Google Cloud And Sheets

Using Google Cloud and Google Sheets to store and receive data for multi-unit projects.

Useful for projects running on remote servers. Allows real- time updates from a spreadsheet in Google Sheets

Third party plug-ins are required for this to work

The Runtime Datatable plugin is needed to connect Unreal Engine to the Google Cloud Service. Follow the link below to buy it from FAB.

Another plugin I recommend is the Blueprint FileSDK which allows you to save lists from the UI3 on the harddrive. It's available for free on FAB. It's technically not required.

Runtime Datatable on FAB

There are many tutorials out on how to set up a Google Service Account. The Runtime Datatable plugin's documentation has a brief tutorial.

In short: A project needs to be created in the cloud and a permission key needs to be created in the IAM section and downloaded.

Runtime DataTable Plugin Documentation

Access Key Data

The key comes as a JSON file and can be opened with Notepad and other common applications. It should look like seen in the image.

Copy Paste the credentials into the DT_GoogleLinks Data Table (or any other assigned).

• Private Key is the long cryptic string.
• Client Email is the google admin email address shown below the key. It's not your 'normal' google account email address.

The credentials can be used for multiple Unreal projects.

Sharing Links

Links for the Users, Servers, Units, and Unit Types sheets are also entered into this Data Table. It can then be assigned to each Info Map of the unit type persistent levels. Changes to the Data Table will spread to all scenes.

Access can be restricted later, when everything else works. It might not work with restricted access at all.

Download the ZIP file below and upload the files in it one by one into the new folder.

UI3 Costs is specific to the client (user). There needs to be a Cost file per user. The link to that file is set in in the Users sheet.

UI3 Google Sheets.zip

• Servers
• Users
• Units
• Unit Types

Copy the link by Sharing each file individually and paste it in the Link List array element with the same Name

UI3 Server

The User ID needs to be set here for the host (or server).

• The Server ID has to be set in the Info Map. The default is S001 which doesn't need to be changed unless there are multiple servers running at the same time.
• The User ID needs to be set here before a level is loaded in the walkthrough app. It can be changed at any time but it will only apply when a level is loaded for now.

User ID and users are set in the Users sheet.

UI3 Users

• Row Name User ID to be entered in the Servers sheet
• User Name The real name of the user used

The app will take the user name from the Users sheet. The overview map gets the User ID from the Servers sheet. The unit levels get it from the MUP SaveSlot

Every user name can use 5 save slots.

• Costs GID Google ID of the Costs sheet tab
• Features GID Google ID of the Features tab
• Selections GID Google ID of the Selections tab
• Costs Sheet Shared link for the user's Costs Sheet.

The Costs Sheet link is the link being copied when the sheet is shared.

The GID or Google ID can be found in the URL. The sheet can selected from the sheet tabs on the bottom.

UI3 Units

Contains specific data for each unit.

• Row Name The Unit ID
• Unit Type Name The ID of the unit type
• Floor The building floor, where '0' is the ground floor
• Unit / Lot Size Sizes for this unit, overwrite type sizes
• Unit Cost The cost of this unit, overwrites type cost
• Availability ID of the availability array located in the Info Map

UI3 Unit Types

The details for the type of units. There can be more than one unit of each type in the building.

• Row Name The type ID or Unit Type Name
• Type Name User friendly name
• Bedroom, Bathroom, Parking typical features
• Additional Features any additional text to be displayed
• Size, Price can be overwritten per unit

The sheet will be completely overwritten every time the user exports the selections. This is not an automated process. The list needs to be manually exported by the user.

Costs

This list is the same that the UI shows to the user in the Costs Widget. It is converted to a table in this image.

Features

The selected features. They can be a design scheme or a layout scenarios.

This is just an indication. The scheme objects choices can be overwritten by the user.

Selections

Contains the data for all selectable objects in the scene when the export button was clicked.

It shows the Cost list but with more details.