Spawning The Tablet

Introduction

How you spawn the camera tablet significantly impacts player engagement. The best integrations make the tablet feel native to your game—something that belongs naturally in your world rather than an external tool.

Games using in-game object spawning see 5x more camera activity and videos created compared to menu-based spawning.

Spawning Methods

In-Game Object (Recommended)

Place the tablet spawn directly in the game scene rather than hiding it behind menus. Benefits:

Players discover it naturally
Always visible and accessible
Feels like part of the game world
Maximum engagement

Implementation:

UCLASS()
class ATabletSpawner : public AActor
{
    GENERATED_BODY()

public:
    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere)
    TSubclassOf<ALCKTablet> TabletClass;

    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere)
    UStaticMeshComponent* SpawnerMesh;

protected:
    virtual void BeginPlay() override
    {
        Super::BeginPlay();

        // Spawn tablet at predetermined location
        ALCKTablet* Tablet = GetWorld()->SpawnActor<ALCKTablet>(
            TabletClass,
            SpawnTransform
        );

        // Parent to spawner for organized scene
        Tablet->AttachToActor(this, FAttachmentTransformRules::KeepWorldTransform);
    }
};

Real-World Examples

Gorilla Tag

Integration Style: Wall-mounted spawnerThe tablet is placed on a wall near the cosmetics station. Players pull it directly from the wall. The design matches the game’s unique art style.Key Takeaways:

Strategic placement near popular areas
Art style matches game aesthetic
Natural grab interaction

UNDERDOGS

Integration Style: Mech cockpit integrationThe tablet is integrated into the mech UI. It feels like a custom-built tool for the game world, allowing players to stay immersed while creating content.Key Takeaways:

Deep integration with game UI
Thematic customization
Immersion preserved

Spawning Patterns

Static Placement
Controller Summon
Hand Gesture
Menu Integration

Static World Placement

Place the tablet at fixed locations in your game world.

// Place in level blueprint or spawner actor
void ALevelBlueprint::BeginPlay()
{
    FVector SpawnLocation = GetTabletSpawnPoint();
    FRotator SpawnRotation = GetTabletSpawnRotation();

    GetWorld()->SpawnActor<ALCKTablet>(
        TabletClass,
        SpawnLocation,
        SpawnRotation
    );
}

Best For:

Lobby/hub areas
Menu rooms
Consistent spawn points

Controller Button Summon

Spawn the tablet with a controller button press.

void AMyPlayerController::OnSummonTabletPressed()
{
    if (SpawnedTablet)
    {
        // Toggle visibility or destroy
        SpawnedTablet->SetActorHiddenInGame(
            !SpawnedTablet->IsHidden()
        );
        return;
    }

    // Spawn in front of player
    FVector SpawnLoc = GetPawn()->GetActorLocation() +
                      GetPawn()->GetActorForwardVector() * 100.0f;

    SpawnedTablet = GetWorld()->SpawnActor<ALCKTablet>(
        TabletClass,
        SpawnLoc,
        GetControlRotation()
    );
}

Best For:

Games with limited UI space
Action-heavy games
Quick access needs

Hand Gesture Spawning

Detect a specific hand gesture to spawn the tablet.

void AHandTracker::OnGestureDetected(EHandGesture Gesture)
{
    if (Gesture == EHandGesture::ThumbsUp)
    {
        // Spawn tablet at gesture hand location
        FVector HandLocation = GetHandLocation(EControllerHand::Left);

        GetWorld()->SpawnActor<ALCKTablet>(
            TabletClass,
            HandLocation,
            FRotator::ZeroRotator
        );
    }
}

Best For:

Hand tracking games
Immersive experiences
No-controller scenarios

Add tablet spawning to your game’s pause or settings menu.

void UGameMenuWidget::OnSpawnCameraPressed()
{
    // Close menu first
    SetVisibility(ESlateVisibility::Hidden);

    // Spawn tablet
    if (APlayerController* PC = GetOwningPlayer())
    {
        FVector SpawnLoc = PC->GetPawn()->GetActorLocation() +
                          FVector(0, 0, 50);

        PC->GetWorld()->SpawnActor<ALCKTablet>(
            TabletClass,
            SpawnLoc,
            FRotator::ZeroRotator
        );
    }
}

Best For:

Games with existing menu systems
Settings integration
Optional feature exposure

Customizing Tablet Appearance

Make the tablet match your game’s art direction:

Replace Tablet Mesh

Create a custom tablet mesh that fits your game:

// In your custom tablet blueprint or subclass
UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, Category = "Appearance")
UStaticMesh* CustomTabletMesh;

void AMyCustomTablet::BeginPlay()
{
    Super::BeginPlay();

    // Replace default mesh
    TabletMeshComponent->SetStaticMesh(CustomTabletMesh);
}

Add Decorative Elements

Add game-themed decorations:

// Steampunk camera example
UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere)
UStaticMesh* GearsMesh;

UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere)
UStaticMesh* BrassTrimMesh;

void AMyCustomTablet::BeginPlay()
{
    // Add decorative meshes
    AddDecorationMesh(GearsMesh, FVector(0, 0, 10));
    AddDecorationMesh(BrassTrimMesh, FVector(0, 5, 0));
}

Themed Materials

Apply themed materials to the tablet:

// Load and apply custom materials
UMaterialInstance* ThemeMaterial = LoadObject<UMaterialInstance>(
    nullptr,
    TEXT("/Game/Materials/MI_Tablet_Steampunk")
);

TabletMeshComponent->SetMaterial(0, ThemeMaterial);

What Doesn’t Work

Avoid these common mistakes that reduce camera usage:

Approach	Problem
Hidden in submenus	Players never find it
Spawn only in specific locations	Limits when players can record
Complex gesture requirements	Frustrating to activate
Tiny spawn button	Hard to interact with
No visual indication	Players don’t know it exists

Communication

Once you’ve decided on your spawning method, communicate it clearly to players:

In-game tutorial - Show how to access the camera
Visual indicator - Make the spawn point obvious
Loading screen tips - Remind players about the feature
Menu option - Include in settings even if not primary method

Event-Based Spawning

For games where the camera should only be available at certain times:

void AGameMode::OnBattleComplete()
{
    // Spawn camera for replay capture
    FVector ReplaySpawnLoc = GetReplaySpawnLocation();

    ALCKTablet* Tablet = GetWorld()->SpawnActor<ALCKTablet>(
        TabletClass,
        ReplaySpawnLoc,
        FRotator::ZeroRotator
    );

    // Auto-destroy after period
    Tablet->SetLifeSpan(120.0f);  // 2 minutes
}

While event-based spawning can be fun, it shouldn’t be the ONLY way to access the camera. For maximum engagement, the camera should be available anywhere, anytime.

Integration

Lifecycle management

Customization

Customize tablet appearance

Unreal Customization

Introduction

Spawning Methods

In-Game Object (Recommended)

Real-World Examples

Gorilla Tag

UNDERDOGS

Spawning Patterns

Static World Placement

Controller Button Summon

Hand Gesture Spawning

Game Menu Integration

Customizing Tablet Appearance

What Doesn’t Work

Communication

Event-Based Spawning

See Also

Integration

Customization

Unreal Customization

​Introduction

​Spawning Methods

​In-Game Object (Recommended)

​Real-World Examples

Gorilla Tag

UNDERDOGS

​Spawning Patterns

​Static World Placement

​Controller Button Summon

​Hand Gesture Spawning

​Game Menu Integration

​Customizing Tablet Appearance

​What Doesn’t Work

​Communication

​Event-Based Spawning

​See Also

Integration

Customization

Introduction

Spawning Methods

In-Game Object (Recommended)

Real-World Examples

Spawning Patterns

Static World Placement

Controller Button Summon

Hand Gesture Spawning

Game Menu Integration

Customizing Tablet Appearance

What Doesn’t Work

Communication

Event-Based Spawning

See Also