While the Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) programming environment has gained popularity due to its powerful and versatile graphic engine, it can offer a steep learning curve, especially for those not familiar with the languages it operates with. One significant language is C++. For instance, a common yet useful feature is to print to screen, which can be extremely helpful for debugging purposes. This article will guide you through the steps needed to output on the screen using the power of C++ language in Unreal Engine 4.
To incorporate the print to screen functionality, C++ has provided a standard library – iomanip for formatted input/output operations. Specifically, the ‘std::cout’ is frequently used for outputing text to the console.
The Solution
The solution to this problem involves using the following function in UE4 C++: GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(). This function takes three parameters: the key to identify the message, the time the message will last, and the color of the message.
void AYourActor::YourMethod()
{
GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(-1, 5.f, FColor::Red, TEXT(“Your Message Here”));
}
In the code above, -1 indicates that the engine should not update or delete the displayed text. 5.f sets the display time to five seconds. FColor::Red sets the color to red. You can replace “Your Message Here” with your custom message.
Explaining the Code Step-by-Step
At the heart of the printing to the screen in Unreal Engine 4 is the GEngine object. This object, which represents the game’s engine, contains several important functions including AddOnScreenDebugMessage.
GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(-1, 5.f, FColor::Red, TEXT(“Your Message Here”));
- The ‘-1’ is a key value, allowing for control over the lifespan of specific messages.
- ‘5.f’ is the time in seconds that the message will remain on screen. In this case, 5 seconds.
- ‘FColor::Red’ gives the color of the printed message, Red in this instance.
- Finally, ‘TEXT(“Your Message Here”)’ is your custom message for display.
Ongoing Learning and Exploration
Unreal Engine 4 in combination with C++ offers programmers a high degree of control over their game development projects. Understanding the code and how to make use of in-built libraries can significantly boost development efficiency.
One recommendation for further learning would be to experiment with different parameters for the AddOnScreenDebugMessage function, in order to understand its flexibility and other potential uses beyond debugging.
Another key area of further exploration could be understanding other functions and capabilities of the GEngine object in UE4. This offers a wide range of control over the game engine, and learning how to leverage these functions can open up vast avenues for game development.
Remember to keep practicing and exploring the full range of possibilities that UE4 and C++ combined offers. The more you work with it, the more comfortable and familiar you’ll become, enhancing your skill set and proficiency in game development.
