I would like to create a Blueprint generator that allows me to randomly scatter/populate a list of actors throughout a level while working in the editor. After generating the actors you could select and edit any of them, as you would if they were added by hand via the content browser. Since the Blueprint added the actors to the editor, instead of adding components to the Blueprint, the actors could be moved to a new location, could be static, and have baked lighting. And deleting the Blueprint generator would have no affect on the added actors, because they are just actors placed in the level. This feature would be quite useful since we have the ability to use traces while in the editor via the Blueprint ConstructionScript.
Can a AddActorToEditor and DeleteActorFromEditor function be added for use in the Blueprint ConstructionScript?
Hey Skylar,
Thanks for your feedback! Some of this functionality can already be done by using the Foliage tool as you can select meshes to place throughout the level and basically paint them where you want them placed. These individually placed meshes can be moved via a translate widget, but you won’t be able to manually adjust their placement (they won’t have a details panel available for each of these placed meshes). These meshes also wouldn’t have any collision. If you are content with that level of functionality, we would recommend using that.
I am, however, also submitting a feature request to the team to see how feasible it would be to implement a feature with the level of functionality that you are asking about. Hopefully we can provide some feedback for you soon.
Thanks again for the suggestion.
-Steve
Thank you Steve for getting back to me on this. The Foliage tool is similar in a way, but I believe its built for adding actors in a only world Z up game. I would like to have the feature to be-able to use it for small planetoids on my project to randomly generate a bunch of different meshes quickly. I’ve already done the math to make it work the way I would like, but can’t do anything without the ability to add new actors to the editor via a Blueprint. I hope in the future we will see this feature added in to UE4. It would allow for a bunch of new features and methods of generating content in the editor.