Hi, I'm Antonio Lattanzio. I'm a Principal Engineer at Empty Vessel, where we are currently working on DEFECT, an upcoming multiplayer immersive action game built with Unreal Engine.
🎮 DEFECT Steam Link
I'm also the founder of Mental Drink, an independent game studio creating original games and experimental technology.
🎮 Mental Drink Games Steam Link
Box3DUnreal is an Unreal Engine plugin that integrates Box3D into Unreal Engine 5.
The goal of this project is to provide a clean and lightweight Unreal-friendly integration of Box3D, making it easier for developers to experiment with and build gameplay systems using a fast and robust physics engine.
🚧 Early Development This plugin is currently focused on the core Box3D integration. APIs, features, and documentation will continue to evolve.
- Box3D integrated into Unreal Engine 5
- Unreal Engine plugin architecture
- C++ API
- Box3D world and simulation support
- Lightweight integration layer
- Static mesh simulation support
- Sphere, Box, Capsule and Convex Hulls support
- Unreal Actor / Component integration
- Debug visualization
- Example map
More features and examples will be added as the project evolves.
Box3D, created by Erin Catto, is a lightweight and robust physics engine used in many games and simulations.
While Unreal Engine provides Chaos Physics, Box3D can be useful for developers looking for:
- A lightweight physics solution
- Deterministic simulation
- Custom gameplay physics systems
- Experimentation with alternative physics engines
This project aims to make Box3D accessible from Unreal Engine while keeping the integration simple and flexible.
Clone the repository including submodules:
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/alattanzio/Box3DUnreal.gitInstall the plugin either at the project level:
<Project>/Plugins/Box3DUnreal
or at the Unreal Engine level:
<UnrealEngine>/Engine/Plugins/Box3DUnreal
If installed at the engine level, enable the plugin from the Unreal Editor Plugins window if it is not enabled automatically.
Generate project files and build your Unreal project.
To simulate a mesh using Box3D, add the Box3DBody Component to the Static Mesh Actor.
The component will register the mesh with the Box3D simulation and handle physics simulation independently from Chaos Physics.
Alternatively, you can add the Box3DBody Component directly from the Actor Components panel in the Outliner.
I've also included an Example Map in the Content folder.
If Convex is selected, Box3D will import the Static Mesh simple collision geometry and use it for the Box3D simulation.
Chaos Physics remains enabled in Unreal Engine, but the object will not be simulated by Chaos.
From Chaos' perspective, the mesh remains static.
If you want Chaos to completely ignore the object, set the Collision Profile to:
No Collision
box3d.SpawnEnable:
box3d.DebugDraw 1Disable:
box3d.DebugDraw 0Tested with:
- Unreal Engine 5.7.x
- Unreal Engine 5.8.x
This project is currently focused on the core Box3D integration.
Current limitations:
- No Chaos ↔ Box3D physics interaction
- No multiplayer/network replication
- No Blueprint API yet
- Limited editor tooling
Additional features will be added as the integration evolves.
Planned improvements:
- Physics world management
- Body creation helpers
- Blueprint support
Contributions are welcome!
If you find an issue, have an idea, or want to improve the plugin:
- ⭐ Star the repository
- 🐛 Report bugs
- 💡 Suggest improvements
- 🔀 Submit pull requests
Whether it is improving documentation, adding features, or fixing issues, every contribution is appreciated.
If you enjoy this project, feel free to follow my work on GitHub or connect on LinkedIn.
I'm also the founder of Mental Drink, an independent game studio creating original games and experimental technology.
If you'd like to support independent development, consider wishlisting our games on Steam. Every wishlist helps developers continue creating games and open-source technology.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniolattanzio/
🎮 DEFECT Steam Link
🎮 Mental Drink Games Steam Link
This plugin integrates Box3D, created by Erin Catto.
Please refer to the official Box3D project for licensing information.
The Unreal Engine integration is released under the MIT License.
Box3D remains under its own license.