CB Productions

Before you get started

The Character Creator comes with a few different Blueprints. If you have no prior experience with the Blueprint system it is not recommended that you acquire basic knowledge before starting with this system. Epic has quite a lot of tutorials that will teach the basics. This documentation assumes that you have at least a basic understanding of Blueprints.

If you are completely new to the UE4 Engine and haven't used it at all, you should start here: Get Started with UE4.

Getting Started

To get started open up the "ExampleMap" inside the "CharacterCreator/Maps" folder. When first opening this map should open automatically. Press "Play" to start the project. You are now presented with the main character customization screen and can start adjusting the character.

If you are not interested in the runtime character customization you can open up the "GameplayExample" map inside the "CharacterCreator/Maps" folder. It contains a gameplay level with a simple Third Person Controller and a variety of pre-defined characters.

Controls

Clicking and dragging the mouse in the viewport rotates the character.

The "ToggleView" button on the left can be used to change the camera view.

The character customization is controlled by the panel on the right.

During the Gameplay Demo, the WASD keys can control the movement. Press M to go back to the Main Menu (Character Customization Screen).

Blueprint Overview

BP_CreatorPlayer

There are two main Blueprints that are being used by the system. First of all, there is the BP_CreatorPlayer (located in "Game/CharacterCreator/Blueprints"). This is the pawn that the player controls. It is responsible for the camera handling and all the UI stuff. It gathers the player input and forwards it to the player model that is being customized. A good place to start exploring this class is the "BeginPlay" event:

It shows how the UI is set up and how a BP_CustomizableChar is spawned.

BP_CustomizableChar

The BP_CustomizableChar (located in "Game/CharacterCreator/Blueprints/Character") is the actual character that is being customized. It is also the character that is being used as a character in the gameplay demo.

It is organized through different EventGraphs:

The "EventGraph" holds all the logic about the character customization itself. The "EventGraph_Gameplay" is responsible for the control system which is being used during the gameplay demo. The "EventGraph_SaveSystem" holds all the logic that is used to save and load characters.