So I asked AIs Gemini and GPT (they’re actually VIs, not AIs) and they’re confused. They have so much trouble with how Level Sequences work (poor documentation).
Then I came across this video:
And though I adore this guy, I don’t think he fully understands what’s actually happening because his explanation doesn’t allow for most cases.
So, does anyone know how to play a level sequence from any location WITHOUT having to spawn an actor in?
If I want a customer ↔ vendor interaction to play, for example, or a nuclear sub to execute an emergency blow, I want it to be able be played ANYWHERE.
Also, I am aware of ATTACHING and ADDITIVE/RELATIVE tracks, but these still require a “source of truth”. I suppose my goal is to manipulate that source of truth (parent transform).
So, does anyone know how to play a level sequence from any location WITHOUT having to spawn an actor in?
If you mean without having a Level Sequence Player - No. You need the Sequence Player because the Level Sequence Asset is just a bunch of keyed data points (key frames) of parameters. You need something to actually change those parameters of the corresponding objects - the Level Sequence Player. You can however place a Level Sequence Actor in your level in the editor instead of creating it runtime. Not sure if there is any benefit in creating it with the level and searching for it later vs creating it on demand.
The “customer ↔ vendor interactions” usually are going to be character animations, not level sequence. You can play those in blueprints and trigger them from anywhere.
Try to manipulate your variable “source of truth” with its own animations and animation controllers and layer your level sequence on top of it.
Note that I’m making some very big assumptions about what you are making and I might be waaaay off. Let me know what exactly you are trying to animate and what do you have at that point. I suspect it goes beyond a “cut scene” so the Level Sequence might not be the best tool.
I don’t think you understand where I’m coming from.
In the Level Sequence you can Spawn (using a spawn actor track) an actor in. The video example uses a spawn and the problem with this is that my current setup uses actors already in the level. Not only that, but he spawns at World Origin. So we he applies the transform, it’s with relation to 0,0, and that’s not useful in all conditions.
With regard to the customer ↔ vendor interactions, my system is dynamic. Objects are being transferred between actors, so Level Sequences are required to get the interactions just right. I need to stress that I’m pretty advanced at this stuff already. The documentation is the issue.
Yes, I can manipulate the variable, but that would require another actor to act as the parent transform. I’m doing this already (again, if I have vendor ↔ customer, emergency blow, tennis points played on different courts, etc.), but I wondered if there was a way to directly tell the Sequencer: “Play all of these transforms for this actor starting relative their current local transform without needing a parent transform (source of truth).”
