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Tutorial 1: Getting Started

This tutorial will show you how to populate an Unreal map with Bitpart characters. You'll install the Bitpart Plugin then create a simple farm, blacksmith shop and tavern populating these spaces with five Bitpart archetypes: blacksmith, farmers, barkeep, bar patrons and townspeople.

Resources you'll need for this tutorial

  1. Bitpart Plugin for Unreal (Installed)

  2. Bitpart Archetypes Pack for Unreal (Installed)

  3. Tutorial Build

    1. The link above has the Tutorial build in a zip file as well as the instruction you'll need to follow to properly install it in your project.

  4. Debugging Common Issues

If you have questions that are not answered by our documentation, join our Discord server and post in #support.

Before you Begin

  1. Open your Unreal Project that has the Bitpart Plugin and Bitpart Archetypes installed. Download our Tutorials build — you can find the link in the resources above.

  2. Check to make sure you have Engine Content and Plugin Content turned on in the Content Browser. To do this, click the settings gear in the Content Browser and confirm that Engine Content and Plugin Content are toggled on.

  1. In the Content Browser, navigate to Content → Bitpart-Tutorial → Tutorial make a copy of the Tutorial Map and open your copy. This map already has a navigation mesh on it. If you are using a different map, make sure you've added a nav mesh before proceeding.

If you'd like to demo our functionality without going through the steps yourself, the TutorialMapReference (found under Content → Bitpart-Tutorial → Completed Tutorial Reference Map) showcases the first 4 tutorials.

Creating the Farm

  1. Choose a section of the map to setup as the Farm. In the Content Browser, navigate to Content → Bitpart-Tutorial → Tutorial → TutorialAssets → Props → Blueprints. This folder contains placeholder props that have been configured to work with Bitpart. Click and drag the farm field, the bucket, the bucket spot, the hoe, and the hoe hook into the scene.

  2. The bucket and the hoe are both props that begin positioned on other props—the bucket starts on the bucket spot and the hoe starts on the hoe hook. Let's snap both into place:

    1. Click on the hoe. In the Details panel select the BitpartProp component. This component allows you to specify which surface a prop should begin play on.

    2. Click the eye dropper next to the Initial Surface Actor field and select the hoe hook. You can also assign this in the drop down menu, if you prefer. The hoe should immediately snap into place.

    3. The Initial Surface Slot Name will then show you a drop-down of the different available slots on the Smart Object. In this case, there is only the default PutsDown, but on other props there may be several to choose from.

    4. Click on the bucket, open its BitpartProp component, and assign the bucket spot to the Initial Surface Actor. The Initial Surface Slot Name will be, once again, PutsDown.

  3. Add the Farmer Archetype.

    1. In the Content Browser, search for the BP_CastSpawner and drag it into the map. This is our reference spawner. It controls who will spawn into a given area of the map. Click on the Spawner and in the Outliner panel re-name it "Town Spawner."

    2. Search the Content Browser for the BP_BitpartTargetPoint, and drag it into the map. This asset is the point on the map where an NPC will spawn. Drag it to the middle of the farm field and rename the level item Farmer1. Make sure to pull the Target Point up enough so that the character will spawn on top of the nav mesh. A height of 40 in the target point's Details → Transform Z transform will be sufficient.

    3. Open the Town Spawner. Click the plus icon next to Cast to Spawn in the Details panel. Assign the PawnClass to BP_NPC_Farmer_Tutorial and SpawnPointActor to the target point Farmer1

      1. For your reference, PawnClass dictates which blueprint the spawner should spawn in, and SpawnPointActor is the Bitpart Target Point at which you would like the pawn to spawn.

  4. Press play. You should see the farmer spawn in and begin doing chores on the farm. Click stop.

  5. The farm field is a Smart Object that has multiple slots. Click on the actor in the editor—each yellow circle is a different interaction slot. This means that multiple NPCs can use the field at the same time. To see this, add two more farmers to the field.

    1. Click Farmer1 — the Target Point— and duplicate it, creating a new target point called Farmer2. Drag it to another part of the farm.

    2. Duplicate Farmer2, creating a new target point called Farmer3 and drag it to another area of the farm.

    3. Click into the Town Spawner. Under Cast to Spawn add a new element.

      1. PawnClass → BP_NPC_Farmer_Tutorial

      2. SpawnPointActor → Farmer2.

  6. Repeat the steps above to add the third Farmer to the Farmer3 Target Point.

  7. Press play. All three farmers should spawn into your map and begin performing farm chores.

Creating the Blacksmith Shop

  1. Choose a location on the map to setup as the Blacksmith's shop. In the Content Browser, navigate to Content → Bitpart-Tutorial → Tutorial → TutorialAssets → Props → Blueprints. Drag the following props into your level: the forge, the anvil, the blacksmith table, the hammer, the sword, the grinding stone, and the water trough.

  2. The sword and hammer are props that begin play on other props. The sword begins on the blacksmith table, the hammer on the anvil.

    1. Click on the sword, open its BitpartProp component, and set the Initial Surface Actor to the blacksmith table. Initial Surface Slot Name should be PutsDownSword.

    2. Select the hammer, and in its BitpartProp component set the Initial Surface Actor to the anvil. Initial Surface Slot Name should be PutsDownHammer.

  3. Add the Blacksmith Archetype.

    1. Search the Content Browser for the BP_BitpartTargetPoint and drag it into the map. This target is the point on the map where an NPC will spawn. Drag it to the middle of the forge and rename the asset Blacksmith .

    2. Open Town Spawner. Click the plus icon next to Cast to Spawn.

      1. PawnClass → BP_NPC_Blacksmith_Tutorial

      2. SpawnPointActor → Blacksmith

  4. Press play. You should the blacksmith execute the steps of creating a sword. If you return to the farm area, the farmers should be working on their field in tandem.

Creating the Bar

  1. Choose a location on the map to setup as the bar. In the Content Browser, navigate to Content → Bitpart-Tutorial → Tutorial → TutorialAssets → Props → Blueprints. Drag the following props into your level: the bottle, broom, broom hook, bar counter, bar floor, glass lowball, rag, and bar shelf.

When placing the bar and bar shelf, make sure you leave enough room between the two for NPCs to pass in and out.

  1. The bottle, rag, and, glass lowball all start play on the bar shelf. For each, select the prop in the level and open its BitpartProp component. Under Initial Surface Actor set the value to the bar shelf. Under the Initial Surface Slot Name, use the following values from the drop-down depending on the prop: PutsDownGlass, PutsDownBottle, PutsDownRag.

  2. The broom attaches to the broom hook. Select the broom and open its BitpartProp component. Under Initial Surface Actor set the value to the broom hook. The Initial Surface Slot Name should be PutsDown

  3. Add the Barkeep Archetype:

    1. Search the Content Browser for the BP_BitpartTargetPoint and drag it into the map. Drag it to the middle of the bar and rename the asset Barkeep .

    2. Open the Town Spawner. Click the plus icon next to Cast to Spawn.

      1. PawnClass → BP_NPC_Barkeep_Tutorial

      2. SpawnPointActor → Barkeep

  4. Hit play to see the barkeep in action.

Adding the Bar Patrons

  1. Next, add a couple of customers to the bar. Navigate to Content → Bitpart-Tutorial → Tutorial → TutorialAssets → Props → Blueprints. Drag the following props into your level: the dance floor and the high-top table.

  2. Add two instances of the Bar Patron Archetype.

    1. Search the Content Browser for the Bitpart Target Point and drag it into the map. Drag it next to the bar and rename the asset BarPatron1 . Duplicate this target point to create BarPatron2.

  3. Open the Town Spawner. Click the plus icon next to Cast to Spawn.

    1. PawnClass → BP_NPC_Patron_Tutorial

    2. SpawnPointActor → BarPatron

  4. Click the plus icon next to Cast to Spawn for a second time.

    1. PawnClass → BP_NPC_Patron_Tutorial

    2. SpawnPointActor → Barpatron2

  5. Click play to see each of the NPCs come to life.

Adding Townspeople

  1. You can add more life to the map by dropping in the Townsperson Archetype. In the Content Browser, navigate to Content → Bitpart-Tutorial → Tutorial → TutorialAssets → Props → Blueprints. Put the following props onto the map: market_shelf (2), market_stand, merchandise, base_prop.

    1. Move the two shelves over to the blacksmith area and the stand near the farm.

  2. The merchandise begins on the market stand so under its BitpartProp component set the Initial Surface Actor to the market stand. The base prop begins on the merchandise, so under its BitpartProp component set the Initial Surface Actor to the merchandise. The Initial Surface Slot Name should be PutsDownBaseProp

There will be no Initial Surface Slot Name for the merchandise because it does not get picked up or put down—thus there is no Smart Object slot.

  1. Search the Content Browser for the BP_BitpartTargetPoint and drag it into the level. Give it the name Townsperson.

  2. Open the Town Spawner. Click the plus icon next to Cast to Spawn.

    1. PawnClass → BP_NPC_Townsperson_Tutorial

    2. SpawnPointActor → Townsperson

  3. Hit play to see your completed tutorial project.

Now you have a basic village setup! In the next tutorial, we'll cover how to use Bitpart's authoring tools to customize character behavior.

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