After looking at the layout of UE4 and the ease of use. I was wondering if there is any plans to actually release like a Visual Studio template for Slate UI to use for other applications than just UE4. So for example, if someone wanted to create an HTML WYSIWYG editor that had the asset browser style off to the side, JavaScript setup in the Blueprint node style, and those types of features. I would love to see the possibility of a boiler plate Slate UI, kind of a…heh…blank slate, and potentially what people would make with it.
You can use Slate without the Engine. In fact, we already have applications built with Slate that do not use the Engine, for example Unreal Frontend and Slate Viewer.
You can build your own standalone application with Slate, and the minimum set of modules needed would be Core, InputCore, SlateCore, Slate and StandaloneRenderer. The SlateViewer application should be a good starting point.
We currently don’t have any Visual Studio templates for standalone Slate apps, but it sounds like a good idea, and I’ll add a TTP for it, thanks!
added as TTP# 335487
How would you go about creating a viewport in Slate for a Standalone app, or is that not possible? 
I found the FScenViewport class, but did not yet figured out how to use it in a standalone application.
A viewport would require the Engine to be included. It’s certainly doable, but we have no example for that. You could take a look at the code path that is taken for standalone games.
Standalone games are also just Slate apps where an instance of SViewport fills the entire SWindow. You can type “widgetreflector” into the game console to bring up the Widget Reflector while your game is running. It will allow you to inspect the Slate widget hierarchy of the game window.
Depending on what you wish to show inside the viewport, you may have to add a considerable amount of code to load levels etc.
How do we include the Engine?? I have been struggling with it for two days now. And I just cant get it to work…
You add ‘Engine’ as a dependency in your project’s Build.cs file. Depending on which Engine headers you include, more dependencies may get pulled in. I’d recommend starting as minimal as possible - we are in the process of cleaning up Engine dependencies. Take a look at the HeadMountedDisplay module, for example.
Hi gmpreussner,
I did that and with no success. It keeps raising compiling error on UnrealEd.h. Why is it? I have set my target.cs file to not build the editor. What am I missing? See the log attached.
Editor should not be required. Take a look at SlateViewer.Target.cs and make sure that the relevant settings in SetupGlobalEnvironment() match your project. In particular, make sure that bBuildEditor is false.
If that still doesn’t work, then you’ll have no choice but to dive deeper into UBT and see what is going on. We have not yet attempted to build a standalone Slate app with Engine support, so this is somewhat uncharted territory.
But then, standalone games work without Editor support, and they’re also just Slate applications. I don’t know how much special handling UBT does for standalone games. It’s probably worth a look, but it may not be for the faint hearted.
when i drag the SlateViewer.exe out the Win64 folder, and it can not work! So if I compiled a Slate application, and I want to share it to my friend. how can I do that? pls help me~
when i drag the SlateViewer.exe out the Win64 folder, and it can not work! So if I compiled a Slate application, and I want to share it to my friend. how can I do that? pls help me~
I want to know this too
What is the error? You will have to include the DLLs for any modules that you’re using, i.e. YourApp-Core.dll, YourApp-Slate.dll etc.
Hi,
sorry for digging it up but could you please elaborate more on where to find and what .dlls exactly do I need to take a program out of Engine/Binaries/Win64 folder and make it work? We can stick to SlateViewer example. How can I generate SlateViewer-Slate.dll or SlateViewer-Core.dll for example?
I would like to know this as well.
This answer not hlep me well. Could you support some detail plz? Very Very Very Thanks.
PS: I had copy the entire Dictory but the slateeviewer can not run…
You still need to retain the UE4 directory structure, specifically /Engine/Binaries, /Engine/Config, /Engine/Programs/YourApp, and possibly some others. You cannot simply take out the .exe (and .dll files in case of non-molithic builds) and put it somewhere else. The Core module makes a lot of assumptions about the directory structure and where configuration and other files are located.
Also, standalone programs like that still fall under the EULA, so make sure you read up on distribution and licensing requirements in there. I’m not sure to what extent we allow/encourage the development of standalone Slate apps, but I can check with our legal department.
I’d be curious, I would like to try and use Slate as a cross-platform solution for making a Launcher, much like Epics (which I guess is also Slate). There would be no money making involved, just a way to share a bunch of games I make through a singular interface (for which I now use Webkit).
We will actually have an API for game developers to add their games to the Epic Games Launcher. That might be easier to implement and would reach many more users!?
As for implementing your own app, you’d have to figure it out yourself right now. We don’t have an example, and there is no tutorial, and we don’t have anyone to work on this right now. It’s definitely possible, but it might take some patience and time.