Character not displaying when I hit Play (Paper2D)

Hi, I’ve built a basic level using Paper2D. I started with a new, blank level and imported textures from a Paper2D tutorial. Then I extracted sprites from there and created flipbooks for my character’s idle and running animation. Then I copied the default Paper2D sidescroller character blueprint over and changed his idle and running flipbooks to the ones I created.

Everything appears correct in the viewport. I’ve got my 2d character on screen playing his idle animation. Below him, I’ve got several block sprites in a row for him to stand on. I’ve double checked that my character and all the blocks are at Y=0. I’ve got the camera set to an ortho width of 500 (my character sprite is 32x32 pixels). On the little view window that pops up when I’m adjusting the ortho width, everything appears just how I want it. However, when I hit “Play” (with the “New Window Editor (PIE)” option selected) it just appears as a black screen without anything in it.

edit1: I’ve also checked that my character blueprint has a properly sized collision capsule and that the sprites I’m using for blocks have “tight bounding box” collision detection selected.

Sounds like your Camera looking in the wrong direction or ends up behind your Sprites. Also make sure your Sprites are not in the Near Clipping Plane but inside the Far Clipping Plane of your Camera. Try to Eject out and move around to spot the error. Also look at the Positions/Rotations of your Camera and Character is one of them Constantly falling, are they what you expect them to be? And the last thing that comes to my mind is the Kill Z standard is Z -1000 your Character will be Destroyed bellow that Value to prevent infinit fall.

Btw does the same happen if you use the Example Character? If yes can you try to use your Character in the 2D Example Map? Hard to tell remotly whats going on.

Sounds like your Camera looking in the wrong direction or ends up behind your Sprites.
I don’t believe that it is. See below:

Also make sure your Sprites are not in the Near Clipping Plane but inside the Far Clipping Plane of your Camera.
Sorry, but I’m not quite sure what this means. I’ve got the following settings under camera setting for Near Clipping Plane and Far Clipping Plane. I don’t think I’ve changed it from the 2d side scroller template.

92633-screenshot_20160530_120220.png

And the last thing that comes to my mind is the Kill Z standard is Z -1000 your Character will be Destroyed bellow that Value to prevent infinit fall

I believe he’s well above the z-kill line (shown in red correct?). See below:

Btw does the same happen if you use the Example Character?

Yes, I tried migrating the example character from the template 2d side scroller project. I deleted my character blueprint from the viewport and dragged the template blueprint onto my “boxes” and verified he was at Y=0. When I hit Play, it still displays only a black screen.

If yes can you try to use your Character in the 2D Example Map? Hard to tell remotly whats going on.

I then tried migrating my character into the template 2d side scroller map. I deleted the template character (little blue mannequin dude) and dragged my character blueprint onto the viewport and verified he was at Y=0. Oddly, when I run the game now, the blue mannequin dude still displays and he is who I’m “playing”. My character actually does display where I placed him and is playing his idle animation.

Oh the last bit gave me a hint of what is going on maybe. You say in the Example Map the Blue Guy spawns and your guy idle on the side. I think you never possed your guy or set it as default Character to use. Can you make sure that you set your Guy in the GameMode as default? Also you can turn on Auto Posses by Player 0 on the guy in the Scene. It could be that you Spawn and Posses a Spectator Pawn or even the Deleted one and UE4 does not know what todo (I would expect a crash usually here)

If that does not solve it for you I can offer you to look over your Project if you Zip it up for me. (File->Package Project->Zip up Project)

Okay I think I’ve got it figured out. I had to create a new blueprint for a GameMode and set the default pawn class to my blueprint character. Then I had to select that as the default GameMode under Project Settings. At which point, I still had issues until I replaced my actual character with a PlayerStart. That seems to do the trick. I didn’t actually realize I needed a PlayerStart.

Yeah but you dont need a playerstart if you autoposses. Glad you figured it out didnt think it was that basic thing that caused it until you mentioned the blueguy