sickn33
Expert guide for Unreal Engine 5.x C++ development, covering UObject hygiene, performance patterns, and best practices.
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This skill provides expert-level guidelines for developing with Unreal Engine 5 using C++. It focuses on writing robust, performant, and standard-compliant code.
Use this skill when:
Do not use this skill when:
UObject & Garbage Collection:
UPROPERTY() for UObject* member variables to ensure they are tracked by the Garbage Collector (GC).TStrongObjectPtr<> if you need to keep a root reference outside of a UObject graph, but prefer generally.addToRoot()IsValid() check vs nullptr. IsValid() handles pending kill state safely.Unreal Reflection System:
UCLASS(), USTRUCT(), UENUM(), UFUNCTION() to expose types to the reflection system and Blueprints.BlueprintReadWrite when possible; prefer BlueprintReadOnly for state that shouldn't be trampled by logic in UI/Level BPs.Performance First:
bCanEverTick = false) by default. Only enable it if absolutely necessary. Prefer timers (GetWorldTimerManager()) or event-driven logic.Cast<T>() in hot loops. Cache references in BeginPlay.F structs for data-heavy, non-UObject types to reduce overhead.Follow Epic Games' coding standard:
T (e.g., TArray, TMap).U (e.g., UCharacterMovementComponent).A (e.g., AMyGameMode).S (Slate widgets).F (e.g., FVector).E (e.g., EWeaponState).I (e.g., IInteractable).b (e.g., bIsDead).Avoid GetComponentByClass in Tick. Do it in PostInitializeComponents or BeginPlay.
void AMyCharacter::PostInitializeComponents() {
Super::PostInitializeComponents();
HealthComp = FindComponentByClass<UHealthComponent>();
check(HealthComp); // Fail hard in dev if missing
}
Use interfaces to decouple systems (e.g., Interaction system).
// Interface call check
if (TargetActor->Implements<UInteractable>()) {
IInteractable::Execute_OnInteract(TargetActor, this);
}
Avoid hard references (UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly) TSubclassOf<AActor>) for massive assets which force load orders. Use TSoftClassPtr or TSoftObjectPtr.
UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite)
TSoftClassPtr<AWeapon> WeaponClassToLoad;
void AMyCharacter::Equip() {
if (WeaponClassToLoad.IsPending()) {
WeaponClassToLoad.LoadSynchronous(); // Or use StreamableManager for async
}
}
UE_LOG with custom categories.
DEFINE_LOG_CATEGORY_STATIC(LogMyGame, Log, All);
UE_LOG(LogMyGame, Warning, TEXT("Health is low: %f"), CurrentHealth);
if (GEngine) GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(-1, 5.f, FColor::Red, TEXT("Died!"));
IVisualLoggerDebugSnapshotInterface.UObject* members wrapped in UPROPERTY?EndPlay?Use when you need to run Flow type checking, or when seeing Flow type errors in React code.
Use when you want to validate changes before committing, or when you need to check all React contribution requirements.
Use when feature flag tests fail, flags need updating, understanding @gate pragmas, debugging channel-specific test failures, or adding new flags to React.
Use when you need to check feature flag states, compare channels, or debug why a feature behaves differently across release channels.