dance_mannequin_device: Holograms That Dance on Command

Overview

The dance_mannequin_device projects a hologram of a character performing dance emotes. You configure up to three visual presets (skin + emote combinations) in the device's UEFN properties panel, then switch between them at runtime from Verse. The killer feature is Skin and Emote Capture: call ActivateSkinAndEmoteCapture(Agent) and the mannequin instantly mirrors whatever skin and emote the live player is wearing — perfect for a "Copy the Champion" minigame or a winner's podium that shows off the round MVP.

Reach for this device when you need:

• An animated NPC-style dancer that isn't a real player
• A podium that clones the winning player's look
• Atmosphere dressing (lobby dance floors, nightclub stages) that can be toggled by game state

API Reference

dance_mannequin_device

Used to project a hologram of a character performing dance emotes.

Full public surface, resolved verbatim from the live Epic digest (Fortnite.digest.verse).

dance_mannequin_device<public> := class<concrete><final>(creative_device_base):

Methods (call these to make the device act):

Walkthrough

Scenario — The Winner's Podium

When a round ends, a trigger fires. The mannequin first plays the Default Preset (a generic celebration), then after 5 seconds it captures the winning player's actual skin and emote. A second trigger lets the host reset everything back to the Default Preset for the next round.

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

# Attach this device to your island.
# Wire RoundEndTrigger to fire when a round finishes.
# Wire ResetTrigger to fire when a new round starts.
podium_mannequin_manager := class(creative_device):

    # The dance mannequin sitting on the winner's podium.
    @editable
    Mannequin : dance_mannequin_device = dance_mannequin_device{}

    # Fires when the round ends (e.g. from a Class Designer or custom logic).
    @editable
    RoundEndTrigger : trigger_device = trigger_device{}

    # Fires when the host resets for the next round.
    @editable
    ResetTrigger : trigger_device = trigger_device{}

    # We store the winning agent so the async routine can use it.
    var WinningAgent : ?agent = false

    OnBegin<override>()<suspends> : void =
        # Subscribe to both triggers.
        RoundEndTrigger.TriggeredEvent.Subscribe(OnRoundEnd)
        ResetTrigger.TriggeredEvent.Subscribe(OnReset)

        # Start with the mannequin enabled and showing the default preset.
        Mannequin.Enable()
        Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()

    # Called when the round-end trigger fires.
    # The trigger sends ?agent; unwrap before use.
    OnRoundEnd(MaybeAgent : ?agent) : void =
        if (A := MaybeAgent?):
            set WinningAgent = option{A}
            spawn { RunPodiumSequence(A) }
        else:
            # No agent context — just play the default celebration.
            Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()

    # Async routine: play default preset, wait, then mirror the winner.
    RunPodiumSequence(Winner : agent)<suspends> : void =
        # Step 1 — generic celebration hologram while the camera pans.
        Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()
        Sleep(5.0)

        # Step 2 — clone the winner's skin and current emote.
        Mannequin.ActivateSkinAndEmoteCapture(Winner)

    # Called when the reset trigger fires — prepare for the next round.
    OnReset(MaybeAgent : ?agent) : void =
        # Drop any skin capture and return to the default preset.
        Mannequin.DeactivateSkinAndEmoteCapture()
        Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()
        set WinningAgent = false

Line-by-line breakdown

Common patterns

Pattern 1 — Cycling through all three presets on a button press

A nightclub has three mannequins on a stage. One button cycles the center mannequin through all three configured looks.

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

preset_cycler := class(creative_device):

    @editable
    Mannequin : dance_mannequin_device = dance_mannequin_device{}

    @editable
    CycleButton : button_device = button_device{}

    # Tracks which preset is currently active (0 = Default, 1 = Preset2, 2 = Preset3).
    var CurrentPreset : int = 0

    OnBegin<override>()<suspends> : void =
        Mannequin.Enable()
        Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()
        CycleButton.InteractedWithEvent.Subscribe(OnCycle)

    OnCycle(MaybeAgent : ?agent) : void =
        set CurrentPreset = Int(Mod[Float(CurrentPreset + 1), 3.0])
        if (CurrentPreset = 0):
            Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()
        else if (CurrentPreset = 1):
            Mannequin.ActivatePreset2()
        else:
            Mannequin.ActivatePreset3()

Note on the math: Verse does not auto-convert int ↔ float. We cast via Float() and Int() to use Mod[] (which operates on floats), then cast back.

Pattern 2 — Disable the mannequin during combat, re-enable in the safe zone

The mannequin is decorative and should only run when players are in a lobby/safe area. A mutator zone drives enable/disable.

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

lobby_mannequin_controller := class(creative_device):

    @editable
    Mannequin : dance_mannequin_device = dance_mannequin_device{}

    # A Mutator Zone that covers the lobby safe area.
    @editable
    LobbyZone : mutator_zone_device = mutator_zone_device{}

    OnBegin<override>()<suspends> : void =
        # Start disabled — no one is in the lobby yet.
        Mannequin.Disable()

        LobbyZone.AgentEntersEvent.Subscribe(OnPlayerEntersLobby)
        LobbyZone.AgentExitsEvent.Subscribe(OnPlayerExitsLobby)

    OnPlayerEntersLobby(Agent : agent) : void =
        # First player enters — light up the mannequin.
        Mannequin.Enable()
        Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()

    OnPlayerExitsLobby(Agent : agent) : void =
        # Check if the zone is now empty; if so, power down.
        if (GetAgentsInZone() = 0):
            Mannequin.DeactivateSkinAndEmoteCapture()
            Mannequin.Disable()

    # Helper — count agents currently in the lobby zone.
    GetAgentsInZone() : int =
        LobbyZone.GetAgentsInVolume().Length

Pattern 3 — Mirror a specific player's skin on demand

A "Copy Cat" minigame: when a player presses a button, the mannequin instantly copies their look. Any other player pressing the button steals the spotlight.

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

copy_cat_mannequin := class(creative_device):

    @editable
    Mannequin : dance_mannequin_device = dance_mannequin_device{}

    @editable
    SpotlightButton : button_device = button_device{}

    OnBegin<override>()<suspends> : void =
        Mannequin.Enable()
        Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()
        SpotlightButton.InteractedWithEvent.Subscribe(OnSpotlightPressed)

    OnSpotlightPressed(MaybeAgent : ?agent) : void =
        if (A := MaybeAgent?):
            # Drop any previous capture and mirror this player immediately.
            Mannequin.DeactivateSkinAndEmoteCapture()
            Mannequin.ActivateSkinAndEmoteCapture(A)
        else:
            # No agent context — fall back to default preset.
            Mannequin.ActivateDefaultPreset()

Gotchas

1. ActivateSkinAndEmoteCapture needs a live agent, not ?agent The method signature is ActivateSkinAndEmoteCapture(Agent:agent) — it takes a concrete agent, not an optional. Always unwrap ?agent from trigger/button events with if (A := MaybeAgent?): before passing it in.

2. Calling ActivatePreset2 or ActivatePreset3 without configuring them in UEFN is a no-op The three presets (Default, Preset 2, Preset 3) are configured entirely in the device's UEFN details panel. If you call ActivatePreset2() but never set a skin/emote for Preset 2, nothing visible changes. Always verify your presets in the editor first.

3. DeactivateSkinAndEmoteCapture before switching presets If the mannequin is currently in skin-capture mode and you call ActivateDefaultPreset() directly, the transition may not behave as expected on all builds. The safe pattern is always DeactivateSkinAndEmoteCapture() → then ActivateDefaultPreset() / ActivatePreset2() / ActivatePreset3().

4. Enable/Disable vs. Activate/Deactivate Enable() and Disable() control whether the device is active at all (think power switch). The Activate* and Deactivate* methods control which hologram is displayed. A disabled mannequin ignores all Activate* calls — always Enable() before trying to switch presets.

5. No events on this device dance_mannequin_device exposes zero listenable events. It is a pure output device — you drive it from other devices' events (triggers, buttons, zone entries). Don't look for an OnActivated event; it doesn't exist.

6. int ↔ float conversions are explicit If you do arithmetic to cycle preset indices (as in the cycling pattern above), remember Verse never auto-converts between int and float. Use Float() to cast up and Int() to cast back down.