No Physics when SkeletalMesh is scene root component?

Development Programming & Scripting Blueprint
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1

If I set a skeletalMesh component to be the scene root component, is it possible for the actor to use physics? It seems to not be the case but I’m trying to understand why or am I doing something wrong.

I set a cube (static mesh component) to be the default scene root component and added the skeletalmesh as the child. Then I applied physics to the cube and the skeletalmesh (helicopter mesh) fell along with the cube.

But if I reversed roles so the skeletalmesh was the scene root component and the cube was the child, then only the cube would fall.

And I just realized that if I clear the cube “static mesh”, than that also prevents the skeletalMesh from falling…not sure what’s going on here…why would simply removing the mesh affect falling with physics? I thought the mesh was just an optional visible representation.

2

Hey there @dwigt! Skeletal Mesh actors can absolutely use physics! However they work a bit differently than static mesh components. They require a Physical Asset connected to the skeleton they are using before they can make collisions and ragdoll appropriately. To add, if the mesh is a child of the SKM it shouldn’t prevent it from falling, it could however make it unstable.

Do you have a physical asset setup for the SKM?

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