1–Workflow is the process that you go through when you create things, a simple version would be like: model in 3ds >Texture in Photoshop>Export to UE4
2–Depends on what you want to do, as a programmer you don’t need anything extra, as a 3D artist, you need a 3D program like 3ds , Maya, or Blender, along with a image editing program like Photoshop.
3–There’s two ways to create geometry for an UE4 game, BSP or Static Meshes. BSP is created directly in UE4, and it’s very limited in what you’re able to create with it. Static Meshes are created in a separate 3D program where you have access to more tools for modeling along with many features that BSP doesn’t have. Behind the scenes, the engine is slower at processing BSP geometry than if you made the exact same mesh with a Static Mesh.
4–Poly is a polygon, typically you’d use it to refer to a shape that’s 4 or more sides, something with 3 sides is still a polygon but you’d want to call it a Tri (triangle). All 3D geometry is technically made out of tris, if you’re in a 3D program like 3ds , you’ll see shapes that have more than 3 sides, but internally they are also tris. Whenever you export something to a game engine all of the shapes will be converted to tris.
5–You’re already on one, there’s many people here who have Youtube tutorials, plus if you have a question you can do a search through the forums to see if it’s already been brought up before. There’s also a section for tutorials.
1–Workflow is the process that you go through when you create things, a simple version would be like: model in 3ds >Texture in Photoshop>Export to UE4
2–Depends on what you want to do, as a programmer you don’t need anything extra, as a 3D artist, you need a 3D program like 3ds , Maya, or Blender, along with a image editing program like Photoshop.
3–There’s two ways to create geometry for an UE4 game, BSP or Static Meshes. BSP is created directly in UE4, and it’s very limited in what you’re able to create with it. Static Meshes are created in a separate 3D program where you have access to more tools for modeling along with many features that BSP doesn’t have. Behind the scenes, the engine is slower at processing BSP geometry than if you made the exact same mesh with a Static Mesh.
4–Poly is a polygon, typically you’d use it to refer to a shape that’s 4 or more sides, something with 3 sides is still a polygon but you’d want to call it a Tri (triangle). All 3D geometry is technically made out of tris, if you’re in a 3D program like 3ds , you’ll see shapes that have more than 3 sides, but internally they are also tris. Whenever you export something to a game engine all of the shapes will be converted to tris.
5–You’re already on one, there’s many people here who have Youtube tutorials, plus if you have a question you can do a search through the forums to see if it’s already been brought up before. There’s also a section for tutorials.
[/QUOTE]
Thank you so much darthviper!
So if I were to create a mesh in 3ds , should I texture it with materials or photoshop?
If you’re going to get into things you’ll need to do some beginner tutorials so you can understand the underlying concepts—After modeling an object (creating a mesh) you have to create UV mapping. UV mapping is an extra set of coordinates for your mesh that determine how a flat texture map is applied to a mesh. Since a mesh is 3D and a texture map is a flat 2D image, it has to flatten out the 3D mesh to new coordinates. Think of it how you might flatten out a cardboard box.
After that, you create a texture map which is simply an image, which you can create in a program like Photoshop, although there are other tools people use that make it easier to paint textures for a 3D mesh. After that, the texture map gets plugged into a material. A material is something that tries to replicate a material look that you’re going for, like glass, plastic, or metal for example. Each material has several texture slots that you can use, like color or reflection. You can use things like solid colors in your material, but when you create a texture map you’re usually adding things like weathering to make a material look more realistic.
BSP stands for Binary Space Partitions, it’s actually a term for the tool in UE4 that’s used to create geometry. It’s specific to the tools that allow you to create geometry in the engine itself, rather than importing a static mesh and placing it in the level. The advantage of it is that you can create geometry quickly without the need of a separate program, but it just doesn’t allow you to do anything detailed.
So when I’m texturing a mesh, I create the texture through Photoshop? Then I import that texture to UE4, turn it into a material, and modify from there?
Also what’s one of the programs that makes it easier to paint a 3D mesh?
Before you import your texture that you have made with photoshop you will have to uv map your mesh e.g After that you can import it - create a material out of it - assign the material to a mesh - modify some stuff in the material (e.g roughness, metallic, SSS,…)
The texture doesn’t get turned into a material, it gets plugged into the material and is used to control something like the color or how reflective it is. Photoshop can be used to paint directly to a texture, but that can be difficult knowing where on the texture you want to paint so that it ends up on the right part of the mesh. So there’s some programs like Mari, or Substance Painter, or even a tool in 3ds that allows you to paint directly to the 3D model (almost like you would paint an object in real life).
Go through some beginner tutorials, a lot of this is going to be very confusing if you’re starting out and don’t even know what a poly is.
Hey, ! It’s great to hear you’re liking the engine so far!
I just wanted to make the notes that
A: If you’re intimidated by all the talk of modeling and making your own textures, you can get pretty far just by using the content already packaged with the engine. A lot of users have produced really cool stuff without touching modeling programs or photoshop!
and secondly,
B: If you need technical help with the engine, don’t be afraid to pop in to www.answers.unrealengine and ask around. Epic staff usually keeps an eye on that area, and there are tons of super helpful users there, too!
Thanks again for your interest.
Edit: As another note, and , you guys are a credit to the community. The Engine can be pretty intimidating at first, so it’s great seeing folks like you helping the new guys out.
1 A workflow is a habit and not a static fact. It’s what you do that makes your life easier with out having to buy something that makes your white whiter or your brights brighter.
2 Anything with FBX support is worth trying just to see what it will do.
5 The most useful sites I found don’t even deal with 3d in general, as in yet again learning to push another button, but deals more with the reality of function over form.
Hair design for example you will learn more from your barber than you will ever learn from a bunch of button pushers.
Unless something’s changed in their new version, Quixel is actually a plugin for Photoshop. Even then, it’s a tool for creating object specific procedural details for your textures, stuff like weathering. It’s not a full texture painting solution.
