# How do you add components to an actor class at runtime in C++?

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-do-you-add-components-to-an-actor-class-at-runtime-in-c/277796>\
**Category:** Programming & Scripting\
**Tags:** unreal-engine\
**Created:** [March 22, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-do-you-add-components-to-an-actor-class-at-runtime-in-c/277796 "2014-03-22T00:04:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rama](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/rama/32/882413_2.png) [@Rama](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Rama)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-do-you-add-components-to-an-actor-class-at-runtime-in-c/277796/6 "2014-03-25T22:57:04Z")

</div>

#Attach

You can create Static Mesh Actors and attach them to a core invisible actor that is the ships’ origin point

* * *

**Then they will move, rotate, AND SCALE with the core component**

* * *

so you just move around and scale the core actor, and all attached (at runtime) static mesh actors will follow just as you want

* * *

It’s easy!

* * *

#Attach, Actor.h

#Use EAttachLocation::KeepWorldPosition

```
/**
 * Attaches the RootComponent of this Actor to the RootComponent of the supplied actor, optionally at a named socket.
 * @param InParentActor Actor to attach this actor's RootComponent to
 * @param InSocketName Socket name to attach to, if any
 * @param AttachLocationType	Type of attachment, AbsoluteWorld to keep its world position, RelativeOffset to keep the object's relative offset and SnapTo to snap to the new parent.
 */

UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, meta=(FriendlyName = "AttachActorToActor", AttachLocationType="KeepRelativeOffset"), Category="Utilities|Orientation")

void AttachRootComponentToActor(AActor* InParentActor, FName InSocketName = NAME_None, EAttachLocation::Type AttachLocationType = EAttachLocation::KeepRelativeOffset);

```

#Set Static Mesh

Spawn your static mesh actor (AStaticMeshActor\* MySMA)

```
if(!MySMA)return;
MySMA->StaticMeshComponent->SetStaticMesh(YourSMAsset)

```

#Dynamic Load Object

```
UStaticMesh* YourSMAsset = LoadedObjectFromFilePath

```

**For rest of details see my wiki page**

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>
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#Implementation

- create lots of static mesh assets
- create ONE blueprint of the static mesh actor class
- spawn this blueprint at runtime
- set the static mesh asset from file path for this spawned SMA

so you have

One Static Mesh Actor Blueprint = ShipPartBP  
and looots of actual static mesh assets

and you attach the spawned Ship Parts to the invisible ship Core Actor

and then only move / rotate / scale the core ship actor

Rama

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