We’re excited to share a few of the new features now available on the Master branch on GitHub. To be able to try out these new features, you will need to download the source code for the Master branch and build the Engine yourself. For more information about how to build the Engine from source code, please see this page. The Master branch on GitHub is constantly being updated and is not quality tested so it may be potentially unstable. We do not recommend using the Master branch for project development. If you wish to wait, these features will be made available to all in an upcoming official release.
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Engine News
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**New Features
** Parallax Occlusion Mapping
A new node has been added to the Material Editor! Use Parallax Occlusion Mapping to get accurate, detailed shadows out of your materials.
To achieve this level of detail, Parallax Mapping traces a ray through a heightmap texture, returning the intersection offset. Occlusion Mapping is then performing a second trace from that offset location in the direction of the light. Pixel Depth Offset involves pushing pixels into the Z buffer which means they receive accurate shadows and intersect with other meshes using the heightmap rather than the geometry.
From Left to Right: Flat Surface, Parallax Mapping, +Occlusion Mapping
**Blueprints: Easily Change Variable Types **
You can now alter variable pin types right in the My Blueprint window. Simply left click to bring up the pin type selector, or right click to toggle the variable to an array.
Do we have a time frame as to when we might be seeing the POM being implemented? if not it’s cool, I’m just super excited for it as someone who came from using Cryengine.
Features being implemented into the master branch now should be available in the 4.9 release (potentially as either standard or “experimental”). 4.9 will be available in a few months.
Keep in mind, if you are working on a project and decide you want a feature, you can always back port that particular feature, so you will know that the build in general is stable and can just test that one feature. Now, some features touch more parts of the code than others, but many studios already do this as they have decided to stick with a branch as they get closer to release, and so they don’t have to update their whole project every few months.
The Hits just keep on coming! Pretty dang cool. So this is what it’s like to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Gotta keep moving. Do you guys ever sleep?
[=Kheka;309996]
Awesome. Any updates on dynamic physical materials?
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Oooh I haven’t heard of this. Changing mass on the fly would have made some simulations I was doing ages ago a heck of a lot easier. I was trying to simulate a tree with each branch being attached with a physics constraint but each branch had to be lighter than the previous one or it got all messed up, but without dynamic physics materials this was hard to achieve, I basically gave up
if not it’s cool, I’m just super excited for it as someone who came from using Cryengine.