What is the difference between Impact Point and Location?
Hey @NEYSE_O001 how are you?
There is a very subtle difference between them but let me explain it the way I understand it!
Impact Point is the exact 3D position where your trace/raycast actually hit the surface of an object. It’s the real point of contact.
Location is where the trace ended. Most of the time it matches the Impact Point, but there are cases where they differ:
- When you’re using a sweep (like a sphere, capsule, or box trace), “Location” represents the center of the shape at the moment it collided.
- “Impact Point”, however, is still the precise spot on the surface that the shape touched.
For example, with a sphere trace hitting a wall:
- Impact Point: The spot on the wall’s surface where the sphere made contact
- Location: The center of the sphere at the moment of impact
With a simple line trace (no volume), both values are usually identical because a line has no thickness.
In practice, Impact Point is what you’ll use for visual effects (particles, decals) or gameplay logic that depends on the exact hit position. Location becomes useful when you need to know where the traced shape or object actually was when the collision happened.
Hope this help you!!!
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