UHL - unreal helper library, toolset to help developers working with AI, GAS and so on. Goal is to became a tool that insta-installed on new project creation. All tools are mostly tested on melee combat so if you have other background and think that something should work another way or have an idea on how to improve developer experience feel free to discuss
Support: tested UE5.4
git submodule add https://github.com/Ciberusps/unreal-helper-library.git ./Plugins/UnrealHelperLibrary
- add git submodule to your plugins folder- add code to file
<ProjectName>.Build.cs
// <ProjectName>.Build.cs
public GameName(ReadOnlyTargetRules Target) : base(Target)
{
PublicDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[] {
// add "UnrealHelperLibrary" to use it in C++
"UnrealHelperLibrary",
});
// OPTIONALLY add "UnrealHelperEditor" module to use custom unreal engine editor features
if (Target.bBuildEditor)
{
PrivateDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[] { "UnrealHelperEditor" });
}
}
Note
don't forget to update README.md
with instructions on how to setup - git submodule update --init --recursive
and how to update plugin(s) - git submodule update --remote
Note
and add Editor Preferences -> Force Compilation on Startup
in Config/EditorPerProjectUserSettings.ini
your team don't want to recompile plugin manually 😉
later this year
From source:
git submodule update --remote
to update library from source
UHL consists of 3 modules:
- UnrealHelperLibrary - main module with GAS helper classes, AI behavior tree nodes, Blueprint Function Libraries. Most functionality can be tested in
Gyms
(maps for testing atomic/single gameplay mechanic), allGyms
located in/Plugins/UnrealHelperLibrary/Content/Gyms
- UnrealHelperEditor - optional module with editor customization, e.g. custom thumnails, custom class icons
- UHL Utils (EditorUtilityWidget) - widget with tools helping you make trivial things, like
ConvertToORM
quite often task when you want to combine 3 texturesOcclusion
,Roughness
,Metalic
in one ORM texture
UnrealHelperLibrary - main module
- GAS
- AI
- Components
- Composite
- Decorators
- Services
- Tasks
- UnrealHelperLibraryBPL
- RelativeAngles
- GAS
- Misc
- GetProjectVersion
- GetNamesOfComponentsOnObject
- GetAssetsOfClass
- GetActorComponentByName
- GetSceneComponentByName
- Other
- LoadingUtilLibrary
- ApplyDefaultPriorityLoading
- ApplyStreamingPriorityLoading
- ApplyHighestPriorityLoading
- ApplyCustomPriorityLoading
- ForceGarbageCollection
- FlushLevelStreaming
- TraceUtilsBPL
- SweepCapsuleSingleByChannel
UnrealHelperEditor
UHL Utils (Editor Utility Widget)
UHLAbilitySystemComponent - for quick start with GAS. You can nest from it on start and than turn off its functions when you ready to replace them with your custom solution.
Features:
- set
InitialGameplayAttributes
- give
Abilities
on start - activate
InitialActiveAbilities
- apply
InitialGameplayTags
- Lyra-like "InputConfig", GAS abilities input binding
bUseInputConfig
AbilityInputCache
How it works:
- activate
bUseAbilityInputCache
inUHLAbilitySystemComponent
(nest your own AbilitySystem fromUHLAbilitySystemComponent
) - in GameplayAbility activate
bInputCache
- add anim notifies to your attack animation
ANS_CatchToAbilityInputCache
- to mark when its possible to cache ability - best practice - on 2nd frame of attack and until "BlockAction" endANS_CheckAbilityInputCache
- when you want to check cache and activate ability best practice - on end of "BlockAction" with 5-10frames duration
Debug:
- write in console
ToggleAbilityInputDebug
, don't forget to addProcessConsoleExec
to yourBGameInstance
or it won't work
AT_InterpolateToPosition - interpolate actor to specified position/rotation at a predetermined amount of time
Select random child node using weights
With cool validations
BTD_CheckGASGameplayTagsOnActor - checks that actor has GAS gameplay tags specified.
Warning
Don't mess with UBTDecorator_CheckGameplayTagsOnActor
- its only checks GameplayTags on actor itself not on AbilitySystem.
Requirements:
- actor should implement
IAbilitySystemInterface
to get AbilitySystemComponent
BTD_InAngle - decorator to check is enemy in one of specified angle ranges. Useful in developing big enemies, for example we developing dragon we want to know is player under the right wing or leg, is player in front of dragon or behind and so on.
BTD_InRange - decorator to check distance between actors. Compliant with "MoveTo" node have same settings bIncludeSelfCapsuleRadius
and bIncludeTargetCapsuleRadius
to check distance excluding capsules radiuses
BTD_LoopRandomCount - randomized version of decorator Loop
BTD_TimeLimitRandom - randomized version of decorator TimeLimit
BTD_RandomChance - commonly used decorator to randomize actions. Fine for single child node, extra bad for multiple nodes due to chance regression, for randomization between multiple child nodes better to use RandomSelector
BTS_SetGameplayFocus - alternative for "Set default focus". SetGameplayFocus made right way - prevents rotation jittering while enemy rotation. One of most common problems that anybody stucks when starting developing AI - "focus dont work"/"focus works wrong".
Requirements:
- turn on
UseControllerDesiredRotation
- turn off
bOrientRotationToMovement
UseControllerRotationYaw
UseControllerRotationPitch
UseControllerRotationRoll
Troubleshooting:
- check that nothing "ClearFocus"
- check that MoveTo uses "AllowStafe"
BTT_SetBBValue - helps settings values in blackboard, supports all blackboard types and for some values event provides opportunity to make calculations like int
BTT_DebugPrintBBValue - prints BB value of any type
BTT_DebugPrintString - simple task for printing debug info on screen
BTT_InvokeGameplayAbility - activate/deactivate GAS Gameplay Ability by tag, with optional "wait for finishing"
BTT_PlayAnimMontage - play anim montage with option to customize PlayRate, Starting Position, Start Section Name and stopping montage on task abort
BTT_TurnTo - turn to enemy using turn animations
Drop in replacement for "RotateToFaceBBEntry" but with option to "RotateTo" with animations
To get settings from actor requires IUHLActorSettings
to be implemented on character
Get project version from "Project Settings"
Get names of actor components on object, usefull for GetOptions
UPROPERTY
Binding InputActions to tags like in Lyra but enhanced and adopted for 3d action game
- abilities should nest from
UHLGameplayAbility
for "ActivationPolicy" work correctly - SetupPlayerInputComponent - bind all from input config,
BindAbilityActions
Project Settings -> Input -> Default Input Component Class
-> change onUHLInputComponent
UHLLoadingUtilLibrary - loading utils from Lyra
UHLTraceUtilsBPL - trace utils
UnrealHelperEditor - optional module with editor customization, e.g. custom thumnails, custom class icons
Custom thumnails - to override thumbnail by your own, just implement IUHECustomThumbnail
interface and define your own icon using GetCustomThumbnailIcon()
#if WITH_EDITOR
#include "UHECustomThumbnail.h"
#endif
// IUHECustomThumbnail not available in production build
#if !WITH_EDITOR
class IUHECustomThumbnail {};
#endif
class GAMECODE_API UInventoryItem : public UObject,
public IUHECustomThumbnail
{
// ...
/** IUHECustomThumbnail **/
#if WITH_EDITOR
UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, BlueprintNativeEvent)
UTexture2D* GetCustomThumbnailIcon() { return Description.Icon; };
#endif
/** ~IUHECustomThumbnail **/
// ...
Custom class icon - to override classes icons on your own, just implement set settings in UHESettings
List of default Unreal Engine Editor icons
Combines separate Occlusion
, Roughness
, Metalic
textures into one ORM
TODO check ref - https://github.com/Atulin/ChannelMerger