Hi
i am learning unreal engine 4 and i want to get into programming and learn c++ in UE4, also i am not a programmer and i dont have any programming background:rolleyes:
so i dont know exactly how should i start
Hi
i also didn’t know much about programming (i knew a little) but i started with blueprints and now am considering learning c++ for more power and better optimization
I have a hobby project I aim to help introduce new developers to coding:
This question comes up in one form or the other every few weeks. I know you will hear different answers from some people who believe you should always “reach for the stars” and you are free to listen to them and fall on your face.
I have been a programmer since the mid 80s. I went through different languages and different computers and since the late 90’s I have worked nearly exclusively with C++. Not because I like it particularly but because there is no alternative when you reach for speed. Speaking with I can truly say “Kill it! It’s an abomination!”. But unfortunately there is no alternative.
So you see I’m not very fond of it so take what I say anyway you like but if you are learning UE right now, you will have enough to do to grasp only 1/10 of what this engine has to offer. It’s huge and it takes years to halfway master it. Learning C++ is the same. It is very complicated, and for the past years the “improvements” have been so complex and esoteric that many people don’t even use any of the new features.
Sure you get a “Hello world” out on the screen in no time, but after that it becomes rather muddy and hard to navigate.
Thankfully the Blueprint system in UE is so powerful that you don’t need C++ unless you deal with truly advanced stuff. For instance, my group is working on an MMPOG and we can not use the Unreal Network because it isn’t made for this kind of situation so we have to implement our own network layer. That’s where C++ comes in. You can’t do that sort of thing in BP alone. Most other things you can now cover in BP. I believe I have even seen SQL bindings on the marketplace (not sure because I don’t use SQL but I think I remember) so if you have a need for somethig esoteric, I would check the plugin sectio of the marketplace first, chances are somebody has made a plugin so you don’t have to deal with the specifics.
Now if that wasn’t all bad enough, here’s the bummer: Unreal uses it’s own extension of the language. An Unreal C++ project does not use C++ but a language based on C++. Epic has it’s own meta compiler that translates their language into pure C++ which is then compiled by Visual Studio or whatever compiler you use.
I truly believe that no beginner who has no experience in neither UE nor C++ let alone in Epic’s own extension language is able to attack all 3 of them at the same time and come out victorious. But perhaps you are the one person to prove me wrong. And if so, I think making games would be an underachievement and you should work for NASA instead.
I know I sound negative, but I’m just trying to keep another newbie from making a mistake that will inevitably lead to depression.
If you want to get into C++ do it on the side in separate learning projects. Do not try and mix C++ with Unreal when you know neither the one nor the other really well, it will only lead to frustration on your side.
PS to all others reading this: Don’t bother arguing me here, I’m not even reading any answers to threads like this because I don’t want to get drawn into yet another “But you are wrong, it is possible to learn UE, C++, Epic’s extension AND cure cancer at the same time” discussion.
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I agree with Wallenstein. However, if you learns the basics of a easier language like Java like i did.And understand what variables, methods/functions and classes are you will get very far in UMG and will be able to figure out the rest. I think a short programming course of a few weeks is enough to get you started with blueprints .When youve mastered blueprints and feel like you want to do hardcore programming, consider it then, otherwise i think you risk getting overwhelmed. Like Wallenstein said, the blue print system in UE is very powerful and you can do ALOT with it.
There is great unreal and C++ course on udemy. (Google it i cannot find some perma link on udemy to post it here).
Granted i knew unreal and C++ when i started watching it, but it shows how to use unreal macros in VC.
I recommend you get that course, do first chapter (its about c++, kind of hello world). Then you learn some blueprints. Then go back to C++., and that course.
But first learn loops, if then, case, functions etc. in some normal language, blueprints while great will confuse the hell out of your brain if you learn code execution and loops in blueprints first.
@nizar9000 C++ is a hard to learn language and with Unreal it has a lot of things that will make the most seasoned coders to scratch their heads. If I was you and starting, I would first completely deplete the learning process with all the engine features related to what you want to work with. Currently there is a small list of things you need C++ in order to be successful in creating your own game (small because there is a lot of things already developed), so as yourself what do you want to work with in the game industry using Unreal, then see if you really need to learn C++.