How to Add Delay in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5)

How to Add Delay in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5): A Step-by-Step Guide

Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) offers powerful tools for creating stunning interactive experiences, including the ability to add delays to various actions within your game. Whether you’re looking to time a sequence of events, create a pause in gameplay, or implement complex animations, understanding how to add delays can be crucial. This guide will walk you through different methods to add delay in UE5 using Blueprints and C++.

Adding Delay Using Blueprints

Blueprints are Unreal Engine’s visual scripting system, making it easy to implement functionality without writing code. Here’s how you can add a delay using Blueprints:

Open Your Project:
Open your UE5 project and navigate to the Blueprint where you want to add a delay.
Add the Delay Node:

Right-click in the Event Graph to open the context menu.
Type “Delay” in the search bar and select the Delay node from the list.
Place the Delay node in the graph.

Set the Duration:

Click on the Delay node.
In the Details panel, you can set the duration of the delay in seconds.

Connect the Delay Node:

Connect the execution pin of the preceding node (e.g., an Event or Function) to the input execution pin of the Delay node.
Connect the output execution pin of the Delay node to the next node in your sequence. For example, if you want to play a sound after a 2-second delay, you would:
Add an Event node (e.g., Event BeginPlay).
Connect it to the Delay node (set to 2 seconds).
Connect the Delay node to a Play Sound node.

Adding Delay Using Timers

Another approach is to use Timers, which provide more flexibility and control over delays.

Open Your Project:
Open your UE5 project and navigate to the Blueprint where you want to add a timer.
Add the Timer Node:

Right-click in the Event Graph.
Type “Set Timer by Function Name” or “Set Timer by Event” in the search bar and select the appropriate node.

Set the Timer Properties:

For “Set Timer by Function Name,” specify the function name you want to call after the delay.
Set the time duration in the Time field.
Check or uncheck the looping option based on your needs.

Connect the Timer Node:

Connect the execution pin of the preceding node to the input execution pin of the Timer node.
For “Set Timer by Event,” you’ll need to create a custom event and connect it to the Timer node.

Adding Delay Using C++

For more complex projects or those who prefer coding, adding delays in C++ provides robust control.

Include Necessary Headers:
Make sure you include the required headers in your C++ class:

   #include "TimerManager.h"

Set Up the Timer:
Use the GetWorldTimerManager() function to set up a timer:

   // Example function to call after delay
   void AMyActor::MyFunction()
   {
       UE_LOG(LogTemp, Warning, TEXT("Function called after delay"));
   }

   // Setting the timer
   void AMyActor::BeginPlay()
   {
       Super::BeginPlay();

       GetWorldTimerManager().SetTimer(TimerHandle, this, &AMyActor::MyFunction, 2.0f, false);
   }

In this example:

TimerHandle is an FTimerHandle variable defined in your class.
MyFunction is the function to be called after the delay.
2.0f is the delay duration in seconds.
false indicates the timer should not loop.

Practical Applications

Adding delays can enhance gameplay and user experience in various ways:

Timed Events: Triggering events after a certain period, such as opening a door or spawning enemies.
Animations: Delaying animations to synchronize with game events or sounds.
Gameplay Pauses: Introducing pauses or cooldowns between player actions.

Conclusion

Adding delays in UE5 is a versatile technique that can be achieved through Blueprints or C++. Whether you’re looking to implement simple pauses or complex timed events, understanding these methods will allow you to create more dynamic and interactive gameplay experiences. With this guide, you can confidently add delays to enhance your Unreal Engine 5 projects.

How to Add Delay in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5)