BallisticsDocs/docs/docs/getting-started/quick-start.md

Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with EasyBallistics in under 10 minutes! This guide will walk you through creating your first ballistic weapon system.

🎯 New Gun-Centric Approach Available!

This guide shows the component-based approach using individual barrel components. For a complete weapon system with magazines, fire modes, and realistic gun mechanics, see the Gun Blueprint Creation Guide.

Overview

In this quick start, you'll:

1. Create bullet properties
2. Set up a material response map
3. Create a simple weapon
4. Test ballistic impacts

Step 1: Create Bullet Properties

First, let's define the characteristics of our projectile.

Create the Asset

1. In the Content Browser, right-click → Ballistics → Bullet Properties
2. Name it BP_556_NATO_Properties
3. Double-click to open the editor

Configure Properties

Set these values for a 5.56x45mm NATO round:

Bullet Properties:
  Grain Weight: 55.0
  Diameter Inches: 0.224
  Length Inches: 0.825
  Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
  Bullet Material: Copper Jacket

Ballistics:
  Ballistic Coefficient G1: 0.151
  Ballistic Coefficient G7: 0.076
  Use G7 Model: false

Penetration:
  Bullet Hardness: 15.0
  Penetration Energy Threshold: 58.0
  Expansion Velocity Threshold: 1800.0

Step 2: Set Up Physical Materials

Configure materials that bullets will interact with.

Create Steel Material

1. Content Browser → right-click → Physics → Physical Material
2. Name it PM_Steel
3. Open the material editor
4. In the Ballistics section:
   • Click Create New to generate ballistic properties
   • The system will auto-configure steel properties

Create Wood Material

1. Create another Physical Material: PM_Wood
2. In the Ballistics section:
   • Click Create New
   • The system will detect "wood" in the name and configure accordingly

Step 3: Create Material Response Map

Define how bullets interact with different materials.

Create the Asset

1. Content Browser → right-click → Ballistics → Material Response Map
2. Name it MRM_Default
3. Open the editor

Configure Responses

Add entries for your materials:

Steel (PM_Steel):
  Penetration Depth Multiplier: 0.3
  Ricochet Probability Multiplier: 2.0
  Ricochet Restitution: 0.8
  Never Penetrate: false
  Never Ricochet: false

Wood (PM_Wood):
  Penetration Depth Multiplier: 2.0
  Ricochet Probability Multiplier: 0.1
  Ricochet Restitution: 0.2
  Never Penetrate: false
  Never Ricochet: false

Step 4: Create a Simple Weapon

Now let's create a weapon that fires ballistic projectiles.

Create Weapon Blueprint

1. Create Actor Blueprint: BP_SimpleRifle
2. Add a Static Mesh Component for the weapon model
3. Add an EB Barrel Component

Configure the Barrel

Select the EB Barrel component and set:

Ammunition:
  Bullet Class: EBBullet (from dropdown)
  Bullet Properties Asset: BP_556_NATO_Properties
  Material Response Map: MRM_Default

Ballistics:
  Muzzle Velocity Min: 3100
  Muzzle Velocity Max: 3200
  Use Mathematical Physics: true
  Use New Impact System: true

Fire Mode:
  Fire Mode: Semiauto
  Rounds Per Minute: 600

Add Firing Logic

In the Event Graph, add this simple firing setup:

// On Input Action Fire (or your input event)
Event InputAction Fire
    ↓
Branch (Can Fire?)
    ↓ True
Call Function: Fire Single Shot
    ↓
Set Timer by Function Name
    - Function Name: "Reset Fire Cooldown"
    - Time: 0.1 (for 600 RPM)

Step 5: Set Up Target Objects

Create objects to shoot at with proper materials.

Create Target Blueprint

1. Create Actor Blueprint: BP_Target
2. Add Static Mesh Component (use a cube or custom model)
3. Set the Physical Material to either PM_Steel or PM_Wood
4. Enable Collision and Simulate Physics

Add Impact Response

Add an EB Ballistic Impact Component to the target:

// In the target's Event Graph
OnBallisticImpact
    ↓
Branch (Did Penetrate?)
    ↓ True: Spawn Penetration Effect
    ↓ False: Spawn Impact Effect

OnBallisticRicochet
    ↓
Spawn Ricochet Effect
    ↓
Play Ricochet Sound

Step 6: Test the System

Time to see your ballistic system in action!

Testing Setup

1. Place BP_SimpleRifle in your level
2. Place several BP_Target actors with different materials
3. Set up a Player Controller or Pawn to control the weapon
4. Play the level

What to Look For

• Penetration: Bullets should penetrate wood more easily than steel
• Ricochet: Bullets should ricochet off steel at shallow angles
• Material Response: Different materials should show different impact behaviors
• Physics: Targets should receive impulse and move when hit

Debug Features

Enable these for testing:

Bullet Debug Options:
  Debug Enabled: true
  Debug Trail Time: 2.0
  Debug Trail Color Fast: Green
  Debug Trail Color Slow: Red

You'll see colored trails showing bullet paths!

Expected Results

After completing this setup, you should have:

✅ Realistic Ballistics: Bullets affected by gravity and air resistance
✅ Material Interactions: Different penetration/ricochet on steel vs wood
✅ Impact Events: Targets respond to bullet impacts
✅ Debug Visualization: Visible bullet trails for testing

Troubleshooting

Bullets Not Spawning

• Check that Bullet Class is set to EBBullet
• Verify Bullet Properties Asset is assigned
• Ensure the barrel component is properly configured

No Material Response

• Verify targets have Physical Materials assigned
• Check that materials are added to the Material Response Map
• Ensure Use New Impact System is enabled

Poor Performance

• Enable Object Pooling in bullet settings
• Reduce Max Traces Per Step if needed
• Consider using Fixed Step simulation for consistency

Next Steps

Now that you have a basic system working:

1. Core Concepts - Understand the system architecture
2. API Reference - Detailed function documentation
3. Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions

Getting Help

• Join our Discord for real-time help
• Check the API Reference for detailed function documentation
• Browse the Troubleshooting Guide for common issues