(39) Rama's Extra Blueprint Nodes for You as a Plugin, No C++ Required!

Rama · February 13, 2015, 12:09am

**Load Texture 2D From File!

JPG, PNG, BMP, ICO, EXR, and ICNS are Supported File Formats !**

With this node you can load a Texture 2D from a file during runtime!

I output for you the width and height of the loaded image!

Now you can easily create Texture 2D’s from image files in Blueprints, during runtime!

Special Note!

Tim Sweeney liked this node!

Enjoy!

Rama

PS: Make sure to include the file extension when you use this node!


**C++ Code For You**

Here is the core C++ function involved, entire source is in the download! I wrote my own Enum for the file formats.



```


UTexture2D* UVictoryBPFunctionLibrary::Victory_LoadTexture2D_FromFile(const FString& FullFilePath,EJoyImageFormats ImageFormat, bool& IsValid,int32& Width, int32& Height)
{
	IsValid = false;
	UTexture2D* LoadedT2D = NULL;
	
	IImageWrapperModule& ImageWrapperModule = FModuleManager::LoadModuleChecked<IImageWrapperModule>(FName("ImageWrapper"));
	
	IImageWrapperPtr ImageWrapper = ImageWrapperModule.CreateImageWrapper(GetJoyImageFormat(ImageFormat));
 
	//Load From File
	TArray<uint8> RawFileData;
	if (!FFileHelper::LoadFileToArray(RawFileData, * FullFilePath)) 
	{
		return NULL;
	}
	
	  
	//Create T2D!
	if (ImageWrapper.IsValid() && ImageWrapper->SetCompressed(RawFileData.GetData(), RawFileData.Num()))
	{ 
		const TArray<uint8>* UncompressedBGRA = NULL;
		if (ImageWrapper->GetRaw(ERGBFormat::BGRA, 8, UncompressedBGRA))
		{
			LoadedT2D = UTexture2D::CreateTransient(ImageWrapper->GetWidth(), ImageWrapper->GetHeight(), PF_B8G8R8A8);
			
			//Valid?
			if (!LoadedT2D) 
			{
				return NULL;
			}
			
			//Out!
			Width = ImageWrapper->GetWidth();
			Height = ImageWrapper->GetHeight();
			 
			//Copy!
			void* TextureData = LoadedT2D->PlatformData->Mips[0].BulkData.Lock(LOCK_READ_WRITE);
			FMemory::Memcpy(TextureData, UncompressedBGRA->GetData(), UncompressedBGRA->Num());
			LoadedT2D->PlatformData->Mips[0].BulkData.Unlock();

			//Update!
			LoadedT2D->UpdateResource();
		}
	}
	 
	// Success!
	IsValid = true;
	return LoadedT2D;
}


```

Download Link (6.5mb)

UE4 Wiki, Plugin Download Page

CarlosCoronado · February 13, 2015, 3:53pm

Hi again Rama! I asked what you told me in the answer hub. Here it is: https://answers.unrealengine.com/questions/172637/change-games-culture-language-during-runtime-witho.html

I hope someone solves this because well… I’ve been messing around with your binding Bps and ohh boy! They work soo good! Here is a picture of my Menu. But I have one question. What if a input have 2 or more bindings asigned? For Example. SHOOT; Left Mouse Button and Gamepad Left Trigger. Next week I’m going to buy a compatible gamepad with ue4 and try it out but I would like to know your point about it.

About my experience with the bindings bp: The menu you see below is not a widget hud menu. They are indeed static meshes and the mouse is not a mouse, but another static mesh projected on a plane. Why? Because VR, that’s why. In short, I had to cheat all the menu functionality. What does that means? well, I used the bindings with UE4 savegames for the strings and had no problem with them and also the info from the bindings BPs can be easily used anywhere.

In the other hand, I hope Epic Games will put more time working on the localization management. I don’t remember where, but they said this is not their main area because big companies use their own localization systems and they haven’t asked them to work on that but… what about the indies? I know a lot of developers don’t pay too much atention to localization but in a sales perspective… it is HUUUUGE.

Anyways, thanks for the awesome work Rama

Rama · February 13, 2015, 5:35pm

~~

**2 Two Nodes For You

Create UObject

Create Primitive Component, Added to Scene at Location!**

These two nodes let you create UObjects at runtime!

I recently needed to create UObjects in Blueprints for a special inventory system! Please note you can use my node to create UObjects that you make Blueprintable via C++ !

Please note you absolutely must save off the return value to a variable or UE4 will Garbage Collect your new UObject within a short time!

Please especially note that if you create a Primitive Component, I actually add it to the world for you so it is visible and has collision!


**C++ Code For You**

Here's the code!



```


UObject* UVictoryBPFunctionLibrary::**CreateObject**(UObject* WorldContextObject,UClass* TheObjectClass, FName Name)
{
	if(!TheObjectClass) return NULL;
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	
	//using a context object to get the world!
    UWorld* const World = GEngine->GetWorldFromContextObject(WorldContextObject);
	if(!World) return NULL;
	//~~~~~~~~~~~
	 
	return StaticConstructObject( TheObjectClass, World, Name);
}


```





```


UPrimitiveComponent* UVictoryBPFunctionLibrary::**CreatePrimitiveComponent**(
	UObject* WorldContextObject, 
	TSubclassOf<UPrimitiveComponent> CompClass, 
	FName Name,
	FVector Location, 
	FRotator Rotation
){
	if(!CompClass) return NULL;
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	
	//using a context object to get the world!
    UWorld* const World = GEngine->GetWorldFromContextObject(WorldContextObject);
	if(!World) return NULL;
	//~~~~~~~~~~~
	 
	UPrimitiveComponent* NewComp = ConstructObject<UPrimitiveComponent>( CompClass, World, Name);
	if(!NewComp) return NULL;
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	 
	NewComp->SetWorldLocation(Location);
	NewComp->SetWorldRotation(Rotation);
	NewComp->RegisterComponentWithWorld(World);
	
	return NewComp;
}


```



♥

Rama

Mr_Tea_Rexx · February 14, 2015, 12:11pm

any one getting a error of missing Dll files?

Rama · February 14, 2015, 10:07pm

Until 4.8 or so you need to include even just an empty C++ class, to get the plugin to compile in a packaged game.

If you are having missing dll errors in editor build, make sure you are using 4.6.1 with my plugin. I will release 4.7 version when 4.7 is released. The current 4.7 in the launcher is for testing only, not commercial development.

Rama

Rama · February 14, 2015, 10:15pm

**New Nodes

Combine Multiple Strings & Append Multiple Strings**

With these latest nodes you can combine as many strings as you want!

Note the “Add Pin” option!

Combine Strings Multi = I put a space between each string for you!

Append Multiple = Strings are combined without any additional formatting.


**Special Thanks**

Special thanks to Key To Truth for contributing the Append Multiple node!

I was inspired by Key To Truth's offering to make Combine Strings Multi :)

Download Link (6.5mb)

UE4 Wiki, Plugin Download Page

Enjoy!

Rama

Rama · February 15, 2015, 8:58pm

**Two New AI Nodes

Get Closest Actor Of Class In Radius of Location

Get Closest Actor of Class In Radius of Actor**

These nodes are great for use with AI calculations!


**C++ Code For You**

Here's my c++ code for **Get Closest Actor of Class In Radius of Actor**!



```


AActor* UVictoryBPFunctionLibrary::GetClosestActorOfClassInRadiusOfActor(
	UObject* WorldContextObject, 
	TSubclassOf<AActor> ActorClass, 
	AActor* ActorCenter, 
	float Radius, 
	bool& IsValid
){ 
	IsValid = false;
	  
	if(!ActorCenter)
	{
		return nullptr;
	}
	
	const FVector Center = ActorCenter->GetActorLocation();
	
	//using a context object to get the world!
    UWorld* const World = GEngine->GetWorldFromContextObject(WorldContextObject);
	if(!World) return nullptr;
	//~~~~~~~~~~~
	
	AActor* ClosestActor 		= nullptr;
	float MinDistanceSq 		= Radius*Radius;	//Max Radius
	
	for (TActorIterator<AActor> Itr(World, ActorClass); Itr; ++Itr)
	{
		//Skip ActorCenter!
		if(*Itr == ActorCenter) continue;
		//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
		
		const float DistanceSquared = FVector::DistSquared(Center, Itr->GetActorLocation());

		//Is this the closest possible actor within the max radius?
		if (DistanceSquared < MinDistanceSq)
		{
			ClosestActor = *Itr;					//New Output!
			MinDistanceSq = DistanceSquared;		//New Min!
		}
	}

   IsValid = true;
   return ClosestActor;
}


```

Download Link (6.5mb)

UE4 Wiki, Plugin Download Page

Enjoy!

Rama

Rama · February 16, 2015, 3:43pm

**Using these nodes in my plugin you can now easily make your own translation animations for 2D games and UMG!
**
I realized the need for these animations while trying to manually animate UMG widgets in BP.

I am in process of submitting this as a pull request for the main engine.

UE4 Wiki, Plugin Download Page

Enjoy!

Rama

Rama · February 17, 2015, 1:50am

Get OS Platform

Now you can perform different actions based on which OS is currently being used!

Platforms you can check for:

**Windows
Mac
Linux

PS4
XBoxOne

iOS
Android

HTML5

WIN RT
WIN RT ARM**

Enjoy!

Rama

Sahkan · February 17, 2015, 2:16am

I have a problem with the “Get static mesh vertex locations” node.

It doesn’t work it a packed game.

Blueprint:

Editor:

Packed:

I’ve also tried to use this node from the game code and not as a plugin and it gave me the save results.

The level builder system i’m making is really depended on this node, please help

Rama · February 17, 2015, 2:32am

@Sahkan

“It doesn’t work it a packed game.”

I have had the same experience and reported this to epic a while back

I’ve experienced this issue with getting vertex locations in packaged games since 4.3

If you start a new Answerhub, link me and I can add more info to your report

Please include your pictures and then I can add info, you could also add my code below to the initial post.


For Epic Staff:

Here's the code being used that works perfect in pre-packaged game and does not work in packaged game.

**It seems that using the Render Data / LOD info in packaged game** does not work some reason?



```


Comp->StaticMesh->RenderData->LODResources[0].PositionVertexBuffer


```



Is there an after-packaging better way to get the vertex position info?

Please note the rotation/translation of each vertex is scaled by the FTransform to match actor scaling and rotation.



```


Comp->GetComponentLocation() + RV_Transform.TransformVector(VertexBuffer->VertexPosition(Itr))


```

Entire C++ Code



bool UVictoryBPFunctionLibrary::GetStaticMeshVertexLocations(UStaticMeshComponent* Comp, TArray<FVector>& VertexPositions)
{
	if(!Comp) return false;
	if(!Comp->IsValidLowLevel()) return false;
	
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	//				Vertex Buffer
	if(! Comp) 									return false;
	if(! Comp->StaticMesh) 					return false;
	if(! Comp->StaticMesh->RenderData) 	return false;
	if( Comp->StaticMesh->RenderData->LODResources.Num() < 1) return false;
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	
	//~~~ End of Pointer Safety Checks ~~~
	
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~
	VertexPositions.Empty();
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~
	
	FPositionVertexBuffer* VertexBuffer = NULL;
	VertexBuffer = & Comp->StaticMesh->RenderData->LODResources[0].PositionVertexBuffer;
	if(!VertexBuffer) return false;
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	
	int32 VertexCount = VertexBuffer->GetNumVertices();
	 
	FTransform RV_Transform = Comp->GetComponentTransform(); 
	for(int32 Itr = 0; Itr < VertexCount; Itr++)
	{
		VertexPositions.Add(
			Comp->GetComponentLocation() + RV_Transform.TransformVector(VertexBuffer->VertexPosition(Itr))
		);
	}
	
	return true;
}

Rama

Sahkan · February 17, 2015, 3:52am

This is the link to the AnswerHub page:

Thanks for the help rama, it was really frustrating to debug this thing, i really need it to work, i hope they fix it soon or at least find a workaround.

Sahkan · February 17, 2015, 4:27pm

It seems like this is a known issue :

And this wiki page has a link to rama tutorial ( Integrating PhysX Code into Your Project )
Maybe Rama can make some super node for us out of all this information ?

Rama · February 17, 2015, 6:39pm

Wow that’s an awesome wiki by Vebski,** thank you Vebski!**

I will try turning that into a BP node shortly.

I also posted in your answerhub Sahkan!

Rama

Rama · February 18, 2015, 12:23am

**Improved Get Vertex Locations of Static Mesh

Now works in Packaged Games**

I have re-written my Get Vertex Positions BP node so that it works in packaged games!

Special thanks to Vebski for pointing out that using a PhysX method does work in packaged games!


**My C++ Code For You**

See my PhysX wiki for the basic build.cs setup:
https://wiki.unrealengine.com/PhysX,_Integrating_PhysX_Code_into_Your_Project

Here is the code I wrote to get all of the transformed vertex positions using the Body Instance and PhysX code!

I am doing many safety checks to ensure the Body Instance data is valid before utilizing it, and the result is that now you can get accurate vertex locations in packaged games!



```


//~~~ PhysX ~~~
#include "PhysXIncludes.h"
#include "PhysicsPublic.h"		//For the ptou conversions
//~~~~~~~~~~~

//Get Transformed Vertex positions of any static mesh! -Rama
bool UVictoryBPFunctionLibrary::GetStaticMeshVertexLocations(UStaticMeshComponent* Comp, TArray<FVector>& VertexPositions)
{
	
	if(!Comp || !Comp->IsValidLowLevel()) 
	{
		return false;
	}
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	
	//Component Transform
	FTransform RV_Transform = Comp->GetComponentTransform(); 
	
	//Body Setup valid?
	UBodySetup* BodySetup = Comp->GetBodySetup();
	
	if(!BodySetup || !BodySetup->IsValidLowLevel())
	{
		return false;
	}  
	
	//Get the Px Mesh!
	PxTriangleMesh* TriMesh = BodySetup->TriMesh;
	 
	if(!TriMesh) 
	{
		return false;
	}
	//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	
	//Number of vertices
	PxU32 VertexCount 			= TriMesh->getNbVertices();
	
	//Vertex array
	const PxVec3* Vertices 	= TriMesh->getVertices();
	
	//For each vertex, transform the position to match the component Transform 
	for(PxU32 v = 0; v < VertexCount; v++)
	{ 
		VertexPositions.Add(RV_Transform.TransformPosition(P2UVector(Vertices[v])));
	}
	
	return true;
} 


```





**UE4 Wiki, Plugin Download Page**
https://wiki.unrealengine.com/File:VictoryPlugin.zip

Enjoy!

:)

Rama

Sahkan · February 18, 2015, 7:38am

This is awesome ! Funny how you used a tutorial that used yours, you guys are helping each other XD

Eduard_Gotwig · February 18, 2015, 6:49pm

Hello Rama!

I have issues compiling for Android, I didnt try compiling for iOS yet!
I use Unreal Engine 4.6.1, your plugin is from today from the wikipage!

I have excactly this issue.

Rama · February 19, 2015, 1:55am

Well I’m definitely using 4.6.1 for the plugin builds, if nothing else we can wait till 4.7 official release which should be quite soon, and try again then.

The person who posted the above post found this to be the reason for their error:

“Edit - I figured out the problem - stupid me used a wrong version of the plugin when I pasted it into my temp project directory. If you see this problem with others, I’m pretty sure that’s what the problem was. Thanks for the great plugin.”

Rama · February 19, 2015, 1:59am

Hee hee yea!

Sharing makes us all stronger!

Rama

OhiraKyou · February 19, 2015, 8:30am

A couple of BP node questions and suggestions here with some background.

Background
Originally, I wanted to use an array of structs to manage data records. Each record could then have its own array of tags (defined in a BP enum). I could then add, remove, and check for tags whenever I want to affect gameplay and visuals.

However, there is a massive, completely ridiculous problem constantly plaguing all of my projects: arrays of structs are currently busted in BP as you can’t set the member variables of individual structs in the array. Technically, you can replace the original struct in the array with a newly-built struct. However, that’s only true when the array is the original. In my case, I’m using a function to search through my records and return a separate search results array. If I were to use the old make-and-replace hack, it would only affect the search results array; the original data would never be touched.

Therefore, in my current project, I’m saving data to an array of strings. Each of those strings is a list of tags separated by commas. Mockup:


{"road,built", "bridge", "bridge,built", "road", ""}

This gives me the freedom to add, remove, and check for as many arbitrary tags that I want. However, adding additional data complicates things. With existing string manipulation, something like this is possible but unwieldy:


{"position:north|tags:road,built", "position:east|tags:bridge,broken"}

I’d love to use TMaps or Objects, but neither of them can be replicated.

Questions
Can TMaps components be made replicable?

Currently, TMaps crash the editor when their key/value pair isn’t found. Learned that when testing whether or not they replicated. Turns out, they don’t Is it possible to implement some error handling and a PairFound boolean?

Suggestions
A string array to string (collapse/flatten) node (with deliminator string) would be nice.

Regular expressions are probably a can of worms you don’t want to open, but they would be quite useful.

JSON, another can of worms, could replace the monstrosity that is Structs, assuming the output could be saved to a string for easy replication. Edit: found an existing JSON plugin. I’ll test it out once it’s updated to 4.6.1.

An in-memory (fileless) ini stored in a single string (so that it could be added to an array) could also fill the role quite nicely without becoming overcomplicated.

Finally, thanks for all the work you’ve put into these nodes. They’re quite useful.