Search icon CANCEL
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Conferences
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine
Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine

Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine: The faster way to build games using UE4 Blueprints , Second Edition

Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Marcos Romero Profile Icon Brenden Sewell
Arrow right icon
zł266.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.5 (10 Ratings)
Paperback Aug 2019 380 pages 2nd Edition
eBook
zł59.99 zł212.99
Paperback
zł266.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Marcos Romero Profile Icon Brenden Sewell
Arrow right icon
zł266.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.5 (10 Ratings)
Paperback Aug 2019 380 pages 2nd Edition
eBook
zł59.99 zł212.99
Paperback
zł266.99
Subscription
Free Trial
eBook
zł59.99 zł212.99
Paperback
zł266.99
Subscription
Free Trial

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
Product feature icon AI Assistant (beta) to help accelerate your learning
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine

Exploring the Blueprint Editor

Welcome to the amazing world of game development with Unreal Engine 4. In this book, we will learn about how to develop games in Unreal Engine using the Blueprints Visual Scripting language, which was created by Epic Games for Unreal Engine 4.

The first step that is needed before we can learn about Blueprints is to prepare our development environment. Unreal Engine is free to download. We will learn about how to install Unreal Engine 4 and create a new project. After that, we will learn about some of the basic concepts of Blueprints and explore each panel of the Blueprint Editor.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

  • Installing Unreal Engine
  • New projects and templates
  • Blueprints Visual Scripting
  • The Blueprint Editor interface
  • Adding Components to a Blueprint

Installing Unreal Engine

To use Unreal Engine, you must first install Epic Games Launcher:

  1. Access the website (https://www.unrealengine.com)
  2. Register and download Epic Games Launcher
  3. Install and start the launcher
  4. Click the Unreal Engine tab on the left-hand side
  5. Click on the Library tab that appears at the top of the screen
  6. Click the + button next to ENGINE VERSIONS to add a version of Unreal Engine to the launcher

  1. Click the Install button
  2. Click the Launch button to start an already installed version:

It is possible to keep multiple versions of Unreal Engine. This book uses version 4.20.3, but the examples were tested in version 4.22.0 and worked well. Blueprint is already a stable technology. The examples created in this book should work without problems in later versions.

Creating new projects and using templates

After starting up Unreal Engine Editor, a two-tab window will appear. The Projects tab is used to open existing projects and the New Project tab is used to create a new project, as shown in the following screenshot. The New Project tab has templates that can be used for the creation of a project. There are templates made with Blueprint and templates made with the C++ programming language. In this book, we will only use Blueprint templates:

At the bottom of the preceding screenshot, there are three boxes with project configuration options. These options can be modified later in the project, and they are as follows:

  • Target hardware: Desktop / Console or mobile/tablet
  • Graphical level: Maximum Quality or scalable 3D/2D
  • Starter content: With or without Starter Content

The starter content is a content pack with simple meshes, materials, and...

Blueprints Visual Scripting

The first question you should be asking is: what is a Blueprint?

The word Blueprint has more than one meaning in Unreal Engine. First, it is the name of a visual scripting language created by Epic Games for Unreal Engine 4. Second, it can refer to a new type of game object that was created using the Blueprint language.

There are two main types of Blueprints: Level Blueprint and Blueprint Class. Each Level of the game has its own Level Blueprint and it is not possible to create a separate Level Blueprint. On the other hand, Blueprint Class is used to create interactive objects for the game and can be reused at any Level.

Opening the Level Blueprint Editor

To open the Level Blueprint Editor, click...

The Blueprint Editor interface

The Blueprint Editor contains several panels. Each panel is used to edit one aspect of a Blueprint. The main panels of the Blueprint Editor are listed as follows:

  1. Toolbar
  2. Components
  3. My Blueprint
  4. Details
  5. Viewport
  6. Event Graph

These panels can all be found in the following screenshot:

The Toolbar panel

The Toolbar panel is located at the top of the Blueprint Editor and contains some essential buttons for editing Blueprints:

The buttons are described as follows:

  • Compile: Converts the Blueprint script into a lower-level format that can be executed. That means a Blueprint must be compiled before running the game or the changes made may not be reflected. Click this button to compile the current...

Adding Components to a Blueprint

Now, let's create our first Blueprint. It will be a very simple Blueprint that will only contain Components. For now, we will not use Events and Actions:

  1. On the Content Browser, click the green Add New button and select Blueprint Class.
  2. On the next screen, choose Actor as the parent class.
  3. Rename the Blueprint created to RotatingChair.
  4. Double-click this Blueprint to open the Blueprint Editor.
  5. On the Components panel, click the green Add Component button and select Static Mesh, as shown in the following screenshot. This Static Mesh will visually represent this Blueprint:
  1. On the Details panel, there is a property named Static Mesh, which has a drop-down input. Click on the dropdown and select a Static Mesh named SM_Chair. This is a Static Mesh that is part of the starter content. The following screenshot shows the selected SM_Chair:
  1. Let...

Summary

In this chapter, we learned how to install Unreal Engine and create new projects using the available templates. We learned that there are two main types of Blueprints: Level Blueprint and Blueprint Class.

Then, we explored the different types of panels that are part of the Blueprint Editor. The familiarization with these panels will help when developing with Blueprints.

Finally, we have also created a simple Blueprint using only Components.

In the next chapter, we will learn how to program the behavior of Blueprints using Events and Actions.

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon
Download code icon Download Code

Key benefits

  • Design a fully functional game in UE4 without writing a single line of code
  • Implement visual scripting to develop gameplay mechanics, UI, visual effects, VR and artificial intelligence
  • Deploy your game on multiple platforms and share it with the world

Description

Blueprints is the visual scripting system in Unreal Engine that enables programmers to create baseline systems and can be extended by designers. This book helps you explore all the features of the Blueprint Editor and guides you through using Variables, Macros, and Functions. You’ll also learn about object-oriented programming (OOP) and discover the Gameplay Framework. In addition to this, you’ll learn how Blueprint Communication allows one Blueprint to access information from another Blueprint. Later chapters will focus on building a fully functional game using a step-by-step approach. You’ll start with a basic first-person shooter (FPS) template, and each chapter will build on the prototype to create an increasingly complex and robust game experience. You’ll then progress from creating basic shooting mechanics to more complex systems, such as user interface elements and intelligent enemy behavior. The skills you will develop using Blueprints can also be employed in other gaming genres. In the concluding chapters, the book demonstrates how to use arrays, maps, enums, and vector operations. Finally, you’ll learn how to build a basic VR game. By the end of this book, you’ll have learned how to build a fully functional game and will have the skills required to develop an entertaining experience for your audience.

Who is this book for?

This book is for anyone who is interested in developing games or applications with UE4. Although basic knowledge of Windows OS is required, experience in programming or UE4 is not necessary.

What you will learn

  • Understand programming concepts in Blueprints
  • Create prototypes and iterate new game mechanics rapidly
  • Build user interface elements and interactive menus
  • Use advanced Blueprint nodes to manage the complexity of a game
  • Explore all the features of the Blueprint editor, such as the Components tab, Viewport, and Event Graph
  • Get to grips with object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts and explore the Gameplay Framework
  • Learn Virtual Reality development with UE Blueprint
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Poland

Premium delivery 7 - 10 business days

zł110.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Aug 23, 2019
Length: 380 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781789347067
Languages :
Concepts :
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
Product feature icon AI Assistant (beta) to help accelerate your learning
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Poland

Premium delivery 7 - 10 business days

zł110.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Aug 23, 2019
Length: 380 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781789347067
Languages :
Concepts :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
$19.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
$199.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just zł20 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
$279.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just zł20 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total 622.97
Hands-On Artificial Intelligence with Unreal Engine
zł177.99
Unreal Engine 4 Virtual Reality Projects
zł177.99
Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine
zł266.99
Total 622.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

21 Chapters
Section 1: Blueprint Fundamentals Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Exploring the Blueprint Editor Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Programming with Blueprints Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Actors and the Gameplay Framework Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Understanding Blueprint Communication Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Section 2: Developing a Game Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Object Interaction with Blueprints Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Enhancing Player Abilities Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating Screen UI Elements Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating Constraints and Gameplay Objectives Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Section 3: Enhancing the Game Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Building Smart Enemies with Artificial Intelligence Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Upgrading the AI Enemies Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Game States and Applying the Finishing Touches Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Building and Publishing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Section 4: Advanced Blueprints Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Data Structures and Flow Control Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Math and Trace Nodes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Blueprints Tips Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Introduction to VR Development Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.5
(10 Ratings)
5 star 70%
4 star 10%
3 star 20%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




esteban clua Sep 25, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is an excellent literature work related to Bluprint for Unreal! It is very comprehensible for beginners and game developers that don't have strong programming skills. However, it is also a very good reference for those that have programming abilities and have some experience with Unreal, since it goes deep into many topics. The book is full of practices and examples, making possible to experiment very fast all the learned concepts. Totally recommend!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
jimmy Jul 13, 2021
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great learning tool for beginners I would highly recommend.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Grant A. Sep 03, 2021
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Use this with youtube and a good mentor or two and you will begin to solidify a lot of concepts that might get lost for beginners
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Kevin Banks Oct 24, 2020
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book covers pretty much everything you need to get started In Unreal Engine for game development. I would pair this with a few courses on Udemy to seal the knowledge.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Michael Becker Sep 16, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
If you've been looking to get into Unreal Engine 4, you'll be hard pressed to find a better introduction. This book is a comprehensive guide to achieving UE4 and Blueprint competency and mastery - a thorough guide to the ins and outs of most aspects of the engine with a huge focus on Blueprints, the design system that makes it tick.What I particularly appreciate about this book is its thoroughness. If you don't have a background in Object Oriented Programming, for example, this book offers enough context to get your mind thinking in the right way before explaining how it all ties together in Blueprints. It's got thorough, easily-followed exercises to get you actually trying things out and making things to make the information make sense and be retained. It covers all the usual suspects you need for typical game dev: actors, pawns, UI, interaction and movement, logic, audio etc. etc. and dives to extended area like particles and materials, XR, AI and state management.Finally it goes farther into advanced blueprints knowledge, covering data structures, flow control, and math concepts in much greater depth than any resource I've ever seen. It's also full of shortcuts, tips and tricks to make your iteration workflow much quicker and easier.I'm not a newcomer to game dev by any means but, my background being mostly in Unity (as I imagine is the case for many), I've always found UE4 to be more imposing and to "think" differently in many subtle ways. Romero's blog has always been my go-to to better understand certain aspects of blueprints and the engine, but this guide is even better organized and more streamlined. If I were starting out with Unreal today I'd be using this book exclusively, and even in my current knowledge level (not an expert by any means) I find it incredibly helpful.If you're considering how to best start your UE4 game dev journey - or want to use the engine for other purposes like previz, arch viz, education or anything else - you'd be hard-pressed to find a better entry point. You can check out Romero's blog if you want to get a taste for the style and substance but I find this book beyond worthwhile regardless of existing info out there. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to get into UE4.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela