Light Components and Blueprint Creation

The customizable components for each light type, and how to create blueprints from PVLK classes

PVLK Light Actor's Component

On a PVLK actor blueprint, just like it's described in PVLK Light Actor's Components, the grayed out settings are the same ones that the PVLK light actor manipulates. However, all of the other settings on the component are customizable and can be duplicated to the new blueprint as well.

Component's settings are grayed out.
Component's settings are still grayed out, even on the actor's blueprint.

Adding Custom PVLK Components to Regular Actors

When creating a regular actor class manually, you can add a custom PVLK light component, although it's no different than a regular light component. Notice how the settings are not grayed out; this is due to not being attached to a PVLK Light Actor. The PVLK light component exists purely out of convenience.

Creating a regular actor blueprint manually.
Blueprint spawnable PVLK light component.

Manually Creating a PVLK Actor Blueprint

You can manually create a PVLK actor blueprint if needed. When the Pick a Parent Class window pops up, you can pick the custom PVLK_VolumetricPointlight class (or Spotlight/Rectlight). Creating a blueprint this way is the long (normal) way of doing it, but is also here purely for convenience. Creating classes from these parent classes also populate the Light Library, as this is where all PVLK blueprints derive from. It may also be necessary to create blueprints this way if the PVLK_PluginVersion ever gets altered or erased from the plugin's content folder (although there are safe guards in place to prevent this from happening), and you need a base version of the blueprint.

Creating a PVLK actor blueprint manually.
PVLK actor blueprint, from our PVLK_VolumetricPointlight (Spotlight/Rectlight) class.
To create a blueprint manually, right-click in an empty spot in the Content Browser, then click Blueprint Class. The Pick Parent Class window will pop up, and this is where you can choose a common Actor class, or our custom PVLK_VolumetricPointlight (Rectlight/Spotlight) class.