Importing Modules Into Unreal Blueprints Using a Blueprint Function Library
After some explorations and carefully looking into the way Epic appears to want users to interface with Python in Blueprints, I have landed on a new modular way to integrate Python modules into Unreal which adheres to Epic's rules while reducing repetitive code.
Continue reading →Improving the MegaAssemblies Workflow
Prefabs are an incredibly useful tool in the world-builders kit, and they’re incredibly common across studios and engines. None the less, Unreal doesn’t really have a true prefab system. So in this post we will look at developing a pseudo-prefab system using level-instance blueprints, Python, and Bluetilities.
Continue reading →Layered Materials - Vertex Color Manager in Maya
In modern development layered materials are all the rage. One of the cheaper ways to denote where to assign materials is vertex color, and in this post we will explore a dynamic solution for accurately setting and managing those vertex colors in Maya. Using this system artists can avoid manually entering values, and simply assign predetermined values to their selection.
Continue reading →Automating Light-Map Creation in Maya
When using light-maps in Unreal texel density is key. However because these light-maps can often be quite small, doing this right can be a frustrating process which requires artists to layout their light-map UVs with the correct padding to avoid splitting pixels, creating shadow artifacts on objects in the scene. To make matters worse, the size of the object in the scene is the ultimate determining factor on what size light-map the object should use. This leaves the artists working in Maya without the proper context in which to make that decision, so here is a solution to reduce human input in the process and improve the workflow.
Continue reading →