Preface

Unreal Engine 5 is conquering all industries thanks to its real-time technology and quality. Being able to use Unreal Engine 5 to represent environments in a realistic way can improve any kind of pipeline, from marketing to high-end movie production, and make previsualization faster than ever. Last but not least, Unreal Engine 5 skills are some of the most searched job descriptions on the web.

Starting from Unreal Engine 5 fundamentals to achieving epic photorealistic environments, this book takes you on a learning journey through the creation of a personal cinematic shot in a great new world.

The book is divided into three parts that cover all the processes behind the creation of an environment in Unreal Engine 5. Starting from the very beginning with installing the Engine and learning about its potential, the book scales up the process with every page in a way that is easy to follow. You will generate a variety of different outputs that will be bigger (in terms of quantity and quality) every time than the previous one. After completing the first part and achieving some realistic shots of a single object, you will dive into the world of landscapes, procedural material and foliage, the Landmass plugin, and water tools by working on a first attempt at creating an environment using Megascans assets. At this point, you will know everything you need to create a great and realistic environment. The third and last part is fully dedicated to improving the visual aspect of the environment by crafting cinematic shots and enhancing the final quality with postprocessing effects and Niagara.

By the end of this book, you will be able to create outstanding and realistic environments by using the powerful tools that Unreal Engine 5 provides. You will also have understood the importance of filming and composition in world-building and have gained the ability to export a high-resolution video. Finally, you will be able to add a creative and personal touch to your worlds.

Everything you learn in this book will give you a strong knowledge of the Unreal Engine 5 environment creation fundamentals as a starting point to improve your skills in real-time technologies.