Unreal Engine: Game Development from A to Z电子书

Unreal Engine: Game Development from A to Z

Table of Contents

Unreal Engine: Game Development from A to Z

Unreal Engine: Game Development from A to Z

Credits

Preface

What this learning path covers

What you need for this learning path

Who this learning path is for

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Module 1

1. An Overview of Unreal Engine

What goes into a game?

What is a game engine?

The history of Unreal Engine

Game development

Artists

Cinematic creators

Sound designers

Game designers

Programmers

The components of Unreal Engine 4

The sound engine

The physics engine

The graphics engine

Input and the Gameplay framework

Light and shadow

Post-process effects

Artificial intelligence

Online and multiplatform capabilities

Unreal Engine and its powerful editors

Unreal Editor

Material Editor

The Cascade particle system

The Persona skeletal mesh animation

Landscape – building large outdoor worlds and foliage

Sound Cue Editor

Matinee Editor

The Blueprint visual scripting system

Unreal programming

Unreal objects

A beginner's guide to the Unreal Editor

The start menu

Project Browser

Content Browser

Toolbar

Viewport

Scene Outliner

Modes

Summary

2. Creating Your First Level

Exploring preconfigured levels

Creating a new project

Navigating the viewport

Views

Control keys

Creating a level from a new blank map

Creating the ground using the BSP Box brush

Useful tip – selecting an object easily

Useful tip – changing View Mode to aid visuals

Adding light to a level

Useful tip – positioning objects in a level

Adding the sky to a level

Adding Player Start

Useful tip – rotating objects in a level

Viewing a level that's been created

Saving a level

Configuring a map as a start level

Adding material to the ground

Adding a wall

Duplicating a wall

Creating an opening for a door

Adding materials to the walls

Sealing a room

Adding props or a static mesh to the room

Adding Lightmass Importance Volume

Applying finishing touches to a room

Useful tip – using the drag snap grid

Summary

3. Game Objects – More and Move

BSP Brush

Background

Brush type

Brush solidity

Static Mesh

BSP Brush versus Static Mesh

Making Static Mesh movable

Materials

Creating a Material in Unreal

Materials versus Textures

Texture/UV mapping

How to create and use a Texture Map

Multitexturing

A special form of texture maps – Normal Maps

Level of detail

Collisions

Collision configuration properties

Simulation Generates Hit Events

Generate Overlap Events

Collision Presets

Collision Enabled

Object Type

Collision Responses

Trace Responses

Object Responses

Collision hulls

Interactions

Static Mesh creation pipeline

Introducing volumes

Blocking Volume

Camera Blocking Volume

Trigger Volume

Nav Mesh Bounds Volume

Physics Volume

Pain Causing Volume

Kill Z Volume

Level Streaming Volume

Cull Distance Volume

Audio Volume

PostProcess Volume

Lightmass Importance Volume

Introducing Blueprint

Level Blueprint

Using the Trigger Volume to turn on/off light

Using Trigger Volume to toggle light on/off (optional)

Summary

4. Material and Light

Materials

The Material Editor

The rendering system

Physical Based Shading Model

High Level Shading Language

Getting started

Creating a simple custom material

Creating custom material using simple textures

Using custom materials to transform the level

Rendering pipeline

Shaders

APIs – DirectX and OpenGL

DirectX

DirectX12

Pipeline state representation

Work submission

Resource access

Lights

Configuring a Point Light with more settings

Attenuation Radius

Intensity

Use Inverse Squared Falloff

Color

Adding and configuring a Spot Light

Inner cone and outer cone angle

Using the IES Profile

Downloading IES Light Profiles

Importing IES Profiles into the Unreal Engine Editor

Using IES Profiles

Adding and configuring a Directional Light

Example – adding and configuring a Sky light

Static, stationary, or movable lights

Common light/shadow definitions

Static Light

Stationary Light

Movable Light

Exercise – extending your game level (optional)

Useful tips

Guidelines

Area expansion

Part 1 – lengthening the current walkway

Part 2 – creating a big room (living and kitchen area)

Part 3 – creating a small room along the walkway

Part 4 – Creating a den area in the big room

Creating windows and doors

Part 1 – creating large glass windows for the dining area

Part 2 – creating an open window for the window seat

Part 3 – creating windows for the room

Part 4 – creating the main door area

Creating basic furniture

Part 1 – creating a dining table and placing chairs

Part 2 – decorating the sitting area

Part 3 – creating the window seat area

Part 4 – creating the Japanese seating area

Part 5 – creating the kitchen cabinet area

Summary

5. Animation and AI

What is animation?

Understanding how to animate a 3D model

Preparing before animation

How is animation created?

What Unreal Engine 4 offers for animation in games

Importing animation from Maya/3ds Max

Tutorial – importing the animation pack from Marketplace

What can you do with Persona?

Tutorial – assigning existing animation to a Pawn

Why do we need to blend animations?

Tutorial – creating a Blend Animation

Tutorial – setting up the Animation Blueprint to use a Blend Animation

AnimGraph

EventGraph

Artificial intelligence

Understanding a Behavior Tree

Exercise – designing the logic of a Behavior Tree

Example – creating a simple Behavior Tree

How to implement a Behavior Tree in Unreal Engine 4

Navigation Mesh

Tutorial – creating a Navigation Mesh

Tutorial – setting up AI logic

Creating the Blueprint AIController

Creating the Blueprint character

Adding and configuring Mesh to a Character Blueprint

Linking AIController to the Character Blueprint

Adding basic animation

Configuring AIController

Nodes to add in EventGraph

Adjusting movement speed

Creating the BlackBoardData

Adding a variable into BlackBoardData

Creating a Behavior Tree

Creating a simple BT using a Wait task

Using the Behavior Tree

Creating a custom task for the Behavior Tree

Using the PickTargetLocation custom task in BT

Replacing the Wait task with Move To

Implementing AI in games

Summary

6. A Particle System and Sound

What is a particle system?

Exploring an existing particle system

The main components of a particle system

Modules

The design principles of a particle system

Research

The iterative creative process

Example – creating a fireplace particle system

Crafting P_Fireplace

Observing the solo emitters of the system

Deleting non-essential emitters

Focusing on editing the Flame emitter

Looking at the complete particle system

Sound and music

How do we produce sound and music for games?

Audio quality

How are sounds recorded?

The Unreal audio system

Getting audio into Unreal

The audio format

The sampling rate

Bit depth

Supported sound channels

Unreal sound formats and terminologies

The Sound Cue Editor

How to open the Sound Cue Editor

Exercise – importing a sound into the Unreal Editor

Exercise – adding custom sounds to a level

Configuring the Sound Cue Editor

Summary

7. Terrain and Cinematics

Introducing terrain manipulation

Exercise – creating hills using the Landscape tool

Landscape creation options

Multiple landscapes

Using custom material

Importing height maps and layers

Scale

The number of components

Section Size

Introducing cinematics

Why do we need cut scenes?

Cinematic techniques

Adjusted camera functions

Zoom

Field of view

Depth of field

Camera movement

Tilt

Pan

Dolly/track/truck

Pedestal

Capturing a scene

Lighting

Framing

Some framing rules

Shot types

Shot plan

Getting familiar with the Unreal Matinee Editor

Exercise – creating a simple matinee sequence

Summary

2. Module 2

1. Getting Acquainted with the UE4 Interface

Introduction

Installing UE4 and folder structure

How to do it…

There's more…

UI overview

Getting ready

How to do it…

Navigating the viewport

How to do it…

The Content Browser overview

Getting ready

How to do it…

Importing your own content

Getting ready

How to do it…

2. Level Design – Building Out Levels or Greyboxing

Introduction

Building a room

Getting ready

How to do it…

Building out a level

Getting ready

Some keyboard tips

Seeing double – duplicating elements

How to do it…

Applying materials to geometry brushes

Getting ready

How to do it…

Converting brushes to static meshes or volumes

Getting ready

How to do it…

3. Creating Quality Interior Environments

Introduction

Placing static meshes

Getting ready

How to do it…

Placing a particle system

Getting ready

How to do it…

Using Groups

Getting ready

How to do it…

Meshing an example map

Getting ready

How to do it…

Adding life to static meshes

Getting ready

How to do it…

4. Building the Great Outdoors – Exterior Environments

Introduction

Creating a landscape

Getting ready

How to do it…

Building an exterior level using the Sculpt mode

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating rivers with the Flatten tool

Getting ready

How to do it…

Placing trees and rocks using the Foliage tool

Getting ready

How to do it…

Streaming levels

Getting ready

How to do it…

5. Lights, Camera, Action – Cinematics

Introduction

An introduction to Matinee

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating an opening cutscene

Getting ready

How to do it…

Playing a Matinee via Blueprints

Getting ready

How to do it…

Preventing a player from moving via cinematic mode

Getting ready

How to do it…

See also

6. Lighting and Shadows

Introduction

Lighting overview – learning the types of lights

Getting ready

How to do it…

Adding moveable lights – flashlight, part 1

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating a Day/Night cycle

Getting ready

How to do it…

See also

7. Art Pipeline – Working with Materials

Introduction

Creating a custom material

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating a mirror material

Getting ready

How to do it…

Using Textures and normal maps with Materials

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating glowing materials with static emissive lighting

Getting ready

How to do it…

Seeing through walls

Getting ready

How to do it…

See also

8. Blueprint Scripting – Level Effects

Introduction

Building a flickering light

Getting ready

How to do it…

Converting from Level to Class Blueprints

Getting ready

How to do it…

Using Trigger Volumes – opening a door using Matinee

Getting ready

How to do it…

Adding to an existing Blueprint – flashlight, part 2

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating a Health/Damage system, part 1 – taking damage

Getting ready

How to do it…

See also

9. C++ Programming – Gameplay

Introduction

When to use C++/Blueprints

Setting up your development environment

Getting ready

How to do it…

Displaying text during runtime

Getting ready

How to do it…

Networking 101 – creating collectables with networking

Getting ready

How to do it…

Saving or loading games and keyboard input with C++

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating custom blueprint nodes

Getting ready

How to do it…

See also

10. User Interface

Introduction

Creating a Health/Damage system, part 2 – creating a healthbar

Getting ready

How to do it…

Dynamic enemy healthbars

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating a main menu

How to do it…

Animating a menu

Getting ready

How to do it…

See also

11. Publishing and Deployment

Introduction

Packaging your project

Getting ready

How to do it…

Creating an installer for Windows

Getting ready

How to do it…

3. Module 3

1. Getting Started with Unreal 4

What to expect

System requirements

Downloading and installing UE4

The Windows directory structure

Windows DirectXRedist

Launcher

4.X folders

The Engine Launcher

News

Learn

Marketplace

Library

UE4 Links

Summary

2. Launching Unreal Engine 4

Meet the Editor

The Unreal Project Browser

The user interface

The tab bar and the menu bar

The toolbar

Viewport

Modes

World Outliner

Content Browser

Details

Hotkeys and controls

Summary

3. Building the Game – First Steps

Projects

Creating a new project

Opening an existing project

Project directory structure

Bloques

Concept

Controls

Creating the project for the game

BSP brushes

Default BSP brush shapes

Editing BSP brushes

Blocking out the rooms with BSP brushes

The first room

The second room

The third room

The fourth room

Content Browser

Migrating and importing assets

Importing assets

Migrating assets

Placing actors

Materials

The Material Editor

The tab and menu bar

The toolbar

The Palette panel

The Stats panel

The Details panel

The Viewport panel

The Graph panel

Applying materials

Creating the materials

Pedestals

Doors

Key Cubes

Decorative assets

Lighting

Mobility

Lighting up the environment

Summary

4. Using Actors, Classes, and Volumes

Basic classes

Adding basic class actors to the game

Placing the Player Start actor

Adding triggers

Room 1

Room 2

Room 3

Room 4

Visual Effects

Adding Visual Effect actors to the game – Post Process Volume

Volumes

Adding Volumes to the game

Lightmass Importance Volume

Nav Mesh Bounds Volume

Room 3

Room 4

All Classes

Adding actors from All Classes

Camera

Matinee actors

Target Point

Room 3

Room 4

Summary

5. Scripting with Blueprints

How Blueprint works

The Level Blueprint user interface

The tab and menu bars

The toolbar

The Details panel

The Compiler Results panel

My Blueprint panel

The Event Graph

Using Level Blueprint in the game

Key cube pickup and placement

The Blueprint class

Creating a Blueprint class

Viewport

The Construction Script

The Event Graph

Scripting basic AI

Summary

6. Using Unreal Matinee

What is Unreal Matinee?

Adding Matinee actors

The Unreal Matinee user interface

The tab and menu bar

The toolbar

The Curve Editor

The Tracks panel

The Details panel

Animating the door

Room 1

Room 2

A bridge for the AI character

Summary

7. Finishing, Packaging, and Publishing the Game

Adding the main menu using Unreal Motion Graphics

UMG Editor

The tab and menu bar

The toolbar

The Graph Editor

The Details panel

The Palette panel

The Hierarchy panel

The Animations panel

Creating the main menu

Installing the Android SDK

Setting up the Android device

Packaging the project

The Maps & Modes settings

The Packaging settings

The Android app settings

Building a package

Developer Console

ALL APPLICATIONS

APK

Store Listing

Content Rating

Pricing & Distribution

In-app Products

Services & APIs

GAME SERVICES

Game details

Linked apps

Events

Achievements

Leaderboards

Testing

Publishing

REPORTS

SETTINGS

ALERTS

Publishing your game

Activating Google services

Preparing the project for shipping

Uploading the game on the Play Store

Monetization methods

Mobile performance and optimization

Summary

A. What Next?

Learn

AnswerHub

Forums

Summary

A. Bibliography

Index