SaxonRahs Tutorial Thread - Random Maze Generation & Solving

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17

[COLOR=“#0000FF”]Code for You SaxonRah![/COLOR]

and others!

I made my own USTRUCT system for having a multi-dimensional UPROPERTY() friendly dynamic array version of your maze data structure.

Here’s that code for you and others to enjoy!

.h


USTRUCT()
struct FMazeGridRow
{
	GENERATED_USTRUCT_BODY()

	UPROPERTY()
	TArray<AStaticMeshActor*> Columns;
	
	void AddNewColumn()
	{
		Columns.Add(NULL);
	}
	//default properties
	FMazeGridRow()
	{
		
	}
};





USTRUCT()
struct FMazeGrid
{
	GENERATED_USTRUCT_BODY()

	UPROPERTY()
	TArray<FMazeGridRow> Rows;
	
	void AddNewRow()
	{
		Rows.Add(FMazeGridRow());
	}
	
	void AddUninitialized(const int32 RowCount, const int32 ColCount)
	{
		//Add Rows
		for(int32 v = 0; v < RowCount; v++)
		{
			AddNewRow();
		}
		
		//Add Columns
		for(int32 v = 0; v < RowCount; v++)
		{
			for(int32 b = 0; b < ColCount; b++)
			{
				Rows[v].AddNewColumn();
			}
		}
	}
	
	void Clear()
	{
		if(Rows.Num() <= 0) return;
		//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
		
		//Destroy any walls
		const int32 RowTotal = Rows.Num();
		const int32 ColTotal = Rows[0].Columns.Num();
		
		for(int32 v = 0; v < RowTotal; v++)
		{
			for(int32 b = 0; b < ColTotal; b++)
			{
				if(Rows[v].Columns** && Rows[v].Columns**->IsValidLowLevel() )
				{
					Rows[v].Columns**->Destroy();
				}
			}
		}
		
		//Empty
		for(int32 v = 0; v < Rows.Num(); v++)
		{
			Rows[v].Columns.Empty();
		}
		Rows.Empty();
	}
	//default properties
	FMazeGrid()
	{
		
	}
};



**Maze Grid Var Declaration for Persistence and Global Access**



```

//Now you have dynamic array benefits and also UPROPERTY()!
UPROPERTY()
FMazeGrid JoyMazeGrid;

```


	
.Cpp



```

//Init Maze
JoyMazeGrid.Clear();
JoyMazeGrid.AddUninitialized(tileX, tileY);
	
//Sample usage
//JoyMazeGrid.Rows[x].Columns[y] = SpawnBP<AStaticMeshActor>(GetWorld(), ...

```

Summary

The final result of all of is that you have

  1. dynamic array benefits (easily change the maze size and regenerate during runtime)

  2. global access to the MazeGrid Actors, even from other classes

  3. GC protection from the UPROPERTY() (if not using actors/objects for some reason)

  4. And yet the syntax for 2D array using UPROPERTY() and TArray is still clean and clear and precise

JoyMazeGrid.Rows[x].Columns[y]

Enjoy!

Rama

PS:

I also wrote a function to clear the maze / destroy any actors.

You have to pre-initialize the array to use the intuitive 2D array accessor method.