PCG graph blueprint plugin creation C++

Development Programming & Scripting
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OK, I have not used or attempted to code any Unreal Engine plugin for a few years as my last attempt to create some procedural blueprint code failed miserably at the end due to some unforeseen limitation that the Unreal engine had at that time.

Now after keeping an eye on the progress of Unreal, I have noticed that in 5.7 there is an emphasis on procedural generation that is production ready. Something that I have been wanting which has aroused my interest enough to want to give Unreal another go at procedural generation.

One particular procedural generation that is crucial to my interests is to use is the PCG create points grid.

However, I wish to create a different type of grid called a close packing spherical grid. I have developed and implemented all the C++ code such that I want to try and create an Unreal PCG blueprints Plugin just like the PCG framework plugin or add to an existing plugin.

The question I have is, how do I do this ?

I had created a C++ unreal engine project, found another PCG plugin project called PCG extended toolkit, got it to compile and work in Unreal Engine 5.7.1.

Hooray, I’m halfway there, until I found out implementing a PCG blueprint plugin is not as simple as creating a blueprint function library plugin and specifying to to be a PCG graph type of plugin. I have just spent many hours trying to find information and instructions on how to create a PCG blue print plugin, and all the information found (which was so little) was out of date or very much incomplete with no context. Looking at the code of the Unreal PCG, and PCG extended toolkit to figure out what was going on did not help. There are some .Build.cs and other files that one might think would be used to specify that the code is for a PCG plugin. But changing this for the generated blueprint function library plugin build.cs files that Unreal created did nothing when recompiling the code.

I am now perplexed. What on earth is needed to create a PCG blueprints plugin that have the blueprint nodes appear in the PCG graph editor?

Or are the PCG graph editor nodes not a simple blueprint function library type. I have noticed that there is a PCG_BP_function_Library class under the menu option “Open BluePrint class”.
I can only guess that to create a PCG graph plugin like a blueprint plugin is a kind of on a to do list perhaps, and currently can only be done through a complicated manual process.

Can any one help me with a bit of information on what is required to specify what is needed to define a blueprint node as a PCG_BP_function_Library to appear in a PCG plugin?

Thanks in advance.

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All right. I think I have got a work around for this after some more thinking and prodding around.

I have not worked out how to create a PCG plugin from the Unreal add plugins creation tool. There must be some C++ build parameters that must need be set for the plugin to be able to utilise the PCG functionality, which I cannot find any information on. Not wanting to waste time to figure this out in such a complex and unfamiliar setting of the Unreal project, a decision was made to simply add code to the PCG extensions plugin. It seems to have everything set up to build a PCG blueprint node and everything else that is needed.

Also, seeing that the Unreal engine provided the tools to create C++ classes and other things, the best practice seems to be to have Unreal create and define all the C++ base code and set up/modify everything that is needed as an automated process. A copy of the PCG create points grid code was then made and modified to duplicate this PCG blueprint in the PCG graph editor. Best to also compile the code from Unreal as a first option as it does not require to restart the Unreal 5.7 engine. Well most of the time as it does not always update the project in the editor.

Anyway. I got to make a copy of the PCG create points grid under a new name in a different plugin etc. without too much trouble. Now to get down and modify this copy to suit my needs and use it as a first step to get more familiar with creating blue print nodes in Unreal.

I think I have something that works for now, so this query is in a way not required to be answered.