Add a widget to an actor via c++

Community Community & Industry Discussion
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1

Hi guys,

im trying to add a UWidgetComponent to my actor. However as soon as i try to initialize that object by doing this:

Widget= CreateDefaultSubobject<UWidgetComponent>(TEXT("Widget1"));

I’ll get the error:

c:\program files\unreal engine\4.7\engine\source\runtime\coreuobject\public\uobject\UObject.h(81): error C2440: 'static_cast' : cannot convert from 'UObject *' to 'UWidgetComponent *'

Any idea how to fix that? I’m a bit confused as well since, according to the api doc, UObject is a parent class of UObjectComponent so the casting should work.

Or is that not the right way to initialize that object?

Regards

2

Hello,

Please make sure that you have the appropriate include in your header file:

#include "Components/WidgetComponent.h"

Hope this helped!

Cheers!

3

Hi,

thanks for answering. However, if I am including this into my header file i’ll get another error.

.h

#include "Components/WidgetComponent.h"

UPROPERTY(VisibleDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadOnly, Category = HUD)
class UWidgetComponent* Widget;

.cpp

Widget= CreateDefaultSubobject<UWidgetComponent>(TEXT("Widget"));

error

C:\Program Files\Unreal Engine\4.7\Engine\Source\Runtime\UMG\Public\Components/WidgetComponent.h(72): error C2065: 'FWidgetAndPointer' : undeclared identifier
C:\Program Files\Unreal Engine\4.7\Engine\Source\Runtime\UMG\Public\Components/WidgetComponent.h(72): error C2923: 'TArray' : 'FWidgetAndPointer' is not a valid template type argument for parameter 'InElementType'

thanks in advance!

P.S.: Is there an easy way to tell when to inculde stuff? It’s kinda hard to tell if you need to. Obviously you can’t rely on error messages :confused:

4

I tried a different approach which lead me to where I am now.
Actually it turned out exactly as I wanted It to be:

.h

// The class that will be used for the Items Nameplate
UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = UI)
TSubclassOf<class UUserWidget> NameplateUIClass;

// The instance of the players Inventory UI Widget
UPROPERTY(VisibleDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadOnly, Category = UI)
class UUserWidget* NameplateWidget;

.ccp

if (NameplateUIClass)
	{
		if (!NameplateWidget)
		{
			NameplateWidget = CreateWidget<UUserWidget>(GetWorld()->GetGameInstance(), NameplateUIClass);
			if (!NameplateWidget)
			{
				return;
			}

			NameplateWidget->AddToViewport();
			NameplateWidget->SetVisibility(ESlateVisibility::Hidden);
		}
	}

This allows me to control the widget via code and I may use the editor to design the widget itself. You have to create that widget(class) within the editor however. Values can be exchanged via blueprint get and set.

Nevertheless I ran into a new problem, which is handled here : https://answers.unrealengine.com/questions/197861/why-is-uuserwidget-is-not-a-type-name-when-i-try-t.html