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UI 1 - Part 1
UI 1
Ui 1 - Part 2
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UI3 Overview
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5 More BP Actors
UI3 Interactive Variations
How to use the Variations Blueprint to make changes during a walkthrough.
Content:
Variation Types
Place the actor next to the assets. The blueprint actor needs to be in the same level as the assets that should be changed.In comes in 3 colors:
White - Standard material only variations.
Blue - Standard mesh and material variations.
Red - Child only variation.
A child is a variation that doesn't need its own actor. The cabinets in the image come in 4 groups with different materials. But they should change all at once. The main group of cabinets is the parent actor while the others are children.
Video: Material Variations
Short example of how to add 3 material variations to the outdoor table in the example scene.The variations actor needs to be in the same level as the meshes it should change.
For some reasons sometimes the actor doesn't work in play in editor unless you use the 'Current Var ID' value to browse through the variations. You also need to save the levels. It might just be a system memory issue where the old state of the level is kept.
Variation Settings
| > Variation Settings | |
| Current Variation ID | This can be used to browse through all existing variations in the editor. In game the widget will change this value and the save game will store it. You cannot set this to a variation that doesn't exist. |
| Default Variation ID | The default ID will be loaded when the app starts. |
| Use For Design Scheme | If ticked this actor will be used for Design Schemes. If the ID of the Design Scheme gets changed then this actor will change with it. |
| List Name | The name used in the UI Menu and in lists to identify this actor. |
| List Room ID | Assign the ID of a room. You can define rooms in the Info Map. |
| > Actors | Add an array element for each actor in the scene that should be affected by the Variations Actor. |
| ID 0, 1, 2 ... | Use the eye dropper to pick a mesh
placed in the scene. The mesh needs to be in the same level as the
Variation Actor. This is called a soft reference. |
| Note: | For mesh changes (not just material changes) the mesh in the scene will be set to hidden and a new static mesh components will be placed instead. |
| > Variation Names | (Optional) add an array element for each variation. |
| ID 0, 1, 2 ... | Every Variation is defined by the ID.
The first variation has ID 0, the 2nd ID 1 and so on. Names here
will show up in the menu and list. 'Variation #' will be the name
if no other name is set. |
| > advanced display | |
| Child Only | Tick this if this Variation Actor is a 'Child' of another actor. A child gets changed with the parent. The cushions on the couch are children of the couch. When the couch gets changed to ID 4 the cushions will also get changed to ID 4. |
| Tag | The tag links the children to the parent. |
Variation Materials
| > Variation Materials | |
| > Materials | add an array element for each material ID that should be changed for all meshes selected. |
| Material ID | The material ID |
| > Material Variations | Add an array element for each material variation. |
| ID 0, 1, 2 ... | Add the material for each variation. If you have multiple IDs to change the number of the materials in this array must be the same for all IDs and you cannot leave an ID empty. |
| > advanced display | |
| Default Material | This will show the original material of the first mesh actor added in the Variation Settings. |
| Note: | Use this to navigate to the materials and then assign it back to the first Material Variations array slot. The material might disappear once you add an empty array element. |
Video: Mesh Variations
This blueprint can change meshes you picked in the Actors array. In reality the original mesh will not be replaced. It would need to be mobile to do so. Instead the original mesh is set to 'Hidden in Game' and not 'Visible'. Then the current mesh variation will be placed on the same spot and any Mesh Transform present in the array will be applied. Finally the materials are set from the Materials array.You can make the original mesh invisible by de-activating 'Show Source Mesh'. Pressing 'G' for game mode will also hide it.
Variation Meshes
| > Variation Meshes | |
| Show Source Mesh | Show or hide the original source mesh. The Variations blueprint hides the source mesh and replaces it with the current variation. |
| > Meshes | add an array element for each mesh variation. |
| ID 0, 1, 2 ... | The meshes for the variations. Put any
materials different from the meshes default material into the
Materials array above with the same ID as the mesh variation. |
| Note: | Once you enter a material for a variation you need to enter materials for all other mesh variations or the mesh might get the wrong material assigned. |
| > Mesh Transforms | Add an array element for each mesh variation that needs to be transformed to match the position of the source mesh. |
| ID 0, 1, 2 ... | Optional transform for the mesh variation with the same ID. |
| > advanced display | |
| Default Mesh | This will show the original mesh of the first static mesh actor added in the Variation Settings. |
Restore Original Meshes
To remove the Variations blueprint from meshes and restore the original source mesh do the following:1) Select the tick box to 'Show Source Mesh'.
2) Set the 'Current Variation ID' to 0.
3) Empty the Mesh Variations array (click on bin)
4) Remove the Variation blueprint from the scene.
Press G to toggle game mode. If the meshes disappear in game mode then you have to deactivate the 'Hidden in Game' flag from them. Search for Hidden in the search bar of the Details Panel to find it.
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