- (UE4) Changes meant to support PaperZD or any other external plugins which need to interface directly with the renderer.

- (UE4) Added skeleton animation caching on SkeletonRenderer to avoid
per tick searches which are costly. The skeleton animation component can
be setup externally.
- (UE4) Added bAutoPlays members to AnimationComponent, so the skeleton
doesn't update automatically if its needed.
- (UE4) Added SetPlaybackTime method to AnimationComponent.

spine-ue4/Plugins/SpinePlugin/Source/SpinePlugin/Private/SpineSkeletonAnimationComponent.cpp

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ void USpineSkeletonAnimationComponent::TickComponent(float DeltaTime, ELevelTick
 void USpineSkeletonAnimationComponent::InternalTick(float DeltaTime, bool CallDelegates) {
 	CheckState();
 
-	if (state) {
+	if (state && bAutoPlaying) {
 		state->update(DeltaTime);
 		state->apply(*skeleton);
 		if (CallDelegates) BeforeUpdateWorldTransform.Broadcast(this);
@@ -144,6 +144,36 @@ void USpineSkeletonAnimationComponent::FinishDestroy () {
 	Super::FinishDestroy();
 }
 
+void USpineSkeletonAnimationComponent::SetAutoPlay(bool bInAutoPlays)
+{
+	bAutoPlaying = bInAutoPlays;
+}
+
+void USpineSkeletonAnimationComponent::SetPlaybackTime(float InPlaybackTime, bool bCallDelegates)
+{
+	CheckState();
+
+	if (state && state->getCurrent(0)) {
+		spine::Animation* CurrentAnimation = state->getCurrent(0)->getAnimation();
+		const float CurrentTime = state->getCurrent(0)->getTrackTime();
+		InPlaybackTime = FMath::Clamp(InPlaybackTime, 0.0f, CurrentAnimation->getDuration());
+		const float DeltaTime = InPlaybackTime - CurrentTime;
+		state->update(DeltaTime);
+		state->apply(*skeleton);
+
+		//Call delegates and perform the world transform
+		if (bCallDelegates)
+		{
+			BeforeUpdateWorldTransform.Broadcast(this);
+		}
+		skeleton->updateWorldTransform();
+		if (bCallDelegates)
+		{
+			AfterUpdateWorldTransform.Broadcast(this);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 void USpineSkeletonAnimationComponent::SetTimeScale(float timeScale) {
 	CheckState();
 	if (state) state->setTimeScale(timeScale);

spine-ue4/Plugins/SpinePlugin/Source/SpinePlugin/Private/SpineSkeletonRendererComponent.cpp

@@ -68,14 +68,36 @@ void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::BeginPlay () {
 	Super::BeginPlay();
 }
 
+USpineSkeletonComponent* USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::GetSkeleton() const
+{
+	return CachedSkeleton.IsValid() ? CachedSkeleton.Get() : nullptr;
+}
+
+void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::SetSkeleton(USpineSkeletonComponent* InSkeleton)
+{
+	CachedSkeleton = InSkeleton;
+}
+
 void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::TickComponent (float DeltaTime, ELevelTick TickType, FActorComponentTickFunction* ThisTickFunction) {
 	Super::TickComponent(DeltaTime, TickType, ThisTickFunction);
 
-	AActor* owner = GetOwner();
+	//Check if we need to initialize the skeleton cache, this will help us to avoid excessive Find functions when ticking, thus improving performance
-	if (owner) {
+	if (!GetSkeleton())
-		UClass* skeletonClass = USpineSkeletonComponent::StaticClass();
+	{
-		USpineSkeletonComponent* skeleton = Cast<USpineSkeletonComponent>(owner->GetComponentByClass(skeletonClass));
+		USpineSkeletonComponent* FoundSkeletonComponent = GetOwner()->FindComponentByClass<USpineSkeletonComponent>();
+		if (FoundSkeletonComponent)
+		{
+			SetSkeleton(FoundSkeletonComponent);
+		}
+	}
 	
+	//Make sure we update the renderer
+	UpdateRenderer();
+}
+
+void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::UpdateRenderer()
+{
+	USpineSkeletonComponent* skeleton = GetSkeleton();
 	if (skeleton && !skeleton->IsBeingDestroyed() && skeleton->GetSkeleton() && skeleton->Atlas) {
 		skeleton->GetSkeleton()->getColor().set(Color.R, Color.G, Color.B, Color.A);
 
@@ -92,27 +114,28 @@ void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::TickComponent (float DeltaTime, ELevelTick
 			for (int i = 0; i < skeleton->Atlas->atlasPages.Num(); i++) {
 				AtlasPage* currPage = skeleton->Atlas->GetAtlas(false)->getPages()[i];
 
-					UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(NormalBlendMaterial, owner);
+				UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(NormalBlendMaterial, this);
 				material->SetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, skeleton->Atlas->atlasPages[i]);
 				atlasNormalBlendMaterials.Add(material);
 				pageToNormalBlendMaterial.Add(currPage, material);
 
-					material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(AdditiveBlendMaterial, owner);
+				material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(AdditiveBlendMaterial, this);
 				material->SetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, skeleton->Atlas->atlasPages[i]);
 				atlasAdditiveBlendMaterials.Add(material);
 				pageToAdditiveBlendMaterial.Add(currPage, material);
 
-					material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(MultiplyBlendMaterial, owner);
+				material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(MultiplyBlendMaterial, this);
 				material->SetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, skeleton->Atlas->atlasPages[i]);
 				atlasMultiplyBlendMaterials.Add(material);
 				pageToMultiplyBlendMaterial.Add(currPage, material);
 
-					material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(ScreenBlendMaterial, owner);
+				material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(ScreenBlendMaterial, this);
 				material->SetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, skeleton->Atlas->atlasPages[i]);
 				atlasScreenBlendMaterials.Add(material);
 				pageToScreenBlendMaterial.Add(currPage, material);
 			}
-			} else {
+		}
+		else {
 			pageToNormalBlendMaterial.Empty();
 			pageToAdditiveBlendMaterial.Empty();
 			pageToMultiplyBlendMaterial.Empty();
@@ -126,7 +149,7 @@ void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::TickComponent (float DeltaTime, ELevelTick
 
 				UMaterialInstanceDynamic* current = atlasNormalBlendMaterials[i];
 				if (!current || !current->GetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, oldTexture) || oldTexture != texture) {
-						UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(NormalBlendMaterial, owner);
+					UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(NormalBlendMaterial, this);
 					material->SetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, texture);
 					atlasNormalBlendMaterials[i] = material;
 				}
@@ -134,7 +157,7 @@ void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::TickComponent (float DeltaTime, ELevelTick
 
 				current = atlasAdditiveBlendMaterials[i];
 				if (!current || !current->GetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, oldTexture) || oldTexture != texture) {
-						UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(AdditiveBlendMaterial, owner);
+					UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(AdditiveBlendMaterial, this);
 					material->SetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, texture);
 					atlasAdditiveBlendMaterials[i] = material;
 				}
@@ -142,7 +165,7 @@ void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::TickComponent (float DeltaTime, ELevelTick
 
 				current = atlasMultiplyBlendMaterials[i];
 				if (!current || !current->GetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, oldTexture) || oldTexture != texture) {
-						UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(MultiplyBlendMaterial, owner);
+					UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(MultiplyBlendMaterial, this);
 					material->SetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, texture);
 					atlasMultiplyBlendMaterials[i] = material;
 				}
@@ -150,7 +173,7 @@ void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::TickComponent (float DeltaTime, ELevelTick
 
 				current = atlasScreenBlendMaterials[i];
 				if (!current || !current->GetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, oldTexture) || oldTexture != texture) {
-						UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(ScreenBlendMaterial, owner);
+					UMaterialInstanceDynamic* material = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(ScreenBlendMaterial, this);
 					material->SetTextureParameterValue(TextureParameterName, texture);
 					atlasScreenBlendMaterials[i] = material;
 				}
@@ -158,9 +181,9 @@ void USpineSkeletonRendererComponent::TickComponent (float DeltaTime, ELevelTick
 			}
 		}
 		UpdateMesh(skeleton->GetSkeleton());
-		} else {
-			ClearAllMeshSections();
 	}
+	else {
+		ClearAllMeshSections();
 	}
 }
 

spine-ue4/Plugins/SpinePlugin/Source/SpinePlugin/Public/SpineSkeletonAnimationComponent.h

@@ -195,6 +195,16 @@ public:
 
 	virtual void FinishDestroy () override;
 
+	//Added functions for manual configuration
+
+	/* Manages if this skeleton should update automatically or is paused. */
+	UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category="Components|Spine|Animation")
+	void SetAutoPlay(bool bInAutoPlays);
+
+	/* Directly set the time of the current animation, will clamp to animation range. */
+	UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Components|Spine|Animation")
+	void SetPlaybackTime(float InPlaybackTime, bool bCallDelegates = true);
+	
 	// Blueprint functions
 	UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category="Components|Spine|Animation")
 	void SetTimeScale(float timeScale);
@@ -255,4 +265,9 @@ protected:
 	// in transit within a blueprint
 	UPROPERTY()
 	TSet<UTrackEntry*> trackEntries;
+
+private:
+	/* If the animation should update automatically. */
+	UPROPERTY()
+	bool bAutoPlaying;
 };

spine-ue4/Plugins/SpinePlugin/Source/SpinePlugin/Public/SpineSkeletonRendererComponent.h

@@ -90,6 +90,16 @@ public:
     UPROPERTY(Category = Spine, EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite)
     bool bCreateCollision;
 
+	/* Updates this renderer with the lastest skeleton info. */
+	void UpdateRenderer();
+
+	/* Obtains the cached SkeletonComponent */
+	USpineSkeletonComponent* GetSkeleton() const;
+
+	/* Sets the cached SkeletonComponent */
+	void SetSkeleton(USpineSkeletonComponent* InSkeleton);
+
+	/* Called when the component is destroyed */
 	virtual void FinishDestroy() override;
 	
 protected:
@@ -99,4 +109,8 @@ protected:
 	
 	spine::Vector<float> worldVertices;
 	spine::SkeletonClipping clipper;
+
+private:
+	/* Cached skeleton to use to avoid Find functions on TICK */
+	TWeakObjectPtr<USpineSkeletonComponent> CachedSkeleton;
 };