Getting Started

Installation

As a Plugin (Recommended)

1. Copy the Plugins/CinematicSplineTool/ folder into your Unreal Engine project's Plugins/ directory.
2. Open your project in UE 5.7.
3. Go to Edit > Plugins, search for "Cinematic Spline Tool", and verify it is enabled.
4. Restart the editor if prompted.

From the Source Project

1. Open CinematicSplineTool.uproject directly in UE 5.7.
2. The plugin is already configured and enabled.

Quick Start

Step 1: Place a Cinematic Spline Path

1. In the Place Actors panel, search for "Cinematic Spline Path".
2. Drag it into your level.
3. Select the actor and edit the Spline Path component to shape your camera trajectory.
4. Add spline points by Alt+clicking on the spline in the viewport.

Step 2: Configure Settings

In the Details panel, configure:

• Speed Mode: Choose between Constant Speed, Duration, or Speed Curve.
• Total Duration: Set how long the cinematic takes (for example, 5 seconds).
• Rotation Mode: Follow Spline Tangent or Look At Target.

Step 3: Add Optional Components (v2.0)

Add any combination of optional components for advanced behavior:

• Add Component > Cinematic Camera Collision -- Avoid geometry clipping
• Add Component > Cinematic Noise Shake -- Procedural handheld shake
• Add Component > Cinematic Camera Confiner -- Limit camera to a region
• Add Component > Cinematic Auto Dolly -- Track a moving target
• Add Component > Cinematic Group Framing -- Keep multiple targets in frame
• Add Component > Cinematic Crane Arm -- Crane/jib arm offset

All components are optional. They are auto-discovered and only execute when enabled. See Components for full details on each one.

Step 4: Preview

• Use the Preview Scrub slider in the "Cinematic Controls" section of the Details panel.
• Click Play to watch it in the editor viewport. No PIE required.

Step 5: Trigger at Runtime

Option A -- Auto-play on Begin Play:

Check Auto Play On Begin Play in the Movement settings.

Option B -- Blueprint call:

Call PlayCinematic() from any Blueprint or C++ code.

Option C -- Trigger volume:

1. Add a Cinematic Spline Trigger component to any actor in your level.
2. Set Target Spline Path to your Cinematic Spline Path actor.
3. Player walks in, cinematic plays.

See Sequences for details on trigger volumes and chaining multiple paths.

Editor Features

Cinematic Controls Panel

When you select a Cinematic Spline Path actor, the Details panel shows a "Cinematic Controls" section at the top with:

• Play / Pause / Stop / Reverse buttons for instant editor playback.
• Preview Scrub slider to drag through the cinematic timeline.
• Progress percentage display.
• Play State indicator (Stopped, Playing, Paused, Reversing).
• Spline Length readout in units and meters.
• Spline Point Count display.
• Add Point from Viewport button (v2.0).
• Clear and Capture button (v2.0).

Spline Presets

The Cinematic Presets section provides one-click preset buttons organized in three rows:

• Paths: Linear, S-Curve, Dolly, Flyover
• Orbits: 360 degree, 180 degree, 90 degree
• Cranes: Crane Up, Crane Down

Configure Preset Radius, Length, and Height before clicking to control the generated shape size.

Preset	Shape	Best For
Linear	Straight line	Dolly shots, establishing shots, flythroughs
S-Curve	S-shaped curve	Tracking shots, hallway navigation, reveals
Dolly	Straight (forward/back)	Dolly zoom, push-in/pull-out shots
Flyover	High arc	Aerial establishing shots, overhead reveals
360 degree	Full circle	Product showcase, character reveal, orbit
180 degree	Half circle	Character introduction, scenic pan
90 degree	Quarter circle	Subtle angle change, dialogue coverage
Crane Up	Ground to sky	Vertical reveals, skyscraper reveals
Crane Down	Sky to ground	Descending intro shots, landing sequences

Debug Visualization

When a Cinematic Spline Path is selected in the viewport, you will see:

• Camera frustum indicators at regular intervals along the spline showing camera orientation.
• Direction arrows showing the travel direction.
• Look-at lines (dashed red) from camera positions to the look-at target (when using Look At mode).
• Progress indicator (orange dot) showing the current preview position.
• Collision probe sphere (green/red) showing collision avoidance radius (v2.0).
• Confiner bounds (yellow wireframe) showing the camera confinement region (v2.0).
• Crane arm lines (blue) showing arm from pivot to endpoint at sample points (v2.0).

Viewport Camera Capture (v2.0)

Capture the editor viewport camera position and rotation as spline points:

1. Navigate the editor viewport to the exact camera angle you want.
2. Click "Add Point from Viewport" in the Cinematic Controls section.
3. Repeat for each camera position.
4. The spline connects all captured viewpoints with smooth interpolation.

Use "Clear and Capture" to clear the existing spline and start fresh with the current viewport as the first point.

Next Steps

• Camera Modes -- Speed modes, rotation modes, FOV animation, dolly zoom, and post-process
• Filmback Presets -- Real-world camera sensor presets
• Components -- All optional components
• Examples -- Detailed step-by-step walkthroughs