Attempt to implement damage flash for enemy ships

Source/MyProject3/EnemySpaceship.cpp

@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ void AEnemySpaceship::BeginPlay()
     bInitializedFlank = false;
     LastFlankUpdateTime = 0.0f;
     CurrentFlankTarget = GetActorLocation();
+
+    InitializeDynamicMaterial();
 }
 
 // Modify Tick function to include flanking behavior
@@ -507,6 +509,57 @@ void AEnemySpaceship::ResetFire()
     bCanFire = true;
 }
 
+void AEnemySpaceship::InitializeDynamicMaterial()
+{
+    if (EnemyMesh)
+    {
+        // Store the original material
+        OriginalMaterial = EnemyMesh->GetMaterial(0);
+
+        if (OriginalMaterial)
+        {
+            // Create dynamic material instance only once
+            DynamicMaterialInstance = UMaterialInstanceDynamic::Create(OriginalMaterial, this);
+            if (DynamicMaterialInstance)
+            {
+                // Apply the dynamic material instance to the mesh
+                EnemyMesh->SetMaterial(0, DynamicMaterialInstance);
+
+                // Initialize flash color to transparent
+                DynamicMaterialInstance->SetVectorParameterValue("FlashColor", FLinearColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void AEnemySpaceship::ApplyDamageFlash()
+{
+    // Only set the flash color if we have a valid dynamic material instance
+    if (DynamicMaterialInstance)
+    {
+        // Set the flash color
+        DynamicMaterialInstance->SetVectorParameterValue("FlashColor", DamageFlashColor);
+
+        // Set timer to reset the flash
+        GetWorldTimerManager().SetTimer(
+            DamageFlashTimerHandle,
+            this,
+            &AEnemySpaceship::ResetDamageFlash,
+            DamageFlashDuration,
+            false
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+void AEnemySpaceship::ResetDamageFlash()
+{
+    // Reset the flash color only if we have a valid dynamic material instance
+    if (DynamicMaterialInstance)
+    {
+        DynamicMaterialInstance->SetVectorParameterValue("FlashColor", FLinearColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f));
+    }
+}
+
 float AEnemySpaceship::TakeDamage(float DamageAmount, FDamageEvent const& DamageEvent,
     AController* EventInstigator, AActor* DamageCauser)
 {
@@ -521,6 +574,9 @@ float AEnemySpaceship::TakeDamage(float DamageAmount, FDamageEvent const& Damage
             FString::Printf(TEXT("Enemy Hit! Health: %f"), CurrentHealth));
     }
 
+    // Apply visual damage effects
+    ApplyDamageFlash();
+
     // When damaged, prefer retreat or strafe behaviors temporarily
     if (FMath::RandBool())
     {

Source/MyProject3/EnemySpaceship.h

@@ -109,6 +109,20 @@ protected:
     UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "AI")
     float FlankingFrequency = 0.6f;  // Increased chance of flanking (was 0.4f)
 
+    UPROPERTY()
+    UMaterialInterface* OriginalMaterial;
+
+    UPROPERTY()
+    UMaterialInstanceDynamic* DynamicMaterialInstance;
+
+    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, Category = "Effects")
+    FLinearColor DamageFlashColor = FLinearColor(1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
+
+    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, Category = "Effects")
+    float DamageFlashDuration = 0.1f;
+
+    FTimerHandle DamageFlashTimerHandle;
+
 public:
     virtual void Tick(float DeltaTime) override;
 
@@ -164,4 +178,8 @@ private:
     float LastFlankUpdateTime;
     FVector CurrentFlankTarget;
     bool bInitializedFlank;
+
+    void InitializeDynamicMaterial();
+    void ApplyDamageFlash();
+    void ResetDamageFlash();
 };