create a controlled destructable tree system

[Izio38]

Hi community,

I’m looking for advices from experienced unreal engine developer / user.

My current goal is simple:

1. a pawn approach a folliage tree (can be a static mesh, same)
2. on pawn use a specified keyboard key, it will simulate a “controlled chaos destruction” at point
3. repeat (2) 10 times
4. at this stage, the root will be deleted, the trunk will stay, and the tree will start to fall

My current solution in mind is to have a controlled destruction system:

• for each tree, let’s create a controlled group of 10 meshes that are known in advance, reprensenting each “side” of the tree
• on player interract with one mesh, destroy it chaos with particules (only this mesh)
• once no more mesh are present, start gravity on the rest of the tree

But, this solution will have several isssues, including scalability since this will be a folliage on the entier level (probably). I though about dynamically replace foliage with the 10-meshes tree, but this seems un-reasonable.

What do you guys think, how would you achieve this goal?

Is there any built-in Chaos system destruction i missed out there that could help me doing this "the right way’?

Thanks in advance.

[brandon698sherri]

Hello @Izio38,

Creating a controlled destructible tree system in Unreal Engine can indeed be quite a task, but it sounds like you’re on the right track. Your approach to simulate “controlled chaos destruction” is interesting, and I can provide some insights that might help you refine your solution.

Unreal Engine’s Chaos system is a high-performance physics and destruction system that can be used to achieve cinematic-quality visuals in real time with massive-scale levels of destruction. It allows for unprecedented artist control over content creation, which seems to align well with your goal.

Here are some steps you could consider.

Make sure you have the Chaos Destruction plugin enabled in your project settings. This is essential for using the Chaos system.

Instead of pre-creating 10 meshes for each tree, you could use Geometry Collections. This allows you to define how the tree will break apart dynamically, based on the impact location and force.

Utilize the Fracture tools to predefine the breaking points on your tree mesh. This way, you can control how the tree shatters without needing to create individual meshes for each side.

Chaos Fields can be used to apply forces to your Geometry Collections. You can set up fields to trigger the destruction when the player interacts with the tree.

To address scalability, you can optimize the level of detail (LOD) for the trees and use Nanite, if available, to manage the complexity of the meshes at different distances.

Script the interaction such that when the player presses the specified key, a Chaos Field is activated at the point of interaction, causing the tree to begin its destruction sequence.

Once the destruction sequence is complete, you can delete the root and apply gravity to the trunk to simulate the fall.

Best Regards,

[Izio38]

Thanks @brandon698sherri for the very detailed answer, I will look into that now and try it, will report the solution back once working so other could benefit from it.