diff --git a/content/programming/unreal-engine.tree b/content/programming/unreal-engine.tree index 91f53be..226935f 100644 --- a/content/programming/unreal-engine.tree +++ b/content/programming/unreal-engine.tree @@ -36,81 +36,80 @@ I had no reason to revisit it since so I simply don't know if it's any better now, but if it is, [let's chat][branch:hello]!) % id = "01H8Y0CKD1G06CG62XWZ02JREC" - + writing Blueprints is actually pretty darn nice and there's a lot to learn from the editor UX + + writing Blueprints is actually pretty darn nice and there's a lot to learn from the editor UX and basic refactoring tools % id = "01H8Y0CKD1G86TY8AF6Z2SQ85P" - - I say this mainly with regards to writing new nodes. it's as simple as dragging your mouse out of a pin, and a window will pop up giving you suggestions on what could be connected there + + when you drag your mouse out of a pin, and a window will pop up giving you suggestions on what could be connected there - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1P9SNK3TV967M705C" - - then you select from the list and it creates the node, autoconnecting stuff as necessary + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1P9SNK3TV967M705C" + + then you select from the list and it creates the node, autoconnecting stuff as necessary - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1PQS2J2WB22ASZY17" - - one of the nicer autoconnections it can do is when you want to call a function on an actor component + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1PQS2J2WB22ASZY17" + - one of the nicer autoconnections it can do is when you want to call a function on an actor component - % id = "01H8Y0CKD16PFNWJ6EAARHA7BD" - - instance functions require you to pass in a `self` to call the function on + % id = "01H8Y0CKD16PFNWJ6EAARHA7BD" + - instance functions require you to pass in a `self` to call the function on - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1FVPCA5NBY5KK1F5X" - - so what it does is it suggests functions to call on all the _concrete components - you already have in your actor_, and when you select something like `Destroy Component (DefaultSceneRoot)`, - it'll not only create a function call node, but also hook up `DefaultSceneRoot` as its `self` parameter + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1FVPCA5NBY5KK1F5X" + - so what it does is it suggests functions to call on all the _concrete components + you already have in your actor_, and when you select something like `Destroy Component (DefaultSceneRoot)`, + it'll not only create a function call node, but also hook up `DefaultSceneRoot` as its `self` parameter % id = "01H8Y0CKD1KM42PKVSGB4QASG3" - + another cool thing that happens with nodes (or pins rather) is when you try to connect two pins of incompatible types + + when you try to connect two pins of incompatible types, it'll automatically insert a conversion node for you % id = "01H8Y0CKD1NES5RBGVTPRH3F0Q" - - Blueprint is strongly typed so you can't just pass in a `Float` where a `String` is expected + - Blueprint is strongly typed so you can't just pass in a `Float` where a `String` is expected, but luckily this makes the system way less painful - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1VVMB8RVECVGZP0V2" - - but instead of having you explicitly type out "o dear Blueprint I would like to convert this `Float` to a `String`", you can just join the two pins together and it'll insert a - conversion node for you automatically + % id = "01H8Y0CKD10GQBNNP0RBJEWKW4" + - I do have a gripe with this though and it's where it places the node. it tries very hard to center it but unfortunately never succeeds. - % id = "01H8Y0CKD10GQBNNP0RBJEWKW4" - - I do have a gripe with this though and it's where it places the node. it tries very hard to center it but unfortunately never succeeds. perhaps a bug I could fix one day? + % id = "01H987QXFE445XNN5YDS2FYR5F" + + perhaps a bug I could fix one day? - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1G3PV1NMWV590H6Y3" - + in the end most of the time writing Blueprints is very ergonomic + % id = "01H987QXFEYSE260S996BE84DV" + - from [Oskar Kogut](https://github.com/kretoskar): if you change a `BlueprintCallable` function to `const` (or otherwise make it pure,) the editor will automatically correct the `Exec` pin flow for you - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1C5TJXXD40B99WQ3C" - + except when it isn't because Blueprint is still an imperative language and has a concept similar to statements (`Exec` pins), which breaks the entire idea of pure data flow and - introduces control flow into the mix + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1C5TJXXD40B99WQ3C" + + the design of Blueprint the Language is pretty dated - it is still an imperative language and has a concept similar to statements (`Exec` pins), which breaks the entire idea of pure data + flow and introduces control flow into the mix - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1J2P2HZ507YBSNVKK" - - this split is called _pure_ and _impure_ nodes, where impure nodes are those that perform control flow (ie. those with `Exec` pins) + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1J2P2HZ507YBSNVKK" + - this split is called _pure_ and _impure_ nodes, where impure nodes are those that perform control flow (ie. those with `Exec` pins) - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1P5JQCGHEY405KKPH" - - this results in weird edge cases like needing two separate node types to handle branching (one that can have side effects - `Branch`, and another that can't - `Select`) + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1P5JQCGHEY405KKPH" + + this results in weird edge cases like needing two separate node types to handle branching (one that can have side effects - `Branch`, and another that can't - `Select`) - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1EGWTQYHT2WYQSZY5" - - `Branch` is used to shuttle control flow between two `Exec` lines, based on a `Bool`. you get a `True` branch and a `False` branch + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1EGWTQYHT2WYQSZY5" + - `Branch` is used to shuttle control flow between two `Exec` lines, based on a `Bool`. you get a `True` branch and a `False` branch - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1WFEWNYPZWGCH3N7X" - - and `Select` is used to choose a value based on another value, kind of like a ternary in C++ + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1WFEWNYPZWGCH3N7X" + + and `Select` is used to choose a value based on another value, kind of like a ternary in C++ - % id = "01H8Y0CKD156C0ZAXK7JS9W81D" - - however it is quite annoying because you can only switch on enums (and other stuff that has a finite set of values,) whereas with `Branch` you can use any `Bool` condition you want + % id = "01H8Y0CKD156C0ZAXK7JS9W81D" + - however it is quite annoying because you can only switch on enums (and other stuff that has a finite set of values,) whereas with `Branch` you can use any `Bool` condition you want - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1YP7Q3HVJJZNJAJKG" - - this would be fine if not for the existence of Gameplay Tags, which precisely _do not_ have a finite set of values + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1YP7Q3HVJJZNJAJKG" + + this would be fine if not for the existence of Gameplay Tags, which precisely _do not_ have a finite set of values - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1P7D9QMPVQYWSDFT5" - - there is a `Switch on Gameplay Tag` node, but that is for control flow and not data flow! + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1P7D9QMPVQYWSDFT5" + - there is a `Switch on Gameplay Tag` node, but that is for control flow and not data flow! - % id = "01H8Y0CKD126918N282MNBXD2C" - - this isn't an unsolvable problem but it illustrates the pure vs impure issue pretty well - you'd have to duplicate the implementation of `Switch on Gameplay Tag` to have - a version without an `Exec` pin + % id = "01H8Y0CKD126918N282MNBXD2C" + - this isn't an unsolvable problem but it illustrates the pure vs impure issue pretty well - you'd have to duplicate the implementation of `Switch on Gameplay Tag` to have + a version without an `Exec` pin - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1N37WTCY66CM7R198" - + in fact I'm seeing a bit of a semblance to the classic [function coloring problem][def:article/function_coloring] + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1N37WTCY66CM7R198" + + I'm seeing a bit of a semblance to the classic [function coloring problem][def:article/function_coloring] - % id = "01H8Y0CKD19JMY87YY50M3RCQF" - + except where it usually applies to the `async` concept found in most modern programming languages, here it applies to the concept of control flow vs data flow + % id = "01H8Y0CKD19JMY87YY50M3RCQF" + + except where it usually applies to the `async` concept found in most modern programming languages, here it applies to the concept of control flow vs data flow - % id = "01H8Y0CKD1Q8RXXK3KE4F4XAFF" - - and speaking of `async`, [Blueprint handles the classic `async` problem very gracefully][branch:01H8Y0CKD106HXQAJK87XV0H93]! + % id = "01H8Y0CKD1Q8RXXK3KE4F4XAFF" + - and speaking of `async`, [Blueprint handles the classic `async` problem very gracefully][branch:01H8Y0CKD106HXQAJK87XV0H93]! % id = "01H8Y0CKD106HXQAJK87XV0H93" - + did I mention how well Blueprints handle latent tasks? + + despite its flaws, one of Blueprint's strengths is asynchronous and latent tasks % id = "01H8Y427B03JNPTWW025ES176K" - since control flow is based on those `Exec` pins, you can easily map your classic concept of callbacks to simply firing off the appropriate `Exec` pin @@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ - which is annoying but not terrible, since most of that latent, high level gameplay logic happens inside the main event graph anyways % id = "01H8Y96DGCWWTAP5X8ZYPCJZQC" - + that isn't to say the editor UI is perfect + + the editor UI, despite [being helpful as it is][branch:01H8Y0CKD1G06CG62XWZ02JREC], is far from perfect % id = "01H8Y96DGCRP0W6YWJ3PYJ2GES" - it's actually quite janky and there tend to be brief flashes of content falling into place @@ -137,16 +136,16 @@ - this is true of other parts of the Unreal editor UI but I'll focus on Blueprint here % id = "01H8Y96DGDDRA8DD6PRGDCF8GP" - + the annoying thing is that node UIs are laid out lazily, by default using an algorithm that does not produce precise results for pin locations + + node UIs are laid out lazily, by default using an algorithm that does not produce precise results for pin locations % id = "01H8Y96DGDT0Y23G86HEKNWF4H" - which means that when you first load a Blueprint, some of the wires will be bent in weird ways, and will fall into place as you zoom out and explore the graph more - % id = "01H8Y96DGDCEF6FEQWGX2BQ6AH" - - the effect looks quite janky and really upsets my inner perfectionist + % id = "01H8Y96DGDCEF6FEQWGX2BQ6AH" + - the effect looks quite janky and really upsets my inner perfectionist % id = "01H8Y96DGDJG41P3XTFE8F4Y1M" - + another annoyance I have is that as you zoom out, the nodes start looking just a little bit differently due to font sizes being snapped to integers. + + as you zoom out, the nodes start looking just a little bit different due to font sizes being snapped to integers % id = "01H8Y96DGDRCBKWBXC7AXZV43E" - at very low zoom levels, nodes stop rendering their text altogether, which makes their layout shift even more. @@ -164,7 +163,7 @@ - so what'll happen with it sometimes is you'll straighten a connection, then zoom in, and the connection won't be quite straight because of the aforementioned layout shift % id = "01H8Y0CKD1103FHF332M2Q4MG7" - + maintaining Blueprints in a large project though could be a lot better + + maintaining Blueprints in a large project could be a lot better % id = "01H8Y0CKD1PPEPX8EEFRAM2VE1" + with regards to your graphs becoming really large @@ -173,10 +172,10 @@ - everybody kinda sorta just formats nodes however they see fit, and there is no unified autoformatter % id = "01H8Y0CKD1VRVNMZ827RF7XBCA" - - there's a reason people say Go's tooling is frickin' amazing, you know + - there's a reason people say Go's tooling is frickin' amazing, you know. it keeps codebases consistent! % id = "01H8Y0CKD1980VGHFBYGM8PN3E" - + this results in what we Hat in Time modders used to call _Kismetti_ in the Unreal Engine 3 days but now we'd call _Blueprintti_ + + this results in what we Hat in Time modders used to call _Kismetti_ in the Unreal Engine 3 days but nowadays we'd call _Blueprintti_ % id = "01H8Y0CKD179SBZ58F5JMDC5F3" + which is a portmanteau of Blueprint and spaghetti. @@ -203,7 +202,7 @@ - and not asynchronously in the background, you will have to _wait_ for it to finish loading. which is pretty annoying % id = "01H8Y0CKD16HEQKQX1NJG9GG42" - + and the runtime performance isn't the best for a few reasons + + the runtime performance isn't the best for a few reasons % id = "01H8Y427B1ZKJA16V17NG80QHS" - the VM isn't implemented in the most optimal way @@ -221,7 +220,7 @@ - and it's not hard to extract the performance sensitive parts to C++ because Blueprint offers tools for refactoring your code % id = "01H8YT7R15MFW3RRQAF8CM4EP6" - - but that doesn't prevent me from liking it! + - but all that doesn't prevent me from liking it! % id = "01H8YT7R15ZJWBY0TN6F6HN95Y" - since it's way more pleasant to write game logic in than C++, given that you don't need to wait a minute for your code to recompile.