Preface

This book emerges at the intersection of Architectural Visualization (Archviz), one of the most fascinating applications of CGI, and the renowned game engine Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). In recent years, the Archviz industry has transitioned toward real-time solutions, with countless examples. Among all software dedicated to real-time visualization, Unreal Engine stands out as a prestigious choice, extensively used not only in video games but also in the Hollywood industry. While simpler solutions exist, Unreal Engine is the only fully customizable option for various needs, whether they involve still images, animation, VR experiences, or real-time applications resembling video games. Unreal Engine opens the door to a world of possibilities, but the key lies in your ability to step through that door.

Proficiency with UE5 in the Archviz world means staying a step ahead, working with one of the most powerful, versatile, and sought-after pieces of software on the market. As UE5 gains popularity and adoption, online training materials abound, but they can be overwhelming and often focus on specific topics. Especially for beginners, a structured schedule with concepts introduced in a specific order is essential; learning such vast software can prove challenging otherwise, especially within a busy work routine. This is where this book comes in handy. Think of it as a manual guiding you, step by step, through your journey inside Unreal Engine for architectural visualization. Its approach is hands-on and practical, meant to be followed and applied, not just read.

The book begins by introducing UE5 and its capabilities, along with the basic concepts and principles of architectural visualization. It then delves into all the necessary topics to develop an Archviz project inside UE5 from A to Z: preparing and importing your scene, creating lights and materials, utilizing blueprints, cameras, post-processing effects, and more. Throughout, you’ll find practical tips, best practices, and hands-on exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned. Ultimately, you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to create high-quality architectural visualizations using Unreal Engine. By the end of this book, you will confidently build an architectural interior scene in UE5 and render still images from it. Beyond still images, this book also provides valuable lessons and tips not strictly related to Archviz image production but of great usefulness for animations and real-time applications.

Who this book is for

If you identify with any of the following categories, look no further – this is the book for you:

• An Archviz artist: Skilled at crafting beautiful images and animations through offline renderings but struggling to achieve the same quality in real time with Unreal Engine
• An architect: Familiar with parametric and CAD modeling tools but looking to dive into the world of real-time visualization due to the endless opportunities it offers to showcase projects to clients
• A CGI artist: Genuinely fascinated by UE5 amid all the buzz but haven’t had the time to try it or make a proper switch
• A real-time visualization enthusiast: You simply need to take your real-time visualization skills to the next level with Unreal

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Setting Up the Project, guides users through the process of installing Unreal Engine, creating a new project with proper settings, defining the project scope, and organizing a clean file structure aligned with the community.

Chapter 2, Preparing the Scene, explores optimal practices for achieving accurate Archviz models in UE5, tailored to the project scope outlined in the previous chapter. It offers guidance on modeling, unwrapping, and organizing complex models, and preparing them for materials.

Chapter 3, Importing the Scene, explores diverse scene assembly methods and workflows, learning model export techniques based on your chosen approach, and discovering how to efficiently update and edit your models within the editor.

Chapter 4, Managing Your Assets, covers organizing your assets effectively by structuring files (layers, levels, and groups) and importing external resources (Quixel Bridge, marketplace items, and personal content) with a focus on efficient organization.

Chapter 5, Lighting in Unreal - the Essentials, explains the various light types in Unreal Engine, covering their basic properties. It explores distinctions between baked and real-time lighting, emphasizing essential considerations for effectively illuminating your project.

Chapter 6, Lighting the Scene, explores diverse methods of illuminating a scene, beginning with natural light and progressing through hybrid techniques to complete artificial lighting setups.

Chapter 7, Exploring Materials, explores the unique approach to shaders in Unreal Engine, delving into fundamental concepts such as master materials, material instances, material functions, material parameters, and shading models.

Chapter 8, Creating Architectural Materials, looks into managing key architectural materials: dielectric, metals, refractive, fabrics, and masked materials. The chapter includes practical examples.

Chapter 9, Detailing the Scene with Decals, introduces decals: their purpose, creation, and editing techniques.

Chapter 10, Making Interactive Elements Using Blueprints, offers a thorough introduction to the Blueprint system, guiding you in utilizing blueprints to craft interactive elements in a 3D environment. Emphasizing application in architectural visualization projects, it covers fundamental blueprint usage and includes diverse case studies.

Chapter 11, Communicating between Blueprints, delves into the advanced application of blueprints in architectural visualization, offering examples and optimal techniques for incorporating blueprints to develop interactive features in a project. Topics include creating dynamic elements such as light switches using level and UI blueprints, as well as establishing effective communication between blueprints and other actors.

Chapter 12, Optimizing the Scene, offers a comprehensive guide to optimizing the performance of 3D projects, specifically tailored for architectural visualization in Unreal Engine. It covers the significance of resource optimization, outlines the benefits, and provides practical tips and examples for maximizing efficiency.

Chapter 13, Setting Up Cameras, explains how to create and customize cinematic cameras, explore key features and options, animate them for cinematic actors, and discover tips, tricks, and recommended add-ons for achieving compelling shots in architectural visualization.

Chapter 14, Post-Processing Images, delves into Unreal Engine’s post-processing, a crucial step executed on every frame. It explores techniques and tools to elevate the visual appeal of your scenes, encompassing topics such as color grading, bloom, depth of field, and various other effects.

Chapter 15, Discovering the Sequencer, introduces Sequencer in Unreal Engine, explaining its role in cinematic content creation and still image rendering. It guides you through creating a new Sequencer asset, importing media, and setting up initial shots.

Chapter 16, Rendering the Scene, explores exporting and rendering Sequencer content. Topics include exporting to different formats, utilizing Render Queue for task management, optimal settings for high-quality rendering, and available options to generate your own top-notch still images.

Appendix, Substrate Materials, introduces Unreal Engine 5.2’s experimental Substrate Materials, slated to replace the current system in future versions. While not recommended for production in the current version (5.3), it offers an overview and basic usage instructions.

To get the most out of this book

To effectively engage with the content in this book, it is recommended that you possess prior experience in modeling architectural scenes using your preferred software. Ideally, you should also be proficient in navigating the offline rendering pipeline, including tasks such as lighting and creating PBR materials.

Moreover, while not mandatory, familiarity with the Unreal Engine’s interface and basic operations is advisable. This background knowledge will enhance your understanding and application of the concepts presented in the book.

Software/hardware covered in the book	Operating system requirements
Unreal Engine 5.2 and higher versions	Windows, macOS, or Linux
Adobe Photoshop	Windows, macOS, or Linux
Any 3D modeler of your choice (Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, etc.)	Windows, macOS, or Linux

If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the code from the book’s GitHub repository (a link is available in the next section). Doing so will help you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.

Download the example project files

You can download the example project files for this book from GitHub at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Architectural-Visualization-in-Unreal-Engine-5.

We also have other code bundles from our rich catalog of books and videos available at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/. Check them out!

Conventions used

There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.

Code in text: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: “Set the domain to deferred decal.”

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: “A popup window will appear; the main options you need to check for now are build nanite and do not create material, and uncheck import textures. Then, you can click Import All to proceed.”

Tips or important notes

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