Custom shape for a trigger volume

Development World Creation
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1

Hello,

I am trying to create a trigger with a custom shape. I am actually trying to create an hexagon. Is there a way to modify the shape of a volume trigger?

Thanks!

2

No, I don’t think Volumes can have custom shapes, they will always be boxes. However, you can use a normal StaticMesh instead - that is whatever shape you want - that is NOT blocking the player, and is not visible either, but does work like a trigger.

Basically, on the top of my head, you would set it up like this:

  1. Import your custom mesh (that is shaped like the volume you want) from an .fbx file as you would any StaticMesh, and ensure that you setup the mesh collision correctly for whatever your purposes are (reference: FBX Static Mesh Pipeline in Unreal Engine | Unreal Engine 5.1 Documentation )
  2. Then, make a new Blueprint, add the mesh, and set the collision to “Trigger”. Under its Rendering properties, make sure you check “hidden” so the mesh itself isn’t drawn.
3

It is doable, but you have to do it manually; think of the volume as a BSP:

  1. Create the volume, then go into geometry editing mode

  2. Look at one volume face

  3. Select the top edge and the bottom edge

  4. Modes → “Split”

This gives you a new vertical edge that you can drag out, making a pentagon. Repeat this with another face to get a sixth edge, giving you a hexagon.

Follow through by cleaning up the top and bottom faces:

  1. Notice that UE4 has also split the top face and the bottom face of the volume

  2. Multi-select the polygons on the top face.

  3. Modes → Optimize
    — This is the same as “Merge”, if you’re familiar with Max or maybe other editors that use the same terminology

This does two things: It allows you to safely select and transform the top and bottom faces long after you’ve split the side faces, and it optimizes the complex/custom volume shape.

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