Blueprint API

Drive PVLK Actors from Your Own Blueprints, in the Editor and at Runtime

Blueprints

When searching for the PVLK based nodes in the actor blueprint, typing in "PVLK Light Settings" isolates only the setters and variables that pertain to PVLK. You search for them by right-clicking in the Event Graph and type in PVLK Light Settings. When wanting to change a setting in real time, there's no need to use the variables, use the light's setter functions instead (shown with the 𝑓 next to them).

You can still use the variable getters and setters, the properties can be read/written all the same, the function setters are there for your convenience.

Light Settings 2 — The PVLK Light Settings in the Event Graph of the blueprints (Pointlight setter functions shown).

Blueprint Nodes

These are the available blueprint nodes for all of the PVLK Light Actors and the Volumetric Setups Actors. These act as our Getters and Setters, which allow the properties to be read from or written to in the Event Graph. These can be applied in real time (like when stepping on a pressure plate, the light color will smoothly change from green to red), or anytime (in BeginPlay for example).

The node "Apply Preset" allows you to change preset types at any time, as long as it applies to it's own type (Spotlight → Spotlight, Color → Color, etc.). Can only be used on the 3 light types.

Pointlight Nodes — The PVLK nodes for Pointlight.

Rectlight Nodes — The PVLK nodes for Pointlight.

Changing settings at runtime

Notice that when changing the "shape" of a light, you will need to change the mobility of the Actor to Movable. If left at Stationary, the shape won't change, it will silently fail, but other properties like Intensity will still change.

Example - turn a light red and brighter when the player crosses a trigger:

Event ActorBeginOverlap (Box Collision)
  → Set Light Color = Red
  → Set Light Intensity = 50.0

Same for switching the lights back:

Event ActorEndOverlap (Box Collision)
  → Set Light Color = White (Default)
  → Set Light Intensity = 16.0 (Default)

Example Nodes — Example blueprint nodes for making a pointlight brighter and red when the actor overlaps a box collision.

Applying presets at runtime

Each light actor also has Apply Light Preset, which takes a PVLK Light Preset data asset and applies its enabled properties. This allows you to swap a Spotlight from "Stagelight" to "Lamp" with one node.

EHF Nodes — Changing the light shape to a Lamp, then on end overlap, changing it to a Stagelight. No need to use **Update Light Settings** when using this node.

Using the components directly

The PVLK volumetric light components are Blueprint-spawnable: in any actor Blueprint, Add Component and search "PVLK". A component used this way exposes its full settings (nothing grayed out) and answers to the standard component setters - Set Intensity, Set Light Color, Set Volumetric Scattering Intensity, etc.

Spawning lights at runtime

Spawn any PVLK light class (or your duplicated Blueprints) with a standard Spawn Actor from Class node - all settings apply on spawn, and presets can be applied right after with Apply Light Preset.