Enterable vehicles and other objects

Absolutely possible and done quite regularly.

Design the vehicle in a 3D modeling app. For something like a spaceships (large) you’ll want to hollow it out keeping the interior surfaces flat and simple. Basically create the hull of the ship (skeletal mesh). The exterior should be part of the main skeletal mesh. For the interior you’ll make separate static meshes to be placed/arranged for rooms, corridors, walls etc.

Do it just as you would a house. Basic 4 walls, windows, exterior doors, ceiling and floor. Doing it this way reduces the rendering impact of the actor when outside the vehicle. None of the interior is rendered (culled), unless visible through window or door.


Determine your vehicle states.

  • Piloted : Player is actively driving the vehicle. Controller Possessed

  • Un-Piloted

  • Vehicle is Idle, not controlled by pilot, not moving

  • Vehicle is moving … physics related. Drifting so to speak.

  • Vehicle is moving on a plotted course. e.g. pilot sets a course to a position. Vehicle drives/pilots itself there.


Compartment (exterior/Interior) component interactions… Say you have a weapons turret that the player can use. This component has movement etc. 360 horizontal, 180 vertical. This would be it’s own Actor class that’s spawned and attached to the main ship. When the player uses it they are possessing it via controller.


There’s a lot more to it, but this should get you well on your way. Start with simple vehicles along with controller possession.