Contents
List of Figures......................................................................................................... xv
List of Tables.......................................................................................................xxvii
Preface..... .............................................................................................................xxxi
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................xxxix
SECTION I Unreal Technology Basics:
Introductory Development
Techniques
Chapter 1 Setting up Unreal Project Templates ...............................................3
1.1 Introduction.............................................................................3
1.2 Unreal Project Types...............................................................3
1.3 Blank Projects and Content Migration ...................................4
1.4 First Person Projects .. ...........................................................10
1.5 Third Person..........................................................................14
1.6 Side Scroller.......................................................................... 17
1.7 Top-Down Templa te s............................................................19
1.8 Summary...............................................................................24
1.9 Exercises ...............................................................................25
Chapter 2 Introduction to Level Design in Unreal Technology ..................... 27
2.1 Introduction and Objectives.................................................. 27
2.2 Establishing the Ge ometry..... ............................................... 27
2.2.1 Geometry Brush Overview ......................................33
2.3 Improving the Level Aesthetics with Materials.................... 55
2.4 Refining the Geometry and Adding Meshe s.........................60
2.5 Refining the Level with Lighting.......................................... 68
2.6 Adding Functionality ............................................................ 71
2.7 Summary...............................................................................82
2.8 Exercises ...............................................................................83
vii
viii Contents
Chapter 3 Unreal Visual Scripting with Blueprints........................................85
3.1 Introduction to Unreal Blueprints.........................................85
3.2 A Tour o f Unre al Bluep rint Editor........................................85
3.2.1 Graph Editor.............................................................85
3.3 Types of Blueprints...............................................................86
3.3.1 Level Blueprint ........................................................86
3.3.2 Class Blueprint......................................................... 87
3.3.3 Data-Only Blueprint................................................. 87
3.4 Variables, Functions, and Events ..........................................92
3.4.1 Events.......................................................................93
3.4.2 Functions..................................................................93
3.4.3 Variables...................................................................93
3.5 Class Blueprints vs. Level Blueprints...................................94
3.6 Construction Script ............................................................... 97
3.7 Compone nts Mode................................................................98
3.7.1 Components .............................................................98
3.7.2 Component Events an d Functions ...........................98
3.8 Creating Your Own Class Blueprints..................................106
3.9 User Input and Interaction .................................................. 111
3.9.1 Action Mappings.................................................... 111
3.9.2 Axis Mapping s ....................................................... 111
3.10 Summary.............................................................................123
3.11 Exercises .............................................................................123
Chapter 4 Materials in U nreal Engine..........................................................125
4.1 Introduction.........................................................................125
4.2 Anatomy of a Material........................................................125
4.2.1 Materials vs. Textures ............................................126
4.2.2 Texture Coordinates (UVs) .................................... 127
4.3 Unreal Material Editor........................................................ 127
4.3.1 The Toolba r ............................................................128
4.3.2 Preview Window ....................................................128
4.3.3 Graph Canvas.........................................................128
4.3.4 Details Panel ..........................................................129
4.3.5 Expressions Palette ................................................129
4.4 Physically Based Mater ia ls in Unreal Engine 4 .................129
4.5 Anatomy of an Unreal Engine 4 Mater ia l...........................130
4.5.1 Material Nodes.......................................................130
4.5.2 Material Channels ....... ...........................................130
4.5.3 Material Shading Models....................................... 147
4.5.4 Material Domain ..... ...............................................148
4.5.5 Material Blend Mode .............................................149
4.6 Material Expressions in Unreal 4 .......................................18 0
4.6.1 Parameter vs. Non-Parameter Expressions ............ 181
Contents ix
4.6.2 Commonly Used M aterial Expressions .................182
4.6.2.1 Constant Expressions .............................182
4.6.2.2 Mathematical Expressions.....................184
4.6.2.3 Coordinate Expressions .........................210
4.6.2.4 Depth Expressions .................................226
4.6.2.5 Font Expressions ................................... 227
4.6.2.6 Parameter Expressions...........................228
4.6.2.7 Particle Expressions...............................233
4.6.2.8 Texture Expressions...............................234
4.6.2.9 Utility Expressions ................................ 241
4.6.2.10 Vector Expressions ................................264
4.7 Summary.............................................................................265
4.8 Exercises .............................................................................266
SECTION II Making Game Worlds Stand Out:
Intermediate Development Concepts
Chapter 5 Advanced Material Concepts in Unr eal Engine ..........................269
5.1 Introduction.........................................................................269
5.2 More About Un real Engine’s Shading Models...................269
5.2.1 Default Lit.............................................................. 269
5.2.2 Unlit .......................................................................270
5.2.3 Subsurface..............................................................270
5.2.4 Preintegrated Skin.................................................. 271
5.2.5 Clear Coat .............................................................. 271
5.2.6 Subsurface Profile .................................................. 271
5.3 Material Blend Modes ........................................................ 271
5.3.1 Opaque Blend Mode ..............................................272
5.3.2 Masked Blend Mode ..............................................272
5.3.3 Translucent Blend Mode........................................272
5.3.4 Additive Blend Mode.............................................272
5.3.5 Modulate Blend Mode ...........................................273
5.4 More Advanced Material Expressions................................273
5.4.1 Parameter Expressions ...........................................273
5.4.2 Particle Expressions ...............................................280
5.5 Blends .................................................................................286
5.6 Physically Based Mater ia ls in Unreal Engine 4 ................. 287
5.7 Material Functions in Unreal Engine 4...............................289
5.8 Material Attributes Expressions .........................................292
5.9 Layered Materials ...............................................................293
5.9.1 Material Layer Blend Types...................................295
5.10 Material Instances and Dyna mic Material Modifications...296
5.11 Decals ................................................................................. 297
x Contents
5.11.1 Decal Blend Mode ................................................. 297
5.12 Post-Process Materials........................................................ 297
5.13 Refraction and Reflection ...................................................298
5.14 Summary.............................................................................299
Chapter 6 Visual Effects a nd Cascade in Unreal Engin e ... .......................... 301
6.1 Introduction to Visual Effects and Particle Systems Ter-
minologies........................................................................... 301
6.2 Anatomy of Visual Effects.................................................. 301
6.2.1 Particles.................................................................. 301
6.2.2 Particle System.......................................................302
6.2.3 Emitter Actor .........................................................302
6.2.4 Emitter....................................................................302
6.2.5 Mod ule ...................................................................302
6.2.6 Particle System Component...................................30 4
6.2.7 Distributions...........................................................304
6.3 Unreal Cascade Particle System Editor ..............................304
6.3.1 Simulation Viewport ..............................................306
6.3.2 Emitters List...........................................................306
6.3.3 Details Panel .......................................................... 307
6.3.4 Curve Editor........................................................... 307
6.4 Particle Specific Materials Setup ........................................ 307
6.4.1 Particle Expressions ...............................................308
6.5 CPU-Based Sprite Emitters ................................................308
6.6 GPU-based Sprite Emitters................................................. 337
6.6.1 GPU vs. CPU Particles ..........................................338
6.7 Working with Sub UVs.......................................................348
6.8 Particle Type Data Modules................................................364
6.8.1 GPU Sprites Type Data..........................................365
6.8.2 Beam Type Data.....................................................368
6.8.3 Mesh Type Data .....................................................370
6.8.4 Ribbon Type Data ..................................................374
6.9 Summary.............................................................................376
6.10 Exercises .............................................................................376
Chapter 7 Terrains an d Lan dscapes in Unreal Engine ................................. 381
7.1 Introduction to Landscape s................................................. 381
7.2 Landscape Setup .................................................................382
7.2.1 Creating a Landscape.............................................383
7.2.2 The Landscape Manage Tab (Creation Mode).......385
7.3 Landscape Materials ................................. ..........................394
7.3.1 How Lan dscape Materials Blend ...........................394
7.3.2 Landscape Material Expressions............................394
7.4 Editing Landscapes.............................................................436
Contents xi
7.4.1 Landscape Sculpt Mode......................................... 437
7.4.2 Landscape Paint Mode ...........................................443
7.4.3 Manage Mode . .......................................................445
7.5 Landscape Splines .............................................................. 447
7.5.1 Creating Splines.....................................................448
7.5.2 Joining Splines.......................................................44 8
7.5.3 Splitting Splines.....................................................448
7.5.4 Assigning Static Mesh Actors to Splines...............448
7.5.5 Editing Splines.......................................................44 9
7.5.6 Applying Splines to a Landscape...........................449
7.6 Foliage and Foliage Editor..................................................462
7.6.1 Foliage Tools..........................................................464
7.6.2 Culling Instances....................................................468
7.7 Water in the Landscape.......................................................482
7.8 Summary............................................................................. 497
7.9 Exercises ............................................................................. 497
SECTION III Example Games: Advanced Game
Development Concepts
Chapter 8 Advanced Blueprint Concepts ..................................................... 501
8.1 Introduction......................................................................... 501
8.2 Communica tion b etween Blueprints................................... 501
8.2.1 Direct Blueprint Communication........................... 501
8.2.2 Blueprint Casting ................................................... 501
8.2.3 Event Dispatchers ..................................................502
8.2.4 Blueprint Interfaces................................................503
8.3 Chapter Synopsis ................................................................503
8.4 Creating The HUD..............................................................522
8.5 Saving and Loading Game Da ta .........................................542
8.6 Summary.............................................................................556
Chapter 9 A Top-Down Game with Blueprints............................................559
9.1 Synopsis..............................................................................559
9.2 Setting up the Level ............................................................560
9.3 Character, Controller and Game Mode Blueprints ............. 561
9.4 Character Movement a nd User In put..................................568
9.5 Projectile Class Blueprint and Fun ctionality ......................573
9.5.1 Firing Mechanism ..................................................576
9.5.2 Setting up Collisions..............................................582
9.6 Creating the Enemy Class and Implementing Damage ...... 587
9.6.1 Enemy Damage Implemen ta tion............................590
9.6.2 Implementing the Player Damage..........................593
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