book

Cinematic Photoreal Environments in Unreal Engine 5

by Giovanni Visai

May 2024

Intermediate to advanced

548 pages

12h 50m

English

Packt Publishing

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Technical requirementsDownloading and installing the EngineEpic Games Launcher – not just a launcherLibraryMarketplaceSamplesNewsCreating a new projectChoosing the perfect templateSummary
Technical requirementsInterface overview and project settingsThe Menu BarMain ToolbarLevel ViewportBottom ToolbarExploring OutlinerExploring the Details panelDiscovering Content DrawerSummary
Technical requirementsDiscovering project folders and filesWorking with levelsCreating a new levelWorking with multiple levelsUnderstanding the Saving processSaving a level assetWhat does a level save?Using a clear naming conventionSummary
Technical requirementsImporting a new 3D modelImporting using the Content Browser optionsImporting using drag and dropImporting the assetsImporting a new textureImporting an animated objectExercise: Creating a new projectSummary
Technical requirementsUnderstanding PBR fundamentalsWhat does PBR mean?Primary PBR inputsCreating your first materialExploring the Material EditorAdding basic nodesAdding basic texturesAdding Normal Map and Ambient OcclusionUnderstanding Material InstancesConverting constants to parametersCreating a Master MaterialStep 1 – adding texture parametersStep 2 – adding Base Color parametersStep 3 – modifying texture valuesStep 4 – modifying the Normal Map intensityStep 5 – adding UV manipulationStep 6 – organizing parameters into groupsStep 7 – adding Switch parametersStep 8 – organizing the graph nodeUsing Material FunctionsExploring the most common functionsCreating a new Material FunctionAdding custom inputsSummary
Technical requirementsUnderstanding lighting in Unreal Engine 5What is Lumen?Setting projects up to use LumenLighting system in Unreal Engine 5Lighting movabilityExploring light assetsTips and tricks to improve lighting qualityUsing lighting channelsImproving shadow qualityIlluminating with emissive materialsCreating a flickering light with a Light Function MaterialExercise: Importing a new asset and lighting itIlluminating your first environmentStep 1: Creating base lightingStep 2: Managing exposure in your LevelStep 3: Adding God raysStep 4: Adding rect lightsStep 5: Changing the lighting scene’s temperatureStep 6: Adding the HDRi backdropSummary
Technical requirementsDiscovering NaniteActivating NaniteNanite pros and consDiscovering RVTsBlending assets with RVTsDiscovering the World Partition toolSummary

Technical RequirementsDiscovering the Megascans LibraryUsing the Quixel Bridge pluginAdding asset to the projectDiscovering different types of assetsBlocking out your ideaExercise: Create a simple environment spot using Megascans LibrarySummary
Technical requirementsCreating your first LandscapeModifying your Landscape with Sculpt toolsThe Sculpt toolThe Erase toolThe Smooth toolThe Flatten toolThe Ramp toolThe Erosion, Hydro, and Noise toolsThe Select toolLandscape layersUnlocking heightmaps’ powerUnderstanding and working with the Foliage modeThe Paint toolThe Select, All, Delete, Invalid, and Lasso toolsThe Remove and Move toolsThe Reapply, Single, Fill, and Erase toolsCreating a Landscape MaterialSetting the LevelCreating painting layersAdding texturesAdding Landscape grassCreating an automatic Landscape MaterialSummary
Technical requirementsSetting the level to work procedurallyModifying the landscape with the Landmass pluginExploring the Water pluginUsing the Water Body Lake actorUsing the Water Body River actorUsing the Water Body Ocean actorChanging the water’s colorIntroducing the Procedural Content Generation FrameworkStep 1 – Creating our first PCG graphStep 2 – Placing treesStep 3 – Excluding the path from the PCG actionExercise – Create an island environmentSummary
Technical requirementsCreating a Cine Camera Actor and exploring its settingsExploring the Cine Camera Actor settingsDiscovering the SequencerAnimating the Cine Camera ActorPlacing the Cine Camera ActorFraming the start and end points of the shotComposing the first frameComposing the last frameCreating a Camera Shake BlueprintCombining multiple shotsSummary
Technical requirementsDiscovering the Post Process VolumeCreating and understanding a PPVExploring Post Process Volume SettingsExploring the Color Grading parametersCreating a Color LUTIntroducing NiagaraAdding dust to our scene with NiagaraSummary
Technical requirementsFundamentals of real-time renderingSetting the Level SequenceDiscovering the Movie Render Queue pluginSetting up a renderChoosing a rendering methodChoosing an export file typeAdding render settingsSetting the Output preferencesExporting the final shotSummary
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Overview

Dive into the world of Unreal Engine 5 and learn how to create stunningly realistic, cinematic environments step by step. This book takes you through an in-depth exploration of UE5's powerful tools and techniques needed to enhance your environment creation skills.

What this Book will help me do

Generate complex Master Materials to build diverse material instances.
Understand and apply key principles of lighting within Unreal Engine 5.
Create large-scale, photorealistic landscapes with procedural methods.
Enhance scenes with advanced effects using tools like Post Process Volume and Niagara.
Craft and render cinematic shots using Sequencer and the Movie Render Queue.

Author(s)

Giovanni Visai is an experienced environmental artist and Unreal Engine 5 expert. With years of involvement in CGI and game development, Giovanni's passion has always been creating photoreal environments. His approach to teaching combines practical, goal-oriented learning with a focus on artistic and technical quality.

Who is it for?

This book is tailored for creative directors, designers, and CGI enthusiasts of moderate skill levels looking to expand their expertise in Unreal Engine 5. It is equally valuable for game developers and technical artists eager to dive into environment creation and optimization techniques. Whether you're crafting game worlds, visualizations, or film production assets, this hands-on guide suits your goals.