In this section, we will guide you through the process of setting up your development environment for C++ programming in Unreal Engine. This involves installing the necessary software, configuring your IDE (Integrated Development Environment), and ensuring that everything is properly connected to work seamlessly with Unreal Engine.

Before we begin, ensure you have the following:

• A computer with a supported operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
• Administrative privileges to install software.
• Basic understanding of C++ (helpful but not mandatory).

Unreal Engine primarily uses Visual Studio for C++ development. Follow these steps to install Visual Studio:

1. Download Visual Studio:

   • Visit the Visual Studio download page.
   • Download the "Community" edition, which is free for individual developers.

2. Install Visual Studio:

   • Run the installer and select the following workloads:
     • Game development with C++
     • Desktop development with C++
   • Ensure that the "Unreal Engine Installer" component is selected under the "Game development with C++" workload.
   • Click "Install" and wait for the installation to complete.

After installing Visual Studio, you need to configure it to work with Unreal Engine:

1. Open Visual Studio:

   • Launch Visual Studio from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.

2. Install Unreal Engine Extension:

   • Go to Extensions > Manage Extensions.
   • Search for "Unreal Engine" and install the "Unreal Engine" extension.
   • Restart Visual Studio to apply the changes.

3. Set Up Environment Variables:

   • Open the Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio.
   • Set the environment variables for Unreal Engine by running the following commands:

     setx UE4_ROOT "C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.XX"
     setx UE4_PROJECTS "C:\Path\To\Your\Unreal\Projects"
     

   • Replace C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.XX with the actual path to your Unreal Engine installation and C:\Path\To\Your\Unreal\Projects with the path to your projects directory.

If you haven't already installed Unreal Engine, follow these steps:

1. Download the Epic Games Launcher:

   • Visit the Unreal Engine download page.
   • Download and install the Epic Games Launcher.

2. Install Unreal Engine:

   • Open the Epic Games Launcher.
   • Navigate to the Unreal Engine tab.
   • Click on the Library section and then click the + button to install the latest version of Unreal Engine.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Now that you have Visual Studio and Unreal Engine installed, let's create a new C++ project:

1. Open Unreal Engine:

   • Launch Unreal Engine from the Epic Games Launcher.

2. Create a New Project:

   • Click on New Project.
   • Select the Games category and click Next.
   • Choose a template (e.g., First Person, Third Person) and click Next.
   • Select C++ as the project type.
   • Configure the project settings (e.g., project name, location) and click Create.

3. Open the Project in Visual Studio:

   • Once the project is created, Unreal Engine will automatically open Visual Studio with your new project.
   • You can now start coding in C++ within the Unreal Engine framework.

To ensure everything is set up correctly, follow these steps:

1. Build the Project:

   • In Visual Studio, go to Build > Build Solution or press Ctrl+Shift+B.
   • Ensure that the build completes without errors.

2. Run the Project:

   • In Unreal Engine, click the Play button to run the project.
   • Verify that the game runs as expected.

By following these steps, you have successfully set up your development environment for C++ programming in Unreal Engine. You are now ready to start creating and integrating C++ code with your Unreal Engine projects. In the next section, we will dive into the basics of C++ syntax to help you get started with writing your own code.