How to find functions in blueprint?

hello. Do u want to know how to display the random integer node ?

I don’t know about the function search feature, but maybe it’s just searching for functions that are defined on the currently-viewed blueprint.

If you want to find a blueprint node that you didn’t create your own custom event, function, etc. for, then do the following:

  1. Right-click on any empty spot on your blueprint event graph.
  2. Untick the Context checkbox in the corner of the popup menu that appears.
  3. Type in the first few letters of the name of a blueprint node you want to use.

This approach ignores the context of the situation, and so it doesn’t filter out any blueprint nodes you could possibly use.

It is usually best to stay in context so you know the nodes coming out are always usable by the wire you’re dragging out, but if you need to fore some reason find the function first and then work backwards toward finding what things can use it, just untick the Context box in that right-click popup menu.

Just keep in mind that most of the functions in there are inside of specific actor or object classes and as such will not work if you wire them up to a reference node of an actor or object class that doesn’t have that function/node/event/variable/etc.

But yeah that’s probably the quickest easiest way to find all the available nodes you could try to use.

hello. (check screenshot)

  1. open the blueprint that you are using

  2. right click anywhere in blueprint and write the name of the node u want in the empty field

  3. if it shows the node u want then click on it.

255422-hero-vol2-unreal-editor-02-10-2018-22-23-24.png

Hi there, I’m an artist and I’m really new to any kind of scripting. I’m just trying to set up some lighting.

I’ve been spending a lot of time on Google, reading other people’s questions and answers, but I’m running into a problem that’s probably super obvious to everyone but me, because no one ever explains it.

Someone will ask a question (“How do I get a fire to flicker” this time) and the response will just be a screenshot of a blueprint window with absolutely no additional information. All the little boxes have labels, like, say, “Random Integer in Range,” but if I type any/all of that into the search function within Blueprint, it doesn’t show up. It seems like half the time the answer is something like “oh yeah you have to hold down these three keys and right click” but people assume you just know this through, I don’t know, psychic wizardry I guess.

So

  1. How the heck do I find the correct functions based on these screenshots?

  2. Is there a list of all these hidden shortcut functions somewhere?

  3. Please tell me how to make the “random integer in range” box appear in my blueprint, I am dying here, I have tried everything WHERE IS IT

255405-where-is-this.png

Thank you for any help, I am so far over my head right now.

Right now specifically, yes.

I’m hoping to get a generalized answer though, so I’m not here every five minutes asking how to get a different node to show up. There are a LOT of these that I can’t figure out how to find. Like holding down 3 and clicking to get a color? Is there a reference for all of those somewhere?

i dont know of a list of the shortcuts, but to find most nodes all you need to do is right click the graph and search for them. if the one your looking for isnt showing then it may be one that is context sensitive so you can just uncheck the context sensitive box in the search to view all available nodes. also some nodes are not available in certain objects, for example you will notice that there appears to be way less nodes available when working in a material or that there are many different nodes that arent available when working in say a actor bp. one last thing to note is that the shortcuts only work in certain instances too, like m in a material will give a multiply but in a actor bp it will give you a multigate.

personally i dont use a ton of shortcuts, i just use the search and try to keep in mind the context. if your smart in the way you search you can find things pretty quick. like if i were looking for random integer in range i would search for “rand int ra” and it will come up, course i just shorten to be lazy i guess.

Okay, let me try to clarify.

I know how to use the search. The (function? node?) I’m trying to find does not show up in the search. Is it called something else?

As another example, I have this box of orange.

255408-mysterybox.png

It also is not available via the search box. I don’t even know what this is called. You have to hold down “3” and click and it just APPEARS. There is nothing anywhere that says to do that and if you didn’t know, it’s basically impossible to find out.

What do I have to type or click to get “random integer in range” box to show up?

Is there a reference somewhere of all the mystery boxes you can get via holding different buttons and clicking?

  1. if it doesnt show try unchecking context sensitive

… I think I may have figured it out. I’m trying to set up a material, maybe the things are different? I thought it was the same editor but probably I am just stupid. :frowning:

That screenshot was legitimately helpful, I appreciate that it shows what category it falls in. Thank you!

Still though: Is there a reference of the extra things you can spawn by holding a key and clicking?

hello.you want to use the random integer node in the material editor ? To have the orange color use the constant3vector node.

you better look for a basic Material tutorial. Nodes in Materials don’t have the same functionality like in Blueprints and sadly they often have very different names displaying than they have in the search bar. Also you’ll get the very same Material function multiple times in one search result, because it’s registered in multiple categories (I guess nobody came around to fix that?).

For your random in range problem:
There is no simple function for that in the material editor (unless you use instances or particles) Usually I use the noise node wich outs out a single value based on a Position (Vector3)… better look for another tutorial there :wink:

To get the oragne box:

  1. the searchterm is “Constant3Vector”
  2. either double click the black square in the node to set another color or set it to the right in the details panel (as you have selected that node)

the color you see there is a preview of what the node will put out. You can minize the node by clicking the small white triangle in the top left corner of the node.

if you are in the main editor Window go to Edit>Editor Preferences>keyboard Shortcuts (General) there is also a list named “Material Editor - Spawn Nodes”.
best would be to type “material” into the searchbar of the Editor Prefrences :wink: