Hi all, I have a bit of a strange question that I’m hoping people can offer opinions on. I want to learn a game engine as a means to a bigger goal. This bigger goal is so that I can ultimately be a strong enough programmer to pick up softwares such as openFrameworks, Touch Designer, etc. and be able to make compelling things. All of these systems require some requisite knowledge of mid-to-low programming concepts about how computers process images and information. I am currently a JavaScript programmer and I’m ready to make the next step towards manipulating more powerful systems to make innovative artistic experiences. I’m torn between the two engines for different reasons and am hoping to get some guidance.
What I want to get good at:
- Video manipulation
- Graphics programming
- Shader Programming
- Manipulating hardware systems
- Programming lighting systems
- Installation / Interactive Art
My questions are as follows:
- Learning C++ in UE4 is not a small task for beginners to the language. I would no doubt learn to be a better programmer, but would I be spending my time learning aspects of C++ programing that are specific to this engine and not necessarily to my above mentioned goals?
- Considering a lot of my goals are around graphics and visuals, would the C++ concepts I learn in UE4 be applicable toward shader programming, manipulating video, etc. that I could apply to the other software? Or are visual aspects of UE4 development almost exclusively handled by the Blueprint system?
- Might it be useful to learn UE4 if it can work in conjunction with openFrameworks and Touch Designer? For instance, passing renderings from one program to another. If that’s true, learning the engine could ultimately prove quite useful if I got good at it. Would this also be true for Unity?
- It is easier to write code in Unity from what I’ve experienced, but I’m not completely convinced that C# is going to provide the deep level of experience I seek. Does anyone have opinions about this?
- I’m a Mac user. I heard from someone that less than 1% of UE4 developers are Mac users and I may be signing up for a world of hurt with cross-compatibility issues if I want people to enjoy the things I make with UE4. Is this true?
So as you see, my question is not one that’s easily answered. There are surely lots of opinions and lots of different cases for how these scenarios might be true. I’m looking for opinions on what would be the best use of my time. As a proponent of “learning by doing”, I’m excited to think that I could make a game or two in the process of becoming the best programmer I can be in the pursuit of my bigger career goals.
Thanks for reading. Any advice welcome!