Step 4: Cascade to Niagara (cascade)

Converts Cascade particle systems to Niagara and repoints the project to the converted systems.

:::info Editor UI required The engine's converter drives Niagara editor views, so this step needs the full editor. It does not run inside the commandlet; for unattended runs use UnrealEditor.exe with -ExecCmds (see Headless). :::

Done automatically

• Every ParticleSystem is converted with the engine's Cascade To Niagara Converter into a Niagara system named <Name>_Converted, next to the original.
• References are replaced with the converted system:
  • particle components in Blueprint component trees;
  • SpawnEmitterAtLocation / SpawnEmitterAttached nodes become SpawnSystemAtLocation / SpawnSystemAttached;
  • Play Particle Effect and Timed Particle Effect anim notifies become their Niagara counterparts;
  • Emitter actors placed in maps become Niagara actors.

The original Cascade assets are kept.

Reported for you

• Cascade modules the converter does not support (Manual).
• Systems whose conversion has no renderer (typically trails and beams): references keep the Cascade system and a Warning is written.
• References the step cannot replace, such as custom anim notifies or Level Sequences that point at a particle system (Warning). Cascade still runs in 5.8, so these keep working until you replace them.

Rule tables

cascade.json: the _Converted suffix and the two call replacements with their pin maps:

4.27 call	5.8 call	Pins renamed
GameplayStatics.SpawnEmitterAtLocation	NiagaraFunctionLibrary.SpawnSystemAtLocation	EmitterTemplate to SystemTemplate, bAutoActivateSystem to bAutoActivate
GameplayStatics.SpawnEmitterAttached	NiagaraFunctionLibrary.SpawnSystemAttached	EmitterTemplate to SystemTemplate

Examples

From the Action RPG case study:

• P_FireBall_Strong converted to P_FireBall_Strong_Converted.
• A custom Trail notify on a sword swing animation is reported: "Replace it with a Niagara-based notify (ribbon renderer for trails) using the converted system."