A finite state machine for player.lua that manages poses

player.lua

--a snippet of how player.lua might function

local currentState = sm.wielding.lookup
local pose = currentState.pose

local keydown_DOWN = controls.isDown( 'DOWN' )

--at keyPress
if currentState.key then
    currentState = currentState.key
    --process the key(maybe pick an item up)
elseif key == 'A' then
    if keydown_DOWN then
        currentState = currentState.drop
    elseif crawlable then --touching a crawlable item
        currentState = currentState.crawl
    elseif climbable then --touching a climbable item
        currentState = currentState.climb
    end
end

statemachine.lua

--==================
--DECLARE STATES
--==================
local SM =
{
    wielding = {
        lookup   = {pose = 'gaze', action=function1},
        lookdown = {pose = 'crouchwalk', action=function1},
        walkLeft = {pose = 'wieldwalk', action=function1},
        walkRight= {pose = 'wieldwalk', action=function1},
        walkUp   = {pose = 'gazewalk', action=function1},
        walkDown = {pose = 'gazewalk', action=function1},
        crouch   = {pose = 'crouch', action=function1},
        jump     = {pose = 'wieldjump', action=function1},
        idle     = {pose = 'wieldidle', action=function1},
    },
    holding = {
        up     = {pose = 'gazewalk', action=function1},
        down   = {pose = 'gazewalk', action=function1},
        walk   = {pose = 'gazewalk', action=function1},
        crouch = {pose = 'gazewalk', action=function1},
        jump   = {pose = 'gazewalk', action=function1},
        idle   = nil,
    },
    
}

--possible transition list:
--up,down,left,right,attack,jump,land,pickup,idle,crouch
--==================
--DECLARE TRANSITIONS
--==================
SM.wielding.lookup.UP = SM.wielding.lookup
SM.wielding.lookup.DOWN = SM.wielding.lookdown
SM.wielding.lookup.LEFT = SM.wielding.walkLeft
SM.wielding.lookup.RIGHT = SM.wielding.walkRight
SM.wielding.lookup.B     = SM.wielding.jump
SM.wielding.lookup.drop = SM.default.lookup
SM.wielding.lookup.pickup = SM.wielding.lookup
SM.wielding.lookup.crawl = SM.crawling.lookup
SM.wielding.lookup.climb = SM.climbing.lookup
SM.wielding.lookup.idle = SM.wielding.idle
SM.wielding.lookup.crouch = nil --can't currently crouch and lookup in a room


--==================
--HELPER FUNCTIONS
--==================
function isWielding(state)
    for k,v in pairs(SM.wielding) do
        if v==state then
            return true
        end
    end
    return false
end

function isJumping(state)
    for k,v in pairs(SM) do
        for l,u in pairs(v) do
            if l=='jump' and u==state then
                return true
        end
    end
    return false
end
return SM