In brief
- The example project uses the Side Scroller template, Blueprint, and Starter Content.
- An actor containing a cube and a Box Collision component is turned into a Blueprint Class.
- The On Component Begin Overlap event is filtered so it runs only when it detects the player's Pawn.
- The example behavior is tested by setting the Z value of the Launch Character function to 3000.
What you'll learn in this guide
In Unreal Engine, Blueprint is a visual scripting system that lets you create functionality and behavior by connecting nodes. In this guide, you'll turn an actor into a reusable Blueprint Class, add a visible platform and a collision area, and build a simple flow that moves a character when an event occurs.
The example creates a launchpad. For architectural visualization, the main takeaway isn't the specific platform itself; it's the approach to combining components, connecting an event to an actor, and placing multiple instances of the same class in a scene. This also introduces a way to think about building interactive assets such as doors or switches in Unreal Engine. Editing a Blueprint Class supports reuse by applying changes to instances created from that class.
Requirements
You'll need an Unreal Engine installation that lets you create a new project and use the Blueprint Editor. Epic's quick start guide uses the Side Scroller template in the Games category, selects Blueprint as the project type, and enables With Starter Content. For scalability and quality settings, the guide recommends choosing options suited to your computer. The sources don't specify any particular hardware requirements or account requirements.
The sources also include the Unreal Engine 5.8 documentation index, but the launchpad quick start guide doesn't specify a version on its own page. The steps below therefore follow the interface labels in the guide; some menus or labels may differ between versions. The sources also provide no information about specific license fees or hardware costs.
Create a Blueprint step by step
1. Start the project
In the Unreal Project Browser, select the Games category under New Project. Choose Side Scroller as the template, Blueprint as the project type, and With Starter Content as the content option. Set the scalability and quality options to suit your system, then create the project. Once it opens, you'll see the level where you can add the example actor.
2. Build the platform actor with components
In the Level Editor, open the Place Actors panel by choosing Select from the Modes button. Drag Empty Actor from the Basic section into the level. With the actor selected, rename it LaunchPad at the top of the Details panel.
In the same panel, click Add Component and add Cube under Common. Drag the cube onto DefaultSceneRoot to make it the new root component. With the cube selected, set its Scale values to X: 1.0, Y: 1.0, and Z: 0.1. This creates the visible part of the example platform.
Now add a Box Collision component from the Collision section using Add Component. For Box Collision, enter a scale of X: 1.25, Y: 1.25, Z: 9.75 and a location of X: 0, Y: 0, Z: 200. These example values position the collision box above the platform and define the area where the character will be detected.
3. Turn the actor into a Blueprint Class
Use the Blueprint/Add Script button in the Details panel. In the Create Blueprint from Selection window that appears, set the default path to Game/SideScrollerBP/Blueprints. You can keep the default name LaunchPad_Blueprint or rename the Blueprint, then click the create button.
The Blueprint now appears in the Content Browser. You can drag instances of this class into the level. The ability to apply changes made to the class to instances created from the Blueprint is what sets it apart from a one-off copy of an actor.
4. Add a collision event
Double-click the Blueprint Class in the Content Browser to open the Blueprint Editor. Select the Box component from the Components list. In the quick start guide, a location of X: 0, Y: 0, Z: 350 is tested for this component. Then switch to the Event Graph tab.
Right-click an empty area in the graph. Expand Add Event for Box, then add On Component Begin Overlap under Collision. This event fires when something overlaps the Box component. You can pan the graph by right-clicking and dragging, zoom with the mouse wheel, press F to center the selected node, or press A to fit the whole graph.
5. Limit the event to the player's Pawn
The collision event can run for any actor that enters the box. In this example, the behavior should occur only for the Pawn controlled by the player. Drag from the Other Actor output on the OnComponentBeginOverlap node and add an Equal (Object) node. Right-click an empty area and find the Get Player Pawn node; connect its Return Value output to the other input of the comparison node.
Connect a Branch to the execution output of the event node. Connect the Boolean result of the comparison to the Branch's Condition input. The flow will then branch based on whether the overlapping actor is the player's Pawn, preventing the next behavior from running unconditionally on every overlap.
6. Move the character and test
Connect the Return Value output of the Get Player Pawn node to a Cast to Character node. This step matters: the Launch Character function only works on a Character. Connect the cast's success output to the Launch Character input, and connect the Branch's True output to the Cast node's execution input. This section will then run when the player's Pawn passes the comparison.
In the example, the Z field of the Launch Character node is set to 3000. The function adds the given velocity to the character's current velocity. Click Compile in the toolbar, then Save the Blueprint. Close the editor and drag a few instances from the Content Browser into the level. Click Play and touch the platforms to check the result.
What does this offer for an architectural visualization workflow?
This exercise shows that in interactive architectural presentations, scene elements don't have to be just modeled objects; components and event logic can give them behavior. For architecture firms and students, the benefit is being able to try the basics of a node-based workflow without writing code and place reusable instances in a scene from a Blueprint class. Epic's documentation notes that Blueprint Classes can be used for interactive assets, while Construction Scripts can be used for customizable elements and environment artists' workflows.
This launchpad example isn't an architectural presentation template in itself. The transferable ideas are to group components in a class, check which actors an event applies to, and organize repeatable behavior in a single Blueprint. Check that the interface labels match the Unreal Engine version used in your project. Since the sources don't specify licensing terms, fees, or special hardware requirements, verify those separately before production.
Common mistakes
Overlooking that the collision event can fire for any actor: Compare against the player's Pawn and connect the result to the Branch condition.
Skipping the Character type check: The example flow uses Cast to Character before Launch Character; remember that the function only works on a Character.
Testing without saving the Blueprint: Complete the Compile and Save steps before testing.
Treating a Blueprint Class and a single copy placed in the level as the same thing: Add the class from the Content Browser to create multiple instances, then check how class edits affect them.
Next steps
Once the basic flow works, try the exercises recommended in Epic's quick start guide: add an Audio Component to play a sound when the character is launched; create a variable to store the launch speed and make it adjustable per instance; use a Particle System from Starter Content; or add an Arrow Component to set the direction. The guide also recommends using Timelines to animate the Box Mesh. These steps aren't required; try each one separately once you've understood the basic event flow to learn how Blueprint organizes components and behavior.
Sources and license
This guide is adapted into Turkish from Epic Games' Introduction to Blueprint Visual Scripting, Blueprints Overview, and Blueprints Quick Start documentation. The license field for the provided sources is listed as free; example sentences have not been reproduced verbatim, and the steps have been rewritten in original wording.
Sources
3 sourcesSource texts are not republished; short quotes are marked, everything else is our own summary and commentary.
For architecture firms and students in Turkey, the value of this exercise is that it teaches reusable actor logic for a visualization scene through a small, measurable example. Creating multiple elements from the same Blueprint Class offers a useful starting point for organizing behavior in a scene; however, the launchpad behavior alone doesn't meet the needs of an architectural presentation.
Before production, it's also worth checking the interface in the Unreal Engine version you're using, the project's licensing terms, and how well your hardware performs in real time. The sources don't specify prices, license fees, or special hardware requirements. For that reason, it makes sense for firms to first try the example in a small test project, then adapt it to their own presentation scenarios.
Frequently asked questions
What is Unreal Engine Blueprint?
Blueprint is a visual scripting system that lets you create functionality and behavior without writing code, using a node-based interface. Connections between nodes define event and function flows.
Can you create multiple scene elements with a Blueprint Class?
Yes. A Blueprint Class defines a new type of actor whose instances can be placed in a map. According to Epic's documentation, edits made to the class apply to its instances.
Does the Launch Character function work on every actor?
No. The quick start guide says that Launch Character only works on a Character. That's why the example uses Cast to Character before the function.
