Could someone help me a bit learning Slate (not UMG)

Development Programming & Scripting UI
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1

Hey guys,

would someone, who understands slate in c++, help me getting started?
I watched some Tutorials and read Ramas Tutorials, as well as the ones on minalien.com.

But my understanding is a bit lacking.
I know how it is structured, with the containers that hold new containers and so on (it’s similar to Unitys system), but i can’t solve simple questions on my own if i want to create something aside the tutorials.

For example:

I know that i can definine anchorpoints with the H and VAlign. But where do i say where the main container is located? All tutorials place the containers at the top, or in some corners, but what if i want to place it in the center?
I got one main container that has the size of the viewport, but if i create a horizontal box in this now, it will be aligned to top/bottom or what ever, but how can i place it in the middle a bit to the left?
I searched the documentation but the V/HAlign seems to by an enum, not something to set exactly at some values.

And another question is, if i have an int array, how can i add multiple instances of button widget based on the entries (so if there is a -1, nothing should be “drawn”). I can give the widget the array with params, thats what i learned from a tutorial and i can display names etc, but can i make a for loop with an if that checks if the values is not -1 and than call the “draw” of the simple button?
And how could i place 9 buttons in a 3x3 raster?

So many simple questions that i can’t solve by my own, because slate seems so complicated even with these simple tasks. I know we have UMG in 4.4, but it can’t be used for my things right now and i would like to be free from waiting for updates on UMG.

What would help me the most would be simple code examples how to setup the asked things.

I hope that is not too much asked, but i really want to learn slate!

2

Here i have something that i don’t understand.

I created a simple Widget that should display an image that i set on my Character.

Here is my Widget.h;

#pragma once

#include "MyHUD.h"
#include "Slate.h"

class SMyUIWidget : public SCompoundWidget
{
	SLATE_BEGIN_ARGS(SMyUIWidget)
	{}
	/*See private declaration of OwnerHUD below.*/
	SLATE_ARGUMENT(TWeakObjectPtr<class AMyHUD>, OwnerHUD)
	SLATE_ARGUMENT(TWeakObjectPtr<class AMyCharacter>, OwnedCharacter)

		SLATE_END_ARGS()

public:
	////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
	/////Needed for every widget
	/////Builds this widget and any of it's children
	void Construct(const FArguments& InArgs);
private:
	////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
	/////Pointer to our parent HUD
	/////To make sure HUD's lifetime is controlled elsewhere, use "weak" ptr.
	/////HUD has "strong" pointer to Widget,
	/////circular ownership would prevent/break self-destruction of hud/widget (cause memory leak).
	TWeakObjectPtr<class AMyHUD> OwnerHUD;
	TWeakObjectPtr<class AMyCharacter> OwnedCharacter;

	FReply PlayGameClicked();

	FReply QuitGameClicked();

	const struct FGlobalStyle* MenuStyle;
};

This my SMyUIWidget.cpp

#include "MyProject.h"
#include "MyUIWidget.h"

#include "Menus/GlobalMenuStyle.h"
#include "Menus/MenuStyles.h"

void SMyUIWidget::Construct(const FArguments& InArgs)
{
	OwnerHUD = InArgs._OwnerHUD;
	OwnedCharacter = InArgs._OwnedCharacter;
	
	MenuStyle = &FMenuStyles::Get().GetWidgetStyle<FGlobalStyle>("Global");
	

	const FSlateBrush *icon = &OwnedCharacter->ItemPicture;
	////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
	/////If the code below doesn't look like C++ to you it's because it (sort-of) isn't,
	/////Slate makes extensive use of the C++ Prerocessor(macros) and operator overloading,
	/////Epic is trying to make our lives easier, look-up the macro/operator definitions to see why.

	ChildSlot
		[
			SNew(SOverlay)
			+ SOverlay::Slot()
			.HAlign(HAlign_Center)
			.VAlign(VAlign_Top)
			[
				SNew(STextBlock)
				.TextStyle(&MenuStyle->MenuTitleStyle)
				.Text(FText::FromString("Main Menu"))
			]
			+ SOverlay::Slot()
				.HAlign(HAlign_Right)
				.VAlign(VAlign_Bottom)
				[
					SNew(SImage)
					.Image(icon)
				]
		];
				
}

FReply SMyUIWidget::PlayGameClicked()
{
	OwnerHUD->PlayGameClicked();
	return FReply::Handled();
}

FReply SMyUIWidget::QuitGameClicked()
{
	OwnerHUD->QuitGameClicked();
	return FReply::Handled();
}

On my character i have included Slate.h and created a SlateBrush that is editable in a blueprint. That is working but if i start the game, i get this error:

First-chance exception at 0x000007FED4A63A76 (UE4Editor-Slate.dll) in UE4Editor.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0x00000000000004B8.
Unhandled exception at 0x000007FED4A63A76 (UE4Editor-Slate.dll) in UE4Editor.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0x00000000000004B8.

Why? Simply why?

I have also tried to use the Character brush directly instead of using it for the icon Variable, but the error persists.