COM Tools

The COM Tools Plugin is a powerful extension for Unreal Engine designed to facilitate seamless serial communication between your projects and a wide range of serial devices. Whether you are working with Arduino, sensors, microcontrollers, or other serial-based hardware, this plugin provides the essential tools to connect, manage, and read data from these devices in real-time.

Key Features

1. Serial Communication Integration:

• Easily integrate serial communication within your Unreal Engine projects.
• Connect to any serial device using standard COM ports.

1. Real-time Data Reading:

• Read and Send data from connected serial devices in real-time.
• Broadcast received data using Blueprint events for seamless integration with your game logic.

1. Flexible Configuration:

• Set custom baud rates to match your device specifications.
• Start and stop serial communication dynamically within your project.

1. Blueprint Support:

• Full support for Blueprints, making it accessible to both programmers and designers.
• Bind events to handle incoming data directly within Blueprints.

1. Error Handling and Debugging:

• Comprehensive error logging to assist in troubleshooting connection issues.
• Safe thread management to prevent crashes and ensure stable operation.

Use Cases

• Arduino Projects: Perfect for integrating Arduino-based projects with Unreal Engine. Read sensor data, control actuators, and create interactive experiences.
• IoT Applications: Connect to IoT devices, gather data, and visualize it within Unreal Engine.
• Educational Purposes: Ideal for teaching and learning about serial communication and its applications in game development and interactive media.
• Prototyping and Testing: Quickly prototype hardware-software interactions without needing to write extensive code.

Getting Started

1. Installation:

• Download and install the COM Tools Plugin from the Unreal Engine Marketplace.
• Enable the plugin in your Unreal Engine project settings.

1. Setup:

• Create an instance of the COM Manager in your Blueprints.
• Configure the COM port and baud rate to match your device.
• Bind Blueprint events to handle incoming data.

1. Usage:

• Start reading data from your serial device by calling the StartReadingSerialPort function.
• Handle incoming data using the OnSerialDataReceived event.
• Stop reading data by calling the StopReadingSerialPort function when done.

Technical Details

• Supported Platforms: Windows.
• Dependencies: Requires Windows API for serial communication.
• Documentation and Support: Comprehensive documentation is available.

Additional Resources

• Video Tutorials: Matrix To Arduino
• Documentation: com_tools.html
• 
  

The COM Tools Plugin is designed to bridge the gap between Unreal Engine and the physical world, making it easier than ever to create interactive and immersive experiences that incorporate real-world data. Whether you are a hobbyist, educator, or professional developer, this plugin offers the tools you need to bring your projects to life.