Beacon Ping

Overview

The beacon ping item allows players that have the item equipped to ping a certain area in the map to grab player's attention

Usage

To start using the Ping ability the user needs to have the PDA_Item_Ping_LocationSelector in the inventory and add it to the hotbar.

Once the user has the item in the hotbar, it can be activated using the hotbar key. This will enable the ping ability and a marker will follow your cursor. Using the RMB will place a marker for a couple of seconds on the cursor location and a Ping will happen right away in the same location. (Usage Gif) You can have multiple pings playing at the same time without modifying the ones that are already active. (Multiple Pings Gif) The user can select the color of the ping by clicking on the "Ping" button and opening the submenu where the list of available colors lives. Changing this value will not change the color of the pings that are already playing but will modify the color of the Ping Marker.

Magenta Ping Selected

Yellow Ping Selected

Changing ping color

To add or remove ping colors, the user must modify the ping colors list in BP_PingLocationSelectorAbility by adding/removing colors from it, then matching that change in the PingColorNames that maps the ping colors to the name displayed in the color select UI buttons.

Ping color lists

Changing SFX and VFX

To modify the ping SFX, the user must open the BPM_PingWorldMarker blueprint class and modify the PingSound variable.

To change the VFX, BPM_PingWorldMarker's NS_Ping component's Niagara System Asset should be changed

Understanding Blueprint Functionality

There are a couple of systems involved on the Ping Functionality.

• BP_ItemExecutor_Ping_LocationSelector: This system is the one that is initialized when the Ping item is enabled. It contains the UI elements under "ButtonData". To maintain the functionality of the Location Selector but hide the UI elements some of the buttons are set to "hidden". Calling "PrimaryInput" will trigger the ability. Be sure to have set the desired location to the Ping Ability before triggering it.

• BP_PingLocationSelectorAbility: This system is the Ability itself. It triggers from BP_ItemExecutor_Ping_LocationSelector and is in charge to spawn the Ping into the location selected.

• BP_DeviceModule_LocationSelector This systems are in charge to notify other systems about a location being selected. Is not unique to the ping system. It will notify the Ping System through the "On Select Manual" event.