CGI foundations | digital sketchbook

Unreal engine 5

week 1:

first look at the software:

Content of the lecture included:

Navigating the software using camera movements with keys W, A, S, D
Altering an object’s material
Adjusting an object’s position, rotation, and scale
Manipulating the actor within the scene
Modifying an object’s mass and various scientific properties
Project saving techniques
Enabling physics to make an object movable and subject to gravity

move tool: W-on the keyboard

Extrude tool :R- on the keyboard

Rotation tool: E- on the key boarde

change materials on the objects:

simulate physics: If an Object has mobility set to Movable and it has a simple collision, you can click the check flag Simulate Physics in the Physics Rollout and the Object will be simulated when Simulate in Editor or is clicked.

Week 2:

Materials:

Texture Coordinate changes the UV texture
coordinates based on a two-channel vector.
This can be used to scale textures.

The panner node can be used to add motion
to a material. It is used to create effects such
as fire, water or smoke.

Add takes two inputs, adds them together
and outputs the result.

If- compares two inputs then passes through
one of three other input values based on the
result of comparison. Both compared inputs
must be single float values.

Multiple takes two inputs and multiples
them together and outputs the result. The
results are similar to the multiply layer in
photoshop

For creating constant vectors:

1+Left Click: Ideal for attributes like metallic, specular, etc.
2+Left Click
3+Left Click: Suitable for defining base color and similar properties.

In the workshop, participants were tasked with reproducing eight materials of their choosing. This exercise required the application of specific techniques and material inputs.

Base colour:

Roughness:

Metallic :

Emissive colour:

Brick wall:

texture material

1vector value 1.0

multiply 20.0

text coord 2.0-2.0

following tutorial :

Week 3:

Landscapes

Sculpt Allows for adjusting the landscape’s heightmap by raising or lowering its elevation.

Smooth: Blends the heightmap’s painted values to provide the landscape with a more uniform appearance.

Flatten: Modifies the heightmap to match a uniform level, determined by the position under the cursor upon activation.

Ramp: Facilitates the creation of a leveled pathway between two selected points on the landscape.

Erosion: Implements a thermal erosion simulation to refine the landscape’s heightmap elevation

Hydro: Applies a hydraulic erosion simulation, mimicking water erosion, to modify the landscape’s heightmap.

Noise: Introduces a noise effect to create varied surface textures on the landscape’s heightmap

Retopologize: Optimizes the landscape’s vertex arrangement through an X/Y offset map, enhancing the mesh density in necessary areas such as steep inclines to avoid texture distortion.

Visibility: Allows for the exclusion of specific landscape sections, useful for creating voids like cave entrances.

Mirror: Offers the ability to reflect or rotate the landscape’s heightmap along the X or Y axis for symmetry or rearrangement.

Was using sculpting tool to create the mountains:

mixing textures and applying on the landscape

Landscapecord is very important when applying texture to layers

When developing landscape materials, it’s essential to utilize a “Landscape Layer Blend” node. Within this node, layers should be established, enabling subsequent landscape painting

extra assets like tress ,plants ect . can be found in folder props

was using modelling tools to create a cabin

Week4: Lighting:

Directional Light: Mimics illumination coming from a source perceived to be infinitely distant, akin to sunlight.
Point Light: Radiates light uniformly in every direction, resembling the emission from a light bulb.
Spot Light: Projects light from a singular point, spreading outward in a cone-shaped pattern.
Rect Light: Distributes light into the environment from a rectangular surface, specified by its width and height. It’s ideal for simulating the light from TV or monitor screens, as well as for overhead lighting fixtures and wall sconces.

Global Illumination Algorithm: Global illumination algorithms increase the realism of lighting in 3D environments by accounting for both direct light from sources and light that is reflected off surfaces. This includes phenomena such as reflections, refractions, and shadows, which showcase the way objects affect the appearance of one another in a scene.

Lumen Global Illumination: This fully dynamic approach is compatible with all lighting conditions, including emissive materials that cast light and the occlusion effects of sky light.
Screen Space Global Illumination: A more cost-effective dynamic lighting technique that relies solely on the information visible on the screen, thus having its limitations.

Reflections: Reflection Capture Actors are strategically placed in the scene to provide reflection data to the Reflection Environment, offering a budget-friendly method for enhancing reflections. There are two main types: Box and Sphere. Both capture an image of their surroundings from a central point, which is then used to generate reflections based on the shape of the capture actor. Planar reflections represent a dynamic approach within this system, delivering more accurate reflections.

Lumen: Lumen not only facilitates dynamic indirect specular reflections but also supports single-layer water materials by enforcing mirror-like reflections.

week 5:

sequencer, cameras, post processing

Create a new sequence:

Sequencer Usage:

The Sequencer is a tool in Unreal Engine designed for cinematic creation. It allows for the direct animation of characters, cameras, properties, and various objects across a timeline. Detailed instructions on creating and editing a sequence are provided in the workshop activity section.

Using transform when you want to create a sequence by pressing a keyframe:

Cine Camera Actor, offering settings that mirror those of real-world cameras. Additionally, cameras can be piloted to keyframe within sequences or to achieve the desired angle

Keyframe Tangents Variation:

Keyframes come in various types, each offering distinct functionalities. To change the tangent type of an existing keyframe, simply right-click on it.

week6: blue prints

week 7: Water material

Partickles:

Niagra Particle System:

Creating fireworks:

1.Create the niagara fountain system

2.reduce the spawn rate 2.00

3.Emitter state-system : life time fireworks

4. Properties -requires persistent IDs

5. Add velocity-minimum-1200 maximum-1500

6.remove gravity force

7.particle update-add scale sprite size

make it 0.00-1.00

8.Invitialaze particle- life time min-1.00

life time max-2.0

sprite size mode-random non-uniform

sprite size min 5.0-50.0

sprite size max 10.0-80.0

9. Sprite render-alignment-velocity aligned

10.Scale colour- search for” Make vector from linear colour”

11.Drag- search for “Flow from the curve” 0.5-1.0

Scale curve1.5

12. Particle update: Create “Generate location event”

13.Particle update: Create “Generate death event”

Create Empty:

1.Render-seach for “Ribbon render”

2.Initialize particle -lifetime-0.35

3.Riboon mode “Direct set”

4.Ribbon-4.0

5.Stage :Create “Event Handler properties” Source “Location event” – execution mode” Spawned particles ”

Spown number- 4.0

Create” Location event”

6.Create a scale ribbon

Create a directional burst:

1.Emitter state: System

2. Add velocity: Velocity mode ” From point”

Velocity speed:

minimum-500

Maximum- 750

Gravity force:0.0- 0.0- -600

Create ” Event handler

Source- Fountain event

execution mode : Spawned particles

Max event per frame-1

Spawn number-300

Animation:

Animation Blueprints serve as visual scripting tools tailored for crafting and overseeing intricate animation behaviors. They primarily focus on guiding the animation of a Skeletal Mesh during simulations or gameplay. In the Animation Blueprint Editor, users have the capability to merge animations, adjust skeleton bones, and set up the logic that determines the final animation pose for each frame. Skeletal Mesh Actors display these animated meshes, which are shaped through control points during animation sequences.

State Machines:

State Machines in Animation Blueprints are structured systems designed to specify particular animations and the conditions under which they are triggered. They are created in the Anim Graph through right-clicking, selecting State Machines > Add New State Machine, and linking it to the Output Pose. Typically, these State Machines initiate with an entry point that usually reflects the default state, such as the character’s idle state in locomotion scenarios.

Blend Spaces are tools that facilitate the merging of several animations or poses by arranging them on one- or two-dimensional graphs. They enable the prioritization of animation transitions, choosing the transition with the lowest priority when multiple transitions occur at the same time.

In AnimBP, nodes within the AnimGraph and EventGraph possess input and output pins to transfer information. They feature property pins that hold data values or variables that can be altered by connected functions. Nodes in the Event Graph handle incoming data, which influences pose data in the Anim Graph, initiates playback, activates animations, and updates animation data. AnimGraph nodes use data from the Event Graph to determine the poses for each frame, thus animating the objects.