Blueprint Basics
Gameplay SystemsCreate and modify Blueprints: visual scripting, class hierarchy, event graphs, functions, variables, and component architecture.
/skill blueprint-basics What This Skill Does
Blueprint Basics helps you create and modify Unreal Engine Blueprints: the visual scripting system that powers gameplay logic without writing code. Whether you are building an interactive door, a pickup item, a game state manager, or a reusable health component, this skill guides you through choosing the right parent class, adding and configuring components, wiring event graph logic with branching and loops, defining variables and functions, and establishing communication between Blueprints using interfaces, event dispatchers, and casting.
Covers
- Blueprint class creation: Actor, Character, GameMode, Widget, Component, and Function Library
- Event Graph: event nodes, execution flow, branching, looping, and delays
- Variables: types, instance editability, replication flags, and categories
- Functions and macros: creation, inputs/outputs, pure vs. impure
- Component architecture: adding, configuring, and referencing components
- Blueprint communication: direct reference, interface, event dispatcher, and casting
- Construction Script for editor-time setup
- Common gameplay patterns: trigger volumes, timers, spawning, and input handling
Does Not Cover
- C++ integration with Blueprints → C++ Blueprint Bridge
- Material Blueprint graphs → Material Authoring
- Animation Blueprint details → Animation Playback
- Widget Blueprint UI → UMG Widget Basics
- Behavior Trees for AI → AI Navigation
How to Use
Invoke this skill in Claude Code:
/skill blueprint-basicsThis skill is also auto-detected when your prompt mentions Blueprint, visual scripting, event graph, nodes, variables, functions, or BP creation. AgentUX will automatically activate Blueprint Basics when it recognizes relevant context in your request.
Key Unreal Engine Concepts
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
Event BeginPlay | Fires once when an actor starts playing: used for initialization, finding references, and starting timers. |
Event Tick | Fires every frame: used for continuous checks and smooth movement, but should be guarded with conditions for performance. |
Blueprint Interface | Defines a set of functions that any Blueprint class can implement, enabling loose coupling and polymorphic communication. |
Event Dispatcher | Broadcasts events from one actor to any number of bound listeners, enabling one-to-many communication without direct references. |
ActorComponent | A reusable logic component that can be attached to any actor: ideal for systems like health, inventory, or interaction. |
Construction Script | Runs at editor time when an actor is placed or modified, allowing dynamic setup of components and visual configuration. |
Related Skills
sequencer-basics
Sequencer for cinematics: keyframing, camera cuts, and timelines
animation-playback
Animation playback, montages, and Animation Blueprint fundamentals
collision-setup
Collision primitives, channels, and overlap events for trigger detection
enhanced-input
Enhanced Input System for keyboard, gamepad, mouse, and touch input
What You'll Learn
- How to choose the right parent class for your Blueprint based on its purpose
- How to build event graph logic with branching, loops, delays, and timers
- How to define and expose variables for tuning gameplay parameters per-instance
- How to create reusable functions and components for clean, maintainable logic
- How to communicate between Blueprints using interfaces and event dispatchers
- Best practices for organizing Blueprint graphs and avoiding spaghetti wiring