STUDIO 1: boot Camp

Research and write a blog post that includes and answers the following:

During my first few week at University, my first project (more of a side project) was the Boot Camp Project, which consisted of following a series of tutorials and creating a environment and modular building in UE4. This project taught me how to create a modular kit, how to export and import models from Maya into UE4, how to create a landscape complete with environment meshes in UE4, how to add lighting and exponential height fog effects, how to add triggers and cameras, and finally how to export the final product into a mp4. file. The two main components of this project however was to learn how to create an environment, and how to create a modular kit.

Throughout the project, it was required to work in a iterative and modular workflow. This approach to modelling and creating environments makes sense in regards to always checking to see how everything works in UE4, however the limitations of this is that you are concentrating on 'generally' creating everything roughly and so you are unable to concentrate of completing one thing at a time (which is the way I am more comfortable working in). Yet, in regards to the modular kit, this method works especially well as you do not have to create every building or every aspect of a scene, it is only required to create parts or the general recurring aspects which makes it extremely convenient when creating large scenes.

In my Boot Camp Project I created a simple modular Viking house in a natural environment. My kit worked reasonably well, if i was to create it again however I would change the size of the roof so it doesn't overlap or at least create another roof, as i had troubles with attaching roof pieces together when parts hung over the side. I also used substance painted to texture the building however I don't believe I will be using this program again as I feel it is very limiting in regards to textures.

I spent quite allot of time adjusting the exponential height fog and the Volumetric Fog effects to try to replicate a 'lens flare' or sun rise effect. Overall I am quite happy with this effect.

Towards the end of the project I created some box triggers to allow the doors to open. I followed the tutorial exactly and assume that the triggers work, however I was unable to officially test them as I realised I had created my project in a blank project setting, and so I could not test out the triggers. Obviously if I was to do this all again I would make sure I create the project in the right starting project (either 1st or 3rd person).

I did try to upload my file onto my google Drive so that my lecturer could view my project, however even after my project was 'zipped', it still accumulated to 3GB and was not uploading. Here are my attempts:

Overall this project was introductory to the general skills needed for my After Math Project, however I am quite glad it is over so that I can begin spending more time on my After Math.

Question: What are the most common shader attributes (texture maps) used in an Unreal Engine shader? What do each of them control?

Normal Map: An image that tries to replicate the reaction of light to textures such as bumps and dents. It is used to create the illusion of detail without adding extra polygons.

Roughness Map: The way light reacts the the model itself. It creates shiny surfaces or rough surfaces.

Diffuse Map: The texture itself, the coloured image of the desired texture wanting to be applied to a model.