Learn to code with C++ UE5 Game Development

Install Visual Studio for C++ and include the game development with C++ workload to enable Unreal development; you can use Windows or Mac or an online editor for practice.

Open Visual Studio and create a new console application to begin learning C++. Write the main function and print Hello World with std::cout, then run and debug.

Declare and initialize variables in C++ using int, float, double, bool, string, and char in the main function, then print values to the console and understand type and name syntax.

Learn to structure code by creating functions, declaring them above main, and calling them to perform tasks like calculating remaining health and printing results with cout.

Overload functions to accept parameters and create a second calculate remaining health variant. Pass in floats for health and damage in the correct order, and avoid magic numbers.

Learn to build functions that return values, returning a float such as remaining health using parameters. Test by passing health and damage and printing the result to the console.

Learn to build conditionals in C++ with if statements to separate code flow and test booleans, using else if and else to handle health and level up.

Learn how pointers in C++ store memory addresses, use ampersands and asterisks, dereference to access values, and how changing a pointer affects the original variable, with practical examples.

Learn how C++ references differ from pointers by binding a reference to a variable, so the memory address stays fixed while changes affect the original variable; compare with pointers.

Learn to build classes and objects in C++ for game entities, defining public properties like health, level, exp, and name, using constructors, headers, and cpp files to instantiate players.

Learn how to use private and protected class members and expose them via public getters and setters in C++, with examples like a player's weapon and health and validation checks.

Explore parameterized constructors to set object properties like xp, health, level, and name upon creation. Understand constructor overloading, argument order, and testing by instantiating players with varying parameters.

Learn to use pointers and references to access object properties and functions in C++, including memory addresses, arrow and dot syntax, and implementing a move function in Unreal C++.

Explore Unreal Engine 5, a free, real-time 3D creation tool by Epic Games, enabling game, film, automotive, and architecture projects with Nanite and Lumen for dynamic detail and lighting.

Learn how to install Unreal Engine 5, including downloading and licensing options. Sign up for an Epic Games account, download the launcher, and use early access to launch the engine.

Learn to debug Unreal and Visual Studio by inspecting log windows and the VS error list, diagnose syntax or logical errors, and use the debugger to step through code.

Learn to start a new Unreal Engine 5 project using a C++ first-person template, and explore prewritten template code, project settings, and Visual Studio integration to run and modify gameplay.

Learn to run Visual Studio in administrator mode to compile and debug Unreal projects, avoiding read/write permission errors. Open the project with shift+control to start in admin mode.

Learn to code a first-person shooter projectile in UE5, shrinking each hit cube by 90% with get component scale and set world scale three-d, then destroy the projectile.

Build an enemy controller in C++ for a first-person shooter in Unreal Engine, wiring a root box overlap and pausing the game when the enemy collides with the player.

Add a visible cube as the enemy visual, apply gold material, and set the cube's collision to none so the root box handles collisions and pauses the game on contact.

Spawn enemies dynamically in UE5 by updating the game mode to spawn from an enemy blueprint around the player every few seconds using delta time, and enable tick for spawning.

Convert the enemy controller to a reusable blueprint, create a game mode blueprint to spawn enemies, and assign beep_enemy in world settings for testing.

Make enemies chase the player in unreal by updating each enemy's direction and location per tick using delta time and vectors, then move them with set actor location.

Learn to manage enemy lifespans in Unreal Engine 5 with C++: set each spawned enemy's life span, test destruction after five seconds, and tune spawn timers for game performance.