Able Ability System Info and Support Thread

[ExtraLifeMatt]

I have an issue with the Spawn Actor Task:
As soon as i Increase Amount to Spawn to something greater than 1 and test it the Editor crashes:

Fatal error: [File:/Build/++UE4+Licensee/Sync/Engine/Source/Runtime/Engine/Private/LevelActor.cpp] [Line: 409] An actor of name 'Projectile_BP_C_0' already exists in level 'Level /Engine/Transien

Any Idea how i can fix this? Thank you

This is how i modify orientation after the Spawn:


This is how i have the ability set up:

Hmmm, looks like it's angry about the name. I'll fix it.

[qdelpeche]

I am not able to open any created abilities ... Able v3.4.2 running on a Source Engine Build of Unreal Engine 4.25.3.



Log file attached from the Crash.

[ExtraLifeMatt]

I am not able to open any created abilities ... Able v3.4.2 running on a Source Engine Build of Unreal Engine 4.25.3.



Log file attached from the Crash.

Interesting. It's saying you're trying to open an invalid object? I'm working on an update right now but I haven't submitted it yet - so I'll look at this today.

[qdelpeche]

Interesting. It's saying you're trying to open an invalid object? I'm working on an update right now but I haven't submitted it yet - so I'll look at this today.

Is there anything else you would need from me. Crash Dumps, Logs, etc.

[ExtraLifeMatt]

Is there anything else you would need from me. Crash Dumps, Logs, etc.

Callstack might be nice, but I have a feeling I know where it is. The thing is, that list is supposed to ALWAYS have something in it when you go to open an Editor (it's literally the list of assets to open with that editor), so I'm not sure how it's null unless the object itself was destroyed mid way to opening the Editor.

[qdelpeche]

I figured it out, there seems to be a conflict between "Productivity Tools" and "Able". As soon as I disable the plugin, I am able to edit abilities in Able.

https://www.unrealengine.com/marketp...uctivity-tools

I have removed the Productivity Tools Plugin as Able is more important to me.

PLEASE NOTE: This issue has nothing to do with Able, it seems it is all caused by Productivity Tools.

[Isigor6]

Nice plugin! However i have a little issue here, with a simple animation. I'm doing a growing plant every x sec, by spawning it first with able,I put an effect at the start of the ableskill to check visually the launch... But i can't see the spawned actor on client, only the server can see it, the fx is well replicated. What can i do to replicate the spawned actor ?

[AngeIV]

The first tutorial in the series ready!

[ExtraLifeMatt]

The first tutorial in the series ready!

Love it!

[AngeIV]

Love it!

second one coming today at midnight. I will try to record 1-2 daily. They are light to work with

Edit: it's out.

[ExtraLifeMatt]

Able v3.43 Submitted. Notes below:

Able v3.43

- Fixed a bug where Spawn Actor Task would use the same name multiple times for Actors it created if the actor count was > 1.

- Exposed GetTaskStart / GetTaskEnd / GetTaskLength time values to the Custom Task.

- The Blueprint library method "GetAbilityObjectForClass" now takes in a TSubClassOf(AblAbility) rather than a raw UClass pointer for better safety and quicker selection of class. This was handled transparently in all my blueprints, but you may need to refresh the node if you get a warning. On the C++ side, you'll need to update any methods that hooked into it.

- "Disabled" is now a Bindable Property on all Tasks and is checked when doing the initial Task sorting before executing an Ability - so you can arbitrarily decide which Tasks you want to execute each Ability run. Just make sure you don't have a dependency on a disabled task! The system will let you blow your own foot off.

- Added "Ability Scratchpad". Abilities now allocate their own scratchpad and Tasks are able to read/write to it, allowing Tasks to transmit data to one another. This is a pretty powerful concept as it allows you pass information down the chain. You calculate a Crit in the Apply Damage task, mark a bool on your Ability Scratchpad, and then your particle/sound read that bool and change up the effect to be something else / bigger / etc. You can read more about Ability Scratchpads, and their caveats, here - https://able.extralifestudios.com/wi...ity_Scratchpad

- Rewrote every. single. comment. that was Blueprint user facing, then used the amazing KantanDocGen ( http://kantandev.com/free/kantan-doc-gen ) and Phyronnaz's ( https://voxelplugin.com ) script to make it wiki formatted. The end result is, up-to-date, Blueprint API documentation: https://able.extralifestudios.com/wi.../Blueprint_API

- Ran Doxygen on the entire Able code base. The end result is new C++ API Documentation. https://able.extralifestudios.com/wi...annotated.html

- Slowly converting the existing C++ comments in Able to be Doxygen friendly.

As you can see in the notes, I'm slowly moving everything over to a new MediaWiki page: https://able.extralifestudios.com/wi....php/Main_Page

As much as I love and put a ton of work into the old Confluence-based Wiki, it is incredibly difficult for me to maintain that all by myself. With that in mind, I'm opt'ing for the community based solution as many of you have reached out to me and asked if you could help improve Able's documentation. You can tell it's still very early days on the Wiki, but I'd love for people to start either bringing over parts they enjoyed from the old Wiki - or write whole new articles. The world (wiki) is your oyster. I'm going to keep filling out the new Wiki, but the old Wiki will stay around for the foreseeable future. My hope is this community wiki will become bigger and better than the original over time.

I really want to help grow the Able Community (and have a few thoughts on how to do that), but hopefully this Wiki is a step in the right direction with helping new and old users alike.

Cheers,
- Matt

[AngeIV]

Thanks for the update! It did break any execute ability I had... good I have it in macro But still had to update every macro use to recompile. Still, the new scratchpad functionality is amazing. I will have to do a tutorial on it soon, with some cool examples!
Contact me via Discord (sent you a request) to help me understand how I could help with wiki.

[AngeIV]

ExtraLifeMatt Question: is there any mechanic stopping a player from "cancel ability" on a Debuff? Only the owner of ability context can cancel? Or how is it resolved, so a hacker can't just cancel any unwanted abilities on him, and cancel unwanted tags?

[AngeIV]

ExtraLifeMatt Big issue I run into today while doing a tutorial. If I make a base Ability class.. and I make child classes they inherit all tasks that are inheritable. and all functions and variables (awesome!) BUT if I edit the base class, added variables and functions gets carried over. .but inherited tasks DOESN'T.


Edit: Updating functions doesn't update the inherited abilities as well... (

[AngeIV]

In the newest ability tutorial, we have made a melee ability template and 3 child attacks that can be chained up with one another for increased damage.
We have discussed 5 tasks: animation, collision, damage, branch, sound. Also, functions: Calculate damage per actor, on custom event, can ability execute. We are also communicating messages via custom interface as well as base damage interface to multiple actors. both target and owner.