All I want is to save named node graph snippets from opened Blueprint, search and select one from the structured list of those named snippets, while seeing it previewed with a copy-able node graph. Much like working with blueprintUE.com, only locally. Maybe something akin to Macro library, but with snippets free of any external links, being just that – snippets.
Currently, looking up an asset I’ve made sometime (if I can remember its name), then opening it up in the editor, then navigating to the required editor tab, then to specific place on the node graph is long – and, at times, only to uncover this was, indeed, the wrong asset (AKA painful). There’s a long list of actions that can be omitted here.
I’m absolutely sure someone has already made a free tool for just this purpose (how else could you work effectively?) that silently lies in wait for me on GitHub. But I couldn’t find it with search. Any advice?
There is no such thing in the Engine because it’s, quite frankly, not a good pattern for working.
You’re obviously aware of macro libraries and presumably function libraries as well. I’m not sure what about those is not what you want.
The friction that you’re encountering is good. If you’re repeating yourself a lot like that, perhaps you need something that is shared across all those things instead of copy/pasting blocks all over the place. If you reuse the code, you’ll be able to fix a bug in one place instead of trying to find all the places where you pasted this.
I don’t know how you came to the conclusion this is necessary. I’ve been doing game development professionally for 20 years and at no point thought I needed this type of tool at all. It’s never been requested as a tool by anyone on the teams that I’ve worked on either.
I don’t mean that in a judgey way, you’re free to want the workflow that you want. Only to recognize (perhaps also by the lack of such a tool) that it’s not nearly as necessary a tool as you think it is.
Macros or specialized components are good when your logic piece is ready to be encapsulated and reused. These are the way to go in avoiding duplicating the logic.
But before that happening, the logic itself is to be built, sometimes involving research and development. Especially when you’re brand new like me, when ‘sometimes’ means ‘each and every time’.
Often, I need similar structures, but each in their own right. Often-er I need to remind myself of different ways to approach a problem – and having all these ways at a glance would make this process much less… frictiony.
When each of these is ready, I can happily make important parts of it reusable with macro or a function. But before that, I often need reference, parts source, layout examples, structure hints. And at this moment I can only view this either by looking up and opening my assets, blueprintsUE maps and… that’s about it, if we’re talking full scale.
For example, timelines can’t be in macros at all, you’ll need a component for that. Events, also. Yes, there’s a structural reason for that, I know (that’s one reason I mentioned a tool separate from macro library). But when you need to look at the code similar to what you’re about to do, having a comment-sized hole instead of connected node a major hindrance. To me, at least. Also, there’s no quick preview window you can dock somewhere in these libraries to scroll through your search results and see what they offer. You can only open the selected macro or function, creating a separate tab.
Also, Metasounds.
I hope I’ve explained myself and my goals in an even more thorough way)))