Implementing custom code to existing code in Unreal

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to implement custom Unreal Engine blueprint codes into already existing code and make them work together without breaking the existing code. This method can be used to expand an existing project into a more complex one, adding extra components and functionalities to it. The research questions were commissioned by HAMK Smart Research Unit (these days HAMK Tech) for a co-funded EU project called “From intelligence to new sustainable design, fashion, competence and business”. They are based on the development of the “Tree of Happiness” part of the “Virtual Häme – Muodin Muuttuva Maisema//Häme Virtual – The Changing Landscape of Fashion” VR project. This paper answers the questions regarding the addition of blueprint codes to existing ones during the development of the project, which is a Virtual Reality fashion and art exhibition made in Unreal Engine 5. The thesis demonstrates the use of blueprint codes and functions inside the project, and how the “Tree of Happiness” part of the project was created by using and modifying existing codes and functions from the project, without breaking the already implemented functionalities. The VR Exhibition allows the player to use a VR Headset and controllers to navigate inside the VR environment, being able to interact with different types of objects, such as art paintings and UI descriptions, a hearing device, clothes and in the case of the “Tree of Happiness”, interacting with leaves and customized UI displays and buttons. The questions are shown in the introduction of the thesis and are answered in more detail in the theoretical and practical parts of this thesis. In order to achieve the objective of this thesis, we need to have a good understanding of Unreal Engine 5, Unreal Engine project templates, what are blueprints and how they work. Although this thesis will cover all the important codes involved in the creating of the new functionalities in the theoretical part of this thesis, this thesis is mostly practical, since creating blueprint codes involve a lot of “trial and error”, and all the blueprint codes are written and tested in real-time when developing this project. The conclusion of the thesis is that the developer can add new components and functionalities to the virtual environment without breaking the existing codes.