Mastering Unreal’s Unpredictability

Author: Daniel Ben Zvi

Date: 11/24/2023 EST

Blog Entry Part 1: The Problem

Navigating the landscape of Unreal Engine, while my implementations required access to update external resource, I encountered a problem related to the unpredictable execution order of certain functionalities (e.g. BeginPlay, Constrict).

This caused an issue when I attempt to access data regarding the minimap’s material parameters; as I had no guarantee that the variable will be initialized with the proper material prior to using it elsewhere.

Blog Entry Part 2: Problem Solution

To overcome this hurdle, I separated the required resources from their native initialization process into their own “lazy initialization” methods. This approach allowed me to liberate my implementations from the constraints of specific execution orders, providing a solution that triggered initialization precisely when needed. In essence, lazy initialization deferred the setup until the moment of actual utilization, eliminating the reliance on predefined execution sequences like "BeginPlay" or "construct." This adaptive strategy not only untangled the constraints but also enhanced the flexibility and resilience of the system in the ever-evolving Unreal Engine environment.