Null Reference Error

not sure what im doing wrong but here is the error. Im tring to instantiate the basic Ethan char from standard assets folder to my game. when i start the game i get this char.

;NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object UnityStandardAssets.Characters.ThirdPerson.ThirdPersonCharacter.CheckGroundStatus () (at Assets/Standard Assets/Characters/ThirdPersonCharacter/Scripts/ThirdPersonCharacter.cs:221) UnityStandardAssets.Characters.ThirdPerson.ThirdPersonCharacter.Move (Vector3 move, Boolean crouch, Boolean jump) (at Assets/Standard Assets/Characters/ThirdPersonCharacter/Scripts/ThirdPersonCharacter.cs:54) UnityStandardAssets.Characters.ThirdPerson.ThirdPersonUserControl.FixedUpdate () (at Assets/Standard Assets/Characters/ThirdPersonCharacter/Scripts/ThirdPersonUserControl.cs:71):

This is the code that started the error

using System.Collections; using System.Collections.Generic; using UnityEngine; public class GameMaster : MonoBehaviour { public GameObject playerCharacter; public Camera mainCamera; public float zOffset; public float yOffset; public float xRotOffset; private GameObject _pc; private PlayerCharacter _pcScript; // Use this for initialization void Start () { _pc = Instantiate (playerCharacter, Vector3.zero, Quaternion.identity) as GameObject; _pcScript = _pc.GetComponent (); zOffset = -1.7f; yOffset = 1.7f; xRotOffset = 22f; mainCamera.transform.position = new Vector3 (_pc.transform.position.x, _pc.transform.position.y + yOffset, _pc.transform.position.z + zOffset); mainCamera.transform.Rotate (xRotOffset, 0, 0); } public void LoadCharacter() { GameSettings gsScript = GameObject.Find ("_GameSettings").GetComponent (); //load game gsScript.LoadCharData (); } }

and this is the code the error is taking me to. Im tring to instantiate the basic Ethan char from standard assets folder to my game.

**using UnityEngine; namespace UnityStandardAssets.Characters.ThirdPerson { [RequireComponent(typeof(Rigidbody))] [RequireComponent(typeof(CapsuleCollider))] [RequireComponent(typeof(Animator))] public class ThirdPersonCharacter : MonoBehaviour { [SerializeField] float m_MovingTurnSpeed = 360; [SerializeField] float m_StationaryTurnSpeed = 180; [SerializeField] float m_JumpPower = 12f; [Range(1f, 4f)][SerializeField] float m_GravityMultiplier = 2f; [SerializeField] float m_RunCycleLegOffset = 0.2f; //specific to the character in sample assets, will need to be modified to work with others [SerializeField] float m_MoveSpeedMultiplier = 1f; [SerializeField] float m_AnimSpeedMultiplier = 1f; [SerializeField] float m_GroundCheckDistance = 0.1f; Rigidbody m_Rigidbody; Animator m_Animator; bool m_IsGrounded; float m_OrigGroundCheckDistance; const float k_Half = 0.5f; float m_TurnAmount; float m_ForwardAmount; Vector3 m_GroundNormal; float m_CapsuleHeight; Vector3 m_CapsuleCenter; CapsuleCollider m_Capsule; bool m_Crouching; void Start() { m_Animator = GetComponent(); m_Rigidbody = GetComponent(); m_Capsule = GetComponent(); m_CapsuleHeight = m_Capsule.height; m_CapsuleCenter = m_Capsule.center; m_Rigidbody.constraints = RigidbodyConstraints.FreezeRotationX | RigidbodyConstraints.FreezeRotationY | RigidbodyConstraints.FreezeRotationZ; m_OrigGroundCheckDistance = m_GroundCheckDistance; } public void Move(Vector3 move, bool crouch, bool jump) { // convert the world relative moveInput vector into a local-relative // turn amount and forward amount required to head in the desired // direction. if (move.magnitude > 1f) move.Normalize(); move = transform.InverseTransformDirection(move); CheckGroundStatus(); move = Vector3.ProjectOnPlane(move, m_GroundNormal); m_TurnAmount = Mathf.Atan2(move.x, move.z); m_ForwardAmount = move.z; ApplyExtraTurnRotation(); // control and velocity handling is different when grounded and airborne: if (m_IsGrounded) { HandleGroundedMovement(crouch, jump); } else { HandleAirborneMovement(); } ScaleCapsuleForCrouching(crouch); PreventStandingInLowHeadroom(); // send input and other state parameters to the animator UpdateAnimator(move); } void ScaleCapsuleForCrouching(bool crouch) { if (m_IsGrounded && crouch) { if (m_Crouching) return; m_Capsule.height = m_Capsule.height / 2f; m_Capsule.center = m_Capsule.center / 2f; m_Crouching = true; } else { Ray crouchRay = new Ray(m_Rigidbody.position + Vector3.up m_Capsule.radius k_Half, Vector3.up); float crouchRayLength = m_CapsuleHeight - m_Capsule.radius k_Half; if (Physics.SphereCast(crouchRay, m_Capsule.radius k_Half, crouchRayLength, Physics.AllLayers, QueryTriggerInteraction.Ignore)) { m_Crouching = true; return; } m_Capsule.height = m_CapsuleHeight; m_Capsule.center = m_CapsuleCenter; m_Crouching = false; } } void PreventStandingInLowHeadroom() { // prevent standing up in crouch-only zones if (!m_Crouching) { Ray crouchRay = new Ray(m_Rigidbody.position + Vector3.up m_Capsule.radius k_Half, Vector3.up); float crouchRayLength = m_CapsuleHeight - m_Capsule.radius k_Half; if (Physics.SphereCast(crouchRay, m_Capsule.radius k_Half, crouchRayLength, Physics.AllLayers, QueryTriggerInteraction.Ignore)) { m_Crouching = true; } } } void UpdateAnimator(Vector3 move) { // update the animator parameters m_Animator.SetFloat("Forward", m_ForwardAmount, 0.1f, Time.deltaTime); m_Animator.SetFloat("Turn", m_TurnAmount, 0.1f, Time.deltaTime); m_Animator.SetBool("Crouch", m_Crouching); m_Animator.SetBool("OnGround", m_IsGrounded); if (!m_IsGrounded) { m_Animator.SetFloat("Jump", m_Rigidbody.velocity.y); } // calculate which leg is behind, so as to leave that leg trailing in the jump animation // (This code is reliant on the specific run cycle offset in our animations, // and assumes one leg passes the other at the normalized clip times of 0.0 and 0.5) float runCycle = Mathf.Repeat( m_Animator.GetCurrentAnimatorStateInfo(0).normalizedTime + m_RunCycleLegOffset, 1); float jumpLeg = (runCycle < k_Half ? 1 : -1) m_ForwardAmount; if (m_IsGrounded) { m_Animator.SetFloat("JumpLeg", jumpLeg); } // the anim speed multiplier allows the overall speed of walking/running to be tweaked in the inspector, // which affects the movement speed because of the root motion. if (m_IsGrounded && move.magnitude > 0) { m_Animator.speed = m_AnimSpeedMultiplier; } else { // don't use that while airborne m_Animator.speed = 1; } } void HandleAirborneMovement() { // apply extra gravity from multiplier: Vector3 extraGravityForce = (Physics.gravity m_GravityMultiplier) - Physics.gravity; m_Rigidbody.AddForce(extraGravityForce); m_GroundCheckDistance = m_Rigidbody.velocity.y < 0 ? m_OrigGroundCheckDistance : 0.01f; } void HandleGroundedMovement(bool crouch, bool jump) { // check whether conditions are right to allow a jump: if (jump && !crouch && m_Animator.GetCurrentAnimatorStateInfo(0).IsName("Grounded")) { // jump! m_Rigidbody.velocity = new Vector3(m_Rigidbody.velocity.x, m_JumpPower, m_Rigidbody.velocity.z); m_IsGrounded = false; m_Animator.applyRootMotion = false; m_GroundCheckDistance = 0.1f; } } void ApplyExtraTurnRotation() { // help the character turn faster (this is in addition to root rotation in the animation) float turnSpeed = Mathf.Lerp(m_StationaryTurnSpeed, m_MovingTurnSpeed, m_ForwardAmount); transform.Rotate(0, m_TurnAmount turnSpeed Time.deltaTime, 0); } public void OnAnimatorMove() { // we implement this function to override the default root motion. // this allows us to modify the positional speed before it's applied. if (m_IsGrounded && Time.deltaTime > 0) { Vector3 v = (m_Animator.deltaPosition m_MoveSpeedMultiplier) / Time.deltaTime; // we preserve the existing y part of the current velocity. v.y = m_Rigidbody.velocity.y; m_Rigidbody.velocity = v; } } void CheckGroundStatus() { RaycastHit hitInfo; #if UNITY_EDITOR // helper to visualise the ground check ray in the scene view Debug.DrawLine(transform.position + (Vector3.up 0.1f), transform.position + (Vector3.up 0.1f) + (Vector3.down m_GroundCheckDistance)); #endif // 0.1f is a small offset to start the ray from inside the character // it is also good to note that the transform position in the sample assets is at the base of the character if (Physics.Raycast(transform.position + (Vector3.up 0.1f), Vector3.down, out hitInfo, m_GroundCheckDistance)) { m_GroundNormal = hitInfo.normal; m_IsGrounded = true; m_Animator.applyRootMotion = true; } else { m_IsGrounded = false; m_GroundNormal = Vector3.up; m_Animator.applyRootMotion = false; } } } }*