SetSimulatePhysics — enable or disable physics simulation on a component

Call on the mesh/primitive component, NOT on the actor itself. Use GetMesh() to get SkeletalMeshComponent first.

SetSimulatePhysics — enable or disable physics simulation on component

UPrimitiveComponent method. Target must have collision.

Physics Body

A SceneComponent with simulate-physics enabled. Driven by forces, gravity, collisions instead of explicit transforms.

CreateDynamicMaterialInstance — create runtime modifiable material

UPrimitiveComponent method. Store result in variable and reuse. Create once in BeginPlay.

AddImpulse — apply instant impulse to physics body

One-shot force. bVelChange=true treats Impulse as velocity change.

CreateDynamicMaterialInstance — create a runtime-editable material copy

Must call this before SetScalarParameterValue/SetVectorParameterValue. Store the result in a variable for reuse.

AddForce — apply continuous force to physics body

Continuous force — apply every frame. Use AddImpulse for one-shot.

Create a Blueprint Actor that plays a sound and spawns a particle effect at its location when destroyed

Create dynamic material and animate a parameter at runtime

Pattern: EventBeginPlay → GetMesh → CreateDynamicMaterialInstance(ElementIndex=0) → SetVariable(DynMat=ReturnValue). Then on Tick or timer: SetScalarParameterValue(ParameterName='Opacity', Value=SinWave). Or for color: SetVectorParameterValue(ParameterName='Color', Value=MakeLinearColor). Key: CreateDynamicMaterialInstance is called on the COMPONENT (GetMesh), not the actor. Must store the result before using Set*ParameterValue. ParameterName MUST match the name in the Material asset exactly.

Create a Blueprint Actor with a timeline that smoothly interpolates between two locations over 2 seconds