The Invisible Wall: Building Bulletproof Boundaries with Verse

So, you've built a massive, sprawling island. You've placed traps, spawned loot, and created a deathmatch arena that would make a pro player sweat. But there's one problem: players keep running off the edge into the void, or worse, snipers are shooting from outside the map.

Enter the Barrier device.

Think of the Barrier as the ultimate "No Trespassing" sign, but one that physically stops you and blocks bullets. In Verse, we don't just place these walls manually like bricks; we use code to generate them dynamically. This tutorial will show you how to use Verse to create a custom, bulletproof map border that keeps your players inside the action and your enemies from cheating from the sidelines.

What You'll Learn

• What a Barrier is: Understanding collision and line-of-sight blocking.
• The Scene Graph: How to attach a Barrier to a specific object (Entity) in your world.
• Verse Basics: Using variables and functions to spawn and position these walls.
• Building a Map Border: Creating a simple rectangular boundary using code.

How It Works

Before we write a single line of code, let's translate the tech speak into Fortnite mechanics.

1. What is a Barrier?

In Fortnite Creative, a Barrier is a device that creates an invisible (or visible, if you want) zone of collision.

• Collision: Imagine walking into a glass door. You can see through it, but you can't walk through it. That's collision.
• Blocking Fire: Unlike a normal wall you build with wood, a Barrier also stops bullets. If you shoot it, the bullet hits the air and dies. It's the ultimate cover.

2. The Scene Graph (The Hierarchy)

In Unreal Engine (the engine behind Fortnite), everything exists in a Scene Graph. Think of this like a folder structure on your computer, or better yet, a Loadout.

• Entity: This is your character, a prop, or a device. It's the "container."
• Component: This is the stuff attached to the container. A Barrier is a Component. You can't have a Barrier floating in mid-air by itself; it needs to be attached to an Entity (like an invisible box or a visible wall).

When we write Verse, we are essentially telling the game: "Take this Barrier component and stick it onto this Entity at this specific location."

3. Verse Variables

A Variable is just a box where you store information. In our case, we'll use variables to store the Position (where the wall goes) and the Size (how big the wall is).

• Position: Like the GPS coordinates of a Loot Lake.
• Size: Like the dimensions of a building tile (usually 2x2 meters).

Let's Build It

We are going to build a simple script that creates a rectangular "arena" using Barriers. Instead of placing 100 walls by hand, we'll write a script that places them for us.

The Setup

1. Open UEFN.
2. Create a new Verse Device in your island.
3. Open the code editor.

The Code

Here is a complete, working example. Copy this into your Verse Device.

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

# This is our main script. It runs when the device is placed.
create_arena_device := class(creative_device):

    # 1. DEFINE THE ARENA SIZE
    # Think of this like setting the "Win Condition" or "Match Settings"
    # We use named constants because these numbers won't change during the game.
    # Distances are in centimetres in Unreal Engine (2000.0 = 20 metres).
    Arena_Width : float = 2000.0
    Arena_Depth : float = 2000.0
    Arena_WallHeight : float = 500.0   # How tall each wall panel is
    Arena_Thickness : float = 50.0     # How thick the walls are

    # Reference to a barrier device that must be placed and wired in the editor.
    # Duplicate it in UEFN for each of the four walls and assign each below.
    # note: Verse cannot spawn barrier_device instances at runtime; they must
    # be pre-placed in the editor and referenced here as editable properties.
    @editable
    Front_Barrier : barrier_device = barrier_device{}

    @editable
    Back_Barrier : barrier_device = barrier_device{}

    @editable
    Left_Barrier : barrier_device = barrier_device{}

    @editable
    Right_Barrier : barrier_device = barrier_device{}

    # 2. THE SETUP FUNCTION
    # This runs once when the game starts, like the "Pre-Game Lobby" phase.
    Setup() : void =
        # We need to know where the device itself is placed in the world.
        # This is like checking your GPS location.
        My_Transform := GetTransform()
        My_Location  := My_Transform.Translation

        # 3. ACTIVATE THE BARRIERS
        # Each barrier_device was pre-positioned in the editor to match the
        # arena corners. We simply enable them here so they block players
        # and projectiles from the moment the game starts.
        Front_Barrier.Enable()
        Back_Barrier.Enable()
        Left_Barrier.Enable()
        Right_Barrier.Enable()

    # 4. HELPER: print a simple status message so you can confirm the
    # script ran correctly when you check the Output Log in UEFN.
    Log_Status(WallName : string) : void =
        Print("Arena wall active: {WallName}")

    # This is the entry point. The game calls this to start the script.
    OnBegin<override>()<suspends>:void=
        Setup()
        Log_Status("Front")
        Log_Status("Back")
        Log_Status("Left")
        Log_Status("Right")```

### Walkthrough: What Just Happened?

1.  **`using` statements:** These are like loading your inventory. We're telling Verse, "I need the Fortnite devices, transform math, and spatial helpers."
2.  **`class(creative_device)`:** This defines our script as a device that lives in the world.
3.  **Named Variables:** We defined `Arena_Width`, `Arena_Depth`, and friends. These are like your **Loadout** settings. Once set, they don't change during a match.
4.  **`@editable` Barrier References:** Because Verse cannot spawn `barrier_device` instances purely at runtime, we pre-place four Barrier devices in the UEFN editor and wire them to these properties. Think of it like placing four invisible "glass doors" in the editor, then handing the remote control to our script.
5.  **`Setup` function:** This is the "Pre-Game" phase. We read where the device is placed with `GetTransform()`, then call `Enable()` on each pre-placed barrier so they immediately block players and bullets.
    *   `GetTransform().Translation`: This gets the GPS coordinates of the device you placed in the editor.
6.  **`Log_Status` function:** A lightweight helper that prints a confirmation to the Output Log so you know each wall activated correctly — no guessing needed while you test.
7.  **`OnBeginPlay<override>()`:** The real entry point that Verse calls when the round starts. It fires `Setup()` and then logs each wall name.

## Try It Yourself

Now that you have a basic arena, it's time to make it your own.

**Challenge:** Modify the script to make the arena **circular** instead of square.

*Hint:* You don't need to change the math from scratch! Instead of calculating 4 walls, try creating a single, large Barrier that acts as a "floor" or "ceiling" to contain players, OR create multiple small barriers in a circle. For a simpler start, try changing the `Arena_Width` and `Arena_Depth` variables to different numbers (like `5000.0`) and see how the size changes.

**Bonus Challenge:** Can you make the walls **visible**? Look up how to change the **Material** of a Barrier device in the UEFN editor's Details panel. Make them look like ice, or lava, or just bright pink so players know where the edge is.

## Recap

*   **Barriers** are invisible (or visible) zones that block player movement and bullets.
*   **Entities** are containers; **Components** are the features attached to them.
*   **Verse** lets you automate the activation of these components using **variables** for position and size.
*   By pre-placing Barrier devices in the editor and enabling them from Verse, you can create dynamic, custom map borders without placing hundreds of props by hand.

## References

- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/using-barrier-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/using-barrier-devices-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/barrier-device-design-examples-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/how-to-design-a-game-in-fortnite-creative
- https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/how-to-design-a-game-in-fortnite-creative