Visual Mesh Replacement

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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

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

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

Equipment Mesh Variants:
   Default: SK_Helmet_Default
   Male: SK_Helmet_Male
   Female: SK_Helmet_Female

EquipmentComponent->SetCharacterType("Female");
// Now equipment will prefer Female variants

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Material Overrides

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

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Manual Visual Update

[EquipmentComponent] → UpdateEquipmentVisuals
   Slot Index: 0

[EquipmentComponent] → UpdateAllEquipmentVisuals

// Update single slot
EquipmentComponent->UpdateEquipmentVisuals(SlotIndex);

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

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Body Part Hiding

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Overview

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Configuration

Hides Body Parts: true
Body Parts To Hide: [Hair, Head, Eyebrows]

Hides Base Mesh: true
Base Mesh Parts To Hide: [Hair, Head]

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How It Works

EquipmentComponent->SetBaseMeshPartsVisibility(
    BaseMeshPartsToHide,
    false  // Hide
);

EquipmentComponent->SetBaseMeshPartsVisibility(
    BaseMeshPartsToHide,
    true  // Show
);

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Mesh Part Names

• Hair
• Head
• Eyebrows
• Beard
• FacialHair
• Torso
• Arms
• Legs