Actors Browser Reference

Document Summary: A reference for the Actor Class Browser in the Unreal Editor.

Document Changelog: Created by Jason Lentz (Demiurge Studios^?). Maintained by Richard Nalezynski.

Introduction

The Actor Class Browser allows you to view the Actors available in your Unreal Engine build. Actors are created by UnrealScript classes (and sometimes native C++ code) with logic to define their attributes, behavior, and state. These Actors are often used in levels. Almost everything in a world of levels is an Actor, including Lights, Static Meshes, and Pawns.

Opening the Actor Class Browser

Actor Class Browser Overview

Browser Layout

1. - Menu Bar
2. - Tool Bar
3. - Actor Tree
4. - Current Class
5. - Loaded Classes

Menu Bar

File

• Open Package - From here you can open UnrealScript compiled code .u packages.
• Export All Scripts - This option exports all classes to UnrealScript class .uc files which can later be rebuilt.

Tool Bar

• Use Actor as parent? - With this toggle checked, the Actor tree displayed below will start with "Actor" as the highest level. If not checked, then "Object" will be used as the highest level.
• Placeable classes only? - By checking this toggle, all of the non-placeable classes that do not have placeable classes below them will be pruned from the Actor tree. Placeable Actors are shown in bold in the Actor tree.

Actor Tree

The Actor tree displays all of the Actors available to you. To place an actor in the world, select it in the Actor Tree and then right click in one of the viewports where you want it. Towards the top of the menu that pops up when you right click should be the option: "Add Selected Actor Here"

Note that some Actors are in bold while others are not. The Actors in bold are the Actors that you can place, the others are just there for structure in the classes. To expand a branch of the Actor tree, click on the plus sign in a box next to the Actor and it will display all of the actors below it in the tree. To retract a branch of the Actor tree, click on the minus sign in a box next to the Actor and it will hide all of the actors below it in the tree.

Current Class

This shows the location of the Actor you have selected (in code). For instance the PointLight Actor is located in Enine.PointLight

Loaded Classes

This section shows all of the classes that are currently loaded.