Hi, I am setting up a machine that has multiple swinging/tilting/moving parts, with many hydraulic pistons controlling the various functions. I want full control of each function within UE4, so I do not plan on animating each movement within 3dsMax. Thus, I need to setup the look-at constraints within UE4. I have configured the pivots and mesh hierarchy correctly in 3dsMax in order to facilitate this. I see 3 ways to import this machine into UE4, and would like some comments on the approaches;
- Import as a single skeletal mesh, and then use an anim-blueprint to configure the many look-at constraints required. This method would also require variables to be setup to control each function.
- Using scene importer, import as a single blueprint asset with multiple static mesh components. This method would require look-at “constraints” setup on tick, along with variables for controlling each function.
- Using scene importer, import as level actors, each actor being a static mesh. For each part that needs a look-at “constraint”, convert those parts to a standard blueprint that provides the functionality on tick, by setting its target actor. No variables would have to be setup for movement, because each part/actor could be moved directly.
So #3 seems the fastest to setup and configure, but both #3 and #2 run on the normal blueprint event tick. I am wondering if this will have worse performance than #1 which uses anim-blueprint, because possibly the anim-blueprint tick is lighter? Additionally, #2 and #3 wouldn’t be a proper a proper look-at constraint, but a calculation and then a rotation, which may be worse? Are there any other factors I have not considered?
Thanks.