Unreal Development Kit Beginner's Guide

A fun, quick, step by step guide to level design and creating your own game world.

• Full of illustrations, diagrams, and tips for creating your first level and game environment.
• Clear step-by-step instructions and fun practical examples.
• Master the essentials of level design and environment creation

In Detail

Unreal Development Kit (UDK) is the free version of the award-winning Unreal Engine 3. It is used to create a wide variety of games ranging from amateur to professional standard next generation AAA titles.

This book will show you exactly how to create an enjoyable and immersive game environment using the UDK. You will learn how to implement, level design, lighting, environmental effects, movement, terrain, map creation, item placement, kismet, materials and complex event sequences.

You will work through the level design process from navigating round the editor to learning how to develop a fully playable environment. You will quickly master all of the engine's key tools that are accessible through Unreal Engine 3. You will then start putting together your first level using step-by-step instructions. Next we will implement real world features such as dynamic lighting and shadows, particle effects, physics, terrain, item placement and advanced AI/bot pathing. Finally you will learn how to use UDK's cutting edge high level scripting. By the end of this book you will be equipped with the skills to create an entertaining and imaginative game world.

What you will learn from this book

• Installing the software and navigating around the editor.
• Build your first map.
• Add cool particle effects like fog, foliage and water.
• Create fun physics.
• Create real world terrain.
• Use the kismet to spawn characters and toggle lighting.
• Cutting edge UDK High level scripting.
• Item placement and AI bot navigation.

Approach

This beginner's guide focuses on getting you quickly through all the major learning points in a smooth, logical order. You'll also learn how to avoid some common pitfalls.

Who this book is written for

Aspiring game developers who want to learn how to create their own levels, maps, game worlds and environments. You don't need game design or game development experience and no experience of UDK is required

Richard Moore

Richard graduated in 2009 studying video games design at Hull School of Art and Design but has expanded his creativity by working as a web designer/illustrator in Hull, East Yorkshire and London for 3 years. He is very passionate about 3D modelling, level design, concept drawing, web development and graphical illustrations.

He has worked on a number of different projects with clients from different industry backgrounds. A collection of stylish web templates, logos, brochures, business cards, web banners, animated graphics and email marketing campaigns.

Through the clouds lies my passion in video game development. Complete creation of 3D art including modeling, texturing and high resolution rendering. He also dazzles in game documentation and conceptual drawings.

He will always take any opportunity to meet as many different people from the game development community as possible and as a result, I have attended the Games Grads career fair for one consecutive year, participated in the Game Republic 2009 student showcase in Sheffield and Platform 2010, Hulls -1st Digital and Gaming event where I won the award for best character and a cheque for £100.

In March 2011 he was involved in Platform Expo's 2011, Hull's second video game expo where I entered in this year's video game showcase and won 2nd prize for my outstanding contribution to video game design and is now involved in Platform Expo's 2012.

In July 2011 he volunteered as a marketing assistant/designer for an on-line based video games magazine assisting the editor-in-chief in designing templates for latest issues of the magazine, writing reviews on latest video game titles and talking to clients about potential advertising coverage within our magazine and online. In his spare time now focuses on more freelance design and development work with up and coming companies.

As a result, Richard has had some impressive feedback from fellow designers and clients and is very much interested in starting up his very own design company focusing on all the things that he loves. He has the ideas, the drive and determination to put it together. 2011 is the start of something big for this video game designer.