NVIDIA GameWorks Integration

[0lento]

We met a problem that HairWorks reflect light from point light. The hair makes everything around it much lighter when there is a point light.
The problem doesn’t exist in UE4.19. But for creating the game we need to use UE 4.21 (or later) that makes hair to light.

That looks alarming I didn't make the HairWorks port initially myself so I have to recheck the changes to see what could have possibly made the difference. Is this simple to repro using stock hairworks samples?

[0lento]

Hey, i have some troubles packaging the official 4.19.2 flex branch.
I've build it with VS2015, everything working smooth, but when i package it, it has some errors

This is a known issue with the nvidia's own branch, I have fixes for it here (I should probably just rename the branch to 4.19-FleX as it doesn't look like Nvidia is merging my PR for the fixes):
https://github.com/0lento/UnrealEngi...PR-FleX-4.19.2

Actual PR here: https://github.com/NvPhysX/UnrealEngine/pull/523

Basically you can just use that PR-FleX-4.19.2 branch as is, it only contains UE 4.19.2 and Nvidia FleX or alternatively copy the fixes over manually, all changes are in 3 commits.

[TankbusterGames]

Hey, i have some troubles packaging the official 4.19.2 flex branch.
I've build it with VS2015, everything working smooth, but when i package it, it has some errors:

[....]

D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Source\Flex\Classes/FlexFluidSurfaceActor.h(11): error C2504: 'AInfo': base class undefined
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Source\Flex\Classes/FlexFluidSurfaceActor.h(12): error C3646: 'Super': unknown override specifier
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Source\Flex\Classes/FlexFluidSurfaceActor.h(12): error C4430: missing type specifier - int assumed. Note: C++ does not support default-int
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Intermediate\Build\Win64\PW_TopLessBell\Inc\Flex\FlexFluidSurfaceActor.gen.cpp(63): error C2039: 'StaticConfigName': is not a member of 'AFlexFluidSurfaceActor'
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Source\Flex\Classes/FlexFluidSurfaceActor.h(10): note: see declaration of 'AFlexFluidSurfaceActor'
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Intermediate\Build\Win64\PW_TopLessBell\Inc\Flex\FlexFluidSurfaceActor.gen.cpp(63): error C3861: 'StaticConfigName': identifier not found
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Intermediate\Build\Win64\PW_TopLessBell\Inc\Flex\FlexFluidSurfaceActor.gen.cpp(63): error C2039: 'AddReferencedObjects': is not a member of 'AFlexFluidSurfaceActor'
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Source\Flex\Classes/FlexFluidSurfaceActor.h(10): note: see declaration of 'AFlexFluidSurfaceActor'
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Intermediate\Build\Win64\PW_TopLessBell\Inc\Flex\FlexFluidSurfaceActor.gen.cpp(63): error C2065: 'AddReferencedObjects': undeclared identifier
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Intermediate\Build\Win64\PW_TopLessBell\Inc\Flex\FlexFluidSurfaceActor.gen.cpp(63): error C3083: 'Super': the symbol to the left of a '::' must be a type
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Intermediate\Build\Win64\PW_TopLessBell\Inc\Flex\FlexFluidSurfaceActor.gen.cpp(63): error C3083: 'WithinClass': the symbol to the left of a '::' must be a type
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Intermediate\Build\Win64\PW_TopLessBell\Inc\Flex\FlexFluidSurfaceActor.gen.cpp(65): error C2614: 'AFlexFluidSurfaceActor': illegal member initialization: 'Super' is not a base or member

[....]

D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Source\Runtime\Engine\Private\Materials\MaterialExpressions.cpp(2548): warning C4996: 'UEnum::GetEnumName': GetEnumName is deprecated, call GetNameStringByIndex instead Please update your code to the new API before upgrading to the next release, otherwise your project will no longer compile.
D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Source\Runtime\CoreUObject\Public\UObject/Class.h(1808): note: see declaration of 'UEnum::GetEnumName'

[....]

ERROR: UBT ERROR: Failed to produce item: D:\Flex\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\GameWorks\Flex\Binaries\Win64\PW_TopLessBell-Flex-Win64-Shipping.lib

Is there a nice workaround here? Can i just somehow delete the "AFlexFluidSurfaceActor" ? I'm pretty new to C++ so this gives me much headaches, the more i do, the more i break.

Or is there a stable Version (maybe 0lentos) that allows to package the game without modification?
I couldn't build 0lentos version on the first try, i think it's because of my VS2015,2017,2019 mishmash. 2015 and 2019 are working, but 2017 seems to be very buggy.....

If it should work, I'll do everything I can to migrate to a better version, but atm I'm not sure about it... help pls

[TrinityMS]

Hello 0lento

We are creating a «TrinityMS» game using Unreal Engine 4.21 with GameWorks from you.
We met a problem that HairWorks reflect light from point light. The hair makes everything around it much lighter when there is a point light.
The problem doesn’t exist in UE4.19. But for creating the game we need to use UE 4.21 (or later) that makes hair to light.

Here is a video about this problem

https://trinityvideogame.com/TrinityMS-UE_4_21.mp4

Would appreciate greatly if you could help us to solve this problem.
Thank you

[samrat333]

how to build Houdini plugin in game work

[Raph74]

Is it still possible to get flex on UE4.23? With all the changes made to the physics and the addition of chaos etc..
I am not interested in the fluid rendering, only the particles for meshes to get soft bodies.

If possible, is anyone planning on doing the port to 4.23 ^^'?

[0lento]

I may be able to help out there by setting up a build server from my old PC (has a 2600k, but it'd be dedicated, so not terrible) that I could give you access to.

Thanks for the offering but this wouldn't help much because the main issue for me right now are the iteration times, not that it reserves my computer during the builds. My current 3570k is probably little slower than 2600k but the difference isn't going to be that dramatic.

For regular API updates, the slow build times hasn't been that big of a deal as it's pretty repetitive manual work in general. 4.22+ rendering changes require more experimenting though and this is why I'm waiting to get my rig updated first.

[n00854180t]

I'll welcome any help on these, but unfortunately I'm still missing a dev computer that's powerful enough to build UE 4.20+ in reasonable amount of time. On the bright side, I got all new Ryzen rig parts here except the CPU. Sadly AMD is still silent about 3950X release date, I was hoping it would have been out early September but even 3900X stocks are nonexisting atm so it could still take months to get it here.

I may be able to help out there by setting up a build server from my old PC (has a 2600k, but it'd be dedicated, so not terrible) that I could give you access to. It's kind of broken right now due to a harddrive failure though so I'll have to put some work into getting that set up.

I'll also have to figure out how to do automated builds and all that stuff too which might take me a bit.

Edit: Doing a test run on my new computer, we can probably just use it for a bit until the old one is set up. Got most of Jenkins set up already, just doing the git branching right now. Got an i9 9900k/64GB RAM in it so it should be fast.

At the very least that should get you some basic compile iteration times fast enough, I think.

[AngeIV]

Afaik, the Blast plugin Epic integrated to UE4 is only used with Chaos but I haven't really examined how they utilize it there. Unless they've changed it recently, it doesn't work with PhysX on the stock UE4 setup like Nvidia's own Blast integration does.

https://gameworksdocs.nvidia.com/Bla...uickStart.html

This here clearly states there is adedicated plugin instead of custom build that in theory should work outside of nvidia physx and chaos.
What I like in it is that the chunks are being generated, so they do not use up too much geometry right away... a few poly wall is few poly wall until it is damaged.
I also like how the "structure support" works in blast a lot better than in Chaos.

[0lento]

Hey. Thank you for your hard work! There is already a version of Flex 4.22 https://github.com/xoyojank/UnrealEngine/tree/4.22-FleX from xoyojank. The UE4 engine version 4.23 has already been released. When can you expect UE4 Flex 4.23? I wanted to get started immediately on UE 4.23 Flex.

Just be aware that the linked branch doesn't render FleX fluids atm, just porting that to 4.23 would still have that same limitation. Can't give any estimates on 4.23 from my end atm for reasons mentioned above messages.

The main issue right now is the 4.22+ changes on the rendering side. It may or may not be complicated but my current iteration times are just unbearable with these engine versions so holding off all bigger changes until I get things running smoothly again. And even then, there's no promises that these are something I can fix but at least iteration times will be bearable again. Of course anyone who's up for the challenge can still pick these up and try to solve the issues on their own (and hopefully share here).

[0lento]

I've noticed that BLAST works as a plugin instead of requiring a source build. But hasn't been updated in a year.. Anyone worked with it and could share some experience?

Afaik, the Blast plugin Epic integrated to UE4 is only used with Chaos but I haven't really examined how they utilize it there. Unless they've changed it recently, it doesn't work with PhysX on the stock UE4 setup like Nvidia's own Blast integration does.

[0lento]

0lento - I've got a very basic merge of HairWorks into 4.23, it needs some more massaging particularly in terms of replacing calls to SetRenderTarget with BeginRenderPass/EndRenderPass and maybe a couple of other things before it'll start compiling all the way. Are you interested in taking a look if I set it up on a github branch? We can probably look at xoyojank's Flex 4.22 to get some ideas there.

Maybe collaborate on it.

I'll welcome any help on these, but unfortunately I'm still missing a dev computer that's powerful enough to build UE 4.20+ in reasonable amount of time. On the bright side, I got all new Ryzen rig parts here except the CPU. Sadly AMD is still silent about 3950X release date, I was hoping it would have been out early September but even 3900X stocks are nonexisting atm so it could still take months to get it here.

[n00854180t]

0lento - I've got a very basic merge of HairWorks into 4.23, it needs some more massaging particularly in terms of replacing calls to SetRenderTarget with BeginRenderPass/EndRenderPass and maybe a couple of other things before it'll start compiling all the way. Are you interested in taking a look if I set it up on a github branch? We can probably look at xoyojank's Flex 4.22 to get some ideas there.

Maybe collaborate on it.

[AngeIV]

I've noticed that BLAST works as a plugin instead of requiring a source build. But hasn't been updated in a year.. Anyone worked with it and could share some experience?

[MAKSIM]

Can water be made using Niagara? Like this is done in Flex.