Unreal Blueprint Research

Unreal Blueprint Work

I am starting to dig into blueprint. I do software development in Ruby and have done c++ and Java among other languages so programming doesn't worry me. 

I am trying to wrap my head around 3D specific concerns such as vectors, rotators, transforms, lerps, etc.

I created this cheat sheet I will tape to the side of my monitor for reference until I have the variable colors and types down cold:

I watched a few quickie blueprint videos from Unreal on creating a hovering object and slowing time until a character moved. Those were amazingly easy. 

I'm building a text file with a list of important functions as I run across them in tutorials. I will post the contents of it here. I will update a number in parens when I encounter the function multiple times. This will help me gauge the usefulness of the function.

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UNREAL BLUEPRINT NOTES
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Variable Types
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https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Engine/Blueprints/UserGuide/Variables/

Boolean (RED)

Integer (CYAN)

Float (GREEN)

String (MAGENTA)

Text (PINK)
 localization?

Vector (GOLD)
 3 floats (traditionally for XYZ or RGB)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHGkLLIlz78

Rotator (PURPLE)
 group of numbers defining rotation in 3D space
 Ususally just interested in Pitch and Yaw

Transform (ORANGE)
 Cobines 3 attributes of an object:
 translatioon (3D location)
 rotation
 scale

Object (BLUE)

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Terms
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Primitive Component
> any component we can apply physics to (ex: static mesh)

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Notes
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To make an object be able to move, must sure you change "Mobility" to Movable

You can drag blueprints onto objects in the component list to associate them
> example was a hover blueprint. Dragged onto a movable object, it made it hover
> scene component blueprints have this ability. Maybe others. Unsure

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Functions
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DEBUGGING .........................................................................................

Draw Debug Line
 draws a line between 2 points.

Line Trace By Channel
 Draws and erases a line every frame

Print String (USEFUL FOR DEBUGGING)
 Prints a string on the screen (great for debugging)

Get Display Name
 Lets you get the name of an actor
 Can be used to show the name of an actor you have hit with a vector
 This does not appear to work on static meshes

CONSOLE ...........................................................................................

Execute Console Command
 Example: slomo

EVENTS ............................................................................................

Event Begin Play
 When game play starts

Event Tick (3)
 Fired at every frame

ACTOR EVENTS ......................................................................................

Event Actor Begin Overlap
 When another actor overlaps this actor
 You can cast this to ThirdPersonCharacter

Event Initialize Component

VECTOR MANIPULATION ...............................................................................

Break Vector
 Allows you to manipulate each component (X,Y,Z)

Convert Vector into Linear Color
 Covert RGB into single value for "set light color"

Get Vector Length
 Get the magnitude/length of a vector (returns a float)
 Can be used to convert a vector into a useful float

Vector + Vector
 Adds 2 vectors

UNCATEGORIZED .....................................................................................

Break Hit Result
 Breaks out the result of a vector hitting an object
 Can be used to break out the result of "Line Trace By Channel"

Build String (Float)
 convert float to string with a prefix.
 Can be fed into "execute console command"

Get Actor Location
 Get the location of the actor

Get Control Rotation
 Rotation of the object

Get Forward Vector
 Can be used to convert a rotation into a vector
 > The length of the vector is 1 (XYZ values are decimals less than 1)
 > This produces a normalized/direction/unit vector (it always has a length/magnitude of 1)

Get Owner
 Actor a blueprint has been attached to
 > useful for doing work against the owner and inspecting it

Get Velocity
 Get velocity of object (vector)

Launch Character
 You can add a velocity to an actor

Map Range
 Convert 1 range of numbers proportionally into a different range
 Useful for coverting a large range to 0 thru 1 or vice-versa

Random Unit Vector
 creates a random vector (3 variable array)

Set Light Color
 Change the color of a target light

Set Timer by Event
 Allows you to create a looping timer that can trigger an event