Unexpected solutions to unforeseen problems.

Over the weekend I was experimenting with “Scene Capture 2D” actor in UE4, and now I've finally had a chance to implement it in our level.

I noticed it was used in epics Blueprint example level to help create their CCTV system. Most things in that level seem really complicated on the surface, yet the basic systems are quite simple when you take out all the extras that epic have added to polish.

The scene capture 2D actor is essentially just a camera that sends its output to a texture. To make something like a CCTV monitor, just apply that texture to the actual screen area.

So I quickly modeled a pretty 80’s looking Sony monitor to test this with, and it turned out really well.

I was trying to think of a way to include this in our level. The convenience store at the center of our level is the obvious place to put it, a shop owner would want a CCTV system near the counter especially in a high crime area.

Earlier we were discussing leading the player to the switch behind the counter (that turns off the electricity that’s blocking the players path) using brightly coloured wires that would stand out from the rest of the bland wires. The player would just have to assume that the switch turns off the electricity, and walk back out of the shop to see the actual result.

However if we had a CCTV monitor there, showing the outside of the shop (which happens to be where the electrified puddle is) the player would be able to instantly see the effect of switching off the electricity. They would be able to see that the “lightning” is no longer there and the path ahead is clear.

So while I was just experimenting with a feature of the engine that I thought was pretty cool, I had unknowingly devised a solution to a problem that I only became aware of after creating the solution.