Cling Component System

Traversing Giant Entities with Cling Objects

Scaling colossal creatures presents unique technical demands in real-time environments, particularly when standard collision systems cannot adequately handle dynamic, animated geometry. The Cling Component System solves this traversal challenge through dedicated Cling objects. These discrete objects function as target climb locations that creators can distribute freely throughout a level or socket directly to the skeleton of an animated creature.

By mounting Cling objects to the individual bones of a Skeletal Mesh inside Blueprints, climbing points move synchronously with the underlying skeletal animation. As a giant creature shifts, stomps, or turns, the attached Cling objects follow the transformation matrices of their parent bones. This setup allows players to grab onto moving limbs, torso segments, or creature appendages while preserving the stability of the character's relative position on the moving mesh. Designers are not limited to creature attachment; the exact same Cling objects can be positioned throughout map geometry to designate handholds on static structures, offering a unified method for climbing gameplay.

The Upgraded Climbing Component and Dedicated Animations

Core character interactions rely on the Upgraded Climbing Component, which governs the logic linking the climbing pawn to targeted Cling points. The mechanical interaction between the actor and the surface requires specific motion data to look convincing against moving bodies. For this reason, the package supplies high-quality climbing animations paired alongside dedicated high-quality giant animations, ensuring that both the scaling character and the target entity carry visual weight during gameplay interactions.

The system pairs player movements to the actions of the titan being scaled. When climbing pawns shift between Cling points, the upgraded component calculates transitions without breaking alignment. While earlier iterations featured a standing orientation mechanic, that specific orientation feature has been removed until it reaches total stability. Similarly, networking capabilities have been taken offline in recent updates to undergo stabilization, focusing the current framework squarely on polished, reliable single-player execution.

Climbing AI Functionality and Upgraded AI Components

Traversal mechanics in the Cling Component System are not restricted to human players. The framework provides dedicated climbing AI functionality powered by an Upgraded AI Component. This allows non-player characters and automated agents to read the position of Cling objects, navigate creature surfaces, and scale dynamic targets in a manner similar to player characters.

Configuring autonomous climbing agents involves distinct workflows established through custom AI setup pipelines. Developers can construct behaviors where AI enemies or companions navigate onto skeletal meshes, coordinating their navigation targets against the moving bones of giant creatures. Having matching capabilities across both player setups and AI agents makes the system structurally symmetrical, allowing both friendly and hostile entities to use the exact same Cling objects placed across the world.

Blueprint Architecture and Helper Blueprint Library

The system is built as a modular Blueprint package designed to drop cleanly into broader project architectures. Central to its implementation is a Helper Blueprint Library created specifically for ease of access. This library exposes essential traversal math, component references, and attachment calls, reducing the need for repetitive Blueprint script wiring across custom characters or creature actors.

In addition to standalone implementation, the framework maintains compatibility with the Combo Component System. This interoperability ensures that projects utilizing melee combat or sequential attack logic can combine offensive actions directly with climbing interactions without conflict. Setup workflows are reinforced through complete example projects and targeted walkthrough pipelines that detail custom player integration, custom AI configuration, and basic system setup from scratch.

Surface Climbing Roadmap and Future Expansion

While the present architecture is tuned around specific Cling objects attached to maps and skeletal bones, development plans include an expansion into static climbing. This upcoming static climbing functionality is aimed at dynamic climbing across arbitrary static surfaces, making terrain, cliffs, rocks, and buildings naturally scalable without manually placing individual Cling targets across the map.

For existing deployments, the current Cling Component System provides a concrete solution for boss fights, titan-scaling set pieces, and skeletal mesh traversal. By relying on bone-attached Cling markers, custom AI navigation, and a dedicated Helper Blueprint Library, developers have an accessible foundation for building multi-tier vertical encounters across animated entities.

Related Resources Worth Checking

• Soccer Ball Control v0.41
• Monster Ai Kit
• Zombie AI System
• Civilian NPCs AI – Smart Crowd & Behavior System for UE5
• Grab Component System