Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume II
Advanced Level Design Concepts with Unreal Engine 3
Published on 1. October 2009
Book
Mixed media product
1080 pages
978-0-672-32992-0 (ISBN)
Description
Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume II: Advanced Level Design Concepts with Unreal Engine 3 is your start-to-finish guide to state-of-the-art Unreal Tournament 3 modding and level design. Here's everything you need to know to take your game design skills to the next level, creating content with breakthrough depth and interactivity! Your authors aren't just the world's #1 Unreal game development trainers: They've built the training mods that shipped with Unreal Tournament. Now, working with the full cooperation of Unreal Engine 3's creators, Epic Games, they introduce innovative, pro-quality techniques you'll find nowhere else: outstanding solutions for everything from particle effects to physics, materials to cinematics. Packed with tips, hands-on tutorials, and expert insight, Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume II will help you take Unreal Tournament 3 and Unreal Engine 3 to the limit...and then blow right by it!
You'll find expert tips on
Creating advanced materials that leverage the full power of UnrealEd's Material Editor
Bringing levels to life with objects affected by gravity, collisions, and player influence
Creating fire, smoke, sparks, and more with Unreal Engine 3's particle effects system
Building custom user interfaces, including Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) that update constantly
Using SoundCues to mix, modulate, crossfade, and attenuate sounds
Generating real-time camera-based effects, including depth of field, motion blur, and color adjustment
Using post process effects to quickly transform a scene's look and feel without changing existing materials or textures
Animating characters and vehicles that move with unprecedented realism
Creating in-game cinematics that develop your characters and move your story forward
You'll find expert tips on
Creating advanced materials that leverage the full power of UnrealEd's Material Editor
Bringing levels to life with objects affected by gravity, collisions, and player influence
Creating fire, smoke, sparks, and more with Unreal Engine 3's particle effects system
Building custom user interfaces, including Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) that update constantly
Using SoundCues to mix, modulate, crossfade, and attenuate sounds
Generating real-time camera-based effects, including depth of field, motion blur, and color adjustment
Using post process effects to quickly transform a scene's look and feel without changing existing materials or textures
Animating characters and vehicles that move with unprecedented realism
Creating in-game cinematics that develop your characters and move your story forward
More details
Persons
Jason "Buzz" Busby is president and chief executive officer of 3D Buzz, Inc. For more than five years, he has taught 3D animation, programming, and game design through his website 3dbuzz.com, which has more than 275,000 members. He coauthored Mastering Unreal: The Art of Level Design and Mastering the Art of Production with 3ds Max 4 and has created and overseen the production of more than 1,000 hours of video training.
Zak Parrish, chief of operations at 3D Buzz, Inc., has developed hundreds of video tutorials over 3D animation and game design. He helped produce training videos that shipped with Unreal Tournament 2004: Special Edition as well as those that shipped with Unreal Tournament 3: Limited Collector's Edition. Zak also coauthored Mastering Unreal.
Jeff Wilson, 3D Buzz's technical consultant for the Unreal Engine, helps develop the company's Unreal Technology training videos. He has been studying the Unreal Engine for five years while creating modifications for Unreal Tournament 2003 and 2004. Wilson moderates the 3D Buzz forums.
Busby, Parrish, and Wilson are also coauthors of the companion book Mastering Unreal (R) Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal (R) Engine 3.
Zak Parrish, chief of operations at 3D Buzz, Inc., has developed hundreds of video tutorials over 3D animation and game design. He helped produce training videos that shipped with Unreal Tournament 2004: Special Edition as well as those that shipped with Unreal Tournament 3: Limited Collector's Edition. Zak also coauthored Mastering Unreal.
Jeff Wilson, 3D Buzz's technical consultant for the Unreal Engine, helps develop the company's Unreal Technology training videos. He has been studying the Unreal Engine for five years while creating modifications for Unreal Tournament 2003 and 2004. Wilson moderates the 3D Buzz forums.
Busby, Parrish, and Wilson are also coauthors of the companion book Mastering Unreal (R) Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal (R) Engine 3.
Content
CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Advanced Level Design . . . 1
Who Is This Book For? . . . 2
What Should You Know Before You Start? . . . 2
What We Mean By "Advanced" Level Design . . . 3
Included Assets and Game Assets . . . 3
Working with INI Files . . . 4
Future Software Changes . . . 5
CHAPTER 2: Advanced Material Construction . . . 7
Material Instancing and Parameters . . . 7
Blending . . . 9
UV Manipulation . . . 10
Normals . . . 11
Depth . . . 12
Special Lighting . . . 13
Reflections . . . 14
Distortion . . . 14
Transparency . . . 15
Subsurface Scattering . . . 16
Custom Lighting Models . . . 16
Summary . . . 151
CHAPTER 3: Working with Volumes . . . 153
Available Volume Types . . . 154
Basic Volume Properties . . . 156
BlockingVolumes . . . 156
PhysicsVolumes . . . 159
TriggerVolume . . . 170
PostProcessVolume . . . 186
LevelStreamingVolume . . . 188
LightVolume . . . 188
ColorScaleVolume . . . 189
ReverbVolume . . . 189
RB_ForceFieldExcludeVolume . . . 190
UTAreaNamingVolume . . . 190
UTAutoCrouchVolume . . . 190
FoliageFactory . . . 190
Summary . . . 192
CHAPTER 4: Physics Objects . . . 193
Types of Physics Objects . . . 193
The Concept of Rigid Bodies . . . 196
Working with Rigid Bodies in Unreal . . . 197
KActors . . . 200
KAssets . . . 208
Constraints . . . 211
The Physics Asset Tool (PhAT) . . . 229
Cloth . . . 245
Impulse and Force Actors . . . 252
Physics-Specific Kismet Sequence Objects . . . 258
Physical Materials . . . 263
Summary . . . 268
CHAPTER 5: Creating Special Effects with Particle Systems . . . 269
Anatomy of a Particle System . . . 271
TypeData Modules . . . 283
Modules . . . 286
Cascade Particle System Editor . . . 293
Particle-Specific Material Expressions . . . 301
Types of Particle Modules . . . 312
Beam Emitters . . . 356
Mesh Emitters . . . 374
Trail Emitters . . . 382
Fluid Emitters . . . 393
Levels of Detail . . . 397
Emitter Actor . . . 406
Modifying Particle Systems In-Game . . . 407
Troubleshooting the Effect . . . 480
Summary . . . 481
CHAPTER 6: Creating User Interfaces . . . 483
UI Components . . . 483
UIs Versus HUDs . . . 484
UI Design Workflow Overview . . . 485
The UI Scene Editor . . . 492
The UI Widgets . . . 496
Working with Widgets . . . 498
Widgets States . . . 513
Widget Navigation and the Focus Chain . . . 541
Working with User Inputs . . . 543
Data Stores . . . 548
Styles and Skins . . . 549
Fonts . . . 566
Adding Functionality . . . 569
Sounds . . . 598
Creating HUDs . . . 600
Summary . . . 601
CHAPTER 7: Sound System . . . 603
Sound Types . . . 604
USounds Versus SoundCues . . . 604
The AmbientSound Actors . . . 612
The SoundCue Editor . . . 613
SoundCue Nodes . . . 614
Kismet Sound Actions . . . 632
Working with Music . . . 638
Working with MusicTrackBanks . . . 642
Summary . . . 666
CHAPTER 8: Post-Process Effects . . . 667
The Four Key Methods of Controlling Post-Processes . . . 668
Accessing and Assigning PostProcessEffect Objects . . . 670
Types of Post-Process Effects . . . 675
Post-Process Editor . . . 681
Controlling Post-Process Effects In-Game . . . 715
Summary . . . 716
CHAPTER 9: The Unreal Animation System . . . 717
The Unreal Animation System . . . 718
Skeletal Animation . . . 723
Morph Animation . . . 734
AnimSet Editor . . . 737
Animation Blending . . . 753
AnimTree Editor . . . 754
AnimTree Editor Nodes . . . 770
Morph Nodes . . . 796
Facial Animation with FaceFX . . . 839
FaceFX Studio . . . 840
FaceFX Studio User Interface . . . 872
Physical Animation . . . 900
Setup Procedure for Physical Animation . . . 906
Skeletal Mesh Actors . . . 907
Skeletal Mesh Component . . . 907
Summary . . . 909
CHAPTER 10: Creating Cinematic Sequences . . . 911
Cinematic Sequences . . . 911
Camera Actor . . . 915
Camera Effects . . . 916
Image Separation Through Lighting . . . 920
DumpMovie Command . . . 920
Putting It All Together . . . 920
Summary . . . 999
APPENDIX A: Distributions . . . 1001
Overview . . . 1001
Distribution Types In-Depth . . . 1003
General Performance Cost Comparison . . . 1019
APPENDIX B: The Curve Editor . . . 1023
Animation Curves . . . 1024
Controlling Interpolation Curves . . . 1026
Curve Editor Interface . . . 1030
Preset Curves . . . 1035
Index . . . 1039
Who Is This Book For? . . . 2
What Should You Know Before You Start? . . . 2
What We Mean By "Advanced" Level Design . . . 3
Included Assets and Game Assets . . . 3
Working with INI Files . . . 4
Future Software Changes . . . 5
CHAPTER 2: Advanced Material Construction . . . 7
Material Instancing and Parameters . . . 7
Blending . . . 9
UV Manipulation . . . 10
Normals . . . 11
Depth . . . 12
Special Lighting . . . 13
Reflections . . . 14
Distortion . . . 14
Transparency . . . 15
Subsurface Scattering . . . 16
Custom Lighting Models . . . 16
Summary . . . 151
CHAPTER 3: Working with Volumes . . . 153
Available Volume Types . . . 154
Basic Volume Properties . . . 156
BlockingVolumes . . . 156
PhysicsVolumes . . . 159
TriggerVolume . . . 170
PostProcessVolume . . . 186
LevelStreamingVolume . . . 188
LightVolume . . . 188
ColorScaleVolume . . . 189
ReverbVolume . . . 189
RB_ForceFieldExcludeVolume . . . 190
UTAreaNamingVolume . . . 190
UTAutoCrouchVolume . . . 190
FoliageFactory . . . 190
Summary . . . 192
CHAPTER 4: Physics Objects . . . 193
Types of Physics Objects . . . 193
The Concept of Rigid Bodies . . . 196
Working with Rigid Bodies in Unreal . . . 197
KActors . . . 200
KAssets . . . 208
Constraints . . . 211
The Physics Asset Tool (PhAT) . . . 229
Cloth . . . 245
Impulse and Force Actors . . . 252
Physics-Specific Kismet Sequence Objects . . . 258
Physical Materials . . . 263
Summary . . . 268
CHAPTER 5: Creating Special Effects with Particle Systems . . . 269
Anatomy of a Particle System . . . 271
TypeData Modules . . . 283
Modules . . . 286
Cascade Particle System Editor . . . 293
Particle-Specific Material Expressions . . . 301
Types of Particle Modules . . . 312
Beam Emitters . . . 356
Mesh Emitters . . . 374
Trail Emitters . . . 382
Fluid Emitters . . . 393
Levels of Detail . . . 397
Emitter Actor . . . 406
Modifying Particle Systems In-Game . . . 407
Troubleshooting the Effect . . . 480
Summary . . . 481
CHAPTER 6: Creating User Interfaces . . . 483
UI Components . . . 483
UIs Versus HUDs . . . 484
UI Design Workflow Overview . . . 485
The UI Scene Editor . . . 492
The UI Widgets . . . 496
Working with Widgets . . . 498
Widgets States . . . 513
Widget Navigation and the Focus Chain . . . 541
Working with User Inputs . . . 543
Data Stores . . . 548
Styles and Skins . . . 549
Fonts . . . 566
Adding Functionality . . . 569
Sounds . . . 598
Creating HUDs . . . 600
Summary . . . 601
CHAPTER 7: Sound System . . . 603
Sound Types . . . 604
USounds Versus SoundCues . . . 604
The AmbientSound Actors . . . 612
The SoundCue Editor . . . 613
SoundCue Nodes . . . 614
Kismet Sound Actions . . . 632
Working with Music . . . 638
Working with MusicTrackBanks . . . 642
Summary . . . 666
CHAPTER 8: Post-Process Effects . . . 667
The Four Key Methods of Controlling Post-Processes . . . 668
Accessing and Assigning PostProcessEffect Objects . . . 670
Types of Post-Process Effects . . . 675
Post-Process Editor . . . 681
Controlling Post-Process Effects In-Game . . . 715
Summary . . . 716
CHAPTER 9: The Unreal Animation System . . . 717
The Unreal Animation System . . . 718
Skeletal Animation . . . 723
Morph Animation . . . 734
AnimSet Editor . . . 737
Animation Blending . . . 753
AnimTree Editor . . . 754
AnimTree Editor Nodes . . . 770
Morph Nodes . . . 796
Facial Animation with FaceFX . . . 839
FaceFX Studio . . . 840
FaceFX Studio User Interface . . . 872
Physical Animation . . . 900
Setup Procedure for Physical Animation . . . 906
Skeletal Mesh Actors . . . 907
Skeletal Mesh Component . . . 907
Summary . . . 909
CHAPTER 10: Creating Cinematic Sequences . . . 911
Cinematic Sequences . . . 911
Camera Actor . . . 915
Camera Effects . . . 916
Image Separation Through Lighting . . . 920
DumpMovie Command . . . 920
Putting It All Together . . . 920
Summary . . . 999
APPENDIX A: Distributions . . . 1001
Overview . . . 1001
Distribution Types In-Depth . . . 1003
General Performance Cost Comparison . . . 1019
APPENDIX B: The Curve Editor . . . 1023
Animation Curves . . . 1024
Controlling Interpolation Curves . . . 1026
Curve Editor Interface . . . 1030
Preset Curves . . . 1035
Index . . . 1039