A roblox studio input ended script is something every developer eventually needs to master if they want their game controls to feel snappy and responsive. If you've spent any time tinkering with the UserInputService, you've probably figured out how to make things happen when a player presses a key. But what happens when they let go? That's where things usually get a bit messy if you don't have a solid handle on the InputEnded event.
When you're building a game, the "release" is just as important as the "press." Think about it: if you're making a platformer and the character keeps running even after you've lifted your finger off the 'W' key, your players are going to get frustrated pretty fast. Learning how to properly implement a roblox studio input ended script allows you to clean up actions, stop animations, and manage state changes perfectly.
Why the InputEnded Event is a Game Changer
Most beginners start by looking at InputBegan. It's intuitive—you press a button, and the character jumps or fires a gun. But complex mechanics require a two-way street. For example, if you're building a "charge-up" attack where the player holds down a button to build power, you need to know exactly when they let go to trigger the actual blast.
Without an InputEnded connection, you're essentially flying blind. You might try to use loops or wait functions to guess when an action should stop, but that leads to "clunky" gameplay. Using the dedicated event provided by UserInputService (UIS) ensures that your code reacts the millisecond the hardware registers that the key or mouse button is no longer depressed.
Setting Up Your First Script
Let's get into the actual code. To use a roblox studio input ended script, you're almost always going to be working within a LocalScript. Since input is something that happens on the player's machine, the server doesn't directly listen for keypresses. Usually, you'd toss this script into StarterPlayerScripts or StarterCharacterScripts.
Here is a basic structure of how this looks:
```lua local UIS = game:GetService("UserInputService")
UIS.InputEnded:Connect(function(input, gameProcessed) if gameProcessed then return end
if input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.E then print("The player stopped pressing E!") end end) ```
Notice that gameProcessed parameter? That is arguably the most important part of the script. If a player is busy typing in the chat or clicking a button on a shop menu, you don't want your game scripts to fire. gameProcessed will be true if the engine has already handled the input for something else. Always check this first, or your players will be accidentally triggering spells while trying to say "GG" in the chat.
Practical Use Case: The Sprint Mechanic
One of the most common reasons to write a roblox studio input ended script is for a "Hold to Sprint" feature. We've all played those games where you have to hold Shift to run. To make this work, we need InputBegan to increase the WalkSpeed and InputEnded to set it back to normal.
Here's how you'd handle that logic:
```lua local UIS = game:GetService("UserInputService") local player = game.Players.LocalPlayer local character = player.Character or player.CharacterAdded:Wait() local humanoid = character:WaitForChild("Humanoid")
local SPRINT_SPEED = 32 local NORMAL_SPEED = 16
UIS.InputBegan:Connect(function(input, gp) if gp then return end if input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.LeftShift then humanoid.WalkSpeed = SPRINT_SPEED end end)
UIS.InputEnded:Connect(function(input, gp) -- We don't always need to check gp on Ended, but it's good practice if input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.LeftShift then humanoid.WalkSpeed = NORMAL_SPEED end end) ```
If you only used InputBegan, the player would start sprinting and never stop. You could try to use a toggle, but most modern gamers expect the character to slow down as soon as they lift their pinky. The InputEnded event makes this transition seamless.
Handling Different Input Types
The cool thing about the roblox studio input ended script is that it isn't just for keyboards. The input object passed into the function contains information about all sorts of things. You can detect when a mouse button is released, when a controller trigger is let go, or even when a player stops touching their phone screen.
Instead of checking for a KeyCode, you can check the UserInputType. This is super helpful if you want your game to be cross-platform.
- Mouse:
Enum.UserInputType.MouseButton1 - Touch:
Enum.UserInputType.Touch - Gamepad:
Enum.UserInputType.Gamepad1
If you're making a sword game, you might want the player to hold the mouse button to block. As soon as InputEnded fires for MouseButton1, you'd trigger the "stop blocking" animation and lower their defense.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even though it seems straightforward, I've seen plenty of developers trip up when setting up their roblox studio input ended script. One big issue is Scope. If you define a variable inside the InputBegan function, you won't be able to access it inside InputEnded. You need to define your state variables outside the functions so both events can see them.
Another trap is failing to handle Focus Loss. If a player is holding 'W' to move and then Alt-Tabs out of your game, the InputEnded event might not fire because the game lost focus before the key was released. While this is a more niche edge case, it's worth keeping in mind. You can use UIS.TextBoxFocusReleased or similar events if you find your controls getting "stuck" when players switch windows.
Also, don't forget that InputEnded fires for every input release. If you don't have an if statement checking for a specific key, your code will run every time the player moves their mouse or taps any key. That's a fast way to tank your game's performance or cause weird bugs.
Beyond Simple Key Presses
If you're feeling fancy, you can use a roblox studio input ended script to create much more interactive UIs. Let's say you have a button in your game that should only stay highlighted while the player is clicking it. You can use InputBegan to change the color to a bright blue and InputEnded to swap it back to a neutral grey.
This kind of visual feedback is what separates amateur games from "pro" ones. It tells the player, "Hey, the game knows what you're doing." It feels tactile.
Working with Gamepads
For those of you targeting console players, InputEnded is vital for trigger buttons. On a controller, the triggers (L2/R2 or LT/RT) aren't just on or off; they have a range of motion. However, if you just want to know when the player has fully let go of the trigger, InputEnded is the most reliable way to reset your variables.
Final Thoughts on Scripting Input
At the end of the day, a roblox studio input ended script is all about control. It gives you the power to define the exact lifecycle of an action. Whether you're making a complex combat system, a racing game, or just a simple obby, understanding how to stop an action is just as important as knowing how to start it.
Experiment with combining these events with Tick() to measure how long a key was held down. You could create a mechanic where holding a key for exactly two seconds gives a "Perfect" boost, but holding it too long causes a fail. All of that logic starts with a simple InputEnded connection.
Don't be afraid to break things. Open up a baseplate, drop in a LocalScript, and start printing out every input that ends. You'll quickly see just how much information Roblox is giving you, and once you harness that, your games will feel a whole lot better to play. Happy developing!