Unreal Engine: Advanced Widgets for UI from Udemy

What's inside

Learning objectives

How to create data driven dynamic menu systems
Utilizing data tables and structs to create dynamic menus
Advanced widget rendering techniques
Custom widget interaction
3d widget creation and interaction

How to map a game controller to use your widgets
Using a render target to render a secondary camera to a widget
Using image sequence animations within widgets
How to create drag and drop widgets
How to create a skyrim inspired inventory system

How to create data driven dynamic menu systems
Utilizing data tables and structs to create dynamic menus
Advanced widget rendering techniques
Custom widget interaction
3d widget creation and interaction
How to map a game controller to use your widgets
Using a render target to render a secondary camera to a widget
Using image sequence animations within widgets
How to create drag and drop widgets
How to create a skyrim inspired inventory system

Syllabus

Introduction

A quick primer for the course. Please make sure to download the project files attached to this lesson in order to follow along. Download AdvancedWidgets427.zip for Unreal 4.27 files, or AdvancedWidgets52.zip for Unreal 5.2 or higher.

The Infinity Blade packs are no longer available from Epic, so download those as well and put them in the projects Content folder. If you have already opened the project, you may need to delete the Binaries, Intermediate, and Saved folders from the project and restart.

How to make the most out of this course.

What is object-oriented programming and how does it relate to Unreal and widgets?

User Created Widgets are an important facet of widget creation and should be well understood before creating a menu.

Learn the importance of dynamic menus and the basic concepts of how to create them.

What are data tables and structs, and how can they be used to create data driven widgets?

How to write a quick C++ script that will import data at runtime.

How to parse data from a file at runtime in order to utilize it to create data driven widgets.

The importance of the Asset Registry and how it can be used to drive automation and build widget systems.

Walking through an example of a data driven widget system.

How to override widget events and functions, and why you might want to do so.

Creating a drag and drop action.

What is the Preconstruct event and how can it be utilized within widgets?

How to map a controller to widget menus.

Binding widget events such as OnClicked and OnHovered from outside of a widget.

How to create Editor Widgets and what they are used for.

What is a responsive menu and why is it important?

How to create and interact with 3D widgets.

How to create and implement UI materials.

Creating a render target texture and using it in widgets.

Learn about the Retainer Box and how it can be used to create widget special effects.

Creating alpha masks to mask widgets.

Using image sequences to drive complex animations in widgets.

An introduction to the inventory system project and setting it up. These free asset packs used in this lesson will need to be downloaded from the Epic Games Launcher Marketplace:

Windwalker Echo

Infinity Blade: Grass Lands

Infinity Blade: Props

Infinity Blade: Weapons

Food Pack 01

Creating the item system using inheritance, which will allow for item interaction.

In this section we will create the 3D pickup widget, which will show up when the player gets close to a pickup object.

We will create the Inventory Item and main Inventory widgets.

We will create and set up the stat widgets.

We will create and set up the Inventory Type widgets.

We will create and set up the Overencumbered widget.

We will create all of the main Inventory Menu functions and variables.

We will set up the inputs for the main character blueprint using the Enhanced Input plugin.

We will initialize the widgets and create a script which will get the closest item to the character.

We will make a few last changes and finish up the character blueprint.

We will design and set up the inventory section of the main inventory widget.

We will design and set up the description section of the main inventory widget.

We will design and set up the bottom menu of the main inventory widget.

We will create the functionality that will control what happens when you switch between a gamepad and a keyboard.

We will program what happens when an item is added to the inventory.

We will program the function that populates the inventory scroll box with inventory buttons.

We will program the function which updates the characters total weight.

We will program what happens when the player favorites an item.

We will create the functionality for what happens when the player drops an item.

We will determine what happens when an Inventory Item button is clicked.

We will determine what happens when a user filters the inventory using the Item Type buttons.

We will script some necessary actions which happen when the inventory is opened.

We will finish up the main inventory.

We will create the 3D Item which appears above the description section.

We will debug a few issues with the scripting.

We will populate the world with items and finish up the course!

Enjoy this course? Go back and watch the first of the series - Unreal Engine: Creating Widgets for UI. Available now on Udemy!

https://www.udemy.com/course/unreal-engine-creating-widgets-for-ui/?referralCode=3A5DC6A4CDE255FB3D94

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores advanced widget rendering techniques, which allows developers to create visually appealing and performant user interfaces for their games and applications

Teaches how to create data-driven dynamic menu systems, which is essential for creating complex and customizable user interfaces in games and applications

Develops skills in custom widget interaction, which allows developers to create unique and engaging user experiences within their Unreal Engine projects

Requires downloading specific asset packs from the Epic Games Launcher Marketplace, which may take time and require an Epic Games account

Uses Unreal Engine 4.27 or 5.2, so learners should ensure compatibility with their existing projects or be prepared to work within these versions

Recommends taking 'Unreal Engine: Creating Widgets for UI' first, which may be necessary for learners without prior experience in Unreal Engine widget creation

Reviews summary

Advanced ui widgets for unreal engine

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation for creating advanced UI elements in Unreal Engine, building upon basic widget knowledge. Students particularly praise the practical project-based approach, especially the Skyrim-inspired inventory system demo, which is seen as a significant strength. Many reviewers highlight the clarity and conciseness of the lessons and the instructor's effective teaching style. While the course is generally well-received and highly recommended, some learners noted that certain sections could benefit from deeper explanation or updates to match the latest engine versions, though the instructor appears to make efforts to address this.

Suitable for those with basic UI knowledge.

"Perfect course if you already know the basics of widgets."

"This course is definitely aimed at advanced users, as advertised."

"It builds nicely on basic widget tutorials."

Instructor is knowledgeable and effective.

"Great instructor, explains complex topics well."

"The instructor's expertise is evident throughout the course."

"Really appreciated the instructor's teaching style."

Lessons are easy to follow and understand.

"The explanations are clear and easy to digest."

"Instructor is very clear and gets straight to the point."

"I found the lessons concise and well-structured."

Strong emphasis on hands-on projects.

"The project structure really helps solidify the concepts."

"Hands-on projects helped me understand the material better."

"I enjoyed the inventory system project; it was challenging but rewarding."

Excellent, detailed inventory system demo.

"The Skyrim inventory system part was the best, very comprehensive."

"Loved building the inventory system; it's a great takeaway project."

"The inventory project alone is worth the price of admission."

Some topics/versions may need updates.

"Could use some updates for the latest UE versions."

"Some sections felt a bit rushed and could go deeper."

"I had to do some external research for certain topics."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Unreal Engine: Advanced Widgets for UI with these activities:

Review Widget Blueprints Basics

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Reviewing the fundamentals of Widget Blueprints will ensure a solid foundation for understanding the advanced concepts covered in this course.

Browse courses on Widget Blueprints

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Review the official Unreal Engine documentation on Widget Blueprints.
Revisit basic widget creation tutorials.
Practice creating simple widgets from scratch.

Review: Mastering Unreal Engine

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Reading this book will provide a broader understanding of Unreal Engine concepts, which will help you better grasp the advanced widget techniques taught in this course.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Read the chapters related to UI and widgets.
Experiment with the examples provided in the book.

Implement Data-Driven Widgets

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Practicing the creation of data-driven widgets will reinforce your understanding of data tables, structs, and dynamic menu systems.

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Create a data table with sample data.
Design a widget that displays the data from the table.
Implement functionality to update the widget dynamically.

Four other activities

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Create a Custom Widget Style Guide

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Creating a style guide will help you solidify your understanding of widget customization and advanced rendering techniques.

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Choose a theme or style for your widgets.
Document the colors, fonts, and visual elements used in your style.
Create example widgets that showcase your style guide.

Develop a Mini-Game Menu System

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Building a menu system for a mini-game will allow you to apply the advanced widget techniques learned in the course in a practical setting.

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Design the menu structure for your mini-game.
Implement the widgets for each menu screen.
Connect the menus to the game logic.

Portfolio: Advanced Widget Demo Reel

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Creating a demo reel showcasing your advanced widget skills will help you demonstrate your expertise to potential employers or clients.

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Select your best widget creations from the course and your projects.
Record video footage of your widgets in action.
Edit the footage into a professional-looking demo reel.

Answer Questions on Unreal Engine Forums

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Helping other students with their Unreal Engine questions will reinforce your own understanding of the material and improve your problem-solving skills.

Show steps

Browse the Unreal Engine forums for questions related to widgets and UI.
Provide helpful and informative answers to the questions.
Share your own experiences and insights.

Career center

Learners who complete Unreal Engine: Advanced Widgets for UI will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Unreal Engine Instructor

An Unreal Engine Instructor teaches others how to use Unreal Engine for game development, visualization, and other applications. This course helps you deepen your understanding of the Unreal Widget Blueprint system, allowing you to teach advanced UI techniques effectively. By mastering data driven dynamic menus, custom widget interactions, and 3D widget creation, you become equipped to guide students through complex UI design challenges. In particular, the experience of creating a Skyrim inspired inventory system is directly applicable to teaching practical game development skills.

See salaries and explore the career path for Unreal Engine Instructor

User Interface Designer

A User Interface Designer focuses on creating visually appealing and intuitive interfaces for software and games. A strong understanding of widget systems is essential for this role. This course helps you master the Unreal Widget Blueprint system, enabling you to create complex, data driven menus and utilize advanced rendering techniques. The skills acquired in creating dynamic inventory systems, custom widget interactions, and 3D widgets will be directly applicable to designing engaging user interfaces. Learning about responsive menu design and UI materials could be particularly useful to a User Interface Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Interface Designer

Game Developer

Game Developers bring video games to life, and user interface is a crucial element for player experience. With its focus on advanced techniques for the Unreal Widget Blueprint system, this course is valuable. You will learn to create professional grade user interfaces, similar to those found in popular games. The course's emphasis on data driven dynamic menus, advanced widget rendering, and custom widget interaction builds a solid foundation for creating immersive game experiences. Creating a Skyrim inspired inventory system within this course provides direct, hands on experience relevant to game development tasks. Any Game Developer who wants to improve their skillset may find this course useful.

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Interaction Designer

An Interaction Designer focuses on the way users interact with a system. A strong user interface skillset is extremely important. This course helps you master Unreal's toolset for creating interactive widgets. You will learn to create menus similar to games like Skyrim, Madden NFL, and Hogwarts Legacy. Furthermore, by learning about custom widget interaction and how to map a controller to widget menus, you can create intuitive controls. Creating editor widgets may be an especially good area for an Interaction Designer to look at.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Virtual Reality Developer

Virtual Reality Developers create immersive experiences, and intuitive user interfaces are key to successful VR applications. This course helps you develop skills in advanced widget rendering techniques and 3D widget creation, which are essential for VR interface design. The knowledge of how to map a controller to widgets is directly applicable to creating interactive VR environments. Furthermore, the course's exploration of render targets for secondary cameras within widgets could allow a Virtual Reality Developer to develop inventive ways to present information.

See salaries and explore the career path for Virtual Reality Developer

Simulation Developer

Simulation Developers create virtual environments for training, research, or entertainment purposes. User interfaces are often used in these environments. This course helps you develop skills in advanced widget rendering techniques and 3D widget creation, which are essential for creating interactive simulation interfaces. Learning how to map a game controller to widgets is especially relevant for creating realistic and immersive control schemes. In particular, using a render target to render a secondary camera to a widget may be helpful for seeing the simulated world from multiple perspectives.

See salaries and explore the career path for Simulation Developer

Application Developer

Application Developers design and build various kinds of applications, and user interface is an integral part of any successful application. By learning how to create data driven dynamic menus and utilize advanced rendering techniques, this course helps you build interfaces. The techniques learned in creating a dynamic inventory system have direct implications for creating database driven applications. Gaining expertise in custom widget interaction and 3D widgets, will give an Application Developer more sophisticated tools to implement when building interactive applications.

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User Experience Designer

User Experience Designers focus on enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability and accessibility of products. This course helps build crucial skills in creating intuitive and engaging user interfaces. The course's exploration of responsive menu design and custom widget interaction helps with the development of user centered designs. Experience with 3D widget creation and advanced widget rendering techniques enables a User Experience Designer to craft unique and effective interfaces. This course may be useful for a User Experience Designer that wants to focus on visual design.

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Technical Artist

A Technical Artist bridges the gap between art and programming, optimizing art assets for real time rendering. This course may be useful in that it helps you understand advanced widget rendering techniques and how to create UI materials within Unreal Engine. The knowledge gained can be applied to optimizing user interfaces for performance and visual quality. The course's focus on image sequence animations within widgets builds skills in creating visually rich and efficient UI elements. Furthermore, creating alpha masks to mask widgets may be especially helpful to the Technical Artist.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and test software systems. This course may be useful for improving user interface skills. By learning how to create data driven dynamic menus and implement custom widget interactions, the Software Engineer can build robust and interactive applications. The course's focus on object oriented programming concepts and how they relate to Unreal and widgets builds a deeper understanding of software design principles. In particular, the course's section on importing data at runtime using C++ may be beneficial to a Software Engineer.

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Augmented Reality Developer

Augmented Reality Developers create applications that overlay digital content onto the real world, and user interface is key for integrating digital and physical experiences. This course may be useful for creating intuitive AR interfaces. The skills gained in creating 3D widgets and mapping game controllers to widgets is particularly relevant for AR development. In particular, by learning about using a render target to render a secondary camera to a widget, an Augmented Reality Developer can add interfaces.

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Data Visualization Specialist

Data Visualization Specialists create visual representations of data to facilitate understanding and decision making. User interfaces are essential to the design of dashboards and reporting applications. You may find benefit in this course's deep dive into data driven dynamic menus, as this allows you to make more responsive applications. Furthermore, an understanding of custom widget interactions may be beneficial to the design of interactive charts. A Data Visualization Specialist can use this course to enhance the visual clarity and interactivity of data presentations.

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Animator

Animators create the illusion of movement through the creation of animation. While this often encompasses characters, a good skill in animation could be useful for user interfaces. This course may be useful for creating complex widget animations. By learning the importance of dynamic menus and how to create them, you may be able to use the data driven portions taught in this course to automatically generate sequences of animations. Creating image sequence animations within widgets could prove to be quite useful to an Animator.

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Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers create learning experiences, and interactive interfaces can enhance engagement in educational software. This course helps you develop skills in creating data driven dynamic menus and custom widget interactions, which can be applied to building interactive learning modules. Gaining expertise in 3D widgets and advanced rendering techniques allows an Instructional Designer to create visually appealing and effective educational tools. This course may be useful for instructional designers wanting to create interactive simulations.

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Quality Assurance Tester

Quality Assurance Testers ensure software quality by creating and executing test plans. This course helps you understand the underlying structure and functionality of user interfaces within Unreal Engine, especially with interactive features. By learning about dynamic menu systems, custom widget interactions, and controller mapping, the Quality Assurance Tester gains insight into potential areas for testing and identifying bugs. This knowledge may improve the effectiveness in testing user interfaces.

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Unreal Engine

Advanced Widgets for UI

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Reviews summary

Advanced ui widgets for unreal engine

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