particles active during swing
├── Section: Strike
│   ├── Notify: GameplayCue.Weapon.Swish (Burst)
│   │   → Whoosh sound at swing frame
│   └── [Hit detection happens in ability code]
│       → Ability applies DamageGE with GameplayCue.Hit.Physical
│       → Hit impact cue fires from the GE
└── Section: Recovery

Cinematic Ability Showcase¶

LevelSequence: BossIntro
├── Camera Track: cinematic camera
├── Boss Actor Binding:
│   ├── Animation Track: PowerUp montage
│   └── GameplayCue Track:
│       ├── [0.0 - 3.0] Range: GameplayCue.Boss.PowerUpAura
│       ├── [1.5] Trigger: GameplayCue.Boss.EnergyBurst
│       └── [3.0] Trigger: GameplayCue.Boss.Roar
└── Environment Binding:
    └── GameplayCue Track:
        └── [2.5] Trigger: GameplayCue.Environment.ScreenShake

Related Pages¶

• Cue Notify Types -- which cue class to pair with your notify
• Cue Parameters -- the data that flows to your cue
• Ability Tasks -- PlayMontageAndWait for ability-driven montages
• Add a Gameplay Cue -- step-by-step creation recipe