Reference

Troubleshooting

What to check when footsteps are wrong or missing.

Start here every time:

code

FootstepSystem.Debug 1

You get a line at every footstep and text saying what was resolved. Green means a surface was hit, red means the trace found nothing. The text reads state | surface | matched, and turns orange on NO MATCH.

For more detail:

code

log LogFootstepSystem Verbose

Common problems

What you see	What it usually is
Nothing at all, no debug drawing	No notify in the animation, or no Footstep Component on the actor
Footsteps only on some animations	The other animations have no notifies yet. Run the modifier on the rest.
Debug says NO MATCH	The database has no entry for that state and surface. Check the tag spelling.
Debug says `<no state>`	Nothing is calling Set Footstep State. See States.
Surface is always Default	The floor material has no Physical Material on it. See Surfaces.
Wrong surface on a landscape	Trace Complex is off. Landscape layer materials need it.
Red trace line	The trace missed. Raise Trace Distance, or check the floor is on the trace channel.
First footstep on a surface is silent	Turn on Preload Assets On Begin Play
Double footstep sound	Raise the debounce, or check the animation does not have two notifies on one frame
Warning about a bone not found	The notify's Foot Bone Name does not exist on that mesh. The warning names it.
Fine alone, silent for other players	The state is not replicating. Use Set Footstep State rather than writing Current State directly.
Nothing on a dedicated server	Expected. Servers never play audio.
Niagara never appears	Expected. Use a Footstep Action.

The modifier found no notifies

Check the Output Log. A bone name that does not exist on the skeleton is reported by name.

If the bones are right, raise Ground Threshold. The default of 4 units is tight for animations with vertical drift.

One step is detected as two

Lower Ground Threshold. The foot is leaving and re-entering the contact band.