Unreal Engine

Yeah, I downloaded UE 4 a couple weeks ago. I really like the play-state rendering and take screenshot for product promo images using it. I love the lighting and the procedural materials. Although I admit there are far more options than I'll likely ever use.

I did get transparent UV imports to work. Just make sure you have a partial opacity in PNG format for your UVs and it should work fine. I imported an OBJ model of a glass flask. I got the transparency, but without refraction, it didn't look as realistic as I wanted. So I just tweaked the starter content glass material. I can live with it now.

My latest victory was using materials to create a flickering flame and a translucent/emissive mat for a candle. I'm impressed with UE 4's material and lighting qualities. But I still have a lot to learn. I'm looking at it mostly for ArchViz and model staging use, but I still get a 'game dev' idea every now and then. It subsides when I start mentally planning the logic that goes into a game.

These days, I'm diverting my attention to building an alchemist's workshop scene for UE 4. I don't have any plans for it. I just want to use this as an opportunity to learn more about the animation and interactive features.

It has good lighting, indeed.. When the shaders and uv map is decently done, UE4 can be a powerful tool that gives a very serious results. I think this is the future of not only gaming but also 3d rendering possibilities

It is awesome for showing models. I have created wardrobe and simple blueprint to it so I can open doors, open drawers ect with keyboard inputs. You can do pretty much functional "game" to showcase your models with functions :)

Tersta, thanks for letting me know about using pngs, I'll give them a try. It's early days yet, so I have still got a lot to learn. As you can see from the screen grab I used a material from the unreal material library and adjusted it a bit.
I am not a programmer but the templates seem quite good to get started with, which allows artists to import models and build up a level to showcase models as Jan Orel states or for visualisation stuff as skype6 mentions.

flat_3d, no problem. If you work with PNGs and use PS or GIMP you can add layers with different opacity and colors to get some good effects, like dirt on glass. You can also generated normal maps for bump maps in either paint app. Agreed, there's enough in the starter content to get an idea what can be done. Tweaking the settings on the content is a good way to see and learn how UE 4 works.

Jan Orel, do you have a method of getting your functional games out of UE4 so you can share/sell with all the functionality? I guess saving out the .uasset file might be how, but I'm also thinking all the mats would have to ship with the asset. Have you played around with any of this yet?

I think Matinee is for making videos, so I suppose we could do walk-through videos with that to demo the scenes . . . but I still don't have a workflow for output. All I know is UE 4 makes my models look good! LOL!

Also, did you have to import the drawers and the wardrobe separately to be able to get the parts independently movable? My imports come in as a single model, even though they have separate objects. For instance, I have a desk with drawers, which are individually named and not combined with the desk. It still comes in combined. I'm still not sure what to do about that. Do you have a method?

Well when you click on top on File->Package project, then you can choose on what platform you want it.

Yeah, during the import you have option if you want to combine your model into one or not. But I havent tried that, I always imported separeted models for wardrobe and drawers and it works really nice. Now I am playing with some models for my appartement reconstruction so I created floorplan and some models already so I can walk around and see how it will be looking.

I will try to find and post here my wardrobe map
EDIT: try to unzip this in your project folder inside Content->Starter Content-> Blueprints
https://mega.co.nz/#!Wh9xXT6J!Q0Qq1SFpTfDoB_yNYp5Nk5ite2pMgNNnYC-8abD5bE0
if it works, the controls near wardrobe are:
R/F - open/close left door
T/G - open/close right door
Z/H - open/close drawers
V - toggle doors visible/invisible

It was kinda first attempt so the controls are not perfect :D

Oh, I see it now! "Combine Meshes". The section was collapsed, so I didn't see it. Thanks for the tip. Without it, I wouldn't have thought to look for it. I'll try it. If it doesn't work, I'll use your method of importing separately.

Loaded your Blueprint and can see your script and graph, but the viewport shows an empty bounding box and no assets. Wow! The scripting/graphic looks like it takes a fair bit of thinking and know-how. Good stuff, Jan! Thanks for sharing. My head is swimming just thinking about how much I have to learn if I want to add interactivity to scenes! But I do look forward to it. :-)

Hmm that is a shame :) but at least you see the graph. Yeah it takes quite a lot to do, but my graph its not perfect or efficient ... so if you take this "knowledge" and hopefully improve it, can you please share it, it will be huge help. I really want to improve because UE4 has big potential for architect visualisation.

EDIT: if you want, here is the fbx files which I imported to create the wardrobe
https://mega.co.nz/#!XgcFSb5K!XB1k4LurRZKaJen3QaV-O52n_qvQSDRb3LjiX7HC8SQ

I don't know if I can improve upon what you've already done, but if I discover more efficient ways to animate for ArchViz, I will share them with you.

I'll have a look at your new link and get back to you in a bit. :-)

Hi Jan,
OK, so I added the FBX assets to the project that I had setup for your blueprint. I had to rename items. For example "dvere_prave" imported as "dvere_dvere_prave". Tried to get the hotkeys to work and couldn't and then I realized that the problem is likely that your blueprint has to be the level blueprint. Right now, I have no idea how to get your blueprint acknowledged as the level blueprint.

This is really tricky stuff! It just shows me how much I have to learn. Thanks for being patient. ;-)

Yes the names will be probably wrong :) and sorry that it is not in english, because it is my second language, so I hope you can tell which thing controls which. In my level blueprint i have only this:
http://postimg.org/image/5zxqtjkil/
You can get there by choosing Blueprints->Open level blueprint
It is made just like the premade blueprint like scone or ceiling light. So it should work.
And those inputs works only if you are close to the wardrobe. It is based on that bounding box, the inputs works only if you are in it.
Hope that make sense :)

Oh, no need to apologize. I'll apologize for not speaking your first language. That makes us even. OK? :-)

I can open your blueprint, but the assets, even after I fix the names, still don't show up in the box in Viewport and I can't drag/drop them from the Skrin listing into the box, either. The manipulators are there for each item in the list, but I think that's because the references for the assets are under Skrin in the list already.

I'm just guessing here, but I think I need your map too. If the whole project, map, blueprints, assets were in the original project places, I wonder if things would go smoothly. What if you zip the entire project folder for transfer?

Tried moving closer to the wardrobe, but that had no effect. I know I don't have things where they belongs, so that's the reason things aren't working.

I've noticed that others use animation clips to automate asset actions. That's a good idea. Also, I like the FirstPerson template's method of identify which item will move. It uses a crosshair as the trigger. Whatever surface the crosshair is on is the asset to be acted upon.

I've made the character's mesh invisible and added the headlamp, which could be turned into a red laser pointer, but the crosshair works fine too. Eventually, I would like to convert the projectile to just a 'remote control' for automated furniture. I think I can manage that, but truly this is not the way I remember programming C++. LOL! Whatever happened to the old 'IF THEN ELSE' statements??? :P

Sure :) well you can type code if you want, but I kinda used to the blueprints so I dont miss coding. Well I wanted to do something like you say about the crosshair but I just cant figured that out ...
well here is the link but it is pretty big file:
https://mega.co.nz/#F!j0UhzQTA!YLEXqVhTdKQ1RZQEfNEhGQ

LOL! Well, I actually would like to have the option to script. That way I could code what I know and then switch to node view and see what it's supposed to look like.

I've been trying to follow along with video tuts and already the interface has changed and I mean, changed 'today'. I constructed nodes as per the video in one project and then by the time I migrated the assets to another project, new and restrictive elements had been added to the nodes. For example, target [self] is there. It might improve the efficiency of the app, but if you think you're supposed to link in the asset and the app won't let you, it's a bit confusing. LOL! I figured it out. It just doesn't need to be linked to 'self'.

No need to reinvent the wheel with the crosshair idea. Just migrate your maps, assets, blueprints, materials, textures and so on to a new FirstPerson template project and it will be mostly setup for you. Use select all in the viewport to get everything you need.

You can get rid of the gun, add a laser, change the gunshot sound to a magic tinkle or something, then make that your standard staging for all future ArchViz work. That's where I want to take this venture anyway.

OK, so the download of your project is at 3% right now. It might finish in an hour or so. And then we'll see if that's what it takes to transfer. :-)

Sure you can type code if you want, but there is sort of "compiling" or changing, you cant directly switching between node view and code. Yeah I am using FirstPersonTemplate for my latest project, and I sort of can highlight objects in the game but I just cant figure out how to highlight object on which I am aiming ... That way there will be just one Action button(e.g F) instead of 6 buttons to control simple drawer :)
Well I hope that downloading it will be at some use for you.

I found a node function last night which might solve that problem. Have you tried the OnActionHit node function? The objects would be hit by the ball, which could be made invisible during gameplay and that would trigger the open script. Leaving the trigger box would then activate the close script to reset the objects when the player has moved away from them.

Watched a video tutorial last night on automating a sliding door. The method used in the video is like yours, using the trigger box. I found it quite helpful. Now, I can actually look at your BP and understand what's going on...in that specific part of it, anyway. LOL!
https://youtu.be/d2Ua6ncLcVY

I was able to download all but your Saved folder and added everything to the project folder that I set up for your assets. I found StarterMap and it does have your wardrobe in it, but the doors and drawers are missing. So I added Skrin (BP class) , which I found under the StarterContent/Maps/ folder and was able to automate your wardrobe with the hotkeys. It works greats! :-)

Thanks again for sharing. I hope we can make use of the OnActionHit node function in our ArchViz projects. I'm confident we can and I'm going to work on that today. :-)

Yeah I started with these video tutorials. I am now looking at creating inventory and use it to change the material color on the fly in the game itself. There is video tutorial, he is using inventory to pickup object from the ground, store them, and have some function(pickup apple, click on it in inventory and choose eat ...).
But first I need to get the choosing via crosshair functioning.

I am glad that you can get it to work. It is great when you can see both the game and the blueprint, ideally have 2 monitors at least :D you can actually see in the nodes how data flows between them when you open a door for example, it is great for testing.

I dont have much time right now, just finishing college so ... :) But I hope that we can help ourselves out with these projects.

You guys are way ahead of me so I will be concentrating on learning more of the fundamental stuff and trying to get some of my models looking good in the engine, but the problem I have at the moment is finding as much time as I would like to put into it. If I get anything worthwhile I will post a screenshot.

flat_3d, Oh I've already been tinkering with it for a week. It's great...but it's not how I remember C++! Lol!

Jan Orel,
Here's what I have so far. It's working. The drawers open OnActorHit and then close automatically after 10 seconds. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to figure out how to do an array so I wouldn't have to repeat the sequence for each drawer. I wish I knew how to do that. It would save time and make for cleaner scripts. Be sure to have the door/drawer selected in the map view before starting out with the blueprint. I don't know how many times I messed up because I had the wrong actor or no actor selected.

That link to the video tutorial, mentioned in an earlier post, comes in handy when you need to be reminded how to get some of those nodes into the blueprint.

Game play video
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1r1eregRgdWcTNCQVN4cV9jODQ&authuser=0

Blueprint Event Graph
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1r1eregRgdWeERzZWQ1aHZqOFE&authuser=0

Blueprint Timeline
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1r1eregRgdWS1pRUnUyNGIzNDQ&authuser=0

Candle Glow Animated Material
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1r1eregRgdWZHBXMHVkcGNHekE&authuser=0

Jiggly Eyeball Animated Material
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1r1eregRgdWSnZ3aUt0T1pmZ0k&authuser=0

Jan Orel,

Here's a good video for getting a laser beam added to your player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuBZYPEr4k

Just scale down the cones, make the light red and turn up the intensity.

flat_3d: Well I started with UE4 in the first days of this year so ... :)
Well I need some permission to see it :) And the video about flashlight is really nice, i have the channel in my subscription but I havent much time to go throught it ...

Jan Orel

My apologies. I didn't realize the files we're designated 'top secret' by Google Drive. It looks like the Share interface has changed since yesterday, which might explain things. I've found the 'shareable' links. Here they are:

Game play video
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1eregRgdWcTNCQVN4cV9jODQ/view?usp=sharing

Blueprint Event Graph
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1eregRgdWeERzZWQ1aHZqOFE/view?usp=sharing

Blueprint Timeline
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1eregRgdWS1pRUnUyNGIzNDQ/view?usp=sharing

Candle Glow Animated Material
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1eregRgdWZHBXMHVkcGNHekE/view?usp=sharing

Jiggly Eyeball Animated Material
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1eregRgdWSnZ3aUt0T1pmZ0k/view?usp=sharing

I actually found a bug in the blue print for opening drawers. If a drawer is hit while already open, it opens more and then won't close. I fixed this by adding a conditional statement.

The shareable linked for the revised Blueprint Event Graph is here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1eregRgdWVjJwdFBTNmxkQ0E/view?usp=sharing

I've also found documentation on the C++ Code Wizard.
https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Programming/Development/ManagingGameCode/index.html

Hopefully, I'll fell a little less like a fish out of water in UE 4 and be able to see what I'm doing via code. :-)

Wow, very nice :) about the bug, I didnt really test it so ... thx :D
Thank you for your help, this will be huge time saver, now I can see how it is working :)

Hi,
Tersta:
Well I think I learned better solution for this :) I came across on a really great tutorial, where its shown how can one blueprint can interact with the other. So based on this I recreate my wardrobe. Now I used First person template, hide the gun, so only crosshair remains. And setup my scene in way that if I press "F" and have the crosshair on, lets say door, the door opens or close. If I have crosshair on lamp, I can toggle light on/off and so on. Simple nodes and some condition if the light is on then F will turn it off, or when doors is actually open, F closes them.

Really great and pretty easy way to setup, so if you still working in UE4 here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jZT9ibp_ko

Here is one of my doors:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hw050u8t1wlaq5v/Bez%20n%C3%A1zvu.png?dl=0

Hi Jan,
Wow! That's a great method. I was looking for something like that - an array - so that different items could be interacted with using the same trigger action. You found the ideal in that video. The 'line trace' is used to distinguish which item is interacted with. I think it might even be possible to use the red line as a laser point light. Perfect!

Thanks for sharing. :-)