A template for a Unreal Engine plugin including a C++ Third Party library (on the example of the Point Cloud Library and Boost).

• PCL version: 1.8.1, 64bit
• Boost version: 1.64, 64bit
• Tested with UE Version: 4.18

For the corresponding tutorial please visit:

http://www.valentinkraft.de/including-the-point-cloud-library-into-unreal-tutorial/

Please put this in your Engine/project plugin folder and activate the Plugin in Unreal (If you want to use it as an Engine plugin, you have to include the plugin into a project once, so Unreal can compile your plugin before you can put it in your engine's plugin folder). When the engine asks you for recompiling, do it.

If you want to use this as a starting point for your own plugin / other third party libraries please insert your Third-Party libraries in /Source/ThirdParty/ and change the PCL.Build.cs accordingly (details see tutorial, link above).

If you only want to use PCL/Boost functions in your project, you have to add the PCL/Boost module to your project's Build.cs file:

PublicDependencyModuleNames.Add("PCL");

Depending on your system you might also have to enable RTTI and Exceptions as well (try without first):

bUseRTTI = true;
bEnableExceptions = true;

Now you can include your external libraries in your classes like this:

THIRD_PARTY_INCLUDES_START
#include <pcl/io/pcd_io.h>
#include <pcl/point_types.h>
#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
THIRD_PARTY_INCLUDES_END

And call your third-party functions like this, for example (please see/change PointCloudRenderer.cpp):

pcl::io::loadPCDFile<pcl::PointXYZ>("C:\\bunny.pcd", cloud);

Please note:

• This Plugin doesn't provide a point cloud renderer. It merely includes the point cloud library (http://pointclouds.org/) and boost. However, I'm developing a point cloud renderer plugin for Unreal at the moment, which you'll soon find on my portfolio/on the marketplace.
• This template is for static libraries (.lib) only (no dynamic DLLs).
• The included PCL/Boost libraries (and hence the whole plugin) is for Windows 64bit (Release-Build) only.

If you have problems using this template, feel free to contact me on my portfolio: http://www.valentinkraft.de/