Mastering Technical Art in the Unreal Engine: Worldbuilding

by Greg Penninck, Stuart Butler

Overview

This book covers how to build materials and VFX that bring your projects to life in Unreal Engine. Each chapter will provide you with the necessary underpinning theory as well as activities to test your learning inside of Unreal Engine.

You'll learn about Material Graphs, Parameters, Instances, Materials Maths, Nodes, Niagara Emitters and much more as you complete project-based examples. Included in the book is a series of introductory demonstration videos and quizzes to help test your learning, giving you all the tools and knowledge to make cutting-edge game materials and VFX.

This book will be of great interest to all students learning to create technical art within Unreal Engine, as well as professionals looking to sharpen their skills.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032663845
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	01/30/2025
Pages:	250
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Greg Penninck has worked and taught in the Games Industry sector since 2006, creating many world-leading games courses and modules from Foundation to Masters Level. Greg is an Authorised Unreal Instructor Partner for Epic Games and has been teaching the Unreal Engine for over 15 years. In 2016 he was awarded an Epic Developer Grant through his company Thundersteed LTD which helped him continue to spread the joy of Unreal Development. Greg works as a Marketing Artist for REALTIME, a BAFTA nominated VFX Studio.

Stuart Butler is the Dean of Creative Industries at CG Spectrum Institute. Stu has taught in the HE sector since 2009, creating many games courses and modules from Foundation to Masters Level and was formerly the Course Director of Games Technology at Staffordshire University. He is an Authorized Unreal Instructor Partner and Educational Content Creator for Epic Games and has been teaching the Unreal Engine since the launch of UDK. Stu has contributed to projects as a Vehicle Artist, Animator, Game Designer and Technical Designer / Artist; his broad skillset and understanding provides insight into all aspects of Games Development. Alongside Greg, as part of their Company Thundersteed Ltd, he was awarded an Epic Developer Grant in 2016.

Table of Contents

01. What Is Technical Art

02. An Artist’s Guide to the Rendering Pipeline

03. What Are Materials?

04. Creating Your First Material

05. Material Instances

06. Master Materials

07. Mesh Painting and Materials

08. Introductory Materials for VFX

9. Introduction to Niagara and VFX in the Unreal Engine

10. Creating The Energy Orb

11. Creating Our Sparking Cauldron

12. The Dawn of Fire

13. Magical Spells and Fireworks

14. The Waterfall

15. The Fire Tornado