Yes it is Stucki, there is an easy way, and a hard (but better) way.
The easy way would be to bind your mesh to one of the included skeletons. Export the Skeletal Mesh as FBX from the engine, and bind new Geometry to it in your 3D package. This way you can just duplicate any Bird Blueprint- and then simply swap out the existing mesh with your new one. This way you can use the existing Animations and Animation Blueprint.
The hard way would be to create your own custom Skeleton and Mesh, if you go this route you will need to create your own Animations and Animation Blueprint, just use the existing Animations and Animation Blueprint as your guide. It’s really not that hard- but certainly more work is involved. This way you duplicate any Bird Blueprint- Then swap out the existing mesh with your new one- and assign your new Animation Blueprint.
Hope that was helpful
Birds version 2.5 has been submitted to Epic, So hopefully if all goes well it should be live quite soon.
The major addition to this version is obstacle avoidance. However there were also some Bug Fixes, and I also went through and commented everything including all the variables to make the Whole system more understandable.
I hope you find this update to be a Big improvement. As always, updates like this are only possible because of the continued support of the community. If you back em’ I’ll pack em’
E and the Right Face button on a Gamepad is the walk-fly toggle.
Also Left Shift or Gamepad Left Face Button is for Speed Boost, this works while walking and flying.
You can always change the key configuration in the Input section of the Project Settings.
Also as a note to everyone the latest update is now live
Hello, I’m having an issue using your birds in 4.15.3
I’m placing the required components and building nav, but the bird just flies in loops in a central area, seemingly unresponsive to the governing objects. Image, and video below:
Is there an email you’re using for support?
EDIT1: If I open StayOnGround_Birds.umap and simulate, all the birds on the ground take off and fly off into the distance together immediately.
You are having this issue because you are using them without using a player. The Birds work in conjunction with player character 0. Their behavior changes based on the distance to the player. So if there is no player then their logic doesn’t work properly. I’ll address this in the next update, so that they will work properly without the need for a player.
I didn’t realize you needed the player controller in the scene. Thank you!
EDIT: Unfortunately even with the player controller in the birds wont seem to land for me. Also the test scene i used did have a player controller in it since it was the default “blank” UE4 map.
Maybe the logic doesn’t work in simulation for some reason?
EDIT2: Here’s the behavior I’m seeing in StayOnGround_Birds.umap that comes with the package. All birds instantly fly away indefinitely.
In simulation mode that player start is not possessed- so Player Character 0 (Player Controlled Character) is never registered.
This is what i’m adding right now for the next update. it’s just a few IsVailid? checks, so that the Birds will work properly in simulation mode, and with a player controlled character
What’s changed/new in latest release (after v. 2.5)?
Hi CharacterArtist128 –
I’ve purchase and am using Birds 2.5 in my game (the version with obstacle avoidance). It works flawlessly. Superb work. When I went to my Epic library, I saw that you have another update. So, I downloaded it into a new Birds project. But, I want to know what’s new/changed from version 2.5, so I can decide if I should migrate it into my current game. Everything is working fine right now, so I don’t want to wreck anything. Is it going to be worth my while to migrate the new version (what is the new version number anyway)?
That update is version 2.5.1
all I added is some IsValid? checks- so that the birds will work properly in simulation mode, or in instances where there is no player character 0.
I also added a custom collision channel so that the birds don’t hit each other and fall to the ground while in flight.
I’m happy to see that the new update went live so quickly, Thanks Epic!
Thank you, sir, for the quick response. BTW, I hadn’t noticed birds hitting each other and falling out of the sky. Maybe that only happens if the air space is very congested.
CharacterArtist – In my game, I have several enemy BOTs that chase my player. I want the birds to react to the BOTs when they run near the birds (as they do when the player runs near them). Is there a (relatively) simple way to make the blueprints (those with “GetDistanceTo” nodes to the player character) also recognize the enemy BOTs? They have a character BP and a controller separate from the player character/controller, so I can identify them. It seems like it could/should work. But, you’re the authority on it. Thanks again for a super asset.
This is exactly what I’m putting together for my next Marketplace submission, “Rodents”.
In this little demo, the red guys are simple Bots running to random locations, but what makes them special is that they have an “Enemy Tag”.
The green guys are the Rodents, they are using the perception system to populate a Structure with nearby enemy’s. Then they check which enemy in that Struct is closest, and that becomes the “current enemy”. This system makes enemy switching very fluid.
Here is an example of Birds being used in **Nicobass’s**Tomb Raider 2 Remake.
watch?v=OzfYsxX6iyU
I am very proud of the fact that Birds made it into the intro cut scene. Also later in the video you can see that he made the crows attack the player. Very cool!
Here is the website for **Nicobass’s Tomb Raider 2 Remake. **you can download the demo and try it out for your self. Fantastic work on this remake, any Tomb Raider fan will love it! The game feels and plays just like those old school Tomb Raider games that we all remember so fondly.
