Unreal Engine 5 - Character Interactions #6 - Carrying Boxes

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will implement a box carrying mechanism in Unreal Engine 5. This feature allows players to approach a box, pick it up by pressing the "E" key, carry it around, and drop it wherever they choose. We will also create a carrying animation and set up a layered animation system to integrate upper body animations while carrying the box.

Step 1: Setting Up the Box Interaction

1. Create a Box Actor:

   • In your Unreal Engine project, create a new actor for the box.
   • Add a static mesh component to represent the box visually.

2. Configure Collision:

   • Ensure the box has an appropriate collision setup to detect player interactions.
   • Set the collision settings to overlap with the player's character.

3. Implement Interaction Logic:

   • In the box actor's blueprint, add an event to respond to player overlap.
   • Use the "E" key input to trigger the pick-up action.

Event Begin Overlap -> Cast to Player Character -> Input Key (E) -> Pick Up Box

Step 2: Creating the Pick-Up Mechanism

1. Define Pick-Up Logic:

   • Create variables to track whether the box is picked up or not.
   • When the player presses "E", check if the box is not already picked up.

2. Attach Box to Player:

   • If the box is picked up, attach it to the player character's socket (e.g., hand socket).

Set Actor Location and Rotation (to Player's Hand Socket)

3. Update Player Animation:
   • Trigger the carrying animation when the box is picked up.
   • Use the animation blueprint to manage the transition between idle and carrying animations.

Step 3: Enabling Movement with the Box

1. Implement Movement Logic:

   • Adjust the player movement controls to account for the box.
   • Ensure the player can still move while carrying the box without issues.

2. Drop the Box:

   • Allow the player to drop the box by pressing the "E" key again.
   • On drop, detach the box from the player and reset its position and rotation.

Detach Actor from Player -> Reset Location and Rotation

Step 4: Creating the Carrying Animation

1. Import Animation Assets:

   • Import the carrying animation into your project.
   • Ensure the animation matches the character's rig.

2. Set Up Animation Blueprint:

   • Create a blend space or state machine to manage character states (idle, walking, carrying).
   • Integrate the carrying animation into the animation blueprint.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we successfully implemented a box carrying mechanism in Unreal Engine 5, enabling players to pick up, carry, and drop boxes with integrated animations. The next steps could include enhancing the interaction system further, adding different box types, or refining the animation transitions. Happy developing!