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2020 | Book

Getting Started Read chapter Read first chapter

Beginning Unreal Game Development

Foundation for Simple to Complex Games Using Unreal Engine 4

Author: David Nixon

Publisher: Apress

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

Get started creating video games using Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) and learning the fundamentals of game development. Through hands-on, step-by-step tutorials, you will learn to design engaging environments and a build solid foundation for more complex games. Discover how to utilize the 3D game design software behind the development of immensely popular games for PC, console, and mobile.

Beginning Unreal Game Development steers you through the fundamentals of game development with UE4 to design environments that both engage the player and are aesthetically pleasing. Author David Nixon shows you how to script logic, define behaviors, store data, and create characters. You will learn to create user interfaces, such as menus, load screens, and head-up displays (HUDs), and manipulate audio to add music, sound effects, and dialogue to your game. The book covers level editors, actor types, blueprints, character creation and control, and much more. Throughout the book, you’ll put theory into practice and create an actual game using a series of step-by-step tutorials.

With a clear, step-by-step approach, Beginning Unreal Game Development builds up your knowledge of Unreal Engine 4 so you can start creating and deploying your own 3D video games in no time.

What You Will Learn

Learn the fundamentals of game designUnderstand how to use Unreal Engine 4Design amazing levels for your characters to play inScript logic to control the behavior of the world you create

Who This Book Is For

This book is for beginners with no prior game design or programming experience. It is also intended for video game enthusiasts who are brand-new to the world of game development and want to learn how to design a game from scratch using UE4.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Getting Started
Abstract
In this book, you will be learning how to use what many consider to be the best game engine in the industry, Unreal Engine 4. This chapter will give you a brief overview of the engine, explain its licensing model, show you how to register an account with Epic Games, and show you how to download and install the engine.
David Nixon
Chapter 2. Basic Concepts
Abstract
Before diving deep into any topic, you must learn the fundamentals. In this chapter, you will learn about three basic concepts in Unreal Engine – Projects, Levels, and Actors.
David Nixon
Chapter 3. The Level Editor
Abstract
This chapter will cover the Level Editor. You will start by getting an overview of the editor before learning about each of its panels in detail. You will learn how to move, rotate, and scale Actors, the concept of snapping, and how to view your Level in different ways.
David Nixon
Chapter 4. Actors
Abstract
An Actor is any object that can be added to a Level. In Chapter 2, you were briefly introduced to some of the various types of Actors in Unreal Engine, including Static Meshes, Brushes, Lights, Volumes, and more. In this chapter, you will get a more in-depth look at those Actor types.
David Nixon
Chapter 5. Blueprints
Abstract
In this chapter, you will learn about Blueprints, a visual scripting system used to script logic in Unreal. You will learn about Level Blueprints, Blueprint Classes, variables, arrays, functions, flow control, Timelines, how to debug Blueprints, and more.
David Nixon
Chapter 6. Players and Input
Abstract
Even the most breathtaking Levels aren’t of much use if your game doesn’t have rules, things you can control, and a way to input that control. This chapter will teach you about Game Modes, which define the rules for the game; about Pawns and Characters, which are objects you can take possession of in the game; and how to set up a robust input system to control those objects.
David Nixon
Chapter 7. Collisions
Abstract
Collisions are an integral part of game development. In this chapter, you will learn how Unreal Engine handles collisions and how to apply that knowledge. First, you will get a high-level technical overview of collisions and the various collision settings available in UE4. Then, you will be shown an example to demonstrate how these settings work. Finally, you will be shown how collisions can be applied in a real-world example, where colliding with an enemy causes damage to the player.
David Nixon
Chapter 8. User Interfaces
Abstract
In this chapter, you will learn how to create user interfaces for your game, such as menus and HUDs (head-up displays). Menus are used when the player needs to make a choice from a list, such as choosing between “Start New,” “Continue,” and “Options” at the beginning of a game. HUDs are used to show information to the player while the game is in progress. For example, health, ammo, score, time remaining, and so on.
David Nixon
Chapter 9. Audio
Abstract
This chapter will cover the use of audio within the Unreal Engine, so that you will be able to add dialogue, music, and sound effects to your game. The Audio folder in the Starter Content contains some existing audio assets you can use as you read this chapter.
David Nixon
Chapter 10. Additional Topics
Abstract
This chapter will cover some additional topics that didn’t fit into any of the previous chapters. You will learn how to easily pass content from one project to another, where to find content to download, how to import content, and how to package projects.
David Nixon
Chapter 11. Tutorials
Abstract
In this chapter, you will complete a series of tutorials in which you will create an entire sample game from scratch. When the game is complete, you will be able to control a humanoid character, using a keyboard and mouse or a joystick, from a first-person perspective. The goal of the game will be to find and collect three orbs and reach the end of the level. Along the way, you must navigate obstacles and avoid enemies. If your health reaches zero, you lose the game. Figure 11-1 shows a screenshot of the finished game.
David Nixon
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Beginning Unreal Game Development
Author
David Nixon
Copyright Year
2020
Publisher
Apress
Electronic ISBN
978-1-4842-5639-8
Print ISBN
978-1-4842-5638-1
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-5639-8

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