Agent skill

Ue Physics Collision

by quodsoler in quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills

A skill your agent uses when setting up collision channels and profiles, running line/sweep/overlap queries, wiring hit and overlap events, or simulating rigid bodies in Unreal Engine C++.

MITAuto-check passedGame Development

Install Ue Physics Collision

skills CLI
$ npx skills add quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills --skill ue-physics-collision -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills ue-physics-collision --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/ue-physics-collision .claude/skills/ue-physics-collision && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
ue-physics-collision
GitHub stars
360
Token cost
~7.9k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,672 words
Files
3 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
31
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

A skill your agent uses when setting up collision channels and profiles, running line/sweep/overlap queries, wiring hit and overlap events, or simulating rigid bodies in Unreal Engine C++.

  • Setting up collision channels and profiles
  • SKILL.md covers Context, Collision Channels and Profiles, Trace Sweep and Overlap Queries and FHitResult, plus 10 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
  • Running line/sweep/overlap queries

What it does

Ue Physics Collision is an agent skill from quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills. Use when setting up collision channels and profiles, running line/sweep/overlap queries, wiring hit and overlap events, or simulating rigid bodies in Unreal Engine C++. Also use when the user mentions 'collision channel', 'collision profile', 'LineTraceSingleByChannel', 'SweepSingleByChannel', 'OverlapMultiByObjectType', 'FHitResult', 'FCollisionQueryParams', 'FCollisionShape', 'OnComponentHit', 'OnComponentBeginOverlap', 'SetCollisionProfileName', 'SetSimulatePhysics', 'AddRadialImpulse', 'ragdoll', 'Chaos…

Its SKILL.md is about 7.9k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 3 other files, including reference files (for example `references/collision-channel-setup.md` and `references/trace-patterns.md`).

It sits in Game Development. It works with C++ and Unreal Engine. The repository describes itself as: Unreal Engine C++ skills for AI coding agents. 27 skills covering gameplay, rendering, networking, animation, and more. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any agent… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Setting up collision channels and profiles
  • Running line/sweep/overlap queries
  • Wiring hit and overlap events
  • Simulating rigid bodies in Unreal Engine C++

Example prompts

  • “collision channel”
  • “collision profile”
  • “LineTraceSingleByChannel”
  • “/ue-physics-collision”

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit f3742d7. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are cpp, ini and csharp).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Ue Physics Collision loads about 7.9k tokens when it runs, and up to ~16k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 178 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,672 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~178
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~7.9k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~16k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills at commit f3742d7, republished under its MIT licence (© quodsoler). 1,672 words, ~7,900 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/ue-physics-collision/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 2 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
ue-physics-collision
description
Use when setting up collision channels and profiles, running line/sweep/overlap queries, wiring hit and overlap events, or simulating rigid bodies in Unreal Engine C++. Also use when the user mentions 'collision channel', 'collision profile', 'LineTraceSingleByChannel', 'SweepSingleByChannel', 'OverlapMultiByObjectType', 'FHitResult', 'FCollisionQueryParams', 'FCollisionShape', 'OnComponentHit', 'OnComponentBeginOverlap', 'SetCollisionProfileName', 'SetSimulatePhysics', 'AddRadialImpulse', 'ragdoll', 'Chaos solver', 'ECC_GameTraceChannel1', or 'my overlap never fires'. For component attachment, see ue-actor-component-architecture; for capsule floor checks, see ue-character-movement.
metadata.version
2.0.0
metadata.engine
5.8

UE Physics & Collision

Target engine: UE 5.8. APIs below are verified against the 5.8 headers; older forms are listed under "Deprecated — do not use".

Collision and physics live in the Engine module (UPrimitiveComponent, UWorld queries, FHitResult, UCollisionProfile) and the PhysicsCore module (FCollisionShape, UPhysicalMaterial, FBodyInstanceCore, ECollisionTraceFlag, EPhysicalSurface). The simulator itself is Chaos (Chaos / ChaosSolverEngine modules); destruction adds GeometryCollectionEngine and FieldSystemEngine. Most gameplay code only needs "Engine" and "PhysicsCore" in Build.cs.

Context

Read .agents/ue-project-context.md if it exists (module names, conventions, enabled plugins, GAS/networking setup). Do not stop if it is missing.

Identify the area from the request and the codebase. Ask only when two plausible readings would produce different code.

Request is about…Go to
Channels, profiles, DefaultEngine.ini, responsesCollision Channels and Profiles
Line traces, sweeps, overlap queries, async tracesTrace Sweep and Overlap Queries
Reading what a query hitFHitResult
OnComponentHit, OnComponentBeginOverlap, wake/sleepCollision Events
Rigid bodies, impulses, forces, mass, damping, sleepingPhysics Bodies and Forces
Joints, radial force fields, ragdollsConstraints Radial Force and Ragdolls
Friction, restitution, surface typesPhysical Materials
Solver settings, substepping, CVars, physics-thread ticksChaos Solver and Async Physics
Replicated physics, resimulation, predictive interpolationNetwork Physics

Collision Channels and Profiles

ECollisionChannel (Engine/EngineTypes.h:1098) has 8 engine channels, 6 hidden engine slots and 50 game slots (64 total; ECC_GameTraceChannel50 at :1168):

cpp
ECC_WorldStatic, ECC_WorldDynamic, ECC_Pawn, ECC_PhysicsBody,
ECC_Vehicle, ECC_Destructible                 // object channels (what a component IS)
ECC_Visibility, ECC_Camera                    // trace channels (what a query LOOKS FOR)
ECC_GameTraceChannel1 ... ECC_GameTraceChannel50  // project slots, either kind
  • Object channel — every component has exactly one, set with SetCollisionObjectType. Matched by *ByObjectType queries.
  • Trace channel — never an object type; a query passes it to *ByChannel and each component's response to that channel decides block/overlap/ignore.
  • ECollisionResponse (Engine/EngineTypes.h:1346): ECR_Ignore, ECR_Overlap, ECR_Block.
  • ECollisionEnabled::Type (Engine/EngineTypes.h:1805): NoCollision, QueryOnly, PhysicsOnly, QueryAndPhysics, ProbeOnly, QueryAndProbe.
cpp
#include "Components/PrimitiveComponent.h"

MyMesh->SetCollisionProfileName(TEXT("BlockAllDynamic"));   // preferred: one call sets everything
MyMesh->SetCollisionEnabled(ECollisionEnabled::QueryAndPhysics);
MyMesh->SetCollisionObjectType(ECC_PhysicsBody);
MyMesh->SetCollisionResponseToAllChannels(ECR_Block);
MyMesh->SetCollisionResponseToChannel(ECC_Pawn, ECR_Overlap);
MyMesh->SetCollisionResponseToChannel(ECC_Camera, ECR_Ignore);

FCollisionResponseContainer Responses(ECR_Ignore);
Responses.SetResponse(ECC_Visibility, ECR_Block);
MyMesh->SetCollisionResponseToChannels(Responses);

SetCollisionProfileName overwrites every manual response, so apply the profile first and the per-channel overrides after.

Engine profiles shipped in Config/BaseEngine.ini under [/Script/Engine.CollisionProfile]: NoCollision, BlockAll, OverlapAll, BlockAllDynamic, OverlapAllDynamic, IgnoreOnlyPawn, OverlapOnlyPawn, Pawn, Spectator, CharacterMesh, PhysicsActor, Destructible, InvisibleWall, InvisibleWallDynamic, Trigger, Ragdoll, Vehicle, UI, WaterBodyCollision.

Custom channels and profiles are config-only — there is no runtime API to create one:

ini
[/Script/Engine.CollisionProfile]
+DefaultChannelResponses=(Channel=ECC_GameTraceChannel1,DefaultResponse=ECR_Block,bTraceType=True,bStaticObject=False,Name="Weapon")
+DefaultChannelResponses=(Channel=ECC_GameTraceChannel2,DefaultResponse=ECR_Block,bTraceType=False,bStaticObject=False,Name="Interactable")
+Profiles=(Name="MyInteractable",CollisionEnabled=QueryAndPhysics,ObjectTypeName="Interactable",CustomResponses=((Channel="Weapon",Response=ECR_Ignore),(Channel="Visibility",Response=ECR_Block)),HelpMessage="Interactable props")
+EditProfiles=(Name="Pawn",CustomResponses=((Channel="Weapon",Response=ECR_Block)))

bTraceType=True declares a trace channel, False an object channel. +Profiles= adds or replaces a whole profile; +EditProfiles= only patches responses on an existing one (Engine/CollisionProfile.h:160-190). UCollisionProfile::Get() reads the table and UCollisionProfile::LoadProfileConfig(bool bForceInit) (Engine/CollisionProfile.h:237) re-reads it after a config change.

See collision-channel-setup.md for full profile sets, the ini reference and a debugging checklist.

Trace Sweep and Overlap Queries

All world queries are const members of UWorld (Engine/World.h:2128-2441). Three families, each in Test / Single / Multi form:

SuffixSelects byExtra parameter
ByChannelthe querier's trace channel vs each component's responseECollisionChannel TraceChannel, optional FCollisionResponseParams
ByObjectTypethe target component's object channelconst FCollisionObjectQueryParams&
ByProfilethe channel and responses stored in a named profileFName ProfileName
cpp
#include "Engine/World.h"
#include "Engine/HitResult.h"
#include "CollisionQueryParams.h"
#include "CollisionShape.h"

FCollisionQueryParams Params(TEXT("MyWeaponTrace"), /*bTraceComplex=*/false, GetOwner());
Params.bReturnPhysicalMaterial = true;   // fills Hit.PhysMaterial
Params.bReturnFaceIndex        = false;  // fills Hit.FaceIndex; expensive
Params.bIgnoreTouches          = true;   // discard ECR_Overlap results (bIgnoreBlocks is the inverse)
Params.bFindInitialOverlaps    = true;   // report shapes already overlapping at Start
Params.MobilityType            = EQueryMobilityType::Any;  // Any | Static | Dynamic
Params.AddIgnoredActor(GetOwner());
Params.AddIgnoredComponent(MyMesh.Get());   // .Get(): a TObjectPtr member is ambiguous (CollisionQueryParams.h:267-269)

FHitResult Hit;
GetWorld()->LineTraceSingleByChannel(Hit, Start, End, ECC_Visibility, Params);

TArray<FHitResult> Hits;
GetWorld()->LineTraceMultiByChannel(Hits, Start, End, ECC_GameTraceChannel1, Params);

FCollisionObjectQueryParams ObjParams(ECC_Pawn);
ObjParams.AddObjectTypesToQuery(ECC_PhysicsBody);
GetWorld()->LineTraceSingleByObjectType(Hit, Start, End, ObjParams, Params);

GetWorld()->LineTraceSingleByProfile(Hit, Start, End, TEXT("BlockAll"), Params);

const bool bAnythingThere = GetWorld()->LineTraceTestByChannel(Start, End, ECC_Visibility, Params);

TraceTag is the first constructor argument; it also drives the TraceTagAll / named-tag debug drawing in the console.

Sweeps take a rotation and an FCollisionShape (PhysicsCore/Public/CollisionShape.h:284-316):

cpp
const FCollisionShape Sphere  = FCollisionShape::MakeSphere(30.f);                  // radius
const FCollisionShape Box     = FCollisionShape::MakeBox(FVector(50.f, 30.f, 80.f));// half-extents
const FCollisionShape Capsule = FCollisionShape::MakeCapsule(34.f, 88.f);           // radius, half-height

GetWorld()->SweepSingleByChannel(Hit, Start, End, FQuat::Identity, ECC_Pawn, Capsule, Params);
GetWorld()->SweepMultiByChannel(Hits, Start, End, FQuat::Identity, ECC_Pawn, Sphere, Params);
GetWorld()->SweepSingleByObjectType(Hit, Start, End, FQuat::Identity, ObjParams, Box, Params);
GetWorld()->SweepSingleByProfile(Hit, Start, End, FQuat::Identity, TEXT("Pawn"), Capsule, Params);

GetCapsuleHalfHeight() includes the end radius; GetCapsuleAxisHalfLength() is the shaft only.

Overlaps are stationary shape tests returning FOverlapResult (Engine/OverlapResult.h:12):

cpp
#include "Engine/OverlapResult.h"

TArray<FOverlapResult> Overlaps;
GetWorld()->OverlapMultiByObjectType(Overlaps, Center, FQuat::Identity,
    FCollisionObjectQueryParams(ECC_Pawn), FCollisionShape::MakeSphere(500.f), Params);
GetWorld()->OverlapMultiByChannel(Overlaps, Center, FQuat::Identity, ECC_Pawn,
    FCollisionShape::MakeSphere(500.f), Params);

const bool bBlocked = GetWorld()->OverlapAnyTestByChannel(Center, FQuat::Identity,
    ECC_WorldStatic, FCollisionShape::MakeBox(FVector(40.f)), Params);

for (const FOverlapResult& Result : Overlaps)
{
    AActor* Actor = Result.GetActor();
    UPrimitiveComponent* Comp = Result.GetComponent();
}

OverlapAnyTestByChannel stops at the first block or touch; OverlapBlockingTestByChannel ignores touches. When the query is "what is my own component already touching", use UPrimitiveComponent::GetOverlappingActors or ComponentOverlapComponent instead of a world query.

Async traces queue this frame and are readable next frame (Engine/World.h:2522, WorldCollision.h:148):

cpp
#include "WorldCollision.h"

// EAsyncTraceType: Test | Single | Multi
FTraceHandle Handle = GetWorld()->AsyncLineTraceByChannel(
    EAsyncTraceType::Single, Start, End, ECC_Visibility, Params);

FTraceDatum Datum;
if (GetWorld()->QueryTraceData(Handle, Datum) && Datum.OutHits.Num() > 0)
{
    const FHitResult& First = Datum.OutHits[0];
}

Passing a FTraceDelegate* (DECLARE_DELEGATE_TwoParams(FTraceDelegate, const FTraceHandle&, FTraceDatum&)) instead calls you back when the batch completes.

See trace-patterns.md for hitscan, melee sweep, interaction, ground check, AoE, line-of-sight and async sensor patterns, plus the Blueprint-layer UKismetSystemLibrary wrappers and performance guidance.

FHitResult

Engine/HitResult.h. Actor is no longer a member — the actor is reached through an accessor.

cpp
Hit.bBlockingHit;        // :107  false for a touch-only result
Hit.bStartPenetrating;   // :116  query began already overlapping; PenetrationDepth :91
Hit.Time;                // :33   0..1 along Start->End;  Distance :37 in cm
Hit.Location;            // :45   where the swept shape's origin ended up
Hit.ImpactPoint;         // :53   surface contact point
Hit.Normal;              // :61   normal opposing movement at Location
Hit.ImpactNormal;        // :69   geometric surface normal at ImpactPoint
Hit.TraceStart;          // :76;  TraceEnd :83
Hit.Item;                // :99   instance index (ISM/HISM); ElementIndex :103 shape index
Hit.FaceIndex;           // :26   needs Params.bReturnFaceIndex
Hit.BoneName;            // :141  bone hit;  MyBoneName :145 our own bone
Hit.PhysMaterial;        // :123  TWeakObjectPtr, needs bReturnPhysicalMaterial

AActor* HitActor = Hit.GetActor();                 // :211
UPrimitiveComponent* HitComp = Hit.GetComponent(); // :227
FActorInstanceHandle Handle = Hit.GetHitObjectHandle(); // :216, lightweight instances

For a Multi query only the last element can be a blocking hit; every earlier element is a touch.

Collision Events

Delegates are sparse dynamic multicast, so handlers must be UFUNCTION()-declared in the header with exactly the delegate's parameter list, or AddDynamic fails to bind at runtime. Signatures from Components/PrimitiveComponent.h:274-282 and GameFramework/Actor.h:194-196:

DelegateParameters
FComponentHitSignatureUPrimitiveComponent* HitComponent, AActor* OtherActor, UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, FVector NormalImpulse, const FHitResult& Hit
FComponentBeginOverlapSignatureUPrimitiveComponent* OverlappedComponent, AActor* OtherActor, UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, int32 OtherBodyIndex, bool bFromSweep, const FHitResult& SweepResult
FComponentEndOverlapSignatureUPrimitiveComponent* OverlappedComponent, AActor* OtherActor, UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, int32 OtherBodyIndex
FComponentWakeSignature / FComponentSleepSignatureUPrimitiveComponent* WakingComponent (SleepingComponent), FName BoneName
FActorBeginOverlapSignature / FActorEndOverlapSignatureAActor* OverlappedActor, AActor* OtherActor
FActorHitSignatureAActor* SelfActor, AActor* OtherActor, FVector NormalImpulse, const FHitResult& Hit
cpp
// MyPickup.h
#pragma once

#include "CoreMinimal.h"
#include "GameFramework/Actor.h"
#include "Engine/HitResult.h"
#include "MyPickup.generated.h"

UCLASS()
class MYGAME_API AMyPickup : public AActor
{
	GENERATED_BODY()

public:
	AMyPickup();

protected:
	virtual void BeginPlay() override;

	UPROPERTY(VisibleAnywhere, Category = "Collision")
	TObjectPtr<class USphereComponent> Trigger;

	UPROPERTY(VisibleAnywhere, Category = "Collision")
	TObjectPtr<class UStaticMeshComponent> Mesh;

	UFUNCTION()
	void OnBeginOverlap(UPrimitiveComponent* OverlappedComponent, AActor* OtherActor,
		UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, int32 OtherBodyIndex, bool bFromSweep, const FHitResult& SweepResult);

	UFUNCTION()
	void OnEndOverlap(UPrimitiveComponent* OverlappedComponent, AActor* OtherActor,
		UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, int32 OtherBodyIndex);

	UFUNCTION()
	void OnHit(UPrimitiveComponent* HitComponent, AActor* OtherActor,
		UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, FVector NormalImpulse, const FHitResult& Hit);
};
cpp
// MyPickup.cpp
#include "MyPickup.h"
#include "Components/SphereComponent.h"
#include "Components/StaticMeshComponent.h"

AMyPickup::AMyPickup()
{
	Trigger = CreateDefaultSubobject<USphereComponent>(TEXT("Trigger"));
	SetRootComponent(Trigger);
	Trigger->SetSphereRadius(120.f);
	Trigger->SetCollisionProfileName(TEXT("OverlapAllDynamic"));
	Trigger->SetGenerateOverlapEvents(true);

	Mesh = CreateDefaultSubobject<UStaticMeshComponent>(TEXT("Mesh"));
	Mesh->SetupAttachment(Trigger);
	Mesh->SetCollisionProfileName(TEXT("PhysicsActor"));
	Mesh->SetSimulatePhysics(true);
	Mesh->SetNotifyRigidBodyCollision(true);   // "Simulation Generates Hit Events"
}

void AMyPickup::BeginPlay()
{
	Super::BeginPlay();

	Trigger->OnComponentBeginOverlap.AddDynamic(this, &AMyPickup::OnBeginOverlap);
	Trigger->OnComponentEndOverlap.AddDynamic(this, &AMyPickup::OnEndOverlap);
	Mesh->OnComponentHit.AddDynamic(this, &AMyPickup::OnHit);
}

void AMyPickup::OnBeginOverlap(UPrimitiveComponent* OverlappedComponent, AActor* OtherActor,
	UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, int32 OtherBodyIndex, bool bFromSweep, const FHitResult& SweepResult)
{
	if (OtherActor && OtherActor != this)
	{
		Destroy();
	}
}

void AMyPickup::OnEndOverlap(UPrimitiveComponent* OverlappedComponent, AActor* OtherActor,
	UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, int32 OtherBodyIndex)
{
}

void AMyPickup::OnHit(UPrimitiveComponent* HitComponent, AActor* OtherActor,
	UPrimitiveComponent* OtherComp, FVector NormalImpulse, const FHitResult& Hit)
{
	const float ImpactStrength = NormalImpulse.Size();
}

Requirements: overlaps need ECR_Overlap on at least one side, a non-ECR_Ignore pair, and SetGenerateOverlapEvents(true) on both components (bGenerateOverlapEvents is private — Components/PrimitiveComponent.h:429). Simulation hits need ECR_Block on both, QueryAndPhysics or PhysicsOnly, and SetNotifyRigidBodyCollision(true) on the simulating component; a swept move (SetActorLocation(..., true), movement components) fires OnComponentHit on any blocking hit without that flag (PrimitiveComponent.cpp:3540-3550). OnComponentWake / OnComponentSleep need bGenerateWakeEvents on the body (PhysicsCore/Public/BodyInstanceCore.h:59).

Physics Bodies and Forces

cpp
MyMesh->SetSimulatePhysics(true);                          // PrimitiveComponent.h:1661
MyMesh->SetEnableGravity(true);                            // :2801
MyMesh->SetMassOverrideInKg(NAME_None, 50.f, true);        // :2857;  GetMass() :2861
MyMesh->SetLinearDamping(0.1f);                            // :2825;  SetAngularDamping :2833
MyMesh->SetUseCCD(true);                                   // :2894 swept collision for fast bodies
MyMesh->SetConstraintMode(EDOFMode::XYPlane);              // :1682 lock to a plane
const bool bSimulating = MyMesh->IsSimulatingPhysics();    // :2644

MyMesh->AddImpulse(FVector(0.f, 0.f, 1000.f), NAME_None, /*bVelChange=*/false);  // :1692
MyMesh->AddImpulseAtLocation(FVector(500.f, 0.f, 0.f), Hit.ImpactPoint);         // :1725 adds spin
MyMesh->AddRadialImpulse(Center, 500.f, 2000.f, RIF_Linear, /*bVelChange=*/false); // :1748
MyMesh->AddForce(FVector(0.f, 0.f, 9800.f), NAME_None, /*bAccelChange=*/false);  // :1759 every tick
MyMesh->AddRadialForce(Center, 500.f, 3000.f, RIF_Constant, false);              // :1793

MyMesh->SetPhysicsLinearVelocity(FVector(0.f, 0.f, 300.f));  // :1825 teleports velocity; use sparingly
const FVector Velocity = MyMesh->GetPhysicsLinearVelocity(); // :1832
MyMesh->WakeRigidBody();                                     // :1938;  PutRigidBodyToSleep() :1945

bVelChange=true / bAccelChange=true ignore mass. ERadialImpulseFalloff is RIF_Constant or RIF_Linear (PhysicsCore/Public/Chaos/ChaosEngineInterface.h:90).

MyMesh->GetBodyInstance() reaches the body. FBodyInstanceCore flags (PhysicsCore/Public/BodyInstanceCore.h): bSimulatePhysics (:30), bOverrideMass (:35), bEnableGravity (:39), bUpdateKinematicFromSimulation (:43), bAutoWeld (:51), bStartAwake (:55), bGenerateWakeEvents (:59). FBodyInstance adds bUseCCD (:418), bNotifyRigidBodyCollision (:440), LinearDamping (:629), MassScale (:645), InertiaTensorScale (:653), SleepFamily (:410) and CustomSleepThresholdMultiplier (:696). ESleepFamily (Chaos/ChaosEngineInterface.h:101) is Normal, Sensitive or Custom; only Custom reads the multiplier.

Collision complexity comes from ECollisionTraceFlag (PhysicsCore/Public/BodySetupEnums.h:13-20): CTF_UseDefault, CTF_UseSimpleAndComplex, CTF_UseSimpleAsComplex, CTF_UseComplexAsSimple. Complex-as-simple bodies cannot simulate.

Constraints Radial Force and Ragdolls

UPhysicsConstraintComponent (PhysicsEngine/PhysicsConstraintComponent.h:24) wraps an FConstraintInstance (:73) — the same struct a Physics Asset stores per joint.

cpp
#include "PhysicsEngine/PhysicsConstraintComponent.h"

UPhysicsConstraintComponent* Joint = NewObject<UPhysicsConstraintComponent>(this);
Joint->SetupAttachment(RootComponent);
Joint->RegisterComponent();
Joint->SetConstrainedComponents(MeshA, NAME_None, MeshB, NAME_None);  // :134
Joint->SetLinearXLimit(ELinearConstraintMotion::LCM_Locked, 0.f);     // :270
Joint->SetAngularSwing1Limit(EAngularConstraintMotion::ACM_Limited, 45.f); // :291
Joint->SetAngularTwistLimit(EAngularConstraintMotion::ACM_Free, 0.f);      // :305
Joint->SetAngularVelocityDriveTwistAndSwing(true, false);             // :199
Joint->SetAngularDriveParams(500.f, 50.f, 0.f);                       // :262
Joint->SetDisableCollision(true);                                     // :374
Joint->BreakConstraint();                                             // :142

Motion enums are ELinearConstraintMotion (LCM_Free, LCM_Limited, LCM_Locked) and EAngularConstraintMotion (ACM_Free, ACM_Limited, ACM_Locked). Editor presets are only combinations of these: Fixed locks all six, Hinge frees one angular axis, Prismatic frees one linear axis, Ball-and-Socket frees all angular. URadialForceComponent (PhysicsEngine/RadialForceComponent.h:16) is the drop-in explosion/vacuum component: Radius, Falloff, ImpulseStrength, bImpulseVelChange, bIgnoreOwningActor, ForceStrength, then FireImpulse() (:50) for a one-shot and AddObjectTypeToAffect(EObjectTypeQuery) (:54) to filter targets.

Ragdolls run through the skeletal mesh's Physics Asset (UPhysicsAsset::SkeletalBodySetups, ConstraintSetup — PhysicsEngine/PhysicsAsset.h:213-220):

cpp
GetMesh()->SetCollisionProfileName(TEXT("Ragdoll"));
GetMesh()->SetAllBodiesSimulatePhysics(true);                  // SkeletalMeshComponent.h:2344
GetMesh()->SetAllBodiesBelowSimulatePhysics(TEXT("spine_01"), true); // :2376 partial ragdoll
GetMesh()->SetPhysicsBlendWeight(1.f);                         // :2353 blend animation <-> sim

Physical Materials

PhysicsCore/Public/PhysicalMaterials/PhysicalMaterial.h:103.

cpp
float Friction;                 // :115 kinetic;  StaticFriction :119
float Restitution;              // :131 0 dead, 1 elastic
float Density;                  // :147 g/cm^3, drives mass from shape volume
float SleepLinearVelocityThreshold;   // :151;  SleepAngularVelocityThreshold :155
int32 SleepCounterThreshold;          // :159;  RaiseMassToPower :167
TEnumAsByte<EPhysicalSurface> SurfaceType;  // :181
// FrictionCombineMode / RestitutionCombineMode are EFrictionCombineMode::Type and only
// apply when bOverrideFrictionCombineMode / bOverrideRestitutionCombineMode is set.

MyMesh->SetPhysMaterialOverride(MyPhysMaterial);   // PrimitiveComponent.h:3008

if (UPhysicalMaterial* PhysMat = Hit.PhysMaterial.Get())   // needs bReturnPhysicalMaterial
{
	const EPhysicalSurface Surface = UPhysicalMaterial::DetermineSurfaceType(PhysMat); // :242
}

EPhysicalSurface (PhysicsCore/Public/Chaos/ChaosEngineInterface.h:20) is SurfaceType_Default plus SurfaceType1..SurfaceType62, named in Project Settings > Physics.

Show full SKILL.md (748 more words)Show less

Chaos Solver and Async Physics

Chaos is the only physics backend in 5.8. FChaosScene (PhysicsCore/Public/Chaos/ChaosScene.h:84) owns the solver and is driven by SetUpForFrame (:141), StartFrame (:140), EndFrame (:142); WaitPhysScenes (:122) blocks for results.

Project settings live on UPhysicsSettings / UPhysicsSettingsCore under [/Script/Engine.PhysicsSettings]:

SettingHeaderMeaning
DefaultGravityZPhysicsSettingsCore.h:25world gravity, -980 default
BounceThresholdVelocity:79below this, restitution is skipped
MaxDepenetrationVelocity:95caps push-out speed; 0 = unlimited
bSimulateSkeletalMeshOnDedicatedServer:114off saves ragdoll cost on servers
DefaultShapeComplexity:119project-wide ECollisionTraceFlag
SolverOptions:123FChaosSolverConfiguration
bSubstepping / MaxSubstepDeltaTime / MaxSubstepsPhysicsSettings.h:325,341,345fixes tunnelling and jitter for small fast bodies
bTickPhysicsAsync / AsyncFixedTimeStepSize:333,337fixed-rate physics thread
PhysicsPrediction:267FPhysicsPredictionSettings, gates resimulation

FChaosSolverConfiguration (Chaos/Public/ChaosSolverConfiguration.h:51) exposes PositionIterations, VelocityIterations, ProjectionIterations, CollisionMarginFraction, CollisionCullDistance, CollisionMaxPushOutVelocity.

Diagnostic CVars that exist in 5.8:

p.Chaos.DebugDraw.Enabled 1                              ChaosDebugDrawComponent.cpp:29
p.Chaos.DebugDraw.Radius 3000 / p.Chaos.DebugDraw.MaxLines 20000   capture limits
p.Chaos.Solver.Iterations.Position|Velocity|Projection   PBDRigidsSolver.cpp:337,340,343
p.Chaos.Solver.Deterministic :346   p.Chaos.Solver.UseCCD :406 (global CCD switch)
p.Chaos.DedicatedThreadEnabled                           ChaosSolversModule.cpp:23

With bTickPhysicsAsync on, gameplay code that must run in lockstep with the solver uses the async tick instead of Tick: set bAsyncPhysicsTickEnabled in an actor constructor (protected, GameFramework/Actor.h:699) or call SetAsyncPhysicsTickEnabled(true) on a component (ActorComponent.h:1435; the component field at Components/ActorComponent.h:407 is private) and override AsyncPhysicsTickActor(float DeltaTime, float SimTime) (Actor.h:2930) or AsyncPhysicsTickComponent(float DeltaTime, float SimTime) (ActorComponent.h:985). Feed inputs across the boundary with UAsyncPhysicsInputComponent (Engine/Public/Physics/AsyncPhysicsInputComponent.h:10).

Below FBodyInstance, bodies are addressed as Chaos::FPhysicsObject. UPrimitiveComponent implements IPhysicsComponent and exposes GetPhysicsObjectById, GetPhysicsObjectByName and GetAllPhysicsObjects (Components/PrimitiveComponent.h:3248-3250); FHitResult::PhysicsObject and PhysicsObjectOwner (Engine/HitResult.h:134-137) identify what a query hit when no actor owns it.

Network Physics

Physics simulates on the server. Hit and overlap events fire wherever the simulation runs, so clients see nothing unless the actor also simulates locally or you replicate the result.

  • AActor::SetPhysicsReplicationMode(EPhysicsReplicationMode) / GetPhysicsReplicationMode() (GameFramework/Actor.h:924,928) select Default, PredictiveInterpolation, Resimulation or None (Engine/EngineTypes.h:3614).
  • Resimulation requires Project Settings > Physics > Physics Prediction (UPhysicsSettings::PhysicsPrediction); PredictiveInterpolation runs without it but works best with it enabled (Engine/EngineTypes.h:3619-3629).
  • UNetworkPhysicsComponent (Engine/Public/Physics/NetworkPhysicsComponent.h:2290) records input and state history on the physics thread so the client can resimulate from a corrected past state.
  • Transform sync for non-predicted actors still rides on bReplicateMovement / FRepMovement.

Replication rules, conditions and RPC design belong to ue-networking-replication; this skill only covers which physics mode to pick.

Module Dependencies

csharp
// MyGame.Build.cs
PublicDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[] {
	"Core", "CoreUObject",
	"Engine",       // UPrimitiveComponent, FHitResult, UWorld queries, UCollisionProfile
	"PhysicsCore",  // FCollisionShape, UPhysicalMaterial, FBodyInstanceCore, ECollisionTraceFlag
});
// Add "Chaos" only for Chaos:: types; "GeometryCollectionEngine"/"FieldSystemEngine" for destruction.

Deprecated — do not use

Do not emitUse in 5.8Source
Hit.ActorHit.GetActor() / Hit.GetHitObjectHandle()no Actor member; HitObjectHandle in Engine/HitResult.h:127
Comp->bGenerateOverlapEvents = trueComp->SetGenerateOverlapEvents(true)private field, Components/PrimitiveComponent.h:429
Params.GetIgnoredActors()Params.GetIgnoredSourceObjects()UE_DEPRECATED(5.5) in CollisionQueryParams.h:145
Params.ClearIgnoredActors()Params.ClearIgnoredSourceObjects()UE_DEPRECATED(5.5) in CollisionQueryParams.h:180
ObjParams.ObjectTypesToQueryGetObjectTypesToQuery() / SetObjectTypesToQuery()UE_DEPRECATED(5.8) in CollisionQueryParams.h:490
GetAllObjectsQueryFlag(), GetQueryBitfield()the ...64() formsUE_DEPRECATED(5.8) in CollisionQueryParams.h:368,571
Constraint->SetAngularVelocityDrive(bSwing, bTwist)SetAngularVelocityDriveTwistAndSwing(bTwist, bSwing) — argument order is swappedDeprecatedFunction meta, PhysicsEngine/PhysicsConstraintComponent.h:187-199
PhysMat->DestructibleDamageThresholdScaleGeometry Collection damage thresholdsrenamed _DEPRECATED, UE_DEPRECATED(5.3) in PhysicalMaterials/PhysicalMaterial.h:170
FChaosQueryFilterData / FQueryFilterDataChaosInterface::FSceneQueryCommonParamsUE_DEPRECATED(5.8) in PhysicsInterfaceTypesCore.h:410 / ChaosInterfaceWrapperCore.h:35
ICollisionQueryFilterCallbackBaseICollisionQueryFilterCallbackUE_DEPRECATED(5.8) in CollisionQueryFilterCallbackCore.h:63
GetQueryFilterData() / GetSimulationFilterData()GetCombinedShapeFilterData()UE_DEPRECATED(5.7) in ChaosInterfaceWrapperCore.h:98
BodySetup->ChaosTriMeshesBodySetup->TriMeshGeometries (:278)UE_DEPRECATED(5.4) in PhysicsEngine/BodySetup.h:308
PhysX types (PxRigidActor, PxScene, PhysX module)Chaos equivalentsno PhysX module ships in 5.8

Common Mistakes

UFUNCTION() on an out-of-line definition: UHT only reads headers, so a UFUNCTION() written above void AMyPickup::OnHit in the .cpp generates no reflection data and AddDynamic silently binds nothing. Declare the handler inside the class body with UFUNCTION(); define it plainly in the .cpp.

Handler signature drift: AddDynamic matches the delegate exactly. A missing int32 OtherBodyIndex or a FHitResult taken by value will not compile, and a stale copy of an old signature will not bind.

Overlap events set on one side only: both components need a non-ignore response and SetGenerateOverlapEvents(true). Setting it only on the trigger is the most common "my overlap never fires".

Hit events without SetNotifyRigidBodyCollision(true): for simulated bodies ECR_Block alone is not enough; OnComponentHit stays silent (swept moves dispatch regardless).

Profile applied after manual responses: SetCollisionProfileName resets the whole response container. Order is profile first, overrides second.

Mixing channel families: a component whose object type is ECC_Pawn is invisible to LineTraceSingleByObjectType querying ECC_GameTraceChannel3, and a trace channel can never be an object type. bTraceType in the ini decides which one a slot is.

bTraceComplex = true by default: per-triangle queries are several times the cost of the simple hull and skip simple-only bodies. Enable it only where triangle accuracy matters.

SetPhysicsLinearVelocity as a movement API: it overwrites the solver's velocity every call and fights contacts. Use AddForce / AddImpulse unless you are deliberately teleporting velocity.

Fast bodies tunnelling: enable SetUseCCD(true) on the body, or substepping project-wide, rather than shrinking the timestep globally. For traces every tick on many actors, use AsyncLineTraceByChannel or throttle to 5–10 Hz with a timer.

  • ue-actor-component-architecture — component creation, attachment, registration and lifecycle for shape and mesh components
  • ue-character-movement — UCharacterMovementComponent floor checks, capsule sweeps and step-up logic
  • ue-networking-replication — DOREPLIFETIME, replication conditions and RPCs for anything you send about a physics result
  • ue-ai-navigation — perception traces, navmesh queries and UNavigationSystemV1
  • ue-procedural-generation — collision setup on runtime-generated meshes
  • Also relevant: ue-testing-debugging, ue-gameplay-framework, ue-mover

© quodsoler, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 2 other files (references) in skills/ue-physics-collision of quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/collision-channel-setup.md
  • references/trace-patterns.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit f3742d7

Compare with similar skills

Ue Physics Collision next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Ue Physics Collision compared with similar skills
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Ue Physics Collision this skillquodsoler/unreal-engine-skills360—~7.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
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Unreal Engine MCPEpicGames/unreal-engine-skills-for-claude-code-plugin332—~1.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Unreal Live CodingItalink/UnrealClientProtocol127—~1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Unreal Cpp Gameplayukanwat/overtime3871 repos~1.5kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Unreal Enhanced Inputukanwat/overtime3871 repos~1.5kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

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Questions about Ue Physics Collision

What does Ue Physics Collision do?

A skill your agent uses when setting up collision channels and profiles, running line/sweep/overlap queries, wiring hit and overlap events, or simulating rigid bodies in Unreal Engine C++. Ue Physics Collision is an agent skill from quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills. Use when setting up collision channels and profiles, running line/sweep/overlap queries, wiring hit and overlap events, or simulating rigid bodies in Unreal Engine C++.

When should I use Ue Physics Collision?

Ue Physics Collision fits situations like: setting up collision channels and profiles; running line/sweep/overlap queries; wiring hit and overlap events; simulating rigid bodies in Unreal Engine C++.

How do I install Ue Physics Collision in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills --skill ue-physics-collision -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ue-physics-collision in quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills) into .claude/skills/ue-physics-collision in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Ue Physics Collision in Codex?

Run `npx skills add quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills --skill ue-physics-collision -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ue-physics-collision in quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills) into .agents/skills/ue-physics-collision in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Ue Physics Collision in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills --skill ue-physics-collision -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/ue-physics-collision, .gemini/skills/ue-physics-collision, .github/skills/ue-physics-collision and .opencode/skills/ue-physics-collision in your project.

What does Ue Physics Collision need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Ue Physics Collision is instructions for the agent only.

Does Ue Physics Collision access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Ue Physics Collision safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Ue Physics Collision use?

Ue Physics Collision is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Ue Physics Collision use?

About 7.9k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 32k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 8.6k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Ue Physics Collision?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Ue Physics Collision: Ue Specifiers (fjz13/UnrealSpecifiers, 1.1k stars), Unreal Engine MCP (EpicGames/unreal-engine-skills-for-claude-code-plugin, 332 stars), Unreal Live Coding (Italink/UnrealClientProtocol, 127 stars) and Unreal Cpp Gameplay (ukanwat/overtime, 387 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Ue Physics Collision?

quodsoler (a GitHub user) maintains it in quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills, which has 360 GitHub stars. The repository holds 31 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 28, 2026.

Source: quodsoler/unreal-engine-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.