ZenBlink Documentation / ZenBlink Target Component

ZenBlink Target Component

The ZenBlink Target component publishes a live position on an actor for other ZenBlink characters to follow.

It can use the midpoint between a character’s eyes, a head bone or socket, or any tagged scene component. This is useful for conversations, group scenes, and gaze setups where characters need to find targets automatically.

1. Add a Target

1. Open the Blueprint for the actor that should become a target.
2. In the Components panel, select Add.
3. Search for ZenBlink Target.
4. Add the component.
5. Select the required Target Source.
6. Compile and save the Blueprint.

The target actor can also own a regular ZenBlink component. A MetaHuman can therefore follow another MetaHuman while also publishing its own eye or head position.

2. Follow the Target

1. Select the ZenBlink component on the character that will follow.
2. Set Movement Mode to Follow Tag.
3. Set Target Tag to the same value used by the ZenBlink Target component.
4. Set Follow Tag Range to the required tracking distance.
5. Adjust Follow Smoothing to soften movement from a moving target.

ZenBlink selects the closest valid target with the matching tag. The character’s own actor is excluded, so two or more characters can use the same target tag without selecting themselves.

When a target moves outside Follow Tag Range, movement temporarily changes to Random. Follow Tag tracking resumes automatically when a matching target returns to range. A range of 0 provides unlimited tracking.

3. Target Sources

Eyes

Eyes mode generates a transform at the midpoint between the left and right eye bones. The position and rotation are updated from the current evaluated skeletal-mesh pose whenever the target is resolved.

If the eye-bone pose is briefly unavailable during actor initialization, LOD changes, or animation budgeting, ZenBlink retains the last valid point. Before the first valid eye-bone pose is available, it uses the exact validated head bone or socket transform instead of inventing an offset or using the actor’s root location. Existing components saved with the former pupil-bone defaults automatically use the stable eye bones when available.

The default MetaHuman bones are:

• Left Eye Bone: FACIAL_L_Eye
• Right Eye Bone: FACIAL_R_Eye

Use this mode when another character should make eye contact with the target character.

Head

Head mode uses the world transform of the selected head bone or socket.

The default MetaHuman bone is:

• Head Socket: head

Use this mode when gaze should be directed generally toward the target’s head.

Other

Other mode uses a scene component carrying the specified Component Tag. It supports custom points such as a hand, prop attachment, interaction location, or manually positioned scene component.

To configure it:

1. Add or select a scene component on the target actor.
2. Add a unique value to that component’s Component Tags array.
3. Set the ZenBlink Target component’s Other Component Tag to the same value.

Other Component Tag refers to a Component Tag, not an Actor Tag.

4. Variable Reference

• TargetSource: Selects Eyes, Head, or Other as the published target point. Default: Eyes.
• TargetTag: Name used by Follow Tag mode to discover the target. It must match the following ZenBlink component’s Target Tag. Default: ZenBlink_Target.
• SkeletalMeshComponent: Optional skeletal mesh used by Eyes or Head mode. When unset, ZenBlink finds the best suitable skeletal mesh on the target actor. Assign the Face mesh explicitly when an actor has several compatible skeletal meshes or uses a complex crowd setup.
• LeftPupilBone: Left eye reference bone used to calculate the eye midpoint. Displayed as Left Eye Bone. Default: FACIAL_L_Eye.
• RightPupilBone: Right eye reference bone used to calculate the eye midpoint. Displayed as Right Eye Bone. Default: FACIAL_R_Eye.
• HeadSocket: Bone or socket used as the target transform in Head mode. Default: head.
• OtherComponentTag: Component Tag used to locate a custom scene component in Other mode.

5. Blueprint Functions

Resolve Target Transform

Returns the current target transform in world space.

• Return Value: True when the configured source, its last validated transform, or the validated head fallback for Eyes mode is available.
• Out Target Transform: Current world transform of the eye midpoint, head bone or socket, or tagged scene component.

This function can be used when a Blueprint needs the target point directly.

Get Target Proxy Actor

Returns the actor that owns the ZenBlink Target component.

This is the actor represented by the published target point.

Get Resolved Tagged Target

This function is available on the following character’s ZenBlink component.

• Return Value: True when Follow Tag has a resolved target.
• Out Target Actor: Actual actor selected by Follow Tag.
• Out Target Transform: Current world transform published by the target.

Use this function when a child component Blueprint needs to pass the resolved actor or transform into its own animation pipeline.

6. Target Selection

• Each ZenBlink character selects its target independently.
• The closest matching target is selected.
• A character cannot select itself.
• Multiple actors may use the same Target Tag.
• ZenBlink Target components and registered target providers take priority over ordinary Actor Tags.
• Changing away from Follow Tag clears the automatically selected target.

7. Targets Without the Component

Follow Tag can also use a regular actor with a matching Actor Tag. In this case, the actor’s world transform is used as the target.

The ZenBlink Target component is recommended when the gaze point must follow a character’s eyes, head, or another moving component.

Do not add the same value to the target actor’s Actor Tags when it already has a ZenBlink Target component. The component’s Target Tag is sufficient. Actor Tags are intended only for targets that do not use the component.

8. Troubleshooting

• If the target is not found, confirm that both Target Tag values match exactly.
• If Eyes mode does not resolve, confirm that both eye bones exist on the selected skeletal mesh and that the mesh is evaluating its pose.
• If an actor contains several compatible skeletal meshes, assign its Face mesh directly to Skeletal Mesh Component.
• If a character looks toward the target actor’s root or floor, remove any duplicate matching value from the actor’s Actor Tags and keep the value on the ZenBlink Target component.
• If Head mode does not resolve, confirm that the configured bone or socket exists.
• If Other mode does not resolve, add the value to the scene component’s Component Tags array.
• If the wrong target is selected, assign different Target Tags or move the intended target closer.
• If tracking changes to random movement, increase Follow Tag Range or set it to 0.
• If editor preview does not update, enable ZenBlink Editor Preview Tick on the following ZenBlink component.