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Basic Component

Template name: DefaultComponent CLI: --template default_component Suffix: Component – produces ${Name}Component

The standard O3DE game component. Optionally generates an EBus interface header and an EditorComponent wrapper for editor-side representation.

Files generated:

File	Conditional
`Source/${Name}Component.cpp`	Always
`Source/${Name}Component.h`	Always
`Include/${GemName}/${Name}Interface.h`	Only when `add_bus_interface` is true
`Source/Tools/Editor${Name}Component.h`	Only when `include_editor` is true
`Source/Tools/Editor${Name}Component.cpp`	Only when `include_editor` is true

The interface header carries cleanup_hint: "interface" – if not requested, all EBus wiring is removed from remaining files. The editor files carry cleanup_hint: "editor" – if excluded, their #include lines are stripped from siblings.

Input variables:

Var Name	Type	Default	show_if	Description
`add_bus_interface`	toggle	`true`	–	Create the Interface Bus header file
`include_editor`	toggle	`false`	`hasEditor`	Generate an EditorComponent wrapper that appears in the Editor Inspector and exports the runtime component at game-mode; only shown when gem has an Editor module

Commands:

Command	Condition	Description
`register_file_list`	Always	Adds runtime `.h` / `.cpp` to CMake
`register_module_descriptor`	Always	Registers component in runtime module
`register_interface_header`	`add_bus_interface`	Registers interface header in API/INTERFACE target
`register_file_list`	`include_editor`	Adds editor `.h` / `.cpp` to CMake
`register_module_descriptor` (`module_kind: "editor"`)	`include_editor`	Registers EditorComponent in editor module
`replace_text`	`include_editor`	Strips `AppearsInAddComponentMenu` from runtime `.cpp` so only the EditorComponent appears in the editor menu

Notable features: The only template with both conditional interface cleanup and a conditional editor adapter. The include_editor toggle is hidden on gems without an Editor module (show_if: "hasEditor"). Unlike most toggles, add_bus_interface defaults to true. The wizard generates the interface header unless you explicitly turn that toggle off.

Full Template JSON

{
    "template_name": "DefaultComponent",
    "origin": "Open 3D Engine - o3de.org",
    "origin_url": "https://github.com/o3de/o3de",
    "license": "Apache-2.0 or MIT",
    "license_url": "https://github.com/o3de/o3de/blob/development/LICENSE.txt",
    "display_name": "Default Component Template",
    "summary": "A component template for a typical game component.",
    "canonical_tags": [
        "Template"
    ],
    "user_tags": [
        "DefaultComponent"
    ],
    "icon_path": "preview.png",
    "copyFiles": [
        {
            "file": "Source/${Name}Component.cpp",
            "isTemplated": true
        },
        {
            "file": "Source/${Name}Component.h",
            "isTemplated": true
        },
        {
            "file": "Include/${GemName}/${Name}Interface.h",
            "isTemplated": true,
            "isInterface": true,
            "cleanup_hint": "interface",
            "condition": "add_bus_interface"
        },
        {
            "file": "Source/Tools/Editor${Name}Component.h",
            "isTemplated": true,
            "isEditor": true,
            "cleanup_hint": "editor",
            "condition": "include_editor"
        },
        {
            "file": "Source/Tools/Editor${Name}Component.cpp",
            "isTemplated": true,
            "isEditor": true,
            "cleanup_hint": "editor",
            "condition": "include_editor"
        }
    ],
    "createDirectories": [
        {
            "dir": "Include/${GemName}"
        },
        {
            "dir": "Source"
        }
    ],
    "class_wizard": {
        "display_name": "Basic Component",
        "class_name": "default_component",
        "description": "A standard game component with optional interface header and optional editor adapter component.",
        "component_suffix": "Component",

        "input_vars": [
            {
                "input_type": "toggle",
                "var_name": "add_bus_interface",
                "title": "Add Bus Interface",
                "default_value": true,
                "description": "Create the Interface Bus header file"
            },
            {
                "input_type": "toggle",
                "var_name": "include_editor",
                "title": "Add Editor Comp.",
                "default_value": false,
                "description": "Generate an EditorComponent wrapper that appears in the Editor Inspector and exports the runtime component at game-mode",
                "show_if": "hasEditor"
            }
        ],

        "process_commands": [
            {
                "command": "register_file_list",
                "args": { "component_name": "${Name}${ComponentSuffix}" }
            },
            {
                "command": "register_module_descriptor",
                "args": { "component_name": "${Name}${ComponentSuffix}", "module_kind": "runtime" }
            },
            {
                "command": "register_interface_header",
                "condition": "add_bus_interface",
                "args": { "component_name": "${Name}" }
            },
            {
                "command": "register_file_list",
                "condition": "include_editor",
                "args": { "component_name": "Editor${Name}${ComponentSuffix}" }
            },
            {
                "command": "register_module_descriptor",
                "condition": "include_editor",
                "args": { "component_name": "Editor${Name}${ComponentSuffix}", "module_kind": "editor" }
            },
            {
                "command": "replace_text",
                "condition": "include_editor",
                "args": {
                    "component_name": "${Name}${ComponentSuffix}.cpp",
                    "text_to_replace": "AppearsInAddComponentMenu, AZ_CRC_CE(\"Game\"))",
                    "replacement": "AppearsInAddComponentMenu, AZ_CRC_CE(\"\"))"
                }
            }
        ]
    }
}

Design Notes

The runtime and Editor source files both start out with AppearsInAddComponentMenu(AZ_CRC_CE("Game")). This is the command that makes either one appear in the Game Add Component menu. If you have an Editor component, it needs to be the one available in the menu, not the base component. The wizard clears the base component’s category to AZ_CRC_CE("") using replace_text. This command finds that exact literal string in the runtime .cpp only, and rewrites it. It leaves the Editor file’s own copy of the same attribute untouched. The command is itself gated on include_editor. Skip that toggle, and the command doesn’t run at all. The runtime component then keeps its original “Game” category, since there’s no Editor variant to hand visibility to.

Level Component, System Component, and LyShine Component all use this identical mechanic on their own category strings (“Level”, “Game”, and “UI” respectively).