Telekineticon

The Telekineticon is a physics item that you can use to levitate and move props anywhere on your island. You can use it to create simple physics game loops such as gathering items in a farming simulator or cozy moving RPG.

Or you can create the building blocks of complex physics puzzles for platforming games.

With the Telekineticon, you can levitate most physics-enabled props, as long as you’re within grab range of the prop and don’t exceed the break distance. This means you must be within a certain distance of the prop to pick it up and, once held, exceeding a certain distance from that prop will break your hold on it. For example, if a prop gets caught on a doorframe and you keep running, your hold on it will eventually break. A break can also occur if the tractor beam is interrupted by an object.

Grab range and break distance are examples of customizable Verse parameters that you can use to change how the Telekineticon behaves to best fit your project.

Other parameters you can adjust include hold orientation, hold point type, and hold stiffness.

Hold orientation decides whether the prop keeps the same orientation it had when picked up or rotates as forces are applied to it in mid-air — such as clipping against a wall.

Hold point type decides where the Telekineticon will grab the prop. This can be from wherever the Telekineticon’s reticle is positioned when you fire it, or from the prop’s center of mass.

Hold point and orientation are important if the player needs the prop to be in a certain position to achieve a task, such as picking up a key and inserting it into a keyhole.

Hold stiffness adjusts the feel of dragging props around. You can think of this like dragging an object around by a string vs picking it up with a pair of metal tongs. Both move the object, but each gives you a different amount of control. You can play with hold stiffness to change the difficulty of the task the player is trying to perform.

In the next section, you’ll learn how to enable the Telekineticon in UEFN. Later on, you’ll use what you’ve learned to create a simple puzzle that’s solvable with physics.

Enable the Telekineticon Using Verse

Set Up Unreal Editor for Fortnite

Before you begin, your island must have physics enabled. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In the Outliner, select the Island Settings device.

   

2. In the Details Panel, under Physics, check Enable Physics (Beta).

   

Also, your editor must have Custom Items and Inventory enabled. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In the editor’s main toolbar, select Project > Project Settings.

   

2. In the Project Settings window, search for Custom Items and Inventory, and check the checkbox.

   

In the next section, you’ll use Verse to access the Telekineticon.

Add a Telekineticon to Your Island

To add a Telekineticon, follow these steps:

1. In the editor’s main toolbar, select Verse > Verse Explorer.

   

2. In the Verse Explorer tab, right-click your island’s root element (your island name) and select Create Verse File.

   

3. In the Create Verse Script window, select Verse Device and enter Telekineticon_example as the Device Name.

   

   You can name your device anything you like, but to use the code provided in this tutorial, you must use this name.

4. Click Create Empty.

   

5. In the Verse Explorer tab, double-click the .verse file you created. It will open in VS Code.

   

6. In VS Code, paste the Verse code below.

   Verse

   using { /Fortnite.com/Devices }
   using { /Fortnite.com/Items }
   using { /Verse.org/Simulation }
   using { /Verse.org/SceneGraph }
   using { /UnrealEngine.com/Itemization }
   
   
   TCategory<public><localizes>:message := "Telekineticon Parameters Examples"
   Trigger_tooltip<public><localizes>:message := "A trigger device to add the telekineticon item to the player inventory."
   GrabRange_tooltip<public><localizes>:message := "The distance, in cm, objects can be grabbed. If `0.0` or a negative value is provided, there is no range."
   
   Expand code Copy full snippet(76 lines long)

7. Click Build. You should see a confirmation that the build was successful.

   

8. Navigate to your project folder in the Content Browser, and drag the new Verse device into the viewport.

   

9. Click the Verse device named Telekineticon Example. In the Details Panel, look for the Trigger parameter. By using the dropdown menu or the eyedropper tool, assign the Trigger.

   

   If you already have more than one Trigger in your island, make sure you select the right one.

To test your device, click Launch Session.

When you step onto the trigger, the Telekineticon should appear in your inventory. However, if you left-click on props in your island, nothing will happen yet. This is because you haven’t enabled physics on any props. You’ll do this in the next section.

Create a Physics Puzzle

Physics puzzles often include this simple task: put an object on a button and something happens. In this section, you'll set up a Trigger that raises a platform when a prop lands on it, giving the player a way to reach loot.

Enable Physics on a Prop

To enable physics, follow these steps:

1. In the Content Browser, select the prop you want to use. In the Details Panel, click the +Add button.

2. Search for and select Fort Physics.

   

For more information on adding physics to props, see Getting Started with Physics

Create a Trigger

To create a trigger, follow these steps:

1. From the Content Browser, drag a Trigger device into the viewport.

2. In the Details Panel, under User Options > Advanced, check Triggered by Physics Props.

   

Create a Moving Platform

To create a moving platform, follow these steps:

1. From the Content Browser, drag a prop into the viewport to be your platform.

   

2. From the Content Browser, drag a Prop Mover into the viewport.

3. In the Details Panel, next to Prop Selection, choose From Reference.

   

4. Under Prop Reference, choose your platform.

5. Under User Options, uncheck Should Move from Start.

   

6. Under Advanced, set:

   • On Player Collision Behavior to Continue.

   • Player Damage on Collision to 0.

   • Path Complete Action to Ping Pong.

   

7. Under User Options - Functions, next to Start, click the + (add) button. 

   1.  Select your trigger.

   2. From the dropdown menu, select On Triggered.

   

Now, your platform should move when a player drops a physics prop onto the trigger. From here, adjust the Prop Mover's settings (speed, distance, and direction of movement) and the Telekineticon's parameters to best suit your own project.