Targeting System Setup

Follow these steps to integrate the Advanced Targeting System into a new Unreal Engine 5 project. These steps are necessary for custom setups, as the system is pre-configured in the default project included with Advanced ARPG Combat.

1. Prerequisites:

   • Unreal Engine 5.3 or later.
   • A pawn (e.g., player character) to host the targeting component.
   • The default targetable actor (e.g., an enemy with BP_TargetingInterface) or custom targetable actors in the project.

2. Add the Targeting Component:

   • Open the Blueprint of the pawn that will perform targeting (e.g., player character).
   • In the Components panel, click Add Component and select BP_TargetingComponent.
   • Select the BP_TargetingComponent in the Details panel and configure properties as needed:
     • Targeting Distance: Set the maximum distance for valid targets.
     • Rotation Interp Speed: Control how quickly the pawn rotates to face the target.
     • Targeting Object Types: Ensure Pawn is included (default).
     • bAutoSelectNextTarget: Enable to auto-select a new target if the current one becomes invalid.

3. Set Up Input Bindings Using Enhanced Input:

   • Create the following Input Action assets in the Content Browser (e.g., under Content/Input/Actions):
     • IA_ToggleLockOn (e.g., mapped to “T” key).
     • IA_SwitchTargetRight (e.g., mapped to “E” key).
     • IA_SwitchTargetLeft (e.g., mapped to “Q” key).
   • In each Input Action asset, add the corresponding key mapping under Mappings.
   • In Project Settings > Engine > Input, under Bindings, assign the Input Actions.
   • Ensure the project uses the Enhanced Input System:
     • In Project Settings > Game > Default Classes, set the Default Pawn Class to use a Blueprint with an Enhanced Input Component (or add it to your pawn).
     • In Project Settings > Input > Default Input Component Class, select EnhancedInputComponent.
   • In the pawn’s Blueprint:
     • Create an Input Mapping Context asset (e.g., IMC_Targeting in Content/Input).
     • Map IA_ToggleLockOn, IA_SwitchTargetRight, and IA_SwitchTargetLeft to the IMC_Targeting context in the Input Mapping Context asset.
     • On Event BeginPlay, call Add Mapping Context (from the Player Controller) to apply IMC_Targeting.
     • Bind the Input Actions to functions:
       • Add Input Action nodes for IA_ToggleLockOn, IA_SwitchTargetRight, and IA_SwitchTargetLeft (using the Enhanced Input Component).
       • Connect the Triggered pins to call ToggleLockOn, Switch To Right, and Switch To Left on BP_TargetingComponent, respectively.

4. Modify Look Input:

   • In the pawn’s input handling (e.g., in the Blueprint graph), add a condition to disable look input (e.g., yaw/pitch) when BP_TargetingComponent’s IsTargeting property is true. Use an Input Action node for look input (e.g., IA_Look) and gate it with a branch checking IsTargeting.

5. Test with Default Targetable Actors:

   • Place a default targetable actor (e.g., an enemy Blueprint pre-configured with BP_TargetingInterface and a Widget Component for WBP_LockOn) in the level.
   • Ensure the actor’s collision settings respond to the Pawn object type (or other types specified in Targeting Object Types).
   • Playtest to ensure the system locks onto the actor, displays the WBP_LockOn widget, and allows target switching.

Troubleshooting:

• If the lock-on widget doesn’t appear, verify that the targetable actor has a Widget Component with the Widget Class set to WBP_LockOn and that On Target Selected sets its visibility.
• If targeting fails, check that Targeting Object Types in BP_TargetingComponent includes the relevant object types (e.g., Pawn) and that targetable actors implement BP_TargetingInterface.
• If inputs don’t work, ensure the IA_ToggleLockOn, IA_SwitchTargetRight, and IA_SwitchTargetLeft Input Actions are bound in the Input Mapping Context and that the Enhanced Input Component is set up correctly.
• If rotation feels jittery, adjust the Rotation Interp Speed property in BP_TargetingComponent.
• For custom targetable actors, see the “Creating a Custom Targetable Actor” subsection in the Usage Guide.