Technical requirements
Before embarking on this journey of discovery, know that this book will assume some working knowledge of C++ syntax and the Unreal Engine Editor. Familiarity with pointers and how to follow code in your chosen integrated development environment (IDE) will be key to understanding the Unreal core API.
You will require the following software:
- Unreal Engine 5 (this book has been written with version 5.0.3).
- Visual Studio is a decent free IDE (basic support for the engine is present, meaning projects may show errors and IntelliSense may not auto-complete some keywords, but the project will compile and run).
- If you have access, JetBrains Rider version 2022 or later has built-in support for Unreal Engine, which will make the development process a lot easier. Rider is an alternative IDE to Visual Studio that is often preferred among programmers working with Unreal. It offers improved support for working with C++ in Unreal Engine, including auto-complete. You can learn more about it by visiting https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/rider-unreal/.