kevinpbuckley

Build game UI in Unreal — UMG user widgets (UUserWidget) with the C++ lifecycle

Wire up callbacks and events in Unreal C++ using delegates — single-cast (DECLARE_DELEGATE, DECLARE_DELEGATE_RetVal, payload variables), multicast (DECLARE_MULTICAST_DELEGATE, DECLARE_TS_MULTICAST_DELEGATE), and dynamic (DECLARE_DYNAMIC_MULTICAST_DELEGATE, BlueprintAssignable, AddDynamic, RemoveDynamic). Covers all binding forms (BindUObject, AddUObject, BindLambda, AddWeakLambda, BindRaw, AddSP), execution (Execute, ExecuteIfBound, Broadcast), FDelegateHandle lifetime management, safe unbinding, and DECLARE_EVENT. Use when implementing the observer pattern, exposing C++ events to Blueprints, decoupling game systems, binding overlap/hit/ability callbacks, or debugging delegate crashes and silent no-ops.

Build and compose gameplay objects from Actors and Components in Unreal C++ — the AActor lifecycle (constructor, PostInitializeComponents, BeginPlay, Tick, EndPlay, Destroyed), the component types (UActorComponent, USceneComponent, UPrimitiveComponent), the root component and attachment, spawning actors and creating/registering components at construction or runtime, and ticking. Use when creating an actor or component, setting up a component hierarchy, attaching components, spawning actors, registering runtime components, or debugging lifecycle/ticking/ attachment/overlap issues.

Build AI in Unreal — AIController-driven pawns, Behavior Trees and Blackboards (tasks, decorators, services), the navigation system and NavMesh (MoveTo pathfinding, NavMeshBoundsVolume, NavAreas, avoidance), the Environment Query System (EQS generators, tests, C++ FEnvQueryRequest), AI Perception (sight/hearing/damage senses, ConfigureSense, OnTargetPerceptionUpdated), and StateTree (UStateTreeAIComponent). Use when creating enemy/NPC behavior, pathfinding/movement to targets, decision-making logic, environment queries for cover/flanking/positions, sensing the player, or replacing Behavior Trees with StateTree.

Animate skeletal meshes in Unreal using the AnimInstance / Animation Blueprint model — C++ UAnimInstance base class (NativeInitializeAnimation, NativeUpdateAnimation, NativeThreadSafeUpdateAnimation), AnimGraph with state machines and blend spaces, animation assets (UAnimSequence, UBlendSpace, UAnimMontage, UAnimComposite, UPoseAsset), anim notifies and notify states, montage playback and delegates, linked anim layers, Motion Matching (Pose Search plugin), and Motion Warping. Use when setting up character animation, driving locomotion blends from C++, playing montages for actions, firing gameplay events at precise animation frames (notifies), switching animation sets at runtime, or integrating the Pose Search / Motion Warping plugins.

Reference and load Unreal assets correctly — hard vs soft references (TObjectPtr vs TSoftObjectPtr/TSoftClassPtr), virtual content paths, FSoftObjectPath, async loading with FStreamableManager and FStreamableHandle, the Asset Registry for querying without loading, ConstructorHelpers::FObjectFinder, UAssetManager/primary data assets, and asset bundles. Use when choosing a reference type, fixing load hitches or cook/memory bloat from hard references, loading assets on demand (level streaming, DLC, runtime content), enumerating or filtering assets without loading, or setting up a managed primary-asset pipeline with UPrimaryDataAsset.

Play and control audio in Unreal — the sound asset types (SoundWave, SoundCue, MetaSound Source), playing 2D/3D sounds from C++ (UGameplayStatics, UAudioComponent), spatial attenuation, sound classes/submixes/concurrency for mixing, runtime MetaSound parameters, Quartz beat-quantized playback, and the MetaSound Builder API. Use when playing SFX/music, attaching looping sounds to actors, setting up 3D spatialization, mixing/ducking audio, driving procedural audio with MetaSounds, or debugging silent sounds, voice spam, or parameter mismatches.

Write and run automated tests for Unreal Engine projects — simple/complex automation tests (IMPLEMENT_SIMPLE_AUTOMATION_TEST, IMPLEMENT_COMPLEX_AUTOMATION_TEST), BDD-style Spec tests (DEFINE_SPEC, BEGIN_DEFINE_SPEC, Describe/It/BeforeEach/AfterEach), functional in-level tests (AFunctionalTest), low-level tests (Catch2-based LLTs), latent/async commands, EAutomationTestFlags, FAutomationTestBase assertion API (TestTrue/TestEqual/TestNotNull/AddError), and running tests from the editor, CLI, or CI. Use when writing unit or integration tests for gameplay logic or systems, setting up headless CI test runs, verifying data/content, or catching regressions.

Add, connect, and configure nodes in Blueprint event graphs and function graphs — function-call/event/branch/timer/custom-event/delegate nodes, Standard Macro nodes (ForEachLoop/ForLoop/WhileLoop/DoOnce/Gate/IsValid/FlipFlop via add_macro_instance_node), macro-graph creation, pin wiring, node layout, arrays, comment boxes, and the batch build_graph API. Use when the user asks to wire up Blueprint logic, add or connect nodes, add a loop/macro node, build an event graph, set up a timer/delay, broadcast a delegate, or lay out an existing graph.

Create and modify Blueprint assets, variables, functions, components, event dispatchers, and interfaces. Use when the user asks to create a Blueprint/BP, add a variable or component to a Blueprint, make an event dispatcher/delegate, implement a Blueprint interface, or inspect a Blueprint's class/components. For node-level graph wiring, also load blueprint-graphs.

Create and edit materials and material instances — graph nodes, parameters, functions, custom HLSL, and instance overrides (MaterialService + MaterialNodeService). Use when the user asks to create or edit a material/material instance, wire material nodes, add material parameters, set blend/shading modes, or recreate a material graph. For landscape materials load landscape-materials.

Import/export textures crash-safely, query the Content Browser selection, and check if an asset is open (AssetDiscoveryService). Search, load, save, move, rename, duplicate, and delete assets are handled by Unreal's native AssetTools toolset or EditorAssetLibrary. Use when the user asks to import an image from disk, export a texture, query the Content Browser selection, or check whether an asset is open in an editor.

Create and edit landscape terrain — heightmaps, sculpting, paint layers, terrain analysis, mesh projection, and procedural features like mountains/valleys/craters (LandscapeService). Use when the user asks to create a landscape, sculpt/raise/lower terrain, import or export a heightmap, paint terrain layers, or add procedural terrain features. For terrain materials load landscape-materials; for real-world heightmaps load terrain-data.

Niagara emitter color/curve authoring (tint, hue-shift, ColorFromCurve keys), rapid-iteration parameter tuning, and Custom-HLSL scratch-pad authoring (NiagaraEmitterService + NiagaraScratchPadService). Module/renderer CRUD is owned by the engine NiagaraToolsets. Use when the user asks to recolor or hue-shift particles, edit color curves, tune emitter params, or build a scratch-pad/Custom HLSL module. For system-level lifecycle, load niagara-systems.

Navigate, inspect, and author Animation Blueprints — state machines, states, transitions, and transition rules (AnimGraphService). Use when the user asks to create or edit an Animation Blueprint/AnimBP, add a state machine or states, wire transitions between states, set a state's animation, or inspect AnimGraph structure.

Preview, validate, and bake bone-rotation edits on AnimSequences with constraint awareness and retarget safety. Use when the user asks to edit/pose/adjust an animation's bones, raise an arm, create a swing/wave/dance/pose, mirror or copy a pose, set joint limits, or learn bone constraints. Load together with animsequence (keyframes) and skeleton (structure).