PlanetGen quick start

This guide takes you from an empty level to a planet you can walk on. It assumes PlanetGen is installed.

1. Generate a planet

1. Drop a BP_CLMPlanet into your level. It is a Blueprint subclass of ACLMPlanet.

2. In the Details panel, set Terrain Material to the included M_Planet. You can use your own material later, as long as it reads the vertex colours (see the FAQ).

3. Set Water Material to M_PlanetWater. This is the depth-tinted ocean; keep Adaptive Water Tessellation on.

4. Click Preview Planet in the Details panel. Terrain, foliage and water build in the editor, without entering Play.

5. Click Randomize Planet to roll a new seed and a new world.

Gauge the size first

Preview Size (Water Only) rescales just the water sphere to the current Planet Radius without building any chunks. It is the quickest way to try out planet sizes.

2. Walk on it

1. Use BP_GravityJetpackCharacter (or BP_GravityCharacter) as your player pawn. To use your own Character Blueprint, reparent it to APlanetGenGravityCharacter.

2. There is nothing else to set up for gravity. With Provide Planet Gravity on (the default), each planet creates a spherical gravity field sized to its Gravity Radius.

3. Press Play. The character stands on the surface wherever you are on the planet, can hover with the jetpack, wades through shallow water and auto-engages the jetpack over deep water.

3. Try a ring world

1. Drop an ACLMRingWorld into your level.

2. Set Planet Radius (the ring’s radius) and Ring Length. Both are in kilometres.

3. Assign your terrain material and click Preview.

Ring Inner Surface is on by default: terrain sits on the inside of the tube, gravity presses you outward and the world curves up overhead. Turn it off to build terrain on the outer surface instead. Noise layers, biomes, grass and water all work the same as on planets, and the gravity character walks a ring just like a planet.

4. Add an atmosphere

1. Make sure the level has a Sky Atmosphere, plus a Volumetric Cloud, Directional Light and Sky Light if you want clouds and correct ambient light.

2. On the planet, tick Enable Atmosphere and assign an Atmosphere Asset. The included DA_Atmos_EarthLike, DA_Atmos_EarthLike10km and DA_Atmos_EarthLike50km are tuned for different planet sizes.

3. Set Lighting Parameter Collection to MPC_Planet, Far Halo Material to M_PlanetHalo and Far Cloud Material to M_PlanetCloudShell. The last two are what distant planets show instead of the full atmosphere.

4. Press Play. The level’s Sky Atmosphere moves onto whichever planet you are nearest.

To see a working setup, open the PlanetsMap or MultiPlanetsMap demo level.

Where to next

• Features covers exclusion volumes, the actor spawner, climate biomes and multi-planet LOD.
• Troubleshooting covers floating grass, memory limits and night-side lighting.