V36.00 is rolling out today, along with the shift to the Left-Up-Forward (LUF) coordinate system. You don’t need to update your code or content, everything published will continue to work as expected.
We’ve put together a FAQ to cover common questions. If your question is not covered here, feel free to ask.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is actually changing?
A: The exact changes associated with LUF are outlined in our documentation Left-Up-Forward Coordinate System in Unreal Editor for Fortnite | Fortnite Documentation | Epic Developer Community
Q: What is not changing?
A: The LUF changes do not affect the transforms defined in /UnrealEngine.com and /Fortnite.com modules.
Q: How does LUF map to the old XYZ?
A: Left (was -Y), Up (was Z), Forward (was X).
Q: What is the advantage of LUF?
A: Current tools and platforms all use XYZ, but they do not use XYZ in a consistent way meaning, Y is not always “up”. LUF is intended to clarify the usage of the coordinate system and make it easier to reason about coordinates and mappings.
Q: Will this affect my devices and props?
A: No, your devices and props will behave the same, they’ll just show new axis labels in the editor.
Q: Will this affect my gameplay? Some devices rely on direction?
A: This change should not affect existing gameplay. If you see any behavior or changes that you suspect may be a problem, please let us know by posting in the forums!
Q: Will LUF work with assets I import?
A: Yes, imported assets will automatically adjust to LUF. Their orientation will reflect the new axis configuration.
Q: Will LUF affect islands I made using XYZ?
A: Your islands will now use LUF, but the change won’t affect gameplay or visuals, just how values are displayed.
Q: Can I choose which coordinate system to use (like other software)?
A: No, we don’t plan to support multiple axis systems. A single shared standard helps avoid confusion and provides better collaboration across projects.
Q: Does LUF affect world scaling and grid snapping?
A: No. Grid snapping and world scaling will continue to function in Fortnite as expected.
Q: How will this interact in terms of world position offset and object-based orientation (Scaling “Left” vs. “Width”)?
A: The axis labels are consistent (and consistently colored) amongst Rotation, Scale and Location. WPO is unchanged, except as it regards the new axis references.
Q: Is Fortnite.com content adopting LUF? Will I need to manually translate that in instances where that content is referenced?
A: No, /Fortnite.com and /Unreal.com are not transitioning to this system. This should not, however, affect your work or use of these assets in any meaningful way. If you are using API functions that use both /Verse.org module transforms and /UnrealEngine.com module transforms in the same file, the type names need to be qualified by their path to avoid ambiguity between the two modules. This is more completely covered in official documentation Left-Up-Forward Coordinate System in Unreal Editor for Fortnite | Fortnite Documentation | Epic Developer Community
Q: Will this be adopted by UE5?
A: Not immediately. In the near term, LUF axes will be an integral part of working with spatial coordinates in Verse and in the Scene Graph workflows in UEFN that are built on Verse APIs. As these APIs and workflows gradually make their way to UE, we do expect LUF coordinates to follow. However, there’s no set timeline for these transitions.
Q: Is moving to LUF optional?
A: While the editor will change to reflect LUF, any Verse code can be migrated to using the approved Spatial Math module or not. For details on this process and what it means, please refer to official documentation Left-Up-Forward Coordinate System in Unreal Editor for Fortnite | Fortnite Documentation | Epic Developer Community
Q: What is the plan for Vector2 (or side-scrolling/top-down, etc.)? Will I be able to use a “you pick two” system for Vector2?
A: The plan for /Verse.org/SpatialMath Vector2 is still being finalized and will be communicated once ready. For now, using /UnrealEngine.com/Temporary/SpatialMath is a viable option.
Q: Will there be any versioning to give developers time to adjust to XYZ → LUF transition (i.e., will XYZ continue to work for a period before deprecation)?
A: Yes, any class using /UnrealEngine.com/Temporary/SpatialMath will continue to function for now. Please refer to the official documentation for details on the transition process to the new system and how it will interact with /UnrealEngine.com and /Fortnite.com. Left-Up-Forward Coordinate System in Unreal Editor for Fortnite | Fortnite Documentation | Epic Developer Community
Q: Is Epic deprecating /UnrealEngine.com/Temporary/SpatialMath?
A: Yes, but there’s no deprecation timeline yet. We’ll share the timeline when we have that information ready.