[Beginner] Is re-compile of engine normal when adding character class?

Development Programming & Scripting C++
1

Hi, I am following this tutorial: A new, community-hosted Unreal Engine Wiki - Announcements and Releases - Unreal Engine Forums

And I have just done the bit about adding a character overiding BeginPlay() and hit build button and now my IDE is rebuilding the engine, about 75 out of 183 modules as I type this.

Is this normal? Should this take 10 minutes to add this code?

void AFPSCharacter::BeginPlay()
{
Super::BeginPlay();

  if (GEngine)
  {
        GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(-1, 5.f, FColor::Blue, TEXT("We are using FPSCharacter!"));
  }

}

2

Seems so. I had a topic asking if it’s possible to compile the engine separately to cut down on build times, but haven’t been answered yet.

3

Usually it will only compile the engine if something within it has changed. On the first build though it can take a while, after that it should just recompile your project and link things together. Generally I’ve found it goes a lot faster using the pre-compiled binaries from EPIC, rather than building from source as it doesn’t have to check the engine code.

4

Also keep in mind that this build has to occur when you run the engine / your game in a different configuration. If you run DebugGame Editor for the first time, having only run in Development Editor in the past, it now needs to compile with the new configuration/settings.

5

I tend to hit “Clean” to avoid any bottle necks. Will that rebuild the engine?

6

It’s definitely possible. Are you cleaning the entire solution (UE4 included) or just the game project? The former will require some rebuilding, I imagine.

7

D’oh… I feel like a goof. Though to be fair, VC tends to do that regardless of what I pick when I do non-UE4 projects it seems.