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Mastering Unreal Technology Jason Busby

Mastering Unreal Technology By Jason Busby

Mastering Unreal Technology by Jason Busby


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Summary

Authoritative guide to building custom mods, maps and levels with the Unreal engine from Epic Games.

Mastering Unreal Technology Summary

Mastering Unreal Technology: The Art of Level Design by Jason Busby

Let your imagination run wild in the world of Unreal Technology. Mastering Unreal Technology: The Art of Level Design knows no boundaries as it shows you how to build custom mods, maps and levels with the Unreal engine. Its tutorial format will give you immediate results through the tips and demos provided from the industry's top level designers. Learn to create your own characters, weapons and gaming environments, as well as how to go beyond the Unreal environment and export custom elements from 3D modeling applications. A CD that contains the Unreal Engine, graphics, examples and code is also included, giving you everything you need to create custom levels in Unreal or build your own games and virtual environments. Mastering Unreal Technology will help put you on the cutting-edge of gaming technology.

About Jason Busby

Jason Buzz Busby is the president/CEO of 3D Buzz, Inc., a company dedicated to teaching the world the arts and skills behind today's hottest 3D industries, including gaming, film, and visualization. Through his website, http://www.3DBuzz.com, Buzz distributes his signature Video Training Modules (VTMs), which contain hours of training content that is professional, informative, and entertaining. Buzz is also the Director of Animation at The Renaissance Center in Dickson, Tennessee, where he offers his students a unique insight into the world of Alias Maya and Discreet 3ds max.

Zak Parrish is currently an animation instructor at The Renaissance Center, where he teaches both Alias Maya and Discreet 3ds max. For the past two years, he has worked with Jason Busby and 3D Buzz, Inc. to help provide top-quality education to students across the world. His work can be seen on many of the 3D Buzz VTMs as well as in the UT2004 Special Edition training video series. In what little spare time he manages, he is also seeking his bachelor of fine arts degree at Austin Peay State University.

Joel Van Eenwyk grew up in China, where his parents both work as teachers. He attendedpublic school in China for four years and was then homeschooled by his mother. Joel developed an interest in computer programming and was soon writing programs to help with his homework. At 17, Joel traveled to the United States to further his education at a community college in Kansas. During that time, he attended an intensive four-week training program on Alias Maya, instructed by Jason Busby. After completing a one-year internship with 3D Buzz, Joel is currently seeking his computer science degree at the University of Kansas.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

I. THE UNREAL UNIVERSE.

1. Unreal Technology: The Big Picture.

Unreal and Its History

The Unreal Engine

Introduction to the Unreal Engine

The Components

Overview of Component Interaction

Engineering New Worlds with the Unreal Engine

Game Assets

The Tools

Summary

2. The Process of Game Development.

Building Your Foundation: Before Production

Developing Your Idea

The Player's Perspective

Gathering the Team

Refining Your Ideas with the Team

Creating a Production Schedule

Beginning Construction: During Production

Maintaining the Schedule

Dealing with Delays

Bringing It Together

Testing and Acquiring Feedback

Internal Testing: Alpha

External Testing: Beta

Remodeling and Closing: Ending Production

What to Do with Beta Test Info

When to Stop Beta Testing

Finalizing and Releasing

Summary

3. Creating Your First Level with UnrealEd.

What Is UnrealEd?

The Subtractive Method of Level Creation

Rebuilding

The Anatomy of an Unreal Level

World Geometry

Actors

Some Assembly Required

A Quick Tour Around the User Interface

The Main Menu Bar

The Toolbar

The Toolbox

The Viewports

The Console Bar

The Browsers

Property Windows

Working in 3D Space

2D Versus 3D

Positive and Negative Directions

Creating Your First Room

Subtracting Out Space: How Tall?

Brushes in Depth

Navigation in UnrealEd

Moving Actors

Creating Your First Map

Subtracting the First Room

Adding Textures

Texture Fitting

Making the Level Functional

Expanding the Level: Creating Objects and Adding Lights

The Window and Hangar

Adding Detail: Static Meshes

The Static Mesh Browser

Placing Static Meshes

Decorating with Static Meshes

Summary

4. Advanced Brush Techniques.

BSP Theory

Polygons

BSP Trees

Brushes from Other Brushes

The Intersect Tool

The De-Intersect Tool

Brush Manipulation

Vertex Editing

Face Dragging

Brush Clipping (2D and 3D)

Freehand Polygon Drawing

The 2D Shape Editor

User Interface Overview

Shape Editing

Using the 2D Shape Editor to Create a Simple Level

Brush Solidity

Solid Brushes

Semi-Solid Brushes

Non-Solid Brushes

Saving Brushes (u3d Files)

Importing/Exporting Brushes

Summary

5. Terrain.

What Is Terrain?

The Components of Terrain

Terrain Zoning with the ZoneInfo Actor

Using the TerrainInfo Actor

Controlling Terrain with the Height Map

Layers

DecoLayers

Altering Terrain with the Terrain Editing Dialog

Lighting Terrains with Sunlight

The Skybox

What Are Skyboxes?

How Does a Skybox Work?

A Closer Look at Terrain Editing

Terrain Editing User Interface

Height Map Editing Tools

The Select Tool

Applying the Terrain Editing Tools

TerrainInfo Properties

Texture Layer Editing Tools

Painting

Smoothing

Noise

Tex Pan

Tex Rotate

Tex Scale

Editing Terrain Texture

DecoLayers

Summary

6. Working with Volumes.

Concept of Volumes

Basic Volume

Volume Properties

DecoList

BlockingVolume

PhysicsVolume

WaterVolume

LavaVolume

XfallingVolume

LadderVolume

Summary

7. Lighting in Unreal.

Light Concepts

Light Maps

Light Placement

Light Classification

Static Lights

Dynamic Lights

Light Properties

Light Color

Light Radius

Light Type and Light Effects

Directional Lights

Lighting Workflow

Light Creation

Viewing Lights

Working with Light Effects

Rebuilding Lights

Light Map Size

Lighting Surfaces

World Geometry

Static Meshes, Meshes, and Movers

Terrain

Particles

Advanced Lighting Effects

Scaling Lights

Using SpecialLit

Ambient Lighting

Emitting Light from Other Actors

Coronas

Using a TriggerLight

Projectors

Using Projectors

Common Lighting Pitfalls

Summary

8. Creating Materials in Unreal.

Textures

Creating a Texture

Importing a Texture

The Texture Properties Window

Texture Properties

Shaders

Diffuse and Specularity Maps

Opacity Maps

Self-Illumination Maps

Other Properties

Modifiers

The Color Modifier

The TexOscillator Modifier

The TexPanner Modifier

The TexRotator Modifier

The TexScaler Modifier

The Combiner Modifier

Creating Reflective Surfaces with Cubemaps and TexEnvMaps

Final Blend Material

Using a ScriptedTexture

Summary

9. Interactive Elements.

Movers

Creating the First Door

Introduction to Triggers

Creating a MessageTrigger

Elevators

A Simple Elevator: UseTrigger

Complex Elevator Overview

Jump Pads

Teleporters

Summary

II. ADVANCED DESIGN TECHNIQUES.

10. Creating Particle Effects.

Particle Theory

Emitter Types

SpriteEmitter

SparkEmitter

MeshEmitter

BeamEmitter

TrailEmitter

Summary

11. The Karma Physics Engine.

Karma Theory

General Karma Properties

Karma Collision Primitives

Constraints

KBSJoint

KconeLimit

Khinge

Ragdolls

The Karma Authoring Tool (KAT)

The KAT Interface

Workspaces

Viewports

Summary

12. Advanced Bot/AI Navigation.

Basics of Bot Navigation

Design Considerations

Tools for Debugging

Diagnosing Problems with the Map Check Dialog Box

Console Commands

Pathing

Jump Pads and Teleporters

Jump Spots

Doors

Lifts

Ladders

Advanced Pathing

AssaultPaths

Defense Points and Sniping Points

Vehicle Navigation

Summary

13. Matinee: Creating Custom Cinematics.

Introduction to the World of Machinima

Overview of the Matinee System

The Matinee Interface

The Scenes Tab

The Actions Tab

The Sub Actions Tab

The Tools Tab

Creating a Simple Matinee Sequence

Working with the Scene Manager

Triggering the Matinee Sequence

Controlling the Camera Path

Creating Camera Pauses and Camera Cuts

A Closer Look at Sub Actions

Setting Camera Orientation

Introducing Fades

Using Matinee to Control Actors

Adding Text to Your Cutscenes

Adding a More Cinematic Feel

Automatically Launching the Movie

Changing Levels with Matinee

Summary

14. Creating Scripted Sequences.

Using an Actions List

Using Latent and Non-latent Actions

Controlling xPawns

Logical Conditions

Summary

15. Level Optimization (Zoning) and Distribution.

Introduction to Level Optimization

Zoning

Antiportals

Distance Fog

Terrain Optimization

Profiling and Debugging

Viewport Display Modes

Console Commands

Summary

16. Gametypes.

Setting Level Properties

Deathmatch-Style Gametypes

Adding Weapons

Deathmatch Design Considerations

Capture the Flag (CTF)

CTF Design Considerations

Double Domination

Design Considerations for Double Domination

Bombing Run

Design Considerations for Bombing Run

Onslaught

Design Considerations for Onslaught

Assault

Summary

III. EXTERNAL DESIGN.

17. Overview of Maya.

Y-Up Versus Z-Up

Maya Theory

Nodes and Connections

Construction History

Overview of the User Interface

The Viewports

The Main Menu Bar and Menu Sets

The Status Line

The Shelf

The Channel Box and Layer Editor

The Attribute Editor

The Time and Range Sliders

The Toolbox and Layout Selection

The Hotbox

The Hypershade

The Hypergraph

Object Manipulation

Object Mode

Component Mode

Summary

18. Polygonal Modeling Tools.

Modeling Terminology

Modeling Methods

Box Modeling

Polygon Creation

Understanding the Tool Options and Display Settings in Maya

Polygon Modeling in Maya

Creating Polygons

Adding to Existing Polygons

Combining Objects

Using Booleans

Mirroring

Smoothing Versus Averaging Vertices

Triangulation

Cleaning Up Your Polygons

Editing Polygons

Subdividing Polygons

Splitting Polygons

Extrusions

Chamfering Vertices and Beveling Edges

Cutting Faces

Wedging Faces

Merging Vertices

Flipping Triangle Edges

Adjusting Surfaces and Hard Edges

Summary

19. The Art of Texturing in Maya.

UVs and the UV Coordinate System

The UV Texture Editor

The Menu Bar

The Toolbar

The Viewport

Mapping Uvs

Mapping Methods

Creating UV Layouts

Creating Textures from UV Layouts

UV Layouts for Characters

Considerations for UV Layouts

Summary

20. Static Meshes.

The Importance of Static Meshes

Preparing to Model

Adjusting the Grid

Creating a Project

Modeling the Catwalks

Creating the Base Catwalk

Constructing the Straight Catwalk

Making a Ramp

Making a Turn

Building a T-Intersection

Building a Four-Way Intersection

Collision Models

Exporting Models to UnrealEd

Texturing Your Static Meshes in UnrealEd

Summary

21. Character Modeling.

Preparation

Concept Art

Image Planes

The Modeling Process

Modeling and Animation

The Character

Modeling the Torso

Modeling the Legs

Modeling the Arms

Modeling the Feet

Modeling the Hand

Modeling the Head

Summary

22. Importing Characters into UnrealEd.

What Are Skeletons?

Introduction to Maya Joints

Parenting

Joints and Parenting

Joints and Rotation

Using the Joint Tool

Joints and Local Rotation Axes

Manipulating Joints

Binding a Character to a Skeleton: Skinning

Introduction to Smooth Bind

Adjusting Joint Influence

Importing a Character Without Custom Animation

Importing a Skeleton

Skinning a Character

Adjusting the Skin Weights

Exporting the Character

Getting the Character Ready for Gameplay

Creating the Character's Portrait

The UPL File and Testing the Character In-game

Summary

23. Character Animation.

Introduction to Animation

Popular Animation Methods in Maya

Keyframes

Reactive Animation

Animation Choices-FK Versus IK

IK Solvers

Single Chain IK Solvers

Rotate Plane IK Solvers

IK Spline Solvers

Constraints

Selection Handles

Character Rigs: What They Are and Why We Need Them

Creating the Character Rig

Skinning the Character

Animating the Character

Pose-to-Pose Animation

Creating Custom Animation Cycles

Exporting Custom Animations into UnrealEd

Summary

APPENDIX A. The UnrealEd Manual.

The Main Menu Bar

The Toolbar

File Options

Undo and Redo

Search for Actor

Browsers

Editors

Properties

Building

Play Level

Help

The Toolbox

Camera and Utilities Area

Brush Clipping Area

Brush Primitives Area

CSG Operations Area

Selections and Movement Area

Mirroring and Miscellaneous Area

The Viewports

Viewport Controls

Viewport Control Bar

Viewport Control Bar Context Menu

The Console Bar

The Text Field

The Log Window

Lock Selections

Vertex Snap

Drag Grid

Rotation Grid

Maximize Viewport

DrawScale3D

Browsers

The Actor Class Browser

The Group Browser

The Music Browser

The Sound Browser

The Textures Browser

The Mesh Browser

The Prefab Browser

The Static Mesh Browser

The Animation Browser

Editor Windows

Search for Actors

The 2D Shape Editor

The UnrealScript Editor

Property Windows

Actor Properties

Surface Properties

INDEX.

Additional information

GOR001855486
9780672326929
0672326922
Mastering Unreal Technology: The Art of Level Design by Jason Busby
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Pearson Education (US)
20041216
984
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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