Procedural Content Generation with Unreal Engine 5: Harness the PCG framework to take your environment design and art skills to the next level - Softcover

Eliasz, Paul Martin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1801074461 ISBN 13: 9781801074469

Publisher: Packt Publishing, 2024

Synopsis

Discover Unreal Engine 5's PCG tools with Unreal Authorized Instructor and Senior Technical Artist Paul Martin Eliasz, and use real-time visualization to transform game development and create immersive, dynamic 3D environments.

Key Features

• Enhance your design skills with innovative procedural content generation (PCG) capabilities
• Quickly sculpt vast, richly detailed environments with UE5’s PCG tools, saving you time and effort
• Push the boundaries of your creativity and develop breathtaking landscapes that stand out
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

In the ever-evolving world of games and virtual production, mastering procedural content generator (PCG) opens the door to endless creative possibilities. This book takes you deeper into the realm of procedurally generated environments and assets by showing you how to use the PCG framework integrated into Unreal Engine 5.4 and helping you build the skills to surpass traditional methods and create cutting-edge projects with unparalleled efficiency.

This book guides you through the complete level design and tools production pipeline using open-source software. Whether you’re an aspiring technical artist or level designer in real-time visualization and game production, you’ll benefit from following the step-by-step, beginner-friendly approach to crafting custom levels, from jungles to cities, and incorporating 3D assets from libraries such as Quixel or Sketchfab. Next, you’ll get to grips with data preparation, construct a PCG graph to populate assets in your environment, and apply these methods to optimize your projects. You’ll understand how this process enhances your PCG tools, elevating their capacity to improve the quality of your levels.

By the end of this book, you’ll be able to seamlessly integrate different elements in Unreal Engine 5, empowering you to create your own PCG tools and transform your game development experience.

What you will learn

• Grasp the fundamentals of PCG and its transformative impact on game design and development
• Craft your first lush, procedurally generated forest in UE5
• Build complex blueprints using the PCG graph for streamlined workflows
• Develop efficient PCG tools and techniques to enhance performance and creativity
• Build and manipulate spline controllers with the PCG graph for dynamic environments
• Construct a PCG graph that seamlessly blends with landscape materials for stunning terrains

Who this book is for

This book is for novices and intermediate users of Unreal Engine 5, guiding artists and developers into the world of Procedural Content Generation (PCG) tools. Whether you’re an experienced 3D artist or a newcomer to Unreal Engine 5, in this book, you’ll find valuable insights for crafting procedurally generated environments and tools using the PCG framework. While prior 3D software experience is not mandatory, some familiarity can enhance your understanding of the concepts presented.

Table of Contents

1. Introducing Procedural Content Generation
2. Let's Create Our First Forest!
3. Building Blueprints with PCG Component
4. Developing and Optimizing the Procedural Content Generation Tool
5. Building Spline Controllers with PCG Graph
6. Building a PCG Graph with Landscape Materials
7. Let's Build a Building Using the PCG Spline Controller
8. Building Biomes: Mastering PCG for Rich Environments
9. Creating Dynamic Animated Crowds with PCG
10. Exploring Optimization, Debugging, and Performance Tools
11. Cheat Sheets, Extra Tips, and Shortcuts

About this title

About the Author

Paul Martin Eliasz is an experienced senior technical artist, educator, and consultant, with a 12-year background in 3D CGI and real-time game engine expertise. He leads his own studio, specializing in game development and 3D gamified applications tailored for web streaming (pixel streaming), VR, virtual production, XR, and various computer platforms. Throughout his career, he has contributed to multiple projects for esteemed clients such as Netflix and Bentley and has provided consulting services to various companies and studios, including Outernet Global and PureWeb. Currently, he is actively involved in mentoring and educating for CG Spectrum, Mastered, CAVE Academy, Symetri, Bentley, Dyson, and Epic Games EMEA. Additionally, he occasionally conducts educational sessions in universities across Europe and Asia and creates customized educational content for aspiring Unreal artists and Unreal tech artists who want to work in the gaming, animation, automotive, and virtual production space.

Edition details

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1801074461
• ISBN 13: 9781801074469
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 488