I am new to #UEFN, and I am obsessed with Immersion in the games I make. One thing that is holding me back among others, is the use of Static Meshes for devices.
My goal is to make an Asset ( anything for within Fortnite asset selection ) to function as if it were a button / Trigger. The button device does have the option to check “Allow Custom Mesh” , but the options provided are very limited. When I try to copy / paste a static mesh from the Asset that I want to use, the system always fails validation for Disallowed Object.
What I am wanting to do is possible, with only select asset, specifically the Default “Basic Shapes” assets. Please refer to the below screenshot.
Now If you notice in the image, the entire cube is active as if it itself is the button. Which is exactly what I want. For example, I want a Book / Table / Chair, to show that highlight, and act as a button, which can then be mapped using the direct event binding system.
I hope I was able to explain my intentions, and would any input that I may try. I have already tried a whole bunch of methods, starting from changing assets meshes, to creating blueprint class asset that overlay the device, but nothing seems to bear fruit.
I mean, I am able to replace with a ROAD mesh, that is bigger that 2 parts of my map combined. I don’t understand what may prevent from other static meshes from being used here. Again, I am new, please excuse my lack of knowledge on this.
One thing you can try is to make the button not-visible and also increase the interaction radius a bit. Then put it inside the mesh you want to act as the new button mesh. When the player looks at the new mesh they will get the interaction menu from the hidden button. I think this has been the recommended solution I have seen.
That is something we can already do as of Fortnite Creative. That is what we have been doing ever since buttons were a thing. What I want to achieve is immersion , making the entire mesh act as a button, rather than a radius around it. I want the mesh to highlight itself, exerting that it is something the player can / should interact with.
It is better explained in the screenshot I shared earlier. Notice how the entire cube is highlighted, implying it is to be interacted with.
Hi. Did you succeed on what you were trying to do?
I must confess that I tried to change the static mesh directly but when selecting a model it does not change.
I did see the custom mesh option but as you said, i’d like to make a “table button” like you.
Yes. As explained above, we can use custom assets to replace the mesh with. Fortnite assets are “cooked” other-wise “Read-only” as of right now. I just imported my own mesh and used it to replace the button.
Here is an example. I turned the button to look like a toolbox
Do notice that in the custom Mesh drop down, it shows all the custom meshes that I have imported. So you can choose from that, or simply copy paste / drag-drop mesh into that and it should work just find
Also on a side note, what also does not work as of right now is materials. You cannot use Fortnite asset materials on any externally imported assets either. So as of now, only stick to full imported assets to replace with button.
This does add immersion to the game, but again, feels off place due to the design and texutres of imports being a bit real that what fortnite’s own graphics are defined as.
Here’s a tutorial on the subject that goes a bit farther to make an animated button. You can just stop at the first part though where the mesh is replaced
