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How It Works

  1. Each equipment slot references a SkeletalMeshComponent
  2. When an item is equipped, its mesh is applied to that component
  3. Materials can be overridden based on rarity
  4. Body parts can be hidden to prevent clipping

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Setting Up Mesh Components

Blueprint:
  1. Add skeletal mesh components to your character: 
    Character Blueprint:
├── Mesh (Main body)
├── Head_Mesh (SkeletalMeshComponent)
├── Chest_Mesh (SkeletalMeshComponent)
├── Legs_Mesh (SkeletalMeshComponent)
├── Feet_Mesh (SkeletalMeshComponent)
├── MainHand_Mesh (SkeletalMeshComponent)
└── OffHand_Mesh (SkeletalMeshComponent)
  2. Set up attachment:
    • Parent each component to appropriate sockets
    • Head_Mesh → head socket
    • Chest_Mesh → spine_03 socket
    • MainHand_Mesh → hand_r socket
    • etc.
  3. Configure mesh components: 
    Master Pose Component: Mesh (main body)
    This makes equipment follow the main skeleton’s animation.

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Mesh Variants

Items store their meshes in a SkeletalMeshes map on ItemDataAsset, keyed by FName. When equipment is applied to a slot, the system resolves the mesh key in this order:
  1. Slot name (spaces removed) — e.g., "Helmet", "MainHand"
  2. Tag last component — last segment of the slot’s RequiredTag, e.g., "Head" from Items.Equipment.Head
  3. *"Default"** — fallback key
  4. *"Slot0", "Slot1", …** — slot index as string
  5. First available mesh in the map
Items can have different meshes for different character types: In ItemDataAsset: 
Equipment Mesh Variants:
   Default: SK_Helmet_Default
   Male: SK_Helmet_Male
   Female: SK_Helmet_Female
In EquipmentComponent: 
EquipmentComponent->SetCharacterType("Female");
// Now equipment will prefer Female variants

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Material Overrides

Apply different materials based on rarity: 47425c27300e9af65b257f77c2d962db.png In ItemDataAsset: 
Equipment Material Overrides:
   Item.Rarity.Common: M_Helmet_Grey
   Item.Rarity.Rare: M_Helmet_Blue
   Item.Rarity.Epic: M_Helmet_Purple
   Item.Rarity.Legendary: M_Helmet_Orange
When a Rare helmet is equipped, it automatically uses the blue material.

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Manual Visual Update

Force update visuals: Blueprint: 
[EquipmentComponent] → UpdateEquipmentVisuals
   Slot Index: 0

[EquipmentComponent] → UpdateAllEquipmentVisuals
C++: 
// Update single slot
EquipmentComponent->UpdateEquipmentVisuals(SlotIndex);

// Update all slots
EquipmentComponent->UpdateAllEquipmentVisuals();

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Body Part Hiding

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Overview

When equipment is worn, you may want to hide parts of the character mesh to prevent clipping (e.g., hide hair under helmet).

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Configuration

In ItemDataAsset: 
Hides Body Parts: true
Body Parts To Hide: [Hair, Head, Eyebrows]
In Equipment Slot Definition: 
Hides Base Mesh: true
Base Mesh Parts To Hide: [Hair, Head]

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How It Works

When equipment is equipped: 
EquipmentComponent->SetBaseMeshPartsVisibility(
    BaseMeshPartsToHide,
    false  // Hide
);
When equipment is unequipped: 
EquipmentComponent->SetBaseMeshPartsVisibility(
    BaseMeshPartsToHide,
    true  // Show
);

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Mesh Part Names

Common mesh part names (depends on your skeletal mesh):
  • Hair
  • Head
  • Eyebrows
  • Beard
  • FacialHair
  • Torso
  • Arms
  • Legs
Check your character’s skeletal mesh to find the exact material slot names.