Recipe System¶

Recipes are the heart of Asset Scaffolding. They define templates for creating game assets quickly and consistently.

What is a Recipe?¶

A recipe is a template that describes:

What type of asset to create
What components to include
Default property values
Event implementations
Dependencies on other systems

When you apply a recipe, Asset Scaffolding generates a complete, production-ready asset.

Built-in Recipes¶

Asset Scaffolding includes curated recipes for common game systems.

Character Recipes¶

Recipe	Creates	Best For
FPS Character	First-person character with arms	Shooters, exploration
Third Person Character	Full body with camera arm	Action games, RPGs
Platformer Character	Side-view jump character	2D-style games
Top Down Character	Overhead view character	Strategy, twin-stick
Vehicle Character	Drivable vehicle base	Racing, open world

Core System Recipes¶

Recipe	Creates	Purpose
Game Mode Base	Game mode with basic rules	Game flow control
Player Controller	Input handling controller	Player input
Game Instance	Persistent game data	Cross-level data
Save Game	Serializable save data	Save/load system
Game State	Replicated game state	Multiplayer state

Mechanics Recipes¶

Recipe	Creates	Features
Door	Openable door	Trigger, animation, sound
Elevator	Moving platform	Waypoints, timing
Pickup Item	Collectible	Overlap detection, effects
Checkpoint	Respawn point	Save position, feedback
Trigger Zone	Generic trigger	Overlap events, filtering
Destructible	Breakable object	Health, destruction fx
Projectile	Spawnable projectile	Movement, collision, damage

UI Recipes¶

Recipe	Creates	Elements
HUD Base	Heads-up display	Health, ammo, minimap areas
Main Menu	Title screen	Buttons, background, audio
Pause Menu	In-game pause	Resume, settings, quit
Inventory Grid	Item display	Grid layout, tooltips
Dialog Panel	Conversation UI	Text, portraits, choices
Settings Menu	Options screen	Graphics, audio, controls
Loading Screen	Level transition	Progress bar, tips

AI Recipes¶

Recipe	Creates	Behavior
AI Controller	Base AI controller	Perception, decision making
Patrol AI	Waypoint patrol	Path following, idle states
Combat AI	Attack behaviors	Target selection, attacks
Companion AI	Follow player	Following, assistance
Behavior Tree	Decision tree	Nodes, decorators
Blackboard	AI memory	Keys, data types

Recipe Anatomy¶

Basic Structure¶

Every recipe defines:

[Recipe Name]
├── Asset Type (Blueprint, Widget, etc.)
├── Parent Class (Actor, Character, etc.)
├── Components
│   ├── Component 1 with defaults
│   ├── Component 2 with defaults
│   └── ...
├── Variables
│   ├── Variable 1 with type and default
│   └── ...
├── Events
│   ├── BeginPlay implementation
│   ├── Custom events
│   └── ...
└── Dependencies
    └── Required systems

Example: Pickup Item Recipe¶

Name: Pickup Item
Category: Mechanics
Parent: Actor

Components:
  StaticMeshComponent "Mesh":
    - Mobility: Movable
    - Collision: NoCollision

  SphereComponent "Trigger":
    - Radius: 100
    - CollisionEnabled: QueryOnly
    - GenerateOverlapEvents: true

  RotatingMovementComponent "Rotator":
    - RotationRate: (0, 90, 0)

Variables:
  PickupValue: Integer = 10
  PickupSound: SoundBase = null
  PickupEffect: ParticleSystem = null

Events:
  OnComponentBeginOverlap(Trigger):
    - Check if overlapping actor is player
    - Apply pickup effect
    - Play sound
    - Destroy self

Dependencies:
  - GameplayInterface (for interaction)

Using Recipes¶

Applying a Recipe¶

Browse to the recipe in Game Factory or Recipe Library
Click the recipe
Enter asset name
(Optional) Adjust location
Click Create

Customization Options¶

Some recipes offer options:

Variants: Different configurations
Optional Components: Include/exclude features
Initial Values: Set starting properties

Post-Creation¶

After creating from a recipe:

Asset appears in Content Browser
Open to customize further
Add game-specific logic
Connect to other systems

Recipe Categories¶

By Complexity¶

Simple Recipes:

Single asset
Few components
Minimal logic

Complex Recipes:

Multiple assets
Many components
Extensive logic
Dependencies

By Use Case¶

Prototyping Recipes:

Quick and dirty
Placeholder art
Basic functionality

Production Recipes:

Complete implementation
Proper architecture
Performance-conscious

Custom Recipes¶

Create your own recipes in Studio Mode.

For the complete JSON schema reference, see the Schema v3 Authoring Guide.

When to Create Custom Recipes¶

You create the same thing repeatedly
Your team needs standardized assets
You want to encode best practices
You're building a reusable library

Recipe Best Practices¶

Single Responsibility: One recipe, one purpose
Clear Naming: Descriptive, consistent names
Documentation: Describe what and why
Testing: Verify before sharing
Dependencies: Clearly state requirements

Recipe Libraries¶

Default Library¶

Ships with Asset Scaffolding:

Professionally designed
Regularly updated
Works out of the box

Custom Library¶

Your recipes:

Stored per-user
Exportable/importable
Team-shareable

Community Libraries¶

(Future feature)

Share with community
Download popular recipes
Rate and review

Tips¶

Start with Built-in¶

Don't reinvent the wheel:

Check if a built-in recipe exists
Apply it
Customize as needed

Learn from Recipes¶

Recipes teach good practices:

Open a generated asset
Study the component setup
Understand the event logic
Apply patterns to your own work

Combine Recipes¶

Complex systems use multiple recipes:

Create character from recipe
Add inventory from recipe
Connect them together