Unreal Engine 5.3 Beginner Tutorial - UE5 Starter Course 2023 #unrealengine5 #megascans #cgi

Introduction

In this tutorial, we'll learn how to create a realistic ocean environment using Unreal Engine 5.3. This step-by-step guide is designed for beginners and will walk you through the essential processes of setting up lighting, creating landscapes, and customizing water and land assets to achieve a stunning ocean scene.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Project

1. Open Unreal Engine 5.3.
2. Select "Games" and choose the "Third Person" template.
3. Check the box for "Starter Content."
4. Name your project "OceanTutorial" and click "Create."
5. Once the project opens, navigate to File > New Level and create an empty level.

Step 2: Configure Lighting

1. Go to Window and select Environment Light Mixer.
2. Enable the following options:
   • Create Skylight
   • Create Sky Atmosphere
   • Create Atmospheric Light
   • Create Volumetric Cloud
   • Create Height Fog
3. Close the mixer and adjust the Exponential Height Fog:
   • Enable Volumetric Fog in the details panel.
4. Select the Skylight and enable "Real-time Capture."

Step 3: Create the Landscape

1. Switch to Select Mode and choose Landscape.
2. Leave the settings as default and click "Create."
3. Return to Select Mode.

Step 4: Enabling the Water Plugin

1. Go to Edit > Plugins.
2. Search for "Water" and enable the Water plugin.
3. Restart the engine, ensuring to save your level as "OceanTutorial."

Step 5: Adding the Ocean

1. Open your content drawer and locate the level you created.
2. Click Place Actor Panel and search for "Water."
3. Drag the Water Body Ocean into your level.
4. Wait for the shaders to compile.

Step 6: Customize Water Settings

1. Select the water surface and open the Details Panel.
2. Find Water Wave Assets and double-click to open:
   • Adjust Minimum Wavelength and Maximum Wavelength for wave frequency.
   • Set the Amplitude to control wave height.
   • Adjust the Direction to change wave movement.
   • Reset values if needed.

Step 7: Modify Water Material

1. Select the water body and find the Water Material in the details.
2. Double-click to open the material settings.
3. Enable Caustics and adjust the Absorption Color to achieve desired water clarity.
4. Save your changes.

Step 8: Adding Land Assets

1. Download the Nordic Coast collection from the Unreal Marketplace.
2. Import the assets into your project:
   • Click on Add to Project and select your project.
3. Place cliff and rock assets by dragging them into the scene.

Step 9: Add a Reference Mannequin

1. Go to the Content Folder > Characters > Mannequins > Mesh.
2. Drag a mannequin into your scene for scale reference.

Step 10: Enhance Scene with Additional Assets

1. Use the foliage tool to add vegetation and other details around the cliffs and ocean.
2. Experiment with different asset placements to create a natural look.

Step 11: Set Up Post Process Effects

1. Add a Post Process Volume to enhance lighting and shadows.
2. Adjust settings such as Bloom, Exposure, and Lens Flare to achieve the desired atmosphere.

Step 12: Final Touches

1. Integrate an HDRI backdrop for enhanced sky effects:
   • Enable HDRI plugin via Edit > Plugins.
   • Download HDRI from sources like Polyhaven.
   • Import and apply it to the HDRI backdrop actor in your scene.
2. Adjust the directional light and skylight settings for a natural sunlight effect.

Conclusion

You have now created a basic ocean environment in Unreal Engine 5.3. Key steps included setting up your project, configuring lighting, adding water and land assets, and applying atmospheric effects. Feel free to experiment with the settings and assets to customize your scene further. For next steps, consider exploring animation techniques or advanced materials to enhance your project even more!