Working with UE4 APIs

The application programming interface (API) is the way in which you, as the programmer, instruct the engine, and therefore the PC, what to do. Some of the interesting APIs that we'll explore in the recipes in this chapter are as follows:

• Core/Logging API – defining a custom log category
• Core/Logging API – FMessageLog to write messages to the Message Log
• Core/Math API – rotation using FRotator
• Core/Math API – rotation using FQuat
• Core/Math API – rotation using FRotationMatrix to have one object face another
• Landscape API – landscape generation with Perlin noise
• Foliage API – adding trees procedurally to your level
• Landscape and Foliage APIs – map generation using Landscape and Foliage APIs
• GameplayAbilities API – triggering an actor's gameplay abilities with game controls
• GameplayAbilities API – implementing stats with AttributeSet
• GameplayAbilities API – implementing buffs with GameplayEffect
• GameplayTags API – attaching GameplayTags to an actor
• GameplayTasks API – making things happen with GameplayTasks
• HTTP API – downloading web pages using web requests
• HTTP API – displaying downloaded progress