How can I find the location of a socket through c++?

Development Character & Animation
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1

Is there a way to know the location of a socket on my character through the help of c++.

Suppose I have a socket on my characters hand. And I want to spawn a effect in the position of that socket, is there a way to do so?

2

You can get the location with GetSocketLocation()
https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/API/RuntimeModules/Engine/Components/USceneComponent/GetSocketLocation/index.html

You can also attach the ParticleSystem at the socket by simply providing the name of the socket in the AttachTo() method.
https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/API/RuntimeModules/Engine/Components/USceneComponent/AttachTo/index.html

3

How do I use it?

Something like this?

SocketLocation = USceneComponent::GetSocketLocation("FirePoint");

FirePoint is the name of the socket

4

FVector socketLocation = Mesh->GetSocketLocation(“FirePoint”);
Where Mesh is your USkeletalMesh / USkeletalMeshComponent.

5

Ok worked. Thanks…

Are all USceneComponents are used in this way?

6

How do you mean?

7

Like other function using USceneComponents need to use its mesh as an pointer.

Means if I am using USceneComponent::AttachTo() to attach a particle emitter,
I should write it like

Particle->Attachto(Mesh, "FirePoint", KeepRelativeOffset);

Something like this?

8

Yes, but Mesh in this case is defined in the ACharacter class and is a USkeletalMesh. You can see it here in the list of variables:
https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/API/RuntimeModules/Engine/GameFramework/ACharacter/index.html

The name Mesh would be replaced with the name of the variable holding whatever component you wish to attach the Particle to (in your example).

Also there’s a difference between USkeletalMesh and USkeletalMeshComponent.
USkeletalMesh derives from UObject which means it’s not a USceneComponent.

9

There is also this option.

Link to other similar question

10

Is this only for particle systems or could this work for projectiles as well?