Customizing Your Island with UEFN-Only Options

Welcome to the secret club of Fortnite island makers! Most players just play your island. But you? You get to build it. Today, we are going to unlock a special power. It is called UEFN-Only Options. These are hidden settings that only creators can see. They let you tweak your island in ways normal players cannot. We will make a skydive zone look cool and change the screen layout. Let's get building!

What You'll Learn

• What UEFN means and why it is special.
• How to use External Volumes for skydiving.
• How to move the Minimap and Inventory on screen.
• How to use Custom Meshes for weird shapes.

How It Works

Think of Fortnite like a toy house. Normal players can walk around in it. But you have the blueprint. UEFN stands for Unreal Editor for Fortnite. It is the toolbox. It has extra tools that are not in the normal game. These are the UEFN-Only Options.

These options are like the knobs on a radio. You can turn them to change the sound. In Fortnite, you turn them to change how things look or act.

1. Skydiving with External Volumes

When you jump from the battle bus, you fall through a big invisible box. This is a Volume. Usually, the game makes the box shape for you. But with UEFN, you can pick a different box. This is an External Volume. You can make the drop zone a circle, a square, or a star. It makes the start of the game look unique.

2. Moving the Screen Items

Have you ever wanted to move your health bar or map? Usually, no. But with HUD Controllers, you can! HUD stands for Heads-Up Display. This is the stuff on your screen. You can move the map, the inventory, and the health bar. You can slide them left, right, up, or down. This is called Offset. It helps you make the screen look clean.

3. Weird Shapes with Custom Meshes

Volumes are usually simple boxes. But you can use a Mesh. A mesh is a 3D shape. You can pick a star, a sphere, or a custom shape. This lets your triggers look like the object itself. It looks much cooler than a plain box.

Let's Build It

We will build a simple skydive zone. We will also move the map slightly. This shows you how the options work.

Copy this code into your Verse script. It uses the devices we talked about.

# This is a simple Verse script for a skydive zone
# It shows how to use UEFN options

using { /Fortnite.com/Devices }
using { /UnrealEngine.com/Temporary/Diagnostics }
using { /Verse.org/Simulation }

# Our main game class that holds the devices
# Devices are placed in the UEFN editor and bound here as properties
skydive_example := class(creative_device):

    # 1. A Skydive Volume device placed on the island in the editor
    @editable
    SkydiveDevice : skydive_volume_device = skydive_volume_device{}

    # 2. A second Volume device used as the custom drop-zone shape
    # Drag any volume device from the editor into this slot
    @editable
    DropZoneVolume : volume_device = volume_device{}

    # 3. A HUD Controller device placed on the island in the editor
    @editable
    HudDevice : hud_controller_device = hud_controller_device{}

    # OnBegin runs automatically when the island starts
    OnBegin<override>()<suspends> : void =
        # 4. Tell the skydive device to use our custom-shaped volume
        # The skydive_volume_device reads the bounds of DropZoneVolume
        # at runtime, giving the drop zone a non-default footprint.
        # note: SetExternalVolume is not a runtime API; wire the
        # External Volume property in the device's Details panel in UEFN.
        Print("Skydive zone and map are ready!")

        # 5. Activate the HUD Controller so its layout settings apply
        # Move and resize options (minimap offset, inventory position, etc.)
        # are configured in the device's Details panel in UEFN editor.
        # note: HUD layout offsets are UEFN editor-only properties;
        # there is no runtime Verse API to set MinimapXOffset numerically.
        HudDevice.Enable()```

### Walkthrough of the Code

*   `creative_device`: Every Verse script that runs on an island extends this base class. It is the starting point.
*   `@editable`: This tag lets you drag a real placed device from the UEFN editor into this slot. That is how Verse talks to devices on your island.
*   `skydive_volume_device`: This is the real Verse type for the Skydive Volume device. You place one in the editor first, then bind it here.
*   `volume_device`: This is the real Verse type for a generic Volume device. You use this as the custom drop-zone shape.
*   `hud_controller_device`: This is the real Verse type for the HUD Controller device. It controls the screen layout.
*   `OnBegin<override>()<suspends>`: This function runs automatically when the island starts. It is the entry point for your logic.
*   `HudDevice.Enable()`: This activates the HUD Controller so all of its layout settings take effect at runtime.
*   **External Volume and Minimap Offset** are configured in the UEFN **Details** panel for each device. They are editor-only properties, not runtime Verse calls. Set them by clicking the device in the editor and finding the matching field.

## Try It Yourself

Now it is your turn. Build a small island.

1.  Place a **Skydive Volume** device.
2.  Go to its **Additional Options** in UEFN.
3.  Find **External Volume**.
4.  Select a volume that is shaped like a star or circle.
5.  Playtest your island. Watch how you fall!

**Hint:** If you want to move the health bar, look for the **Modify Health Layout** option in the HUD Controller. Try moving it down by 100 units.

## Recap

You learned about **UEFN-Only Options**. These are special settings for creators. You can use **External Volumes** for skydiving. You can move the **Minimap** and **Inventory** with **Offsets**. You can use **Custom Meshes** for shapes. These tools make your island unique. Keep experimenting!

## References

- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/using-skydive-volume-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/using-hud-controller-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/using-hud-controller-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/using-volume-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/using-volume-devices-in-fortnite-creative