Spawn vs spline mode

flowchart TB
  Mode[Navigation Mode] -->|Spawn| SpawnType[Spawn Type Method]
  Mode -->|Spline| Spline[Spline Mesh + Spline Mesh Scale]
  SpawnType -->|Instanced| HISM[Hierarchical ISM]
  SpawnType -->|Actor| Pool[AWaypointActor pool]

Spawn — Instanced (recommended default)

Setting	Value
Navigation Mode	Spawn
Spawn Type Method	Instanced
Waypoint Mesh	SM_Waypoint_Arrow or custom
b Auto Calculate Mesh Distance	true

Best performance for long paths — no actor tick overhead.

Spawn — Actor

Setting	Value
Navigation Mode	Spawn
Spawn Type Method	Actor
Waypoint Actor Class	AWaypointActor or Blueprint subclass
Max Number Of Meshes	60
b Destroy Pool When Deactivated	false to reuse pool

Use when each marker needs Blueprint logic or unique materials.

Spline

Setting	Value
Navigation Mode	Spline
Spline Mesh	Tube / arrow mesh
Spline Mesh Scale	Tune to ground width
Set Spline Component	Optional pawn spline reference

Implement On Path Finding Spline and return true to fully custom-build Spline Mesh Components (equivalent to BPI_Waypoint in the Blueprint package).

Comparison

Mode	Pros	Cons
Instanced	Fastest, many markers	Less per-marker customization
Actor	Subclass markers, pool reuse	Higher cost than instanced
Spline	Continuous ground trail	Mesh setup; custom hook for advanced art

Related

• Blueprint — switch navigation modes
• C++ reference — enums