1st Edition
Mastering Technical Art in the Unreal Engine Materials and VFX
This book covers how to build materials and VFX that bring your projects to life in the Unreal Engine. Each chapter will provide you with the necessary underpinning theory as well as activities to test your learning inside of the 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 the Unreal Engine, as well as professionals looking to sharpen their skills.
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
Biography
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.
