Week 2: Worldbuilding in Unreal 5.4.

Project Notes: Structure and Workflow in Unreal

File Structure and Extensions

• The primary file extension for Unreal Engine is .uasset.
• Projects should be downloaded in the Nanite version.

Customization and Asset Import

• Creating actors and materials for the customization of default primitives.
• Importing ready-made assets from Quixel Bridge (which will transition to the Fab platform in the future) and integrating them into Unreal.

Levels and Sublevels

• Working in Levels and Sublevels: Essential for creating environments. Sublevels are useful for scenarios like day and night cycles.
  • Example: (Windows → Levels → Sublevels → Moving Actors Across Levels). Refer to the DMX Pervis Sample for guidance on levels.
• Industry Rules:
  • Keep the Outliner clean.
  • The master level is where everything comes together. Collaborative work within a group should be managed on sublevels.

Content Browser

1. Starter Content Pack: Add via “Add Feature and Content.”
2. Quixel Bridge: Access via the cube icon in the navigation bar.
3. Materials: Create, edit, and apply to actors.
4. Merging Actors: Combine actors and save them as new assets in a folder. Useful for creating repetitive parts of scenes or recursive areas.
5. Nanite: Ensure the project is optimized using this feature.

Levels Workflow

• Add the Levels tab from the Window menu and place it next to the Details panel.
• Do the same for the World Partition Editor, World Settings, and Layers.
• Create a new level in the Content Browser and save it in your project folder.
• Set up a Subclass folder in your main folder to organize and save sublevels.

World Selection and Terrain

• Use the World Partition system to work on partitions instead of the entire worldview.
• UV Map Selection:
  • Use Ctrl + A to select the entire UV map, then manually select areas on the grid.
• Terrain Creation:
  • Use sculpting tools within the Landscape Mode to create custom terrains.