UE4 Devlog: Procedural City Generation

[ApoorvaJ]

@ApoorvaJ - would be nice to hear if you plan on releasing this on the Marketplace or something. I'm interested. Personally I would prefer to buy something like this as a code library.

I wasn't necessarily planning to release this, but quite a lot of people seem to want it. Now I'm seriously considering making this an asset. UE4 currently doesn't support C++ assets on the marketplace, so in the longer run it will depend upon how this system and the engine evolves.

[Zeustiak]

Awesome work! Love everything procedural.

Getting your material working with instances is great, and it looks like very little is going on to make it happen. How much is actually going on in that Bi-Planar projection node? Is that all within the material or is there information coming in from C++/Blueprint?

Also, does it use the local space based on the location of the static mesh the instances are based on?

You could load a material pack into the marketplace just with the procedural material aspect and you would find quite a few buyers.

[ApoorvaJ]

@Zeustiak: Thanks!

Getting your material working with instances is great, and it looks like very little is going on to make it happen. How much is actually going on in that Bi-Planar projection node? Is that all within the material or is there information coming in from C++/Blueprint?

The biplanar projection material function does all the work. Zero data is passed from C++ to the material. The C++ code just applies the material.

Also, does it use the local space based on the location of the static mesh the instances are based on?

The function does use local space. So the material is seamless across components within an actor, but not across multiple actors. You can move and rotate an actor without affecting the material.

You could load a material pack into the marketplace just with the procedural material aspect and you would find quite a few buyers.

Well, I've just written the material function. You can convert almost any material to work with the system by just replacing TexCoord nodes with input from the Biplanar Projection node. Seems a bit too slim to be an asset.

[Sitrec]

Any news ApoorvaJ? Really interested in your project.

[ApoorvaJ]

Hey Sitrec,

I'm actively working on the tool. I will release a vlog this weekend. If you want more regular updates, you can always follow me on Twitter. Here's a few screenshots from the upcoming vlog that I just tweeted: https://twitter.com/ApoorvaJ/status/573460166076555265

[Sitrec]

Hey Sitrec,

I'm actively working on the tool. I will release a vlog this weekend. If you want more regular updates, you can always follow me on Twitter. Here's a few screenshots from the upcoming vlog that I just tweeted: https://twitter.com/ApoorvaJ/status/573460166076555265

Great! Following you now.
If there is anything I can do to help like testing it with other meshes, materials or what ever, just let me know!
A system like this would be a godsend for me, I do not want to spend the time I did in UDK building my hundreds of modular apartments again.

[jeffmorris]

ApoorvaJ, Please add captioning to your videos because I'm hearing-impaired.

[ApoorvaJ]

@Sitrec:
Thanks for your enthusiasm and offer. I will definitely let you know as soon as the tool is ready for testing.

@jeffmorris:
I tried adding captioning to the latest YouTube video, but the process seems to take a lot of time. I try to minimize the amount of production time I put into these videos, and I hope you'll understand. When I make tutorial videos of the tool when it's done, I'll be sure to either add captioning or also make a written tutorial.

---

Vlog #6 is up!

[jeffmorris]

ApoorvaJ, Please make a written tutorial or write down what you said in the videos and send me the text file.

[ApoorvaJ]

Vlog #7 is up, in which I demo the ability to add custom building presets without modifying the C++ code, the ability to add doors and finally generating different types of building collision data.

[Sitrec]

Fantastic! Great to see your progress, good job!

[Rohlo]

Did this project die? Due to this ? https://forums.unrealengine.com/show...eshes&p=251367

Definitely a shame if so...

[ApoorvaJ]

@Rohlo: I kinda feel bad for not posting an update here.

The project is most definitely not dead.

I've been working on it steadily, making significant code structure improvements. The vertex normal issue you linked to, took a long time to figure out. It's still not solved, but at least now I know what the exact problem is. That problem is a pain but not a show-stopper. I am working around it.

I've also been working on bringing my last puzzle game - Socioball - to Android. That has been a primary focus for me over the last month and now the bulk of the work on that front is done. I'm now focusing on this project again.

If all goes well, I hope to have a demoable, full-scale system by early June.

[eXi]

Hey there,

we have the new prefixes for threads an i can't really decide what you thread is about.

Would you say this is a tool, a scene or later on a game? If nothing matches your topic,
then i will just leave the prefix empty. (:

[ApoorvaJ]

@eXi: This is most definitely going to be tool for now. *Might* turn into a game some time later