In game development, timing is everything. A single frame delay can make or break the immersion of a player. Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) provides a lot of tools to handle timing and scheduling events. One of those tools is the For Loop with Delay node. This node is useful when you need to perform an action repeatedly with a delay between each execution.

Let’s take a closer look at how to use the For Loop with Delay node in UE4.

First, let’s create a new blueprint. In the Event Graph, right-click and search for the “For Loop with Delay” node. Drag it into the graph and connect it to the Begin Play event. The For Loop with Delay node has several inputs that we need to set up.

The first input is the Number of Loops. This determines how many times the loop will run before it stops. Set this to a value of your choosing. In our example, we’ll use a value of 10.

The second input is the Delay Time. This is the amount of time that will elapse between each loop iteration. For example, if you set the Delay Time to 1 second, each iteration of the loop will happen 1 second apart. For our example, we’ll set the Delay Time to 0.5 seconds.

The third input is the Output Index. This is the index of the loop iteration that we’re currently on. We’ll use this to print a message to the screen each time the loop runs. To set up the Output Index, drag out from the loop’s output pin and search for the “Get” node. Type “output index” in the search box and select “ForLoopWithBreak_OutputIndex”. Connect this to a “Print String” node, which will print the current index to the screen.

Finally, we need to set up a condition that will cause the loop to stop. In our example, we’ll use the “Equal” node to compare the Output Index to the Number of Loops. When the two values are equal, the loop will stop. Connect the output of the “Equal” node to the “Completed” input of the For Loop with Delay node.

Once you’ve set up the For Loop with Delay node, compile and run your blueprint. You should see a message printed to the screen 10 times, with a 0.5 second delay between each iteration.

The For Loop with Delay node is a powerful tool that can be used in many different ways. For example, you could use it to spawn enemies at regular intervals, animate objects over time, or create a countdown timer. With a little creativity, the possibilities are endless.

In conclusion, the For Loop with Delay node is a handy tool for scheduling events in UE4. It allows you to perform actions repeatedly with a delay between each iteration, making it perfect for a wide range of game development tasks. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, the For Loop with Delay node is an essential tool to have in your toolkit.