If you’ve ever created an island in Fortnite Creative, you’ll be familiar with the channel system that uses transmitters and receivers to send signals between devices. Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) uses a direct event binding that allows devices to talk to one another directly by using functions. In other words, it binds an event (a trigger) from one device to a function in another device. Think of events as transmitters and functions as receivers, where one device’s event tells another device to perform a function. For example, the event of a player spawning on a spawn pad causes the Prop Mover device to begin moving a prop back and forth.
The direct event binding system is superior for creating connections between multiple devices to trigger actions, define players, and customize gameplay.
What Direct Event Binding Does
Devices in UEFN use the direct event binding system by default. Direct event binding does exactly what the name suggests. Two or more devices are bound together when you modify the device's User Options - Function. The function is used to bind devices together through an array of options in the Details panel.
You can even copy and paste devices that use the direct event binding system to duplicate functions in another part of your island.
Duplicating a function creates a second unique direct event binding, meaning that when the original event or function is set off, it doesn’t affect the copied devices.
How Direct Event Binding Works
The direct event binding system uses the device names to specify the function or event that takes place between multiple devices instead of sending signals through coordinated channels to trigger the action.
Channels must be paired correctly for events to take place, but the direct event binding system is a direct line of communication.
Build It Yourself
Follow the instructions below to bind functions between these devices:
Collectables Gallery
Score Manager
Player Spawn Pad
Drag the Collectables Gallery, Score Manager, and Player Spawn Pad onto the Viewport from the Content Browser. Select each device in the Outliner to edit their options in the Details panel.
Collectables Gallery
Set six coins aside from the collection. Only alter the options for these six coins.
Set the following options:
Type 20 in the Collectable Object field.
Type 50 in the Score field.
Type 1 in the Consume if collected by field.
Navigate to User Options - Functions, click the plus icon next to Turn Visibility On. An Array Elements panel opens:
Click the eyedropper icon and select the Player Spawn Pad.
Select On Player Spawned from the function dropdown menu.
All of the coins are visible to the player when they spawn, and as the player collects the coins, the Score Manager will track the points awarded for each coin until the win condition has been met.
Score Manager
Set the following options:
Type 50 in the Score field.
Select Add from the Score Award Type dropdown menu.
Make sure Increment Score on Award is checked.
Type 50 in the Score Change When Activated and Minimum Score fields.
Navigate to User Options - Functions, click the plus icon next to Set to Player Score:
Click the eyedropper icon and select the Player Spawn Pad.
Select On Player Spawn from the Functions dropdown menu.
The Score Manager is bound to the Player Spawn Pad and now increments the player’s score as they collect coins.
Your gameplay example should look similar to the image below.
Island Settings
Edit the following options:
Type 300 in the Score to End field.
The game will end when the player collects 300 points.
You now have a working function. The video below shows the result of the direct event binding system using the setup above.