Ultimate Path Finder

Category: AI / Navigation / Pathfinding  

Engine: Unreal Engine 5.x (tested on 5.6)  

Author: Aleksandr Serdiuk, PAEB (2022–2025)

Discord: link

Overview

Ultimate Path Finder is a grid-based navigation plugin for Unreal Engine 5.  

It allows developers to generate custom navigation grids, perform fast A* pathfinding, and connect grids across large levels using portal actors. Unlike Unreal’s NavMesh, it is fully deterministic, layered with Gameplay Tags, and designed for runtime modifications.

Key Features

- Grid generation  

  Build 2.5D height grids with customizable cell size and bounds.

- Deterministic pathfinding  

  Optimized A* solver with diagonal-cost shaping for smooth paths.

- Multi-grid support  

  Use portals (`APathFinderPortalActor`) to connect separate grid volumes.

- Gameplay Tag layers  

  Separate navigation logic for different unit types or game modes.

- Runtime editing  

  Block/unblock cells, regenerate grids, and request paths at runtime.

- Utility queries  

  Find nearest valid point, random clear point, or all reachable points within a distance.

- Debug tools  

  Console commands, grid mesh visualization, verbose logging, and `stat` profiling.

Example Use Cases

- Tactical or strategy games with grid‑based movement.  

- Procedurally generated worlds where grids must be rebuilt at runtime.  

- Multi‑floor environments connected via portals.  

- Games needing deterministic pathfinding without relying on Unreal NavMesh.  

Technical Notes

- Written entirely in C++, exposed to Blueprints.  

- Uses World Subsystem (`UPathFinderSubsystem`) for centralized pathfinding.  

- Non-axis-aligned grids supported (actor rotation respected).  

- Minimal dependencies: Core, Engine, GameplayTags, DeveloperSettings.  

Links

- Documentation: See included User Manual and Developer Manual  

- Support: [email protected]