SideScroller Demo in Unreal Engine 5.2

Just messing around with Unreal Engine and C++ to create a Mario-like game.
NOTE: 95% of the documentation in the classes was done with JetBrains AI Assistant.

Contributing / Collaborating

Installing Unreal Editor (Pre-req)

1. Download Epic Games Launcher from the inter-webs
2. Will have to sign up for an Epic Games account
3. download and install Unreal Engine via the Epic Games Launcher (for this project, UE 5.2.1 was used)

Getting Started

1. Clone the repo
2. Download IDE (Rider or VSCode)
3. Open the repo in the IDE
4. test build

Making Changes

1. Add changes to a branch other than main (good practice to add a task number in the branch title)
2. once tested and working, make a pull request to main (see flowchart above)

Compile the changes

Each time you want to test a change, the code must be compiled.

a. Compile the code (ctrl+alt+F11)
b. Use the little tetris-icon button at the bottom-right in unreal editor

Testing

Testing can be done one of three ways:

1. Run it in the Editor

1. crank up UE5 and direct it to the project
2. Hit the little play button to run the game

2. Package it

in editor:

using the packaging selections (development for quick packing) in UE (Unreal Editor), choose the proper platform for your dev machine.

from powershell command line:

without compile

F:\UE_5.2\Engine\Build\BatchFiles\RunUAT.bat BuildCookRun -project="C:\Users\A-A-Ron\git\SideScroller\SideScroller.uproject" -noP4 -platform=Win64 -clientconfig=Development -serverconfig=Development -cook -allmaps -NoCompile -stage -pak -archive -archivedirectory="C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller"

with compile

F:\UE_5.2\Engine\Build\BatchFiles\RunUAT.bat BuildCookRun -project="C:\Users\A-A-Ron\git\SideScroller\SideScroller.uproject" -noP4 -platform=Win64 -clientconfig=Development -serverconfig=Development -cook -allmaps -build -stage -pak -archive -archivedirectory="C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller"

Run packaged game from powershell (3 player game)

copy package to 2 more locations (may have to create the sidescroller1 and sidescroller2 locations)

cp -R C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller\Windows C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller1\;
cp -R C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller\Windows C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller2\;

run all three executables

C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller\Windows\SideScroller.exe;
C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller1\Windows\SideScroller.exe;
C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller2\Windows\SideScroller.exe;

remove the packaged game files from all three locations

rmdir C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller\Windows;
rmdir C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller1\Windows;
rmdir C:\Users\A-A-Ron\Desktop\Games\sidescroller2\Windows;

3. Run it from command line

example commands:

WINDOWS (PowerShell)

& F:\UE_5.2\Engine\Binaries\Win64\UnrealEditor.exe C:\Users\A-A-Ron\git\SideScroller\SideScroller.uproject /Game/Maps/Map_MainMenu -game -log -v -windowed resx=1280 resy=720

MacOS (Terminal)

"/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.2/Engine/Binaries/Mac/UnrealEditor.app/Contents/MacOS/UnrealEditor" $HOME/git/SideScroller/SideScroller.uproject  /Game/Maps/Map_MainMenu -game -log -v -windowed resx=1280 resy=720 &

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Cleaning up references and moves in the editor

useful when trying to rename a BP and unreal tells you "there is already a BP with that name", but you know there isn't anymore
See the following link: https://docs.unrealengine.com/4.26/en-US/ProductionPipelines/Redirectors/

& F:\UE_5.2\Engine\Binaries\Win64\UnrealEditor.exe C:\Users\A-A-Ron\git\SideScroller\SideScroller.uproject -run=ResavePackages -fixupredirects -autocheckout -projectonly -unattended

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Crash Reports (this has the potential to save you hours [if not days]!!)

If unreal crashes and it isn't apparent as to why, the quickest way to troubleshoot is...

1. go to the following directory (or similar)
   %LocalAppData%\UnrealEngine\5.2\Saved\Crashes
2. sort by date
3. look for the folder with a date nearest the crash time
4. read the last entries in the *.log file

Flowchart for collaborating

flowchart TD;
    A[Start] --> B[Make change in your non-main branch]
    B --> Z[Test the change]
    Z --> C{Does it work?}
    C -->|No| B
    C -->|Yes| D[Check it in]
    D --> E[Create Pull Request]
    E --> F[End]

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Asset Pack used

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YFvWsiDKBotM7sMRIEvBJmszVkTc90zK/view