instancing blueprints with variation

Development Programming & Scripting Blueprint
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1

Im new to blueprinting/coding etc, and I’m trying something I thought would be fairly simple, a flickering light sequence. From off, flicker, to fully on. Ive got that far. Im stuck at adding variation to the other instanced blueprints in the scene.

I’d like varied delay at the start, and altering the float I have set to change the frequency of the light function. Obviously when I ‘alt+drag’ a copy, they all use the same pattern. I’ve tried making ‘child actors’ of the main blueprint, but when I add them in I get no light at all.

Not sure what else to try at the moment, feel like Ive scoured every inch of Google looking for answers. This is what I have so far in the event graph (its all set to trigger from sequencer)

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(FLICKERFREQ is just a static float number at the moment until I work out the randomness)

many thanks in advance

2

your timers arent actually doing anything yet, and the first one is calling itself.

from what i can see all you likely need is a good old fashion Delay.

3

so the ‘random number’ doesnt generate a new delay each time I start the event? Thats the logic I saw. event trigger → generate random delay → execute timelines

4

it will, the random number is a pure node so it gets called every execution.

timers are fine too its just yours arent set up correctly. You need to set timer in one function (say BeginPlay or StartTimer) and the red event is the TriggeredEvent so that starts your timeline.

5

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So I have this tidied up version now, and it still seems to be working. How do I handle instances with variation of the delay and flicker. When I ‘alt+drag’ a copy, they use the same values.

6

Can I ask the same for how you would setup a staged delay for instanced copies too. ie. you walk into a room and the closest lights switch on first and then the next set etc. Or like runway lights. I feel Im going to use these 2 ideas, and the random switch-on a lot, so need to firgure this out.

7

I think the issue is you’re setting the parameters of a Material Parameter Collection. Collections are shared among all materials using them. Instead you should set the parameters on the instanced materials of the instanced objects (those are called Dynamic Material Instance or MID). Try using node “Set Scalar Parameter Value On Materials”, this is a boilerplate node that will automatically generate instanced materials (if necessary) on your object instance and set the values on that instance.

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