Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) is a popular and award-winning game engine that powers some of the most popular games. A truly powerful tool for game development, there has never been a better time to use it for both commercial and independent projects. With more than 100 recipes, this book shows how to unleash the power of C++ while developing games ...
Get the best out of your games by scripting them using UE4 About This Book A straightforward and easy-to-follow format A selection of the most important tasks and problems Carefully organized instructions to solve problems efficiently Clear explanations of what you did Solutions that can be applied to solve real-world problems Who This Book Is For This book is intended for game developers who understand the fundamentals of game design and C++ and would like to incorporate native code into the games they make with Unreal. They will be programmers who want to extend the engine, or implement systems and Actors that allow designers control and flexibility when building levels. What You Will Learn Build function libraries (Blueprints) containing reusable code to reduce upkeep Move low-level functions from Blueprint into C++ to improve performance Abstract away complex implementation details to simplify designer workflows Incorporate existing libraries into your game to add extra functionality such as hardware integration Implement AI tasks and behaviors in Blueprints and C++ Generate data to control the appearance and content of UI elements In Detail Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) is a complete suite of game development tools made by game developers, for game developers. With more than 100 practical recipes, this book is a guide showcasing techniques to use the power of C++ scripting while developing games with UE4. It will start with adding and editing C++ classes from within the Unreal Editor. It will delve into one of Unreal's primary strengths, the ability for designers to customize programmer-developed actors and components. It will help you understand the benefits of when and how to use C++ as the scripting tool. With a blend of task-oriented recipes, this book will provide actionable information about scripting games with UE4, and manipulating the game and the development environment using C++. Towards the end of the book, you will be empowered to become a top-notch developer with Unreal Engine 4 using C++ as the scripting language. Style and approach A recipe based practical guide to show you how you can leverage C++ to manipulate and change your game behavior and game design using Unreal Engine 4.
Over 40 recipes to accelerate the process of learning game design and solving development problems using Unreal Engine About This Book Explore the quickest way to tackle common challenges faced in Unreal Engine Create your own content, levels, light scenes, and materials, and work with Blueprints and C++ scripting An intermediate, fast-paced Unreal Engine guide with targeted recipes to design games within its framework Who This Book Is For This book is for those who are relatively experienced with Unreal Engine 4 and have knowledge of its fundamentals. Working knowledge of C++ is required. What You Will Learn Discover editor functionalities for an in-depth insight into game design Develop environments using terrain for outdoor areas and a workflow for interiors as well using brushes Design various kinds of materials with unique features, such as mirrors and glows Explore the various ways that lighting can be used in the engine Build various level effects using Blueprints, Unreal's visual scripting system Set up a development environment and develop custom functionality with C++ for your games Create healthbars and main menus with animations using Slate, Unreal's UI solution, through the UMG Editor Package and create an installer to get your project out into the world In Detail Unreal Engine is powerful tool with rich functionalities to create games. It equips you with the skills to easily build mobile and desktop games from scratch without worrying about which platform they will run on. You can focus on the individual complexities of game development such as animation and rendering. This book takes you on a journey to jumpstart your game design efforts. You will learn various aspects of the Unreal engine commonly encountered with practical examples of how it can be used, with numerous references for further study. You will start by getting acquainted with Unreal Engine 4 and building out levels for your game. This will be followed by recipes to help you create environments, place meshes, and implement your characters. You will then learn to work with lights, camera, and shadows to include special effects in your game. Moving on, you'll learn Blueprint scripting and C++ programming to enable you to achieve trigger effects and add simple functionalities. By the end of the book, you will see how to create a healthbar and main menu, and then get your game ready to be deployed and published. Style and approach This book offers detailed, easy-to-follow recipes that will help you master a wide range of Unreal Engine 4's features. Every recipe provides step-by-step instructions, with explanations of how these features work, and alternative approaches and research materials so you can learn even more.
An example-based practical guide to get you up and running with Unreal Engine 4.X About This Book A unique resource on Unreal with an interactive example based approach that is sure to get you up and running immediately Will feature four unique game projects that increase in complexity which will enable readers to build their game development skills using Unreal Engine 4 and the C++ programming language Will be the most up to date book in the market on Unreal with full coverage of the new features of UE4 Who This Book Is For Unreal Engine 4.X by Example was written for keen developers who wish to learn how to fully utilise Unreal Engine 4 to make awesome and engrossing game titles. Whether you are brand new to game development or a seasoned expert, you will be able to make use of the engine with C++. Experience with both C++ and other game engines is preferred before embarking on the Unreal by Example journey, but with a little external research into the basics of C++ programming, this book can take a complete game development novice to an Unreal Engine Developer! What You Will Learn Use C++ with Unreal Engine to boost the development potential of any Unreal Engine project Vastly improve workflow and content creation with the visual scripting system blueprint Design, test, and implement interesting game worlds using Unreal Engines built-in editor Build a networked, feature-rich first person shooter that you can play with others over LAN Build design-centric game worlds that play to needs of your game ideas Paint your game worlds via the creation and modification of visual shaders called materials Gain knowledge of other game development disciplines through the use of the Animation and Material tool sets Create feature-rich game projects with a sophisticated visual quality and feature set In Detail With Unreal Engine 4 being made free to use, for any keen game developer it is quickly becoming the most popular game engine in today's development industry. The engine offers a rich feature set that can be customized and built upon through the use of C++. This book will cover how to work with Unreal Engine's tool set all the way from the basics of the editor and the visual scripting system blueprint to the in-depth low-level creation of content using C++. This book will provide you with the skills you need to create feature-rich, captivating, and refined game titles with Unreal Engine 4. This book will take you through the creation of four unique game projects, designed so that you will be ready to apply the engine's rich development capabilities. You will learn not only to take advantage of the visual tools of the engine, but also the vast and powerful programming feature set of Unreal Engine 4. Style and approach The best resource that any beginner level game developer can dream of with examples on leveraging the amazing graphics engine, beautiful character animation and game world generations etc. by means of exciting real world game generation.This book would be a very unique resource for any game developer who wants to get up and running with Unreal. The unique example-driven approach will take you through the most basic games towards the more complex ones and will gradually build your skill level.
Unreal Engine is a powerful game development engine that provides rich functionalities to create 2D and 3D games. If you want to use AI to extend the play-life of your games and make them more challenging and fun, this book is for you. It will help you break down AI into simple concepts to give you a fundamental understanding of each of the topics.
Learn how to use Unreal Engine 4 by building 3D and multiplayer games using Blueprints Key FeaturesLearn the fundamentals of Unreal Engine such as project templates, Blueprints, and C++Learn to design games; use UMG to create menus and HUDs, and replication to create multiplayer gamesBuild dynamic game elements using Animation Blueprints and Behavior TreesBook Description Unreal Engine is a popular game engine for developers to build high-end 2D and 3D games. This book is a practical guide, starting off by quickly introducing you to the Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) ecosystem. You will learn how to create Blueprints and C++ code to define your game's functionality. You will be familiarized with the core systems of UE4 such as UMG, Animation Blueprints, and Behavior Trees. You will also learn how to use replication to create multiplayer games. By the end of this book, you will have a broad, solid knowledge base to expand upon on your journey with UE4. What you will learnUse project templates to give your game a head startCreate custom Blueprints and C++ classes and extend from Epic's base classesUse UMG to create menus and HUDs for your gameCreate more dynamic characters using Animation BlueprintsLearn how to create complex AI with Behavior TreesUse replication to create multiplayer gamesOptimize, test, and deploy a UE4 projectWho this book is for Readers who already have some game development experience and Unity users who would like to try UE4 will all benefit from this book. Knowledge of basic Object-Oriented Programming topics such as variables, functions, and classes is assumed.
If you are really passionate about games and have always wanted to write your own, this book is perfect for you. It will help you get started with programming in C++ and explore the immense functionalities of UE4.
Gain practical knowledge of mathematical and physics concepts in order to design and develop an awesome game world using Unreal Engine 4 About This Book Use the Physics Asset Tool within Unreal Engine 4 to develop game physics objects for your game world Explore the Collision mechanics within Unreal Engine 4 to create advanced, real-world physics A step-by-step guide to implementing the Physics concepts involved in Unreal Engine 4 to create a working Vehicle Blueprint Who This Book Is For This book is intended for beginner to intermediate users of Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 who want to learn more about how to implement physics within their game-world. No matter what your knowledge base of Unreal Engine 4 is, this book contains valuable information on blueprint scripting, collision generation, materials, and the Physical Asset Tool (PhAT) for all users to create better games. What You Will Learn Get to know basic to intermediate topics in mathematics and physics Create assets using the Physics Asset Tool (PhAT) in Unreal Engine 4 Develop Collision Hulls, which are necessary to take advantage of Unreal Engine 4's physics and collision events Use constraints to create advanced physics-based assets for your game-world Working knowledge of physics bodies, physics damping, and friction within Unreal Engine 4 Develop physical materials to recreate real-world friction for substances such as glass and ice Create a working vehicle blueprint from scratch using assets provided by Unreal Engine 4 Gain knowledge about implementing advanced physics in Unreal Engine 4 using C++ programming In Detail Unreal Engine 4 is one of the leading game development tools used by both AAA and independent developers alike to create breathe-taking games. One of the key features of this tool is the use of Physics to create a believable game-world for players to explore. This book gives readers practical insight into the mathematical and physics principles necessary to properly implement physics within Unreal Engine 4. Discover how to manipulate physics within Unreal Engine 4 by learning basic real-world mathematical and physics concepts that assist in the implementation of physics-based objects in your game world. Then, you'll be introduced to PhAT (Physics Asset Tool) within Unreal Engine 4 to learn more about developing game physics objects for your game world. Next, dive into Unreal Engine 4's collision generation, physical materials, blueprints, constraints, and more to get hands-on experience with the tools provided by Epic to create real-world physics in Unreal Engine 4. Lastly, you will create a working Vehicle Blueprint that uses all the concepts covered in this book, as well as covering advanced physics-based topics. Style and approach An easy-to-follow reference text filled with working examples of physics within Unreal Engine 4. Each topic is broken down to easily explain how to implement physics and physical objects in your game-world using the tools provided by Epic Games Unreal Engine 4.
Learn the tools and techniques of game design using a project-based approach with Unreal Engine 4 and C++ Key FeaturesKickstart your career or dive into a new hobby by exploring game design with UE4 and C++Learn the techniques needed to prototype and develop your own ideasReinforce your skills with project-based learning by building a series of games from scratchBook Description Game development can be both a creatively fulfilling hobby and a full-time career path. It's also an exciting way to improve your C++ skills and apply them in engaging and challenging projects. Game Development Projects with Unreal Engine starts with the basic skills you'll need to get started as a game developer. The fundamentals of game design will be explained clearly and demonstrated practically with realistic exercises. You’ll then apply what you’ve learned with challenging activities. The book starts with an introduction to the Unreal Editor and key concepts such as actors, blueprints, animations, inheritance, and player input. You'll then move on to the first of three projects: building a dodgeball game. In this project, you'll explore line traces, collisions, projectiles, user interface, and sound effects, combining these concepts to showcase your new skills. You'll then move on to the second project; a side-scroller game, where you'll implement concepts including animation blending, enemy AI, spawning objects, and collectibles. The final project is an FPS game, where you will cover the key concepts behind creating a multiplayer environment. By the end of this Unreal Engine 4 game development book, you'll have the confidence and knowledge to get started on your own creative UE4 projects and bring your ideas to life. What you will learnCreate a fully-functional third-person character and enemiesBuild navigation with keyboard, mouse, gamepad, and touch controlsProgram logic and game mechanics with collision and particle effectsExplore AI for games with Blackboards and Behavior TreesBuild character animations with Animation Blueprints and MontagesTest your game for mobile devices using mobile previewAdd polish to your game with visual and sound effectsMaster the fundamentals of game UI design using a heads-up displayWho this book is for This book is suitable for anyone who wants to get started using UE4 for game development. It will also be useful for anyone who has used Unreal Engine before and wants to consolidate, improve and apply their skills. To grasp the concepts explained in this book better, you must have prior knowledge of the basics of C++ and understand variables, functions, classes, polymorphism, and pointers. For full compatibility with the IDE used in this book, a Windows system is recommended.
