Load and Unload Levels with Blueprints

How to stream levels with a custom streaming Actor created with Blueprints

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Streaming In Levels with Blueprints
Unloading Levels with Blueprints

Level Streaming Scenario

Starting with the main level in the Sun Temple project, we have split the level up into the interior space and the end patio with pillars overlooking the ocean. In the wireframe view below, the teal wireframe shows the persistent interior level, and the yellow wireframe shows the patio level that is going to be streamed in. The sky and ocean are in the persistent level, as there are a few windows in the main temple that allow the sky and exterior to be seen.

In the interior of the temple, there is a bend in the hallway that hides the patio area from view.

We want to start streaming in the patio level here, so that by the time the player rounds the corner and begins approaching the patio, the streaming level will be loaded and visible.

As part of the setup, we have two levels, SunTemple_Persistent and SunTemple_Streaming . Our Player Start is in SunTemple_Persistent , and our player in the game is represented by a Character .

Open SunTemple_Persistent in the Content Browser .
Move the Player Start to the very beginning of the temple.
Click on Windows , then select Levels .
Click on the Levels dropdown menu, then select Add Existing... to add a new sublevel.
Select SunTemple_Streaming to add in the Open Level dialog, then click on Open .
Right-click on Persistent Level and select Make Current from the dropdown menu.

Streaming In Levels with Blueprints

Open the Content Browser and create a new Blueprint Class . This class is going to be based on Actor .
Name the new Blueprint Class "LevelStreamer", then save it.
Open LevelStreamer in the Blueprint Editor .

For this scenario, we want to stream the second level in once the Character overlaps the Box Component.

Add a Box Collision Component using the Add Component button in the Components tab.
Open the Blueprint's Event Graph . Select the Box Component in the Components tab, then right-click in the graph to summon the context menu.
Type "begin overlap" then select On Component Begin Overlap to add the event.
Click and drag off of the Other Actor pin, then type "=" into the context menu's search. Select the Equal (Object) entry to add the node.
Click and drag off of the second Object pin on the == node, then type "character" into the context menu's search. Select the Get Player Character entry to add the node.
Hold down the B key and click in the graph to add a Branch node, then connect the boolean pin of the == node to the input on the Branch node.
Connect the execution output pin of the OnComponentBeginOverlap node to the execution input pin of the Branch node.
Right-click in the graph, then type "level" to search in the context menu. Select Load Stream Level from the menu.
Right-click on the Level Name pin and promote it to a variable, then name the variable "LevelToStream" and make it Editable in the Details panel.
Toggle Make Visible After Load and Should Block on Load to true on the Load Stream Level node.

For this example, we are going to have the same default loading behavior for all levels using this Blueprint, but you could also make those Editable variables.
Connect the True execution output pin of the Branch node to the input execution pin on the Load Stream Level node.
Place your LevelStreamer Blueprint into your level, and adjust the placement and scale until it encompasses the part of the persistent world you want your Character to be in to begin streaming, as well as the entire walkable volume where the streaming level will be.
Enter SunTemple_Streaming as the Level to Stream .
Use Play In Editor to test out your streaming level.

Unloading Levels with Blueprints

To unload the level as your Character exits the Box component, your graph will have very similar logic but will end in an Unload Stream Level node.