How to Shoot a Projectile in Unreal Engine 5

Introduction

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create a simple projectile system in Unreal Engine 5. This system will allow you to spawn and control projectiles, such as bullets, that can interact with the environment. By following these steps, you'll enhance your game's functionality and create engaging gameplay.

Step 1: Create a New Blueprint Class

• Open Unreal Engine 5.
• Navigate to the Content Browser.
• Right-click and select Blueprint Class.
• Choose Actor as the class type.
• Name it BP_Projectile.

Step 2: Add Components to the Projectile

• Open the BP_Projectile blueprint.
• In the Components panel, add a Sphere component. This will represent the visual appearance of the projectile.
• Optionally, change the sphere to a different static mesh if you have a bullet model.
• Add a Projectile Movement component. This built-in component will handle the projectile's movement dynamics.

Configure Projectile Movement

• In the Details panel of the Projectile Movement component, set:
  • Initial Speed to 3000.
  • Max Speed to 3500.
• You can further customize options such as friction and bounciness, but these are not mandatory for a basic setup.

Step 3: Set Up the Character Blueprint for Firing

• Open your character's blueprint (e.g., ThirdPersonCharacter).
• In the Event Graph, find the section where input events are handled.
• Use the Left Mouse Button event to trigger the projectile spawn.

Spawn the Projectile

• Use the Spawn Actor from Class node.
• Select BP_Projectile as the class to spawn.
• To define the spawn location:
  • Add an Arrow Component to the character blueprint. Position it where you want the projectile to spawn.
  • Use the Get World Transform node from the Arrow component and connect it to the Spawn Location input on the spawn node.
• Check the box for Spawn Ignore Collisions to ensure the projectile spawns without being obstructed.

Step 4: Adjust Projectile Scale

• Back in the BP_Projectile blueprint, set the scale of the sphere to a smaller size (e.g., 0.05 for each axis) to make it resemble a bullet.
• Compile and save the blueprint.

Step 5: Configure Collision and Bouncing

• Ensure the sphere has collision enabled (set to Block All Dynamic).
• In the Projectile Movement component, enable Should Bounce so that the projectiles can interact with the environment.

Step 6: Handle Projectile Hit Events

• In the BP_Projectile blueprint, add an On Component Hit event for the sphere.
• From the Other Actor pin, use the Destroy Actor node to remove the projectile upon impact.
• To prevent destroying the player character, add a Cast To ThirdPersonCharacter node to check if the hit actor is the player. If not, proceed to destroy the hit actor.

Conclusion

You've successfully created a simple projectile system in Unreal Engine 5! Your projectiles can now be spawned, can collide with objects, and will interact correctly with the environment. Experiment with different values for speed and scale to customize the behavior further. For additional improvements, consider adding effects or sounds when projectiles hit targets. Happy developing!