Unreal Engine Physics Essentials

Unreal Engine Physics Essentials

by Katax Emperore, Devin Sherry
Released September 2015
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781784394905

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Book description

Gain practical knowledge of mathematical and physics concepts in order to design and develop an awesome game world using Unreal Engine 4

About This Book

  • Use the Physics Asset Tool within Unreal Engine 4 to develop game physics objects for your game world
  • Explore the Collision mechanics within Unreal Engine 4 to create advanced, real-world physics
  • A step-by-step guide to implementing the Physics concepts involved in Unreal Engine 4 to create a working Vehicle Blueprint

Who This Book Is For

This book is intended for beginner to intermediate users of Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 who want to learn more about how to implement physics within their game-world.

No matter what your knowledge base of Unreal Engine 4 is, this book contains valuable information on blueprint scripting, collision generation, materials, and the Physical Asset Tool (PhAT) for all users to create better games.

What You Will Learn

  • Get to know basic to intermediate topics in mathematics and physics
  • Create assets using the Physics Asset Tool (PhAT) in Unreal Engine 4
  • Develop Collision Hulls, which are necessary to take advantage of Unreal Engine 4's physics and collision events
  • Use constraints to create advanced physics-based assets for your game-world
  • Working knowledge of physics bodies, physics damping, and friction within Unreal Engine 4
  • Develop physical materials to recreate real-world friction for substances such as glass and ice
  • Create a working vehicle blueprint from scratch using assets provided by Unreal Engine 4
  • Gain knowledge about implementing advanced physics in Unreal Engine 4 using C++ programming

In Detail

Unreal Engine 4 is one of the leading game development tools used by both AAA and independent developers alike to create breathe-taking games. One of the key features of this tool is the use of Physics to create a believable game-world for players to explore.

This book gives readers practical insight into the mathematical and physics principles necessary to properly implement physics within Unreal Engine 4.

Discover how to manipulate physics within Unreal Engine 4 by learning basic real-world mathematical and physics concepts that assist in the implementation of physics-based objects in your game world. Then, you'll be introduced to PhAT (Physics Asset Tool) within Unreal Engine 4 to learn more about developing game physics objects for your game world.

Next, dive into Unreal Engine 4's collision generation, physical materials, blueprints, constraints, and more to get hands-on experience with the tools provided by Epic to create real-world physics in Unreal Engine 4. Lastly, you will create a working Vehicle Blueprint that uses all the concepts covered in this book, as well as covering advanced physics-based topics.

Style and approach

An easy-to-follow reference text filled with working examples of physics within Unreal Engine 4. Each topic is broken down to easily explain how to implement physics and physical objects in your game-world using the tools provided by Epic Games Unreal Engine 4.

Table of contents

  1. Unreal Engine Physics Essentials
    1. Table of Contents
    2. Unreal Engine Physics Essentials
    3. Credits
    4. About the Authors
    5. About the Reviewer
    6. www.PacktPub.com
      1. Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more
        1. Why subscribe?
        2. Free access for Packt account holders
    7. Preface
      1. What this book covers
      2. What you need for this book
      3. Who this book is for
      4. Conventions
      5. Reader feedback
      6. Customer support
        1. Downloading the color images of this book
        2. Errata
        3. Piracy
        4. Questions
    8. 1. Math and Physics Primer
      1. Launching Unreal Engine 4
      2. Units of measurement
      3. What is an Unreal Unit?
      4. Common measurements in Unreal Engine 4
      5. Unit snapping in Unreal Engine 4
      6. Changing units of measurement in 3ds Max and Maya
      7. Units of measurement – a section review
      8. The scientific notation
      9. How to use scientific notation?
      10. The scientific notation – a section review
      11. The 2D and 3D coordinate systems
        1. The top perspective
        2. The side perspective
        3. The front perspective
      12. The 2D and 3D coordinate systems – a section review
      13. Scalars and vectors
      14. Scalars and vectors – a section review
      15. Newton's laws/Newtonian physics concepts
        1. Newton's first law of motion
        2. Newton's second law of motion
        3. Newton's third law of motion
      16. Newton's laws of motion – a section review
      17. Forces and energy
      18. Forces and energy – a section review
      19. Summary
    9. 2. Physics Asset Tool
      1. Navigating to PhAT
        1. The PhAT environment
        2. The PhAT example and experience
          1. Deleting current assets
          2. Adding and customizing current assets
      2. Summary
    10. 3. Collision
      1. Collision and Trace Responses – an overview
      2. Collision and Trace Responses – a section review
      3. Simple versus complex collision
      4. Simple versus complex collision – a section review
      5. Creating simple collisions
      6. Creating simple collisions – a section review
      7. Creating complex and custom collision hulls
      8. Creating complex and custom collision hulls – a section review
      9. Collision interactions
      10. Collision interactions – a section review
      11. Custom object and trace channel responses
      12. Custom object and trace channel responses – a section review
      13. In-depth collision presets
      14. In-depth collision presets – a section review
      15. Summary
    11. 4. Constraints
      1. What are constraints?
      2. The first physics constraint actor experience
      3. Customizing physics constraint actor
      4. A simple game with Blueprint
      5. Summary
    12. 5. Physics Damping, Friction, and Physics Bodies
      1. Physics Bodies – an overview
      2. Physics Bodies – a section review
      3. Angular and Linear Damping
      4. Angular and Linear Damping – a section review
      5. Physical Materials – an overview
      6. Physical Materials – a section review
      7. Physics Damping
      8. Physics Damping – a section review
      9. Summary
    13. 6. Materials
      1. What is physical material?
      2. Creating the first material
      3. The physics of materials
      4. Summary
    14. 7. Creating a Vehicle Blueprint
      1. Vehicle Blueprint – a content overview
      2. Vehicle Blueprints – a section overview
      3. Creating the Vehicle Blueprints
      4. Creating the Vehicle Blueprints – a section review
      5. Editing the Vehicle Blueprints
      6. Editing the Vehicle Blueprints – a section review
      7. Setting up user controls
      8. Setting up user controls – a section review
      9. Scripting movement behaviors
      10. Scripting movement behaviors – a section review
      11. Testing the vehicle
      12. Summary
    15. 8. Advanced Topics
      1. Simulating complex physics – destruction
      2. Summary
    16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Unreal Engine Physics Essentials
  • Author(s): Katax Emperore, Devin Sherry
  • Release date: September 2015
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781784394905