Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Newsletter Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
timer SALE ENDS IN
0 Days
:
00 Hours
:
00 Minutes
:
00 Seconds
Learning Unreal Engine Game Development
Learning Unreal Engine Game Development

Learning Unreal Engine Game Development: A step-by-step guide that paves the way for developing fantastic games with Unreal Engine 4

eBook
$27.98 $39.99
Paperback
$48.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Redeem a companion digital copy on all Print orders
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Learning Unreal Engine Game Development

Chapter 2. Creating Your First Level

In this chapter, you will create and run a simple level with the help of step-by-step instructions. Since the objective of this book is to equip you with the skills to confidently create your own game using Unreal Engine 4 and not to simply follow a list of steps to create a fixed example, I will provide as much additional information as possible that you could use to create your own game level as we go about learning the basic techniques.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

  • How to control views and viewports
  • How to move, scale, and rotate objects in a level
  • How to use the BSP Box brush to create the ground and a wall using the Additive mode
  • How to carve a hole in a wall using the Subtractive mode of the BSP Box brush
  • How to add a simple Directional Light to a level to mimic sunlight
  • How to spawn a player who's facing the right direction on a map using Player Start
  • How to create the sky in your map using atmospheric fog
  • How to...

Exploring preconfigured levels

Before we create a level, it is good to have an idea of what levels look like in Unreal Engine 4. Unreal Engine 4 offers the possibility to load up various types of game levels with a default playable level that's straight from the Project Browser menu option (this pops up immediately after launching the Unreal Editor). Personally, I really like this particular new feature of Unreal Engine 4 as it gives me a quick feel of the types of presets that are available, and I could easily select something as a base for the game level I want to create.

We will create a new map using one of the preset project types as the base for our first level.

Tip

How to quickly explore different project types

I normally click on the Play button on the toolbar after a project loads with the default level. The play function allows you to be in a game and you can see what has been precreated for you in the level.

Creating a new project

In this chapter, we will use the Blueprint First Person template to create our first game project.

The steps to create a new Blueprint First Person Project are as follows:

  1. Launch Unreal Engine 4.
  2. Select the New Project tab.
  3. Select Blueprint and then First Person.
  4. Choose a name and path for the project (or leave it as the default MyProject).
  5. Click on Create Project.

    Ensure that the With Starter Content option is selected.

    Creating a new project

On creation of the project, the default example level for Blueprint First Person will load. The following screenshot shows how the default level looks:

Creating a new project

Using the preset project type with the example level, the first thing you'll probably want to do is run the level and see what the default game level contains.

Navigating the viewport

Using the loaded example level, you should get yourself familiarized with the mouse and keyboard controls in order to navigate in the viewport. You might consider bookmarking this section until you can navigate the viewport to zoom in/out or view any object from all angles easily.

Views

Here is some quick information on the different views in 3D modeling creation: the example map is loaded by default in the Perspective view. Other than having the map in the Perspective view, you can change what you see in the viewport in the top, side, or front views, respectively. The option to switch to any of these is in the left-hand corner of the viewport. The following screenshot shows the location of the button to press so that you can switch views:

Views

If you wish to see more than one view concurrently, navigate to Windows | Viewports and then select any of the viewports (The default viewport uses Viewport 1.).

The selected viewport number will pop up. You can drag and dock this...

Creating a level from a new blank map

Now that you are familiar with the controls, you are ready to create a map on your own. In this chapter, we will go through how to build a basic room from scratch. To create a new map for your first person game, go to File | New Level…. The following screenshot shows you how to create a new level:

Creating a level from a new blank map

There are two options when creating a new level: Default and Empty Level. Select Empty Level to create a completely blank map. The following screenshot shows you the options that are available when creating a new level:

Creating a level from a new blank map

Do not be surprised when the viewport is void. We will add objects to the level in the next few sections. The following screenshot shows what an empty level looks like in the Perspective view:

Creating a level from a new blank map

Creating the ground using the BSP Box brush

The BSP Box brush can be used to create rectangular objects in the map. The first thing to do when creating a level is to have a ground to stand on.

Before we begin with this, make sure the viewport is in the Perspective view. We will mainly use this view for most of the level creation unless specified explicitly.

Go to the Modes window, click on BSP and then click and drag Box into the viewport. This is where you can find the Box brush:

Creating the ground using the BSP Box brush

Here, a Box brush has been successfully added to the viewport:

Creating the ground using the BSP Box brush

You have now successfully created your first object in the level. We will go on to change the size of this box to a suitable size so that it can act as the ground for the level.

Select the box that was just created, and go to Details | Brush Settings. Fill in the following values for X, Y, and Z. The following screenshot shows the values that need to be set:

Creating the ground using the BSP Box brush

When you have set the values correctly, the box should look like this:

Creating the ground using the BSP Box brush

Useful tip – selecting...

Exploring preconfigured levels


Before we create a level, it is good to have an idea of what levels look like in Unreal Engine 4. Unreal Engine 4 offers the possibility to load up various types of game levels with a default playable level that's straight from the Project Browser menu option (this pops up immediately after launching the Unreal Editor). Personally, I really like this particular new feature of Unreal Engine 4 as it gives me a quick feel of the types of presets that are available, and I could easily select something as a base for the game level I want to create.

We will create a new map using one of the preset project types as the base for our first level.

Tip

How to quickly explore different project types

I normally click on the Play button on the toolbar after a project loads with the default level. The play function allows you to be in a game and you can see what has been precreated for you in the level.

Creating a new project


In this chapter, we will use the Blueprint First Person template to create our first game project.

The steps to create a new Blueprint First Person Project are as follows:

  1. Launch Unreal Engine 4.

  2. Select the New Project tab.

  3. Select Blueprint and then First Person.

  4. Choose a name and path for the project (or leave it as the default MyProject).

  5. Click on Create Project.

    Ensure that the With Starter Content option is selected.

On creation of the project, the default example level for Blueprint First Person will load. The following screenshot shows how the default level looks:

Using the preset project type with the example level, the first thing you'll probably want to do is run the level and see what the default game level contains.

Navigating the viewport


Using the loaded example level, you should get yourself familiarized with the mouse and keyboard controls in order to navigate in the viewport. You might consider bookmarking this section until you can navigate the viewport to zoom in/out or view any object from all angles easily.

Views

Here is some quick information on the different views in 3D modeling creation: the example map is loaded by default in the Perspective view. Other than having the map in the Perspective view, you can change what you see in the viewport in the top, side, or front views, respectively. The option to switch to any of these is in the left-hand corner of the viewport. The following screenshot shows the location of the button to press so that you can switch views:

If you wish to see more than one view concurrently, navigate to Windows | Viewports and then select any of the viewports (The default viewport uses Viewport 1.).

The selected viewport number will pop up. You can drag and dock this Viewport...

Creating a level from a new blank map


Now that you are familiar with the controls, you are ready to create a map on your own. In this chapter, we will go through how to build a basic room from scratch. To create a new map for your first person game, go to File | New Level…. The following screenshot shows you how to create a new level:

There are two options when creating a new level: Default and Empty Level. Select Empty Level to create a completely blank map. The following screenshot shows you the options that are available when creating a new level:

Do not be surprised when the viewport is void. We will add objects to the level in the next few sections. The following screenshot shows what an empty level looks like in the Perspective view:

Creating the ground using the BSP Box brush


The BSP Box brush can be used to create rectangular objects in the map. The first thing to do when creating a level is to have a ground to stand on.

Before we begin with this, make sure the viewport is in the Perspective view. We will mainly use this view for most of the level creation unless specified explicitly.

Go to the Modes window, click on BSP and then click and drag Box into the viewport. This is where you can find the Box brush:

Here, a Box brush has been successfully added to the viewport:

You have now successfully created your first object in the level. We will go on to change the size of this box to a suitable size so that it can act as the ground for the level.

Select the box that was just created, and go to Details | Brush Settings. Fill in the following values for X, Y, and Z. The following screenshot shows the values that need to be set:

When you have set the values correctly, the box should look like this:

Useful tip – selecting an object...

Adding light to a level


To help us see the level better, it is time to learn how to illuminate the level. To mimic ambient light from the sun, we will use Directional Light for the level.

In the same way as adding a BSP Box brush, we will go to Modes Window | Lights | Directional Light. Click and drag Directional Light into the Viewport window. The following screenshot zooms in on the Modes window, showing that the Directional Light item can be created by dragging it into the viewport:

For now, let's place the light just slightly above the BSP Box brush as shown in the following screenshot:

Useful tip – positioning objects in a level

To position an object in a level, we use the Transform tool to move objects in the x, y, and z directions. Select the object and press the W key to display the Transform tool. Three arrows will appear to extrude from the object. Click and hold the red arrow to move the object along the x axis, the green arrow to move it along the y axis, and the blue arrow to it...

Adding the sky to a level


After the addition of light to the level, we will proceed to add the sky to the level. Click on Modes | Visual | Atmospheric Fog. In a similar way to adding light and adding a Box BSP, click, hold, and drag this into the viewport. We are almost ready to take a first look at what we have just created. Hang in there.

Adding Player Start


For every game, you need to set where the player will spawn. Go to Modes | Basic | Player Start. Click, hold, and drag Player Start into the viewport.

This screenshot shows the Modes window with Player Start:

Place Player Start in the center of the ground or slightly above it as shown in the following screenshot:

Deselect Player Start by pressing the Esc key. The light blue arrow from Player Start indicates the direction in which the player will spawn the game starts. To adjust the direction that the player faces upon spawning, rotate Player Start until the light blue arrow points in this direction. Take a look at the following tip on how to rotate an object.

Useful tip – rotating objects in a level

To rotate an object in a level, we use the Rotate tool to rotate objects around the x (row), y (pitch), and z (yaw) directions. Select the object and press the E key to display the Rotate tool. Three lines with a box tip will appear to extrude from the object. Click and hold the...

Viewing a level that's been created


We are now ready to view the simple level that we have just created.

Before viewing the level, click on the Build button, as shown in the following screenshot, to build the light, materials, and so on, needed for this level. This step ensures that light is properly rendered in the level.

After building the level, click on the Play button, as shown in this screenshot, to view the level:

The following screenshot shows how the level looks. Move the mouse up, down, left, and right to see the level. Use W, A, S, and D to move the character around the level. To return to the editor, press ESC.

Saving a level


Navigate to File | Save As… and give the map you have just created a name. In our example here, I have saved it as Chapter2Level in the …/UnrealProjects/MyProject/Content/Maps path, where MyProject is the name of the project.

Configuring a map as a start level


After saving your new map, you may want to also set this project to load this map as the default map. You can have several maps linked to this project and load them at specific points in the game. For now, we want to replace the current Example_Map with the newly created map that we have. To do so, go to Edit | Project Settings. This opens up a page with configurable values for the project. Go to Game | Maps & Modes. Refer to the following screenshot to take a look at how Maps & Modes is selected.

Look under Default Maps and change both Game Default Map and Editor Default Map in the map that you have just saved. In my case, it will be Chapter2Level. Then, close the project settings. When you start the editor and run the game the next time, your new map will be loaded by default.

Adding material to the ground


Now that we have created the ground, let us make the ground look more realistic by applying a material to it.

Go to Content Browser | Content | StarterContent | Materials. Type wood into the Filters box. The following screenshot shows the walnut polished material that we want to use for the ground's material:

Click, hold, and drag M_Wood_Floor_Walnut_Polished into the viewport area and drop it on the top surface of the ground. The resulting effect should look like this:

Adding a wall


Now we are ready to add walls to prevent the player from falling off the map. To create walls, we will use the same BSP Box brush to create a wall. As we have just added a material in the previous step, you will need to clear this material selection by clicking on anything in Content Browser. This will prevent new geometries from being created using the same material.

Similar to creating the ground, go to Modes | BSP | Box. Click, hold, and drag into the viewport. Set the dimensions of the BSP box as X = 30, Y = 620, and Z = 280. To help us view and position the wall, use the controls to rotate the viewport. You can also use the different views to help position the wall onto the ground. Here, you can see how the wall should be positioned (note that I have panned the camera to view the level from a different angle):

Duplicating a wall


Now duplicate the wall by first selecting the wall created in the earlier step. Make sure the Transform tool is displayed (if not, press W once when object is selected).

Click and hold one of the axes (the x axis, in the preceding example case) while holding down Alt + Shift as you drag the current wall in the x direction. You would notice that there is another copy of the wall moving in this direction. Release the keys when the wall is in the right position. Use normal translation controls to position the wall as shown here:

Creating an opening for a door


The room is now almost complete. We will learn how to carve into a BSP Box brush to create an opening for a door.

Drag a new BSP Box brush into the map: X = 370, Y = 30, and Z = 280. Position this wall to seal one side of the room as shown in the following screenshot:

Till now, we have been using the Additive mode (add the radio button that is selected) to create a BSP Box brush. To create an opening in the wall, we will create another BSP Box brush using the Subtractive mode. Ensure that you have selected it as shown in the following screenshot. Drag and drop the BSP Box brush in the same manner as before into the viewport. As for the dimensions of this brush, we will approximate it to the size of the door, where X = 115, Y = 30, and Z = 212.

When the Subtractive BSP Box brush is positioned correctly, it will look something like this:

To help you position the Subtractive BSP Box brush, you can switch to the Front view to place the door more or less in the center...

Adding materials to the walls


To make the ground look more realistic, we will apply a material to it. Go to Content Browser | Content | StarterContent | Materials. Type Wall into the Filters box. Select M_Basic_Wall and drag it onto the surface of the wall with the door. Then, we will use a different material. Type Brick into the Filters box. Select M_Brick_Clay_New to apply to the inner surface of the two other walls.

Here, you can take a look at how the level looks in the Unlit mode after applying the materials mentioned previously:

Build the light before running the level again to see how the level looks now.

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Key benefits

  • Learn about game development and the building blocks that go into creating a game
  • A simple tutorial for beginners to get acquainted with the Unreal Engine architecture
  • Learn about the features and functionalities of Unreal Engine 4 and how to use them to create your own games

Description

Unreal Engine 4 is a powerful game development engine that provides rich functionalities to create 2D and 3D games across multiple platforms. Many people know what a game is and they play games every day, but how many of them know how to create a game? Unreal Engine technology powers hundreds of games, and thousands of individuals have built careers and companies around skills developed using this engine. Learning Unreal Engine 4 Game Development starts with small, simple game ideas and playable projects that you can actually finish. The book first teaches you the basics of using Unreal Engine to create a simple game level. Then, you'll learn how to add details such as actors, animation, effects, and so on to the game. The complexity will increase over the chapters and the examples chosen will help you learn a wide variety of game development techniques. This book aims to equip you with the confidence and skills to design and build your own games using Unreal Engine 4. By the end of this book, you'll have learnt about the entire Unreal suite and know how to successfully create fun, simple games.

Who is this book for?

If you are new to game development and want to learn how games are created using Unreal Engine 4, this book is the right choice for you. You do not need prior game development experience, but it is expected that you have played games before. Knowledge of C++ would prove to be useful.

What you will learn

  • Learn what a game engine is, the history of Unreal Engine, and how game studios create games
  • Explore the Unreal Engine 4 editor controls and learn how to use the editor to create a room in a game level
  • Understand the basic structures of objects in a game, such as the differences between BSP and static meshes
  • Make objects interactive using level blueprints
  • Learn more about computer graphics rendering; how materials and light are rendered in your game
  • Get acquainted with the Material Editor to create materials and use different types of lights in the game levels
  • Utilize the various editors, tools, and features such as UI, the particle system, audio, terrain manipulation, and cinematics in Unreal Engine 4 to create game levels
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Ecuador

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

$19.95

Premium delivery 3 - 6 business days

$40.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Feb 29, 2016
Length: 274 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784398156
Vendor :
Epic Games
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Redeem a companion digital copy on all Print orders
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Ecuador

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

$19.95

Premium delivery 3 - 6 business days

$40.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Feb 29, 2016
Length: 274 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784398156
Vendor :
Epic Games
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
$19.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
$199.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
$279.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total $ 152.97
Unreal Engine 4 Game Development Essentials
$48.99
Learning Unreal Engine Game Development
$48.99
Unreal Engine Game Development Blueprints
$54.99
Total $ 152.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

8 Chapters
1. An Overview of Unreal Engine Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Creating Your First Level Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Game Objects – More and Move Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Material and Light Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Animation and AI Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. A Particle System and Sound Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Terrain and Cinematics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.7
(10 Ratings)
5 star 40%
4 star 10%
3 star 40%
2 star 0%
1 star 10%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




Carles May 23, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
If you are willing to start building your own game but have very few knowledge about this matter, this book is for you!The author covers all basic issues from a beginner point of view with easy steps to achieve your goal, having your first computer game (a very simple one initially) done in a fraction of time that you could achieve on your own.Unreal Engine is very powerful tool so in the book every chapter covers a specific functionality, serving intermediate users as reference manual to level their knowledge. Bear in mind what this book is not, a very steep learning curve manual or advanced book.It serves its purpose well by giving you entry and intermediate aspects.For advanced matters you must choose another book from the vast packt library like 'Unreal Engine 4 Game Development Essentials'
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Daniel J. Mar 11, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Are you interested in game development with the Unreal Engine? Maybe new to the area of game development or how you can get a cool game together with some of the tools that are out there and available? This is a great book to get started to plan, design and develop your game based on one of the word best game engines, the Unreal 4 Engine. I really recommend you this book… I got a lot of insights into game design and development through those chapters and the content and as this book has a great introduction to the topic and gets more detailed with the following chapters, it’s a great start from new to intermediate game developer. The author did a really great job in describing what’s important and how you leverage specific tools, content and of course the unreal 4 engine to develop your game project.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Hugo Apr 05, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Unreal Engine is a very famous game engine used to create a AAA game for a big variety of platforms. I was interested to start using blueprints visual programming that I've read in the documentation, but only with the documentation it was a little hard to me, to start with the engine in general, the editor is intimidating, but this book start from very basic game development concepts that is very useful, you can understand how to use the tools in the editor and if you have already worked with another game engine you can apply your previous game development knowledge in this game engine. The author has made a very import approach in this book, this make you feel comfortable with the engine as you will read and doing the exercises, I think that you will be able to start making very interesting projects, using materials, mesh, collisions, sounds, cameras, lights and a big variety of game features. I am very proud of the result of the book exercises, 3D game development is very fascinating, the power of this game engine is so big that a very small team could make big projects and fast. I would recommend this book for everyone who want to create games, even if you are an artist, or a C++ developer or a complete beginner, this book introduce the Unreal Engine in a very easy way that make you confident of your knowledge to create great games. Especially for me that never have worked in a #d game engine, I could say that I fell in love with this tool, I was always working in 2D game development even in another 3D famous game engine, I've never been that confident like this before, 3D for me was ever been another reality for me, when I tried it was nothing like this, a great part of any project could be done with visual tools, and the prototyping is very powerful I can say that most of my best 3D projects, and I am saying finished projects aren't 1% of the samples showed in this book, deal with 3D models only with C++ code is very hard without this editor, the work is enviable without for small team without a very good background, but after worked in this book exercises I am very confidant. I would like to thank the author to introduced me to this great game engine.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Bill Jones Apr 23, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is a hefty book, no need to reinvent the wheel when you have a guide such as this at your disposal. This book is Learning Unreal, not Mastering Unreal. With that mindset I was able to go through the book rather nicely, from a beginners perspective I was satisfied. If you want to get started with Unreal then start here with this book.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Daniel Jun 28, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
This book was a lot shorter than I expected, after only my second evening with this book I noticed I was already 3/4 of the way done with it. Is that bad? Not really.Joanna did a great job of introducing you into Unreal Engine. It answered a TON of questions I had and showed me how to do everything to get me comfortable to designing my game. All of the vocabulary I didn't know I needed was provided and explained in detail. I feel very prepared to take myself onto my next step of the journey and make my own game.Questions you probably are asking:-- "Will I make a game in this book?" - Not really no, but what you do make will prepare you to make your game! Seriously you will be ready to dive in head first.-- "Are there typo's and inconsistencies?" - Oh yes, there are a lot of typo's and the website doesn't have all of the errata listed yet. However I was following along closely to the content so I immediately recognized the errors and it did not trip me up.-- "I already know C++, but just want to learn an engine. Is this for me?" - Yep, me too. Read this book.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the digital copy I get with my Print order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

When you buy any Print edition of our Books, you can redeem (for free) the eBook edition of the Print Book you’ve purchased. This gives you instant access to your book when you make an order via PDF, EPUB or our online Reader experience.

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela