How to open an Editor Widget Utility tab from code?

MightyJacky · May 28, 2019, 7:07pm

Hello!

I have created an UMG editor widget utility blueprint and would like to open it at some point from my plugin C++ code. How can I achieve that?

I took a look into how in Blutility such an editor widget utility is run when you right click it and select “Run Editor utility Widget” in AssetTypeActions_EditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint.cpp". Unfortunately, this module does not export any of its symbols so I can’t link against it… Here was my attempt (inspired from FAssetTypeActions_EditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint::ExecuteRun):

void ULogListWidgetBase::OpenEditorUtilityWidgetWindow(UWidgetBlueprint* Blueprint)
{
	if (Blueprint->GeneratedClass->IsChildOf(UEditorUtilityWidget::StaticClass()))
	{
		const UEditorUtilityWidget* CDO = Blueprint->GeneratedClass->GetDefaultObject<UEditorUtilityWidget>();
		if (CDO->ShouldAutoRunDefaultAction())
		{
			// This is an instant-run blueprint, just execute it
			UEditorUtilityWidget* Instance = NewObject<UEditorUtilityWidget>(GetTransientPackage(), Blueprint->GeneratedClass);
			Instance->ExecuteDefaultAction();
		}
		else
		{
			FName RegistrationName = FName(*(Blueprint->GetPathName() + LOCTEXT("ActiveTabSuffix", "_ActiveTab").ToString()));
			FText DisplayName = FText::FromString(Blueprint->GetName());
			FLevelEditorModule& LevelEditorModule = FModuleManager::GetModuleChecked<FLevelEditorModule>(TEXT("LevelEditor"));
			TSharedPtr<FTabManager> LevelEditorTabManager = LevelEditorModule.GetLevelEditorTabManager();
			if (!LevelEditorTabManager->CanSpawnTab(RegistrationName))
			{
				IBlutilityModule* BlutilityModule = FModuleManager::GetModulePtr<IBlutilityModule>("Blutility");
				UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint* WidgetBlueprint = Cast<UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint>(Blueprint);
				WidgetBlueprint->SetRegistrationName(RegistrationName);
				LevelEditorTabManager->RegisterTabSpawner(RegistrationName, FOnSpawnTab::CreateUObject(WidgetBlueprint, &UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint::SpawnEditorUITab))
					.SetDisplayName(DisplayName)
					.SetGroup(BlutilityModule->GetMenuGroup().ToSharedRef());
				BlutilityModule->AddLoadedScriptUI(WidgetBlueprint);
			}
			TSharedRef<SDockTab> NewDockTab = LevelEditorTabManager->InvokeTab(RegistrationName);
		}
	}
}

As I said, I can write this but even when I add Blutility to my list of dependencies, I get the following link errors:

error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "private: static class UClass * __cdecl UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint::GetPrivateStaticClass(void)" (?GetPrivateStaticClass@UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint@@CAPEAVUClass@@XZ) referenced in function "public: static void __cdecl ULogListWidgetBase::OpenEditorUtilityWidgetWindow(class UWidgetBlueprint *)" (?OpenEditorUtilityWidgetWindow@ULogListWidgetBase@@SAXPEAVUWidgetBlueprint@@@Z)

error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "public: class TSharedRef<class SDockTab,0> __cdecl UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint::SpawnEditorUITab(class FSpawnTabArgs const &)" (?SpawnEditorUITab@UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint@@QEAA?AV?$TSharedRef@VSDockTab@@$0A@@@AEBVFSpawnTabArgs@@@Z) referenced in function "public: static void __cdecl ULogListWidgetBase::OpenEditorUtilityWidgetWindow(class UWidgetBlueprint *)" (?OpenEditorUtilityWidgetWindow@ULogListWidgetBase@@SAXPEAVUWidgetBlueprint@@@Z)

Is it something impossible to do at the moment? Come on, opening the window of a custom editor widget utility… I must have missed something

Planet_Vano · June 29, 2019, 8:35am

I have been searching for this forever and I found this here. For some reason I cannot currently seem to get it to work. If you can find a way to get this to work, please let me know what you do.

anonymous_user_e6a3aaf1 · July 5, 2019, 5:01pm

Hi,

Just had the same issue.
My workaround was the following:

In IBlutilityModule.h, I added following public method:

 virtual void StartEditorWidget(class UWidgetBlueprint* Blueprint) const = 0;

In AssetTypeActions_EditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint.h, I make the method ExecuteRun public
Then in BlutilityModule.cpp

include “AssetTypeActions_Base.h”
…

void StartEditorWidget(UWidgetBlueprint* Blueprint) const override
{
if (Blueprint != nullptr)
{
TArray<UObject*> BlueprintArray;
BlueprintArray.Add(Blueprint);
auto Blueprints = FAssetTypeActions_Base::GetTypedWeakObjectPtrs(BlueprintArray);
```
      	FAssetTypeActions_EditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint obj;
      	obj.ExecuteRun(Blueprints);
      }
}
```

Now to call a your Editor Widget:

IBlutilityModule* BlutilityModule = FModuleManager::GetModulePtr<IBlutilityModule>("Blutility");

const FStringAssetReference MyWidget_AssetPath("/FolderOfMyWidget/WidgetName.WidgetName");

UObject* MyWidgetObj = MyWidget_AssetPath.TryLoad();
UWidgetBlueprint* MyWidget = Cast<UWidgetBlueprint>(MyWidgetObj );
  StartEditorWidget(MyWidget);

The part where you find the path of your asset can be a bit tricky, fortunately, unreal editor provides an easy way to retrieve it using “Copy Reference” method:

Now you just have to CTRL+V your asset path in your IDE and here you go.

And last thing, do not forget to add a few dependencies in your module:
“Blutility”,
“UMG”,
“UMGEditor”,

Hope this helps!

PS: you might need a few other includes and a few other modules to declare for your own plugin to make everything compile but it works!

anonymous_user_e6a3aaf1 · July 5, 2019, 5:02pm

Now if you find how to close this same window, I am interested!

Planet_Vano · July 5, 2019, 5:33pm

That’s awesome! Unfortunately this method will not work for me because I am trying to create a Marketplace contribution (meaning I can’t mess with the engine’s source) but that is still awesome that you were able to figure it out.

ZkarmaKun · July 8, 2019, 7:28pm

Here the first snipped is about how to register your tab, into the unreals tab"s manager, not sure if I need the first part of the code, but meh!

void UPipelineStatics::OpenWidgetBlueprint(UWidgetBlueprint* Blueprint)
{
if (!Blueprint) return;

	if (Blueprint->GeneratedClass->IsChildOf(UEditorUtilityWidget::StaticClass()))
	{
		const UEditorUtilityWidget* CDO = Blueprint->GeneratedClass->GetDefaultObject<UEditorUtilityWidget>();
		if (CDO->ShouldAutoRunDefaultAction())
		{
			// This is an instant-run blueprint, just execute it
			UEditorUtilityWidget* Instance = NewObject<UEditorUtilityWidget>(GetTransientPackage(), Blueprint->GeneratedClass);
			Instance->ExecuteDefaultAction();
		}
		else
		{
			FName RegistrationName = FName(*(Blueprint->GetPathName() + TEXT("_ActiveTab")));
			FText DisplayName = FText::FromString(Blueprint->GetName());
			FLevelEditorModule& LevelEditorModule = FModuleManager::GetModuleChecked<FLevelEditorModule>(TEXT("LevelEditor"));
			TSharedPtr<FTabManager> LevelEditorTabManager = LevelEditorModule.GetLevelEditorTabManager();
			if (!LevelEditorTabManager->CanSpawnTab(RegistrationName))
			{
				//UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint* WidgetBlueprint = Cast<UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint>(Blueprint);
				LevelEditorTabManager->RegisterTabSpawner(RegistrationName, FOnSpawnTab::CreateStatic(&UPipelineStatics::SpawnEditorUITab, Blueprint))
					.SetDisplayName(DisplayName)
					.SetMenuType(ETabSpawnerMenuType::Hidden);
			}

			TSharedRef<SDockTab> NewDockTab = LevelEditorTabManager->InvokeTab(RegistrationName);
		}
	}
}

and your will need this function to create your actual widget, looks like is possible create UMG widgets and bind that to any slate, check TakeWidget(); very straightforward

TSharedRef UPipelineStatics::SpawnEditorUITab(const FSpawnTabArgs& SpawnTabArgst, UWidgetBlueprint* Blueprint)
{
TSharedRef SpawnedTab = SNew(SDockTab);
TSubclassOf WidgetClass = Blueprint->GeneratedClass;
UWorld* World = GEditor->GetEditorWorldContext().World();
check(World);

UEditorUtilityWidget* CreatedUMGWidget = CreateWidget<UEditorUtilityWidget>(World, WidgetClass);
if (CreatedUMGWidget)
{
	TSharedRef<SWidget> CreatedSlateWidget = CreatedUMGWidget->TakeWidget();
	SpawnedTab->SetContent(CreatedSlateWidget);
}

return SpawnedTab;

}

akaPrometh · July 22, 2022, 9:01am

Hi, here’s updated solution for UE5.0.3 : Version: 5.0.3-20979098

In your .build.cs, find PrivateDependencyModuleNames.AddRange
and add these:

“Blutility”,
“UMG”,
“UMGEditor”,

If “private” dont work, then try public.

Delete VS solution and regenerate from the project .exe
include these:

include “EditorUtilityWidget.h”
include “EditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint.h”
include “EditorUtilitySubsystem.h”

Use this:

	// get the  path of the asset by R.Clicking on the asset and 'Copy Reference'
	const FStringAssetReference widgetAssetPath("/LevelValidationTools/EUW_LevelValidator.EUW_LevelValidator");

	UObject* widgetAssetLoaded = widgetAssetPath.TryLoad();
	if (widgetAssetLoaded == nullptr) {
		UE_LOG(LogTemp, Warning, TEXT("Missing Expected widget class at : /LevelValidationTools/EUW_LevelValidator.EUW_LevelValidator"));
		return;
	}

	UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint* widget = Cast<UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint>(widgetAssetLoaded);
	if (widget == nullptr) {
		UE_LOG(LogTemp, Warning, TEXT("Couldnt cast /LevelValidationTools/EUW_LevelValidator.EUW_LevelValidator to UEditorUtilityWidgetBlueprint"));
		return;
	}

	UEditorUtilitySubsystem* EditorUtilitySubsystem = GEditor->GetEditorSubsystem<UEditorUtilitySubsystem>();
	EditorUtilitySubsystem->SpawnAndRegisterTab(widget);

Compile and jump of happyness.

JeferWang · October 25, 2022, 1:55am

Thanks, this is very helpful to me

eco_bach2 · April 7, 2023, 8:59pm

How do you dynamically dock the Editor Utility Widget?