Aeonix Navigation

A voxel-based 3D pathfinding plugin for Unreal Engine 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, and 5.8.

Build validation via TeamCity CI/CD using the Aeonix Demo project.

What is it?

Aeonix Navigation provides 3d navigation generation and pathfinding for Unreal Engine 5.6+

Main Features:

• Sparse Voxel Octree for excelent memory efficient in sparse environment
• A* pathfinding with various heuristics for optimising queries
• A number of post-processing functions for smooth paths
• EXPERIMENTAL Dynamic modifier regions that provide runtime updates of selected regions with no re-allocation of navigation data
• Editor tools for visualization and debugging

Installation

1. Place the plugin in your project's Plugins/AeonixNavigation directory
2. Regenerate project files and build
3. Enable the plugin in the Plugins menu

Getting Started

1. Create Navigation Volume

• Place an AeonixBoundingVolume in your level (Place Actors → Aeonix Bounding Volume)
• Scale it to encompass your desired navigable space
• Select it and configure in the Details panel:
  • Octree Depth: Controls octree subdivision depth. Higher values create finer detail. Use 5-6 for human-sized characters
  • CollisionChannel: Which geometry blocks navigation (usually ECC_WorldStatic)
  • GenerationStrategy: "Use Baked" (pre-generate) or "Generate OnBeginPlay" (runtime)
  • (Optional) Check 'Debug Leaf Voxels' to render blocked voxels (may need to increase the debug render distance)
• Click Generate button to create navigation data

1b. Or: a Volume That Moves With an Actor

For navigation around something that moves (a ship, a vehicle), add an AeonixVolumeComponent to the actor instead. It is a cube (set Half Extent) whose navigation data lives in the component's own frame, so it stays valid as the owner moves and rotates without regenerating.

• Collision Source: a component on the same actor implementing IAeonixCollisionQueryInterface that answers blocking queries (e.g. from a voxel grid or a custom shape). Leave empty to use world physics on the Collision Channel. Override IsBlockedOriented / IsLeafBlockedOriented for exact rotated boxes (the defaults test an enclosing axis-aligned box) and GetBlockingBounds to enable Fit.
• Fit centres and sizes the cube around the source's blocking bounds plus Fit Padding, picking the smallest Octree Depth whose leaf voxels are no larger than Target Leaf Voxel Size.
• Bake generates and saves into an AeonixNavDataAsset (created beside the Blueprint if unset), loaded on BeginPlay when the strategy is Use Baked. The buttons work on a Blueprint's component template too: they run on the Blueprint editor's preview instance (so Generate with the debug toggles draws the octree in its viewport) and copy the result back. The preview actor is rebuilt when a property changes, so press Generate again after editing.
• Paths planned in it keep nav-space points (FAeonixPathPoint::NavPosition); FAeonixNavigationPath::GetPointWorldPosition re-projects them through the volume's current transform, and UAeonixPathFollowingComponent follows them that way. UAeonixFlyingMovementComponent rides the volume it is in (Ride Nav Volume). For agents that move in the volume's frame themselves, UAeonixSubsystem::FindPathInVolume paths between nav-space points with no agent.
• Dynamic regions are not supported on a component volume.

2. Add Component to AI

• Open your AI Controller or Character Blueprint
• Add AeonixNavAgentComponent
• Configure pathfinder settings

3. Use in Behavior Tree

• Add BTTask_AeonixMoveTo task to your Behavior Tree
• Set the BlackboardKey to your target location (Vector or Actor)
• Configure AcceptableRadius (how close AI needs to get, typically 100-200cm)

4. Testing

Use AAeonixPathDebugActor (editor-only) to test pathfinding:

• Place two AeonixPathDebugActors in your level
• Set one to START, one to END
• Move them around to visualize paths in real-time

Editor Tools

Aeonix Navigation Panel: Window → Aeonix Navigation

• View and manage all navigation volumes in the level
• Access volume settings and regeneration controls

Bounding Volume Details: Custom details panel when selecting a volume

• Quick access to generation parameters
• Generate button for creating/updating navigation
• Visualization toggles for debugging

Module Structure

• AeonixNavigation: Core runtime module (pathfinding, octree, subsystem)
• AeonixEditor: Editor integration (tools, visualization, debug actors)
• AeonixNavigationTests: Unit and integration tests

Key Classes

• AAeonixBoundingVolume: Defines navigable 3D space
• UAeonixVolumeComponent: A navigable cube that moves with its owner
• IAeonixNavVolumeInterface: What the subsystem, pathfinding and tools see of either volume
• UAeonixNavDataAsset: Baked navigation data for a volume component
• UAeonixNavAgentComponent: Enables AI to use navigation
• UAeonixSubsystem: World subsystem managing navigation and pathfinding
• AeonixPathFinder: A* pathfinding implementation
• UBTTask_AeonixMoveTo: Behavior Tree movement task
• AAeonixPathDebugActor: Editor debug actor for testing

Documentation

More indepth documentation to come. Please feel free to raise issues on github.

Testing

Unit tests are in Source/AeonixNavigationTests. Example levels are in AeonixDemo project.

Credits

Based on UESVON by midgen (me).

License

See LICENSE file.