Blueprints Outlined
Blueprints are a form of programming used within the Unreal Engine. They are used mainly for gameplay programming and can be used to make events occur under certain circumstances. Blueprints work by allowing you to obtain different blocks, which are visual representations of code (C++), and then connect them together similar to a jigsaw to create functional code.
There are two different types of Blueprints that can be made within Unreal. These are the Level Blueprint and the Class Blueprint. The level blueprint is generally used for things specific to a level or area of the game. Level Blueprints are good for specific cases, for example a single room with a light that turns on upon entry. This is because a room can take many different shapes and sizes and it will probably need a different trigger box each time. Class Blueprints are good for things that need to be repeated numerous times and be accessible over multiple levels. This is because a Class Blueprint can be replicated, however any change to the blueprint will affect all instances of the object. Doors are well suited to Class Blueprints, because they are found frequently, and they should all perform in the same way.
There are three tabs that can be found at the top of the Class Blueprint editor. The first tab is the Viewport. This tab enables you to edit the object that the Blueprint refers to. For example, you can add trigger boxes and change the physical appearance of the object. All of the things that the Blueprint will need to use and the physical object(s) will need to go here. The second tab is the Construction Script. This allows for things to occur before the game even starts. This is commonly used for making changes to attributes of a specific instance of the class in the game through the editor without changing all instances of that class. The final tab is the Event Graph. This is where the main Blueprint should be. Its behavior is defined here. The Construction Script and Event Graph both use Blueprints in the same fashion, allowing users to connect boxes of code.
C++ and C# are two other similar programming languages. C++ is the most similar of these to Blueprints because Blueprints are literally C++ under the surface. C++ is made up of actual lines of code and is more daunting to those not familiar with programming. C# is a similar programming language to C++, but it is a higher language. Think of a higher language as being a birds eye view, requiring less detail, but also somewhat limiting the depth of what you can do. C# is arguably easier than C++ since it is more user friendly and easier to read, while C++ is slightly closer to what a computer would understand instead.