BP_UMComponent

The UMComponent is the most important part of Universal Monster as it is what lets the UM system know that a particular character will be using the UM system.

Add the BP_UMComponent to your Character

Click Add Component and search for UMComponent

Select the BP_UMComponent

Next, you will need to select the UMComponent you just added to your character

Configure the BP_UMComponent

Animations

Your monster will more than likely have at least one hit reaction animation and one death animation

Hit Reaction Animations

Universal Monster allows for unlimited types of hit reactions. You will be able to customize how hard the monster was hit by choosing the hit reaction type. You can add animations for all the hit reaction types and you can even customize the Enum to add more types. You will be able to play different animations based on the monster's current movement state as well. Once again, you can utilize all the movement states and even add more movement states to the Enum. Every combination of hit reaction types and movement state can also have unlimited hit reaction animations, just keep adding as many as you need.

To add a hit reaction type, click the +

You will need to choose the type of hit reaction, this should never be left as None and you should use Light if unsure

Click the arrow to show more settings

To add a hit reaction animation, click the +

Animation Settings

Death Animations

Universal Monster allows for unlimited death animations. You will be able to play different death animations based on the monster's current movement state. You can utilize all the movement states and even add more movement states to the Enum. Every movement state can also have unlimited death animations, just keep adding as many as you need. The death animation for the movement state is chosen at random.

To add a death animation, click the +

Animation Settings

Behavior

Your monster will need to have behaviors setup so that it behaves exactly how and when you want them to

Perception Settings

Note: Requires Perception Extension plugin.

Sight Range: Adjusts the Sight Config's Sight Radius in the AI Perception Component. Lose Sight Range: Adjusts the Sight Config's Sight Radius in the AI Perception Component. Vision Angle: Adjusts the Sight Config's Peripheral Vision Half Angle Degrees in the AI Perception Component. This value represents the whole angle, so a value of 120 will set the Peripheral Vision Half Angle Degrees to 60. Hearing Range: Adjusts the Hearing Config's Hearing Range in the AI Perception Component.

To setup Perception Extension for Universal Monster, you will need to add the following functions

Behavior Settings

Character BT: The behavior tree the AI will use. Starting Behavior: The index of the Routine Behavior to use first, randomly chosen from the array. Starting Task: The index of the Task in the chosen Starting Behavior to use first, randomly chosen from the array. Routine Behaviors: The behavior to use when the AI has no target and is not in combat. Stimuli Behaviors: The behavior to use when the AI Perception Component sets a new target. Combat Behaviors: The behavior to use when the AI has a target and is in combat. Faction: The faction of this AI. Stimuli: Set of conditions to determine when the AI Perception Component should set a new target.

Behavior SystemFaction System

Combat

If your AI can attack or die, you will need to configure the Combat settings

Attacks: An array of attacks the AI will be using when in combat. Weapon Mesh to Hit Box: Map that determines the size and location of a weapon hit box based on the mesh of the weapon. Despawn Time: The amount of time before the body is removed upon death. Remove Collision: Whether or not to remove collision upon death. Remove Body: Whether or not to remove the body upon death. Time of removal is determined by Despawn Time. Should Ragdoll: Whether or not the AI should use ragdoll instead of death animations. If no death animations exist, the AI will default to using ragdoll even when this is false. Ragdoll Bone: The bone to use as the base for the ragdoll state. This should be set to the first child bone of your skeleton's root bone, which is usually the pelvis bone. Name is case-sensitive. Ragdoll Sound: The sound to be played when the AI enters ragdoll state. Melee Recoil (EXPERIMENTAL): Whether or not the melee attack should obey physics upon hit and recoil after hitting a physical object. For example, a punch will stop when hand hits a wall and the hand will bounce off the wall. Recoil Time: Time in which the bone(s) simulate physics for the melee recoil. Notify to Recoil Bone: Map that determines which bone to use as the base for simulating physics based on the animation notify name used for the attack. For example, RightHand notify is used for a right hand punch and this is mapped to upperarm_r so the entire arm simulates physics upon impact.

Combat System

Movement

Settings to determine how your AI will move

Max Walk Speed: The speed at which this AI moves. Spline Path: If the AI has a path, they will follow the spline. Current Spline Index: The current point along the spline the AI is travelling to. Spline Reversed: Whether or not the AI is moving in the reverse direction of the spline.

Formations

The formation settings to use when this AI has a group

Group: The current actors that will be following this AI. Formation: The formation settings of this AI when they have a group.

Group Formations

Debug

A few options to help you debug any AI issues you might encounter

Enable Debugging: Turns on debugging print strings and shows hit boxes as well as their traces. Enable Debug Log: Includes print strings in your log files when enabled.