Blockout Tools Plugin

Community Marketplace
81

.removed.]

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I have Blockout working with Chaos 4.26. At first it didn’t work. But OK now.

83

New update 1.42 is up.

  • Added ability to add custom Collision Profile
  • Changed MIDs creation pipeline to Custom Primitive Data

There have been several reports that blockout material appear black after that update. If used strictly with blockouts types, material behaviour should be alright either in editor viewport or play mode. But… what I initially didn’t think of is that blockout grid material can also be used on static meshes after converting from blockouts which actually break that new pipeline. I’m really sorry about that!
I sent a new 1.43 update which reverts back MIDs pipeline and it will be up today I hope.

Why change working pipeline at all? Well, using Custom Primitive Data usually is much faster than creating and maintaining MIDs and that’s it. Still too bad I didn’t think twice!

84

Hi, I really like using Blockout Tools. I have a couple of feature requests though:

  1. Option to use “global” grid instead of local grid. This is useful for combining multiple overlapping shapes to make e.g. a floor without the different grids Z fighting. This is a very common requirement when you’re blocking out irregular paths. I’ve done this as a custom material myself for now, but it would be nice to just have it as a checkbox
  2. Doorways and windows embedded in a wall. Right now I don’t find the doorways / windows that useful because they’re never freestanding, they’re always in a wall surface, so right now you have to manually block out the wall around it, change those extra blockouts whenever you change the door/window size etc, it’s not very convenient. “Wall with configurable hole in it” is something I need all the time and it’s a little odd it’s missing when more complex things like railings are here.

Thanks! Apart from these niggles I really like the tool.

85

Hello!

  1. Hmm, that’s actually a good one. I will do some tests, but overall idea is pretty good.
  2. I can suggest to you still use Door and Window, but try to enter negative values for “Casing Thickness”. That’s probably what you’re looking for, at least it can work for now.
    Thanks!
86

Aha! Thanks, I had no idea you could do that. Can I suggest putting a hint in the tooltip for casing thickness?

The only problem with that is the corner of the window/door is the pivot point, which makes it a little more difficult to line up with other walls. It’s workable, but not quite as convenient as if the pivot was in the bottom corner of the wall.

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Actually I sent a new update today which updates Doorway and Window in such a way that you now will be able to change not just a single “Casing Thickness” value, but also “Top Thickness”, “Side Thickness” and “Bottom Thickness” (for Blockout_Window) while both blockouts still operate by 3d widget like Blockout_Box does. So that can do Doorway and Window more useful I hope.
Thanks for suggestions!

1 Like
88

Update v1.44 is up!

  • Added new option “World Aligned” to Blockout Material category (enables world-aligned triplanar material instead of local-aligned)
  • Added new option “Counter Clockwise” to Blockout_Stairs_Curved (negative Angle still will work)
  • Added new options to Blockout_Doorway & Blockout_Window (bottom, side and top parts can be edited separately now; “Casing Thickness” was renamed to “Side Thickness”)
  • Updated Overview map

Warning! If you were using Blockout_Doorway & Blockout_Window with default values, well they now changed default size, so you will have to adjust settings for previous look. But it’s for greater good!
By changing it I wanted somewhat replace the wish of many of having boolean/subtractive mode. You kind of have “wall with doorway” and “wall with window” now. Hope you will be not dissapointed by that change!

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Fantastic, thanks!

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Is there anyway to Blockout to work with ue5?

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@professor687, apparently yes, you just need to copy plugin folder directly into your project’s folder.
From “C:/Program Files/Epic Games/UE_4.26/Engine/Plugins/Marketplace/BlockoutToolsPlugin” to “YourProject/Plugins/BlockoutToolsPlugin”. Next time you launch your project, the engine will recompile source code and you should be good!

2 Likes
92

Will it work with ue5?

93

Love the tool! The speed of blocking out increased dramatically!
Though can you help with one issue. We are developing a game and having playtests, but can’t find a way how to make this blocked out level playtestable for everyone (not only level and game designers)

Currently we merge all the actors and add static mesh to the scene (and it loses all the great materials it have while you are blocking out in the editor). I’m sure we are doing something wrong and there is a way how to have the same visual feel during the playtests.

Appreciate your help

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@anonymous_user_80d16a20, thanks!
I think you’ll be ok if you just copy plugin folder to your project (“YourProject/Plugins/BlockoutToolsPlugin”) and therefore share it with all your team, so everyone will see blockouts as they are. Here’s what Epic stated about this.
In general it’s a good practice to me when working with teams.

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It works! Thanks!

As for UE5 (after copying the plugin folder from UE4 to UE5, enabling it in Plugins tab and restarting engine), I get the message that current version is incompatible
image

And if I attempt to launch UE5 with BlockoutToolsPlugin enabled - I get Missing Module error
image

Is there a way to integrate this plugin to UE5 now or we need to wait for special version for UE5?

Thanks!

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@anonymous_user_80d16a20, make sure that you’re copying a plugin to your project directly and not UE5 installation folder. And if it wasn’t the case, check if you’re having Visual Studio and appropriate SDKs installed. Everything should be fine after that.

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, question from UE4.25
I’m a little confused and don’t understand, how it possibly could build
in your parent class u define BlockoutSetMaterial() as private, but then call it in blueprints. When you try to build project it obviously throw compile error C2248 (access private member of class). Is it some WIP version on 4.25 or I’m doing something wrong and it should somehow work

`private:

UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Blockout Tools")
void RerunConstructionScript();

UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Blockout Tools")
void BlockoutSetMaterial();`
99

Hey, !

I’ve tried what you said to get this working with UE5, but it still gives me the same two errors that @anonymous_user_80d16a20 with an added error.

Designed for 4.26
Could not be compiled
Missing Uni Modules

I’m not quite sure what the last error means, any thoughts on how to get it working on my machine?

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Click “yes” and it takes around 60 secs and it works. I am using a compiled version of ue5. The launcher version should work also.

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@VWii, are you trying to use these functions somewhere outside of BlockoutToolsParent class? Asking because there should not be compilation errors otherwise.

@LunchWasTaken, if you’re getting a message that code “could not be compiled”, than please check if you are having appropriate SDKs or Visual Studio installed to be able to compile source code.