Unreal Engine
Installation
- UE5: https://www.unrealengine.com
- ASP.NET Core Runtime 3.1.32
https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/3.1 https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/thank-you/runtime-desktop-3.1.32-windows-x64-installer
- Visual Studio 2022: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/
- Workloads / Desktop development with C++ (was suggested by Visual Studio when I loaded a UE5 project)
- Workloads / .NET desktop development (was suggested by Visual Studio when I loaded a UE5 project)
- Workloads / Game Development with C++
- don't unselect anything
- Windows 10 SDK (1.0.20*)
- Unreal Engine Test Adapter
- Unreal Engine uproject support
- Individual components / .NET 6.0 Runtime (Long Term Support) (was suggested by Visual Studio when I loaded a UE5 project)
- Individual components / .NET Framework 4.8.1 SDK (or higher)
- Individual components / .NET Framework 4.6.2 targeting pack (was suggested by Visual Studio when I loaded a UE5 project)
- Individual components / MSVC 143 - VS 2022 C++ x64/x86 build tools (v14.36-17.6 or newer?) (was suggested by Visual Studio when I loaded a UE5 project)
- After you install VS 2022, look in the VS Installer at the "Update" button. Enabled? DO NOT USE IT! (for now, or be prepared to use the rollback feature of the installer. I have NO idea if there is a certain version of VS 2022 needed to work properly with UE but I DO know that the Unreal Engine 5.3 is NOT usable without engine source changes if you have a fresh installation.)
- Unreal Engine Visual Studio Integration Tool plugin: https://aka.ms/vsituemarketplace (repeat after new engine installation)
- naming convention checker: ".editorconfig" parallel to your .uproject file.
Content: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/vc-ue-extensions/main/Source/.editorconfig - HLS configuration file: "shadertoolsconfig.json" parallel to your .uproject file.
Content: automatically created, defaults to:
{
"hlsl.preprocessorDefinitions": {
},
" hlsl.additionalIncludeDirectories": [
],
"hlsl.virtualDirectoryMappings": {
}
}
Links
- The Unreal Engine Game Framework: From int main() to BeginPlay (video)
- Multiplayer in Unreal Engine: How to Understand Network Replication (video)
Unreal Engine
Blender
- Export Options (so that the object is not lying on the side after Export/Import):
- Forward: Y Forward
- Up: Z up
- Changing the object's origin to its bottom:
- Switch to Edit Mode if needed (Tab). With vertex selection on, choose the center vertex in the bottom. Press Shift+S and choose Cursor to Selected. The 3D cursor will move to the selected vertex. Deselect all and switch to Object Mode (Tab).
- In Tools choose Set Origin and then Origin to 3D Cursor.
- Make sure the object's coordinates are set to 0,0,0. Now the object should be placed properly on the XY plane.
C++
Variable names
If you want to use real variable names but have nice names in the UE editor too, then use meta/DisplayName
UPROPERTY(VisibleAnywhere, BlueprintReadOnly, Category = Camera, Meta = (DisplayName = "First Person Camera Component") )
UCameraComponent* m_pFirstPersonCameraComponent;
owner / client /server
The instance that spawned the class is always ROLE_Authority. If an Actor is spawned on the client, the client is the authority. -- OmaManfred
OmaManfred::
And concerning the owner stuff: When you spawn an instance of a class on the server FOR Client A, you have to set him as the owner. FActorSpawnParameters params; params.Owner = PlayerAPlayerController; SpawnActor<Class>(Class:StaticClass(),params); Then on Client B you can say IsOwner(PlayerBPlayerController), which should return false.
Logging
The following is just a copy/paste/change from the UE4 wiki and was really done from different persons, I am just using the work of different people here.
Put it in a Log.h and include it in .cpp files where you want to use these macros.
#pragma once
#include "CoreMinimal.h"
// macros
// - LOG_LINE
// - LOG -> output log
// -- LOG("text");
// -- LOG("textStatic %s %.2f %d", L"textDynamic", 1.2, 5);
// - PRINT -> screen
// -- PRINT("text");
// -- PRINT("textStatic %s %.2f %d", L"textDynamic", 1.2, 5);
// - PLOG -> output log + screen
// -- PLOG("textStatic %s %.2f %d", L"textDynamic", 1.2, 5);
#if _MSC_VER
#define FUNC_NAME TEXT(__FUNCTION__)
#else // FIXME - GCC?
#define FUNC_NAME TEXT(__func__)
#endif
#define LOG_LINE UE_LOG(LogTemp, Warning, TEXT("%s, file: %s, line %d"), FUNC_NAME, *FString(__FILE__), __LINE__);
//#define LOG_NULL(s, p) UE_LOG(LogTemp, Warning, TEXT("pointer %s %s"),s, (p?TEXT("ok"):TEXT("null") ) );
#define PRINT(format, ...) \
{ \
const FString sFunc = FString::Printf(TEXT("%s"), FUNC_NAME); \
const FString sText = FString::Printf(TEXT(format), ##__VA_ARGS__); \
const FString sMsg = FString::Printf(TEXT("%s() : %s"), *sFunc, *sText); \
if (GEngine) GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(-1, 5, FColor::White, sMsg); \
}
#define LOG(format, ...) \
{ \
const FString sMsg = FString::Printf(TEXT(format), ##__VA_ARGS__); \
UE_LOG(LogTemp, Warning, TEXT("%s() : %s"), FUNC_NAME, *sMsg);\
}
#define PLOG(format, ...) \
{ \
LOG(format, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
PRINT(format, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
}
Example Usage
#include "Log.h"
LOG_LINE;
LOG("I am a line of text in the log,");
PRINT("but me, I am a line of text on the display screen, so there!");
LOG("textStatic %s %.2f %d", L"textDynamic", 1.2, 5);
PRINT("textStatic %s %.2f %d", L"textDynamic", 1.2, 5);
PLOG("textStatic %s %.2f %d", L"textDynamic", 1.2, 5);
FString sPssst("a Secret");
PLOG("I am telling you: %s", *sPssst);
Custom Log
If you want your own selectable category in the log filter to be able to only show your log messages, then you have to
- add this line in the Log.h above any defines:
DECLARE_LOG_CATEGORY_EXTERN(aProjectLog, Log, All);
- replace all "LogTemp" with "aProjectLog"
- add this line to each .cpp where you want to use these macros:
DEFINE_LOG_CATEGORY(aProjectLog);
Am I client or server ?
To answer questions 1 and 2: you can use AActor::GetNetMode()
which returns whether you are a listen server, dedicated server or network client.
if (GetNetMode() == ENetMode::NM_ListenServer)
{
}
The ENetMode values are:
NM_Standalone = 0
NM_DedicatedServer = 1
NM_ListenServer = 2
NM_Client = 3 // is only when you are actually connected to a server
The ordering of the ENetMode values allows you to check multiple things at once:
GetNetMode() <= 2 means you are the server or standalone, so you have 'global authority'.
UMG with C++ base class
- create a normal UMG widget
- create a C++ class with base class UserWidget (UUserWidget)
- build the project
- set the parent class of the UMG widget to your C++ class
- in <Project>.Build.cs add "UMG", "SLATE", "SLATECORE":
PublicDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[] { "Core", "CoreUObject", "Engine", "InputCore", "UMG" });
PrivateDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[] { });
// Uncomment if you are using Slate UI
PrivateDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[] { "Slate", "SlateCore" });
- put into <Project>.h
#include "Runtime/UMG/Public/UMG.h" #include "Runtime/UMG/Public/UMGStyle.h" #include "Runtime/UMG/Public/Slate/SObjectWidget.h" #include "Runtime/UMG/Public/IUMGModule.h" #include "Runtime/UMG/Public/Blueprint/UserWidget.h"
SLATE
https://wiki.unrealengine.com/Slate_Introduction_%E2%80%92_Basic_Menu_Part_1
The "canvas" in UMG is "SConstraintCanvas" in Slate.
Multiplayer / Sessions
Do not search for "multiplayer", search for "sessions". Good tutorial: https://wiki.unrealengine.com/How_To_Use_Sessions_In_C%2B%2B
This is a Youtube video I found which gives you an overview, so you already have an idea how it works before you start learning the details: Multiplayer in Unreal Engine: How to Understand Network Replication.
String conversions
from: https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-us/Programming/UnrealArchitecture/StringHandling/FString
FString TestHUDString = FString(TEXT("This is my test FString."));
FName TestHUDName = FName(*TestHUDString);
FText TestHUDText = FText::FromString(TestHUDString);
Classes
- You can create and use normal C++, like, create a normal C++ class and use new and delete with it.
- But if you want to use UE stuff, you must use UE stuff and be sure to not mix it with normal C++ handling. This sounds complicated, but it is just a reminder to for example never use "new" for an actor.
- You can create classes however you want:
- Get the UE editor to create them
- Use the UI of your source editor (Visual Studio for example) to create them
- create them manually
UE classes
UE Editor
Escape key stops simulation in editor
If you want to change this behavior, open "Edit/Editor Preferences" and search for "stop". Then change under "Play World/Stop" the shortcut "Escape" to whatever you want, for example shift-Escape.
Details/Text/Line-Break
If you are shown a text in the Details tab, chances are you can use shift-return to create a line break.
Removing projects from "Project Open" dialog
Open (use the correct engine version)
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\UnrealEngine\5.3\Saved\Config\WindowsEditor\EditorSettings.ini
and modify/remove
CreatedProjectPaths RecentlyOpenedProjectFiles
Volume of Sound after building in Visual Studio
- Content Drawer / Settings / Show Engine Content
- Engine / Content / EditorSounds / Notifications / *_Cue
- Volume Multiplier
Misc
Source control
Don't use Mercurial (or git) for game development. That would be just plain stupid.
Use Subversion or something like that.
The minimum you have to put under source control:
/Config /Content /Source Project.uproject
Depending on your project:
/.editorconfig /shadertoolsconfig.json
For ignores, have a look at ignoring files with svn.
External Actors
Under "Content" you will probably after some time see "EXTERNAL_ACTOR" or stuff like that. These are your map in parts, so multiple people can work on different parts of the map at the same time. That is the theory I read. :-)
So, no, don't delete them.
Here is the documentation about it.
Developer Folder
If you have the developer folder(s) enabled "Content / View Options / Show Developers Content" then make sure to not reference it from outside when cooking a project.
Other Licenses (examples)
not allowed
- GNU General Public License (GPL),
- Lesser GPL (LGPL) (unless you are merely dynamically linking a shared library), or
- Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Code or content under the following licenses, for example, are allowed
- BSD License,
- MIT License,
- Microsoft Public License, or
- Apache License.
Visual Studio
Show errors after build
Tools / Options / Projects and Solutions / Always show Error List if build finishes with errors
Can't build Solution
- UE / Edit / Editor Preferences / Live Coding / Enable Life Coding: disable
- Use the context menu on your project and select "Set as Startup Project".
- Use "Build <project> (ctrl-B) to build.
This works for me but I am pretty sure there should be a way to have "Live Coding" enabled AND build from Visual Studio. I mean... the UE developers will themselves want to have both options, right? So it should be possible?
Update: I found out that I have to fix the errors in the other (there are ca. 7) projects in the solution to be able to build the solution and to do that I'd have to get the source version of UE. Currently I am very unhappy with all this. A UE5 installation on top of a functioning UE4 installation works. But if you only install UE 5.3 onto a new system, not working :-(
Generate Visual Studio Project file
To get a cleaner project you could create a "delete-temps.cmd" with content like the following (match it with your needs):
rmdir /s /q .vs rmdir /s /q Binaries rmdir /s /q DerivedDataCache rmdir /s /q Intermediate rmdir /s /q Saved del *.sln
After you cleaned away the trash you can right-click your *.uproject file and select "Generate Visual Studio Project file". This might remove some problems. Or create new ones. So far it only helped me, but it IS a bit brutal, right?
Other
Black Screens or flickering/invisible new action popup
Errors
Visual Studio
cannot open source file "CoreMinimal.h"
Error List: "Build + Intelli Sense" => "Build Only"
(source)
I am pretty sure this is NOT a solution but a workaround.
