📘Weapon Blueprint

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Overview

Every weapon consists of two important parts:

1. Weapon Settings data asset: contains data (e.g. animations, weapon mesh).
2. Weapon Base blueprint: executes gameplay logic (e.g. firing, reloading).

Here is how the weapon spawning logic works:

1. Iterate over the TArray of Weapon Settings provided by the Character Settings.
2. Instatiate a Weapon Blueprint specified in the Weapon Settings.
3. Update the Weapon Settings variable of the newly instantiated weapon.

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Weapon Settings

This data asset consists of 2 major categories:

• Animation: properties related to the character and weapon animation.
• Gameplay: properties related to the weapon features (e.g. fire rate, ammo, etc.).

1. UE4 and UE5 represent Viewmodel Settings for different Mannequin meshes.
2. Weapon Anims: weapon animations Viewmodel Animations.
3. Weapon Mesh: Skeletal Mesh of this weapon.
4. Weapon Anim Instance: weapon animation blueprint.
5. Ads Blend: blend between absolute and additive aiming.
6. Recoil Settings: recoil animation settings.
7. Sprint Trigger Discipline: whether to use trigger safety when sprinting.
8. Fire Trigger Weight: weight of the finger rotation when firing.

Now let’s break down the Gameplay category:

1. Ammo: ammo capacity of this weapon.
2. Ammo Refil Time Scale: ammo will be refilled when the reload ends, but this time can be adjusted with this multiplier.
3. Fire Mode: supported fire modes.
4. Fire Rate: fire rate in rounds per minute.
5. Weapon Class: Weapon Base blueprint class.
6. Recoil Shake: camera shake asset.
7. Fire Sound: this sound cue will be played when firing.

Now let’s learn more about the weapon blueprints.

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Weapon Blueprint

Weapons must have a runtime entity to run its logic like reloads or firing. This logic is implemented in blueprints derived from the Weapon Base class: These blueprints use different implementations for reloading animations, other gameplay features are the same.

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Equipping

When a weapon is equipped, it binds its functions to the BP_Viewmodel Dispatchers. So, when an input is triggered, a weapon function will be invoked:

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Reloading

When a reloading function is called, the Weapon Base will play a reloading animation based on the left ammunition:

1. If there is no ammo, an empty reload will be played.
2. If there is some ammo left, a tactical reload will be played.

Some weapons have exceptions, however. For example, manually reloaded KXG12 and Kar98k follow this algorithm**:**

1. Play reload start animation.
2. Play reload loop based on how many cartridges need to be inserted.
3. Play reload stop to finalize the reload.

MGX5 is a machine gun, it has 3 reloading animations:

1. Empty reload.
2. Tactical reload.
3. Less reload, when we have some guntape cartridges left.

All other weapons use general reloading logic.

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Now that we are familiar with the gameplay logic, it is time to understand how animations work in the project.