USplineComponent

class Engine Blueprint Since 4.0

Inherits: UObject › UActorComponent › USceneComponent › UPrimitiveComponent › USplineComponent

#include "Components/SplineComponent.h"

Description

A component that defines a curved path through space using Hermite spline points. Used for roads, rails, follower paths, cables, and any situation requiring smooth spatial interpolation along a curve.

Caveats & Gotchas

• Spline points are stored in local space by default. When querying positions, always specify the coordinate space explicitly to avoid subtle bugs.
• UpdateSpline() is expensive — defer it by passing bUpdateSpline=false when adding many points in a loop, then call UpdateSpline() once after.
• USplineComponent does not automatically move anything — it only defines a path. Pair it with a timeline or tick to move actors along it.

Example

Add points and query a position along the spline C++

SplineComponent->ClearSplinePoints(false);
SplineComponent->AddSplinePoint(FVector(0, 0, 0), ESplineCoordinateSpace::World, false);
SplineComponent->AddSplinePoint(FVector(500, 0, 200), ESplineCoordinateSpace::World, false);
SplineComponent->AddSplinePoint(FVector(1000, 0, 0), ESplineCoordinateSpace::World);

float HalfLength = SplineComponent->GetSplineLength() * 0.5f;
FVector MidPoint = SplineComponent->GetLocationAtDistanceAlongSpline(HalfLength, ESplineCoordinateSpace::World);

Functions (4)

Transform 1 Utility 3

Transform

1 ▼

Access	Type	Name	Description
public	function	USplineComponent::GetLocationAtDistanceAlongSpline	Returns the world or local position at a given arc-length distance along the spline, interpolated smoothly between control points.

Utility

3 ▼

Access	Type	Name	Description
public	function	USplineComponent::AddSplinePoint	Appends a new point at the end of the spline.
public	function	USplineComponent::GetDirectionAtDistanceAlongSpline	Returns a unit direction vector tangent to the spline at the given arc-length distance.
public	function	USplineComponent::GetSplineLength	Returns the total arc length of the spline in world units.

Version History

Introduced in: 4.0

Version	Status	Notes
5.6	stable	—

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