About DSN
Dynamic Surface Navigation Plugin v1.3
Adds navigation for all surfaces (ground/walls/ceilings) to Unreal Engine which dynamically updates as your world changes. Works with many of UE's existing navigation features such as nav modifiers, nav filters, nav links, EQS and more.
It's a mouthful of a name so let's just call it the DSN plugin!
The DSN plugin turned out far more robust and feature rich than I originally intended, but this was very much needed as it would have had a lot of short comings without some of these features.
Extends Existing UE Navigation System
By extending the native UE navigation system the DSN plugin receives the same component updates as the native navigation system. Both the native navigation and the DSN plugin can also be used side by side allowing some AI to use the native navigation while other AI use the DSN plugin.
Fully Dynamic
The DSN plugin will be notified of world changes automatically and will update the navigation for affected areas very quickly.
Environment Query System (EQS)
Added in DSN v1.2, supports environment queries which allow you to make more advanced and intelligent AI...just this AI can happen to go on walls and ceilings as well as the ground.
Nav Modifiers, Nav Areas & Nav Filters
The DSN plugin works with nav modifiers, nav filters and nav areas allowing for finite control over the cost for different AI to navigate over obstacles or areas. Need that cave spider of yours to avoid heavily lit areas? Just setup nav areas and nav filters appropriately to make those areas high cost to the affected AI.
Nav Links & Smart Links
The DSN plugin works with both simple nav links and smart nav links. This will allow you to help your AI to get across odd obstacles such as a narrow log using a simple nav link. Or you can allow your AI to wall jump as it's pathfinding to the character using smart nav links.
World Partition & Level Streaming
The DSN plugin has been tested with both world partition and level streaming.
Voxel Plugin
The DSN plugin works with the Voxel Plugin so now the cave your character just dug out will have navigation dynamically built on all surfaces.
WorldScape Plugin
The DSN plugin works with the WorldScape plugin so your complex terrain and planets can have navigation on all surfaces.
Nav Mesh Volume
Use the exact same nav mesh volume for the DSN plugin that you use with the native UE navigation to limit where navigation can be built.
Planets
Did I mention it works on planets! Really, it works on any surface that has proper collision and is relevant for navigation.
Control Allowed Angles
The DSN plugin enables limiting the angle from ground AI are allowed to navigate. Some AI may only be allowed to navigate up to 45 degree inclines while others may be allowed to navigate any surface angles. The plugin even allows restricting AI to only navigate on ceiling angles in cases where they are hanging only AI.
Dynamic Angle Expense
Configure some of your AI to prefer pathing using ground vs pathing using walls or ceilings based on angle alone. No nav modifiers needed for this to work, just configure certain angles to be more expensive for your AI to navigate over.
Cornering Enhancements
Improve your AI's ability to traverse corners as well as allow your AI to dynamically decelerate for corners.
Helps Prevent Grouping
The DSN plugin includes properties which can help prevent AI from lining up in a row when pathing to a location or target.
C++, Asynchronous and Fast
The DSN plugin is built with C++ making heavy use of asynchronous processing to make sure updates happen fast.