Notes of practices I noted.

Resources

Setting up an Unreal Engine Studio the Epic Way | Unreal Fest 2024

For Devs

Setting up the workspace for the long run: Post - Video
For version control:
- Use Perforce if possible
  - if not, using Git efficiently for UE as a team: https://miltoncandelero.github.io/unreal-git
  - or try https://github.com/ProjectBorealis/UEGitPlugin
  - or have everyone install VS and compile automatically

For new UE Devs

Read the following:
- https://landelare.github.io/2023/01/07/cpp-speedrun.html
  - Regarding what you can DO with Live coding: Link Imgur
- Common issues answered here, no need to read all before trying stuff: https://tackytortoise.github.io/2022/06/24/common-slacker-issues.html
Use TObjectPtr instead of raw ptrs for class members (UObjects only) for Engine 5.4 and above
- More details here

Project setup

Disable Widget Bindings (Projet Preferences→Property Binding Rule)

Naming convention

Prefix all classes by the project/game codename (1-5 letters) (after the type prefix!), this help knowing what is from the engine and what’s from us.
- for example if the codename is PG: AMyActor becomes APGMyActor
- for example if the codename is Kaos: AMyActor becomes AKaosMyActor
Delegates:
- Declaration of delegate ends with Signature (e.g: F<CodeName>OnScoreChangedSignature)
- Declaration of property delegate ends with Delegate (e.g: FOnScoreChangedSignature OnScoreChangedDelegate)
- Declaration of functions bonded to delegates ends with Callback (e.g: void OnScoreChangedCallback(...))
OnRep replicated variables:
- OnRep_FullVariableName() → Call OnFullVariableNameReplicated
- OnFullVariableNameReplicated()
RPCs function:
- DoSomething_ServerRPC
- DoSomething_ClientRPC
- DoSomething_MulticastRPC
Headers for specific content:
- For enums: XXXEnum.h
- For struct: XXXStruct.h
- For GameplayTags: XXXGameplayTags.h

Folder Structure

Define early how we split the source into folders, example:

AI
- …
Core
- GameMode
  - Base
    - <ProjectCode>BaseGameMode class
    - Components
      - <ProjectCode><SomeName>BaseGameModeComponent class
      - …
  - InGame
    - …
  - Lobby
    - …
- GameState
  - <ProjectCode>GameState class
  - Components
    - <ProjectCode><SomeName>GameStateComponent class
    - …
Possessed
- Base
  - BasePawn
    - <ProjectCode>BasePawn class
    - Components
      - <ProjectCode><SomeName>BasePawnComponent class
      - …
  - BaseCharacter
    - <ProjectCode>BaseCharacter class
    - Components
      - <ProjectCode><SomeName>BaseCharacterComponent class
      - …
  - BaseController
    - <ProjectCode>BaseController class
    - Components
      - <ProjectCode><SomeName>BaseControllerComponent class
      - …
- Player
  - PlayerCharacter
    - Base
      - <ProjectCode>PlayerBaseCharacter class ← Child of <ProjectCode>BaseCharacter
      - Components
        
        <ProjectCode><SomeName>PlayerCharacterComponent class
        
        …
    - PlayerCharacterType1
      - …
  - PlayerController
    - Base
      - <ProjectCode>BasePlayerController class
      - Components
        
        <ProjectCode><SomeName>PlayerControllerComponent class
        
        …
    - InGame
      - …
    - Lobby/MainMenu
      - …
- AI
  - Base
    - AIPawn
      - <ProjectCode>AIBasePawn class ← Child of <ProjectCode>BasePawn
      - Components
        
        …
    - AICharacter
      - <ProjectCode>AIBaseCharacter class ← Child of <ProjectCode>BaseCharacter
      - Components
        
        …
    - AIController
      - <ProjectCode>BaseAIController class ← Child of <ProjectCode>BaseController
      - Components
        
        …
UI
- HUD
  - Base
    - <ProjectCode>HUD class
    - Components
      - <ProjectCode><SomeName>HUDComponent class
      - …
  - InGame
    - …
  - Lobby/MainMenu
    - …
Systems
- InventorySystem
  - Data
  - UI
  - …
- EquipmentSystem
  - …
- …
GAS
- Abilities
- Effects
- Cues
- …
Data
- Core
  - AssetManager
- …
Utility
- …
Objects
- …
WorldObjects
- …

Structure the header and source file using #pragma region SomeCategory and /*-------[…]SomeSubCategory[…]-------*/ to make navigation faster, and easy collapse/uncollapse example :

#pragma region Properties
 
protected:
	/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Base job info
	----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
	bool bJobIsFinished = false;
	FGameplayTag CurrentJobGT;
 
	/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Location
	----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
	FGameplayTag CurrentJobLocationGT;
 
	UPROPERTY(ReplicatedUsing=OnRep_JobLocationVolume)
	AJobLocationVolume* CurrentJobLocationVolume = nullptr;
 
	/* Job locations where the player can go into */
	UPROPERTY(BlueprintReadOnly)
	TArray<FGameplayTag> JobLocationsAccess;
 
#pragma endregion
 
 
#pragma region Defaults
public:
	APGPlayerCoreCharacter(const FObjectInitializer& ObjectInitializer);
	virtual void Tick(float DeltaTime) override;
protected:
	virtual void PostInitializeComponents() override;
	virtual void BeginPlay() override;
	virtual void PossessedBy(AController* NewController) override;
	virtual void SetupPlayerInputComponent(class UInputComponent* PlayerInputComponent) override;
#pragma endregion
 
 
#pragma region Interfaces
   // Implemented interfaces methods
#pragma endregion
 
// Other needed categories ...

Readability

Design systems before writing code (using for example excalidraw)
Comment functions, variable and logic inside functions bodies so any dev can understand the code at first glance.
Comment if on server/client/local if not in the name (see RPC naming convetion)
Make a variable const if not meant to be modified

We work with and for designers

Add Tooltips of exposed variables and events for designers
Beware of the Visible specifiers on UPROPERTY to avoid unexpected flooding
Usage of IsDataValid() for BP compilation for sanity assurance
Use Categories meta specifier to help selection of GameplayTags
For any functions that needs to be exposed to designers, create a custom function:
- if its a class node:
  - The function is prefixed with K2_ (ex: K2_GetSomeThing)
  - Set a specific display name for the function (ex: “Get Something”) to hide the prefix and make it more readable
- if its a custom K2 node, check UK2Node class
Use UDeveloperSettings to make project-wide settings, easier to define and change than using an Actor/Data Asset/Components/… in most cases
- Example of a Inventory System Settings:

VCS

Ideally use perforce for BP and asset locking and safety
- Perforce training: https://training.perforce.com/learn
Commit per feature change and not a bunch

Code checks

Use asserts to check conditions that should never happen.

Miscs

Collisions Management
- Have a authorative documentation for collision channels and profiles (Example)
- Always use profiles

For Designers

Naming convention (Asset & blueprint prefixs)

Blueprints (prefix ends with BP_):
- Actor: ABP_
- Actor Component: ACBP_
- Scene Component: SCBP_
- Pawn: PBP_
- Character: CBP_
- Game Instance: GIBP_
- Game Mode: GMBP_
- Game State: GSBP_
- Player State: PSBP_
- Player Controller: PCBP_
- HUD: HUDBP_
- Widget: WBP_
- Gameplay Abilities: GABP_
- Gameplay Effects: GEBP_
- Gameplay Cues: GCBP_
Other Assets:
- Level: L_
- Static mesh: SM_
- Material: M_
- Material Instance: MI_
- Input Mapping Context: IMC_
- Input Action: IA_
- Data assets: DA_

Readability

Comment nodes and groups of nodes so anyone can understand the code at first glance

For Designers and devs

Naming convention

Define early how we structure the editor folders (the structure has a lot of similarities with the source code structure):
- Content
  - <ProjectName>
    - Game
      - Core
        
        …
      - Possessed
        
        …
      - Systems
        
        …
      - UI
        
        …
      - Assets
        
        …
      - …
    - Levels
      - …

Misc

Set an empty level as the startup map to gain in iteration when launching the project.

hzFishy's Game Dev Notes

Explorer

Working as a team in Unreal Engine

For Devs

For new UE Devs

Project setup

Naming convention

Folder Structure

Readability

We work with and for designers

VCS

Code checks

Miscs

For Designers

Naming convention (Asset & blueprint prefixs)

Readability

For Designers and devs

Naming convention

Misc

Table of Contents

Explorer