World of Level Design™

Ask yourself: "What is the smallest part of the environment I can create with the minimum amount of workable assets to showcase it? Before expanding to the rest of the environment?"

You think you need to create hundreds of assets and different variations of them right from the start. But instead of creating 5 different mesh variations for walls, windows, floors, doors - create just one that works. You can always expand and add variations later. But do just one first.

This is what I’ve been doing when working on modular environment assets. I focus on building a small prototype of one small area using only a handful of modular assets. Then I expand to the rest of the environment.

In this tutorial I will share my current workflow for prototyping blockouts for modular environments...

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Generative Fill is an AI image creation tool in Photoshop that can be put to great use for ideas. It can create additional visual information inside or outside the image.

Find an image: can be a photo, concept art, completed work you've done or even half-finished projects and blockouts. Then run Generative Fill and watch ideas roll in.

In this tutorial you will learn how to use Photoshop's Generative Fill and all the tricks and tips to begin generating more ideas...

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You have to allow yourself to experiment with different workflows to create environments faster.

Many projects can be done quicker if you let yourself try things out more while not having to create the "perfect environment" using "perfect workflow".

Instead of creating a modular asset pack then having to texture and construct the environment in UE5. What if I modeled everything in Maya and completed the entire environment? Then exported everything out of Maya into UE5 without having to reconstruct it?

Here is the full comprehensive breakdown on Making of The Globe Staircase...

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Quixel Bridge gives you access to completed Megascans assets such as materials, 3d models and MetaHumans to bring into Unreal Engine.

With these you can detail your environments very quickly.

In this in-depth tutorial guide, I'll tell you everything you need to know to begin using Quixel Bridge to create with.

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Once you have a Wav file imported into UE5, you need to create a Sound Cue from it to use it.

You can insert both into your level - Sound Wav and Sound Cue. But you will have more power with a Sound Cue.

In this tutorial we'll cover how to use Wav files and create Sound Cues to use in your environments.

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Sound FX is one of the most overlooked and underused aspects of environment design. Yet sound is what makes the entire location come together with atmosphere and mood.

In this tutorial I will show you how to get, edit, export and import custom sounds from Audacity into UE5.

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LUT stands for color lookup table. It is a small image file that contains color information of your scene. You can create and use these LUTs in UE5 within Post Process Volume to change the look and feel of your environment.

Here is everything you need to know how to create and use LUTs in Unreal Engine 5...

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Using Dynamic Meshes has its upside: great for blockouts. But also has some downsides such as unable to export as FBX. In this post we'll cover a lot of problems and solutions while working with Dynamic meshes and converting them to Static Meshes.

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Grouping objects together is a powerful technique that will make you create environments faster in UE5. The way this works is you select a bunch of objects inside your level. Group them. Then next time you select any of the objects within a group, they all get selected. Here is everything you need to know about Grouping/Ungrouping in UE5...

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Foliage Mode is a great way to quickly populate landscapes with grass, bushes and trees.

But it doesn't have to be just foliage. You can use this mode to place Static Mesh props.

Here is everything you need to know...

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Learn to place any Static Mesh into your level naturally and randomly without having to place them manually.

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Learn to create and light beautiful interior environments from start to finish entirely in UE5 with "UE5 Retro Office Project".

You'll go from an idea to a final environment - one you'll be able to explore and play in.

Best part: the course includes 79 Static Meshes (27 Modular and 52 Props) for you to use to create with...

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3D models in UE5 are called Static Meshes. Nearly all environments use Static Meshes to create levels in UE5; this doesn't include things like landscapes, lighting, atmosphere and particles.

There are two ways to create 3d models for UE5 or UE4:

• External 3D modeling application such as Maya, Blender, 3DSMax, Modo
• Modeling Mode right inside UE5

In this in-depth study guide I'll show you 4 different options for exporting your Static Meshes from Maya and import them into UE5...

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Blockouts in UE4 used to be a simple process with BSP Brushes. But with UE5, BSP Brushes are being depreciated (although they are still available to use).

So what should you now use to create blockouts in UE5?

In UE5 you can blockout 3 different ways: BSP Brushes, Modeling Mode, Modular Meshes...

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"I am creating a level for a single player, third-person shooter game. I need to design combat/battle areas where the player encounters enemies and fights his way through. How should I approach this? What type of combat design should I incorporate? How should I design the playable space to make combat fun, one doesn't suck or gets boring?"

In single player level design you don't have to worry about timing, balance or choke points as you would in multiplayer level design.

However, you have whole other set of rules to follow...

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Jump scare is one of the most commonly used techniques in movies and games designed to scare you. A jump scare where there is an abrupt change of an image often combined with sound.

But you can only use this a few times before it begins to lose its effectiveness. Plus it is often seen as a cheap trick to scare the player.

What you need to do instead is create a tense atmosphere to keep the player engaged, curious yet scared as they explore your game world?

Alan Wake does this well with 3 simple yet effective principles...

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Alan Wake takes place in the Pacific Northwest and features outdoor environments with mountains, forests, mining caves and abandoned towns. On top of that, most of the locations you visit are at night.

The challenge comes from designing environments in such a way that effortlessly guide the player to their next destination without them getting lost and frustrated.

In Alan Wake I rarely felt lost. Maybe a few times during combat but I was always able to orient myself back on path.

How does the game guide the player through nighttime forest environments?

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Alan Wake 2 is coming in October. So I wanted to replay the original Alan Wake from 13 years ago.

I wanted to learn how Remedy created the single-player, story driven experience and how this influenced its level design.

I walked away with 12-pages of notes.

In this massive post and video breakdown we’ll go deep into storytelling secrets and how Alan Wake crafted its level design to tell a story...

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The following quick tips series is created for beginners and experts using Maya. These are quick useful tips to help improve and show techniques you may have not known or forgotten about.

All videos are very short, between 1-5 minutes.

The following Part 2 includes 10 quick tips...

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Trim sheets are one of the best ways to texture multiple props and environment assets.

In this tutorial I will show you how to create a simple trim texture for props that contains wood and metal using Maya, Substance Painter and UE5.

You can use this method to create any other trim sheet that contains 2 different surface types.

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"Miami Corner Store" was going to be a full step-by-step tutorial course to creating a building environment set in Miami using Maya and UE4. Unfortunately it never got finished. Out of 7 modules, I completed 3. I've decided to release the completed videos to you for free.

Let's get to Part 3/3: Maya UVing.

Part 3 of Miami Corner Store is focused on UVing everything to get it ready for texturing. You'll see the UVing process from unwrapping every single modeled geometry to final UV layout...

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"Miami Corner Store" was going to be a full step-by-step tutorial course to creating a building environment set in Miami using Maya and UE4. Unfortunately it never got finished. Out of 7 modules, I completed 3. I've decided to release the completed videos to you for free.

Let's get to Part 2/3: Maya Modeling.

Part 2 of Miami Corner Store is focused on modeling the building and all its details using MayaLT/Maya. You will see the entire modeling process...

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"Miami Corner Store" was going to be a full step-by-step tutorial course to creating a building environment set in Miami using Maya and UE4. Unfortunately it never got finished. Out of 7 modules, I completed 3. I’ve decided to release the completed videos to you for free.

Let's get to Part 1/3: Blockout...

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Creating simple wires or cables that follow a curve is simple. You either use Extrude Along the Curve or Sweep Mesh.

But how do you create more complex geometry to follow a curve such as spiral wires or chains?

The answer is to use some of the Maya's animation tools...

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3 step method I use to Unwrap organic, cylindrical shapes quickly. Perfect for wires, ropes, cables, organic curved shapes and more...

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There are 3 primary UV sewing methods you will use in Maya. Sew, Move/Sew and Stitch Together. I use them all but there are differences between each...

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If you've been UVing in Maya then you already know about Automatic Unwrap. It's a way to UV your assets quickly by running one command.

But most beginners make the mistake of using Automatic Unwrap and calling it done...

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Let's Model three office furniture props - wooden bookshelf, wooden cabinet and a wooden desk.

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Substance Painter comes with a decent amount of starter content materials to use. But there are many material types it doesn't have. You will find yourself wanting to have more.

Here is how to download, import or install and start using new materials in Substance Painter...

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Experiment more. Try textures that don't fit into theme of your environment. New ideas reveal themselves you wouldn't think of otherwise.

There are times when you're working on an environment and modeling assets but you haven't figured out how you want to texture them.

Take some time and experiment with this exercise...

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Sweep Mesh tool will create a polygonal mesh from a curve in few clicks.

In previous tutorial I showed you how to Extrude Along a Curve but Sweep Mesh tool will do this a lot quicker with a lot more procedural options.

Let's cover Sweep Mesh tool in detail...

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Extrude Along a Curve is a modeling technique used to create cables, ropes, wires, tentacles, branches and more.

You draw a curve then you extrude a set of faces to follow that curve to create your polygonal shape.

In this tutorial you will learn how to use Extrude Along a Curve technique and additional tricks and secrets that I haven't seen shared...

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Number one mistake beginner's make is creating environments that are either too small or too big.

The entire scale of the world and its proportions are off and you can easily tell when you see it.

When you begin working on a new environment, you need to know the player and world geometry dimensions to avoid problems with scale.

In this post you will learn all the dimensions you need for creating to correct scale...

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The biggest frustration with UE5 is the "magnitude" of the engine.

It has so many tools, functions, parameters, editors and plugins. By the time you open the editor and ready to create, you are already overwhelmed by its complexity.

Before you try to create an environment or a game, you need to focus on the essentials of the engine. These include editor's interface, viewport navigation, using different viewport modes, project management, using the Content Browser, working with objects in the editor and creating very simple levels using Starter Content and much more. This is step 1.

This tutorial guide will give you the necessary steps to start using UE5 - TODAY...

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Begin your journey with UE5,

Being completely new to UE5, you need to learn the fundamentals - the essentials of the engine.

Do not waste time trying to "mess around with UE5 and figure out how to use it" on your own.

I will teach you Unreal Engine 5 as a complete beginner with zero knowledge of the engine and without any prior experience...

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At first glance, UE5 interface looks simple. But the more you learn, the more you discover a massively complex piece of software.

In this post I will outline how to begin learning UE5 so you have a good foundation to build on. This way you can begin using it rather than being overwhelmed by it.

Here are 11 core principles you need to know about for learning UE5 from scratch...

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I'm going to show you how to get UE5 scale Mannequins exported from Unreal Engine and imported into your 3D modeling software.

In my case I will use Maya.  But it will work in other software such as Blender, 3DSMax and others.

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In this tutorial I'm going to show you how to add an additional Game Templates into an existing project.  I do this to all of my projects because I want to have the ability to prototype and playtest in either Third Person or First Person game mode.

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Let's model a metal folding chair prop. Perfect for set dressing a cafeteria or a break room environment.

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Let's model a modular sci-fi doorway with a door that can be opened or closed.

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Let's model Half-Life 2 inspired wooden supply crate. One of the most iconic props to have been created for a game.

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Let's model Half-Life 2 inspired wooden supply crate. One of the most iconic props to have been created for a game.

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Exporting large number of Static Meshes is tedious and time-consuming, especially when you are working with a lot of modular meshes. Too much time is spent on exporting such as moving objects to World Origin, renaming, moving them back, then repeating the steps for the rest of the models.

But there is a much easier way,

Maya Game Exporter can automate the export process for you. If you haven't used Maya Game Exporter, after this tutorial you will especially for a large set of modular meshes...

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