In this short video I'll be giving you a sneak peak as to what's to come as well as offer up some thoughts and insights as to how to get the most out of this course.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Navigate the Course 

In this video I'll guide you through the download and installation process for Unreal Engine 4. Unreal Engine 4 is FREE to download and install!

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Download & Install Unreal Engine 4 

In this video we'll create and name our project as well as determine where we'd like to store project files on our computer. This will be a "Blueprint" based project and will make use of the "3rd Person” template that comes with Unreal Engine 4.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Setup a Brand New Project

• Set "Play" to "Game Gets Mouse Control" in Editor Preferences

In this video we'll Import Height Maps in order to quickly recreate a real (or fictional) landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Import Height Maps

ASSETS IMPORTED...

• HeightMap_Good

• HeightMap_Jagged

• USA_HeightMap_01

• USA_HeightMap_02

In this video we'll grab our own, real world, Height Map using a free online resource.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Make a Custom Height Map

• Import a Height Map

ASSETS IMPORTED...

• User Choice!

NOTE #1

As an alternative to Terrain.Party (which sometimes experiences issues) you can ALSO try using:

https://tangrams.github.io/heightmapper

....to grab some real world locale height maps.  Simply zoom in / out on the area you'd like to sample and click on the "export" button in the far upper right. 

NOTE #2

In the event of Terrain.Party experiencing issues, I've attached 2 other height maps I got off of the site you can try out.

• Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado, USA)

• Mt. Whitney Portal (California, USA)

In this video we'll address a few landscape related questions that typically come up after a landscape is initially created or imported.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Build Lighting

• Add a Lightmass Importance Volume

• Rotate a Landscape

• Set Level Bookmarks

• Alter Viewport Camera Speed (for faster "flying" around the level)

In this video we'll learn to use the Sculpt Tool. This is, perhaps, the most basic and widely used of all the sculpting tool....a MUST to understand!

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Sculpt Landscapes UP and DOWN

In this video we'll learn to use the Erase Tool. With this tool, we can reset areas of our landscape height map back to its default height.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Use the Erase Tool

• Scale Brush Sizes with Hotkeys

• Set Editor Startup Map

ASSETS ADDED...

• Level: Map_Sculpting

In this video we'll learn to use the Smooth Tool. This tool is used to smooth out areas of a landscape that appear more lumpy or jagged than desired.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Smooth Landscapes

• Make "Switchbacks" in Landscapes

In this video we'll learn to use the Flatten Tool. This tool excels in ensuring various areas, sections, or slopes in your landscape are perfectly flat.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Flatten Landscapes

• Make Plateaus in Landscapes

• Make Terraces in Landscapes

• Make Sloped Slabs in Landscapes

In this video we'll learn to use the Ramp Tool. This tool enables you to quickly create smooth gradients from one elevation to another.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Make a Ramp in Landscapes

In this video we'll learn to use the Erosion Tool. This tool enables you to apply realistic erosion effects across your landscape...preventing them from appearing too lumpy or unrefined.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Make Realistic Shaped Mountain Ranges

In this video we'll learn to use the Hydro Erosion Tool. This tool simulates the effects that rain has on landscapes and provides more realistic grooves and channels where applied.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Carve Channels / Groves into Landscapes using Hydro Erosion

In this video we'll learn to use the Noise Tool. This is a GREAT go-to tool to use for adding quick, random hills and valleys to your landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Make Random Undulations in Landscapes

In this video we'll learn to use the Retopologize Tool. This tool is used to fix up areas of your landscape that appear stretched or jagged due to drastic changes in elevation (like cliff sides).

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Reduce Texture Stretching

In this video we'll address a few more landscape related questions that typically come up after students learn how to use the sculpting tools.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Edit Landscape Hot Keys

• Adjust a Character's "Walkable Floor Angle"

• Edit Landscape Max LODs

• Turn off / on Auto Exposure

Let's review!

In this video we'll learn to use the Circle Brush when sculpting. This is your default brush when using the Sculpting Tools. Use of the Circle Brush gives you access to different Brush Falloffs.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Use the Circle Brush Type

• Use Different Brush Falloff Types

In this video we'll learn to use the Alpha Brush when sculpting. With this brush you can easily add texture variation throughout your landscape. It's also a go-to brush type when wanting to define an island shape or carve out a lake.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Import Textures

• Sculpt a Landscape using a Texture

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Texture: T_AlphaBrush_01

• Texture: T_AlphaBrush_02

In this video we'll learn to use the Pattern Brush when sculpting. With this brush you can easily add a texture pattern across the entirety of your landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Import Textures

• Sculpt a Landscape using a Texture

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Texture: T_Colors

In this video we'll learn to use the Component Brush when sculpting. With this brush, you can raise or lower 1 or more landscape components at a time.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Raise / Lower Landscape Components

In this video we'll learn to access and add a Blueprint Brush to a landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add the Landmass Plugin

• Add a Blueprint Brush to a Landscape

ASSETS ADDED...

• Level: Landscape_BlueprintBrushes

In this video we'll learn where and how to edit some key Blueprint Brush effects in order to quickly and convincingly sculpt a landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Edit Blueprint Brush Effects

In this video we'll provide a quick and easy way of creating a Landscape Material for you to use (allowing you to SKIP OVER the next 2 "Material Creation" tutorials)!

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add Content Packs

• Recreate a Material from a Copy / Pasted Text File

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Asset Pack: Infinity Blade: Grass Lands

• Asset Pack: Open World Demo Collection (Kite Demo)

• Asset Pack: Paragon: Agora and Monolith Environment (Paragon Props)

• Material: M_Landscape

In this video we'll begin creation of a Landscape Material. This material will be set up in a very specific way to enable to us to control what textures we'd like to (eventually) paint onto the surface of our landscape and how those textures will look and interact with one another.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add Content Packs

• Create a Landscape Material

• Add Landscape Layers Blend Nodes (to a Material)

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Asset Pack: Infinity Blade: Grass Lands

• Asset Pack: Open World Demo Collection (Kite Demo)

• Asset Pack: Paragon: Agora and Monolith Environment (Paragon Props)

• Material: M_Landscape_Created

In this video we'll continue creating our Landscape Material by adding Textures and hooking them up to our Landscape Layer Blend nodes.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add Texture Sample Nodes to Landscape Material

• Apply a Material to a Landscape

In this video we'll learn to create Landscape Layer Info Objects out of the various textures contained inside out Landscape Material. This is an essential step that needs to be done in order to "paint" a given texture onto the surface of our landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create Landscape Layers

In this video we'll learn the basics of painting various layers we've created info objects for (grass, gravel, rock, etc.) onto the surface of your landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Paint Texture Layers onto a Landscape

• Remove Texture Layers from a Landscape

• Clear Landscape of a Layer Type

• Fill Landscape with a Layer Type

In this video we’ll learn a how to control the size of Landscape Layer Textures by utilizing Landscape Layer Coords and Scalar Parameter nodes inside of our Landscape Material.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Control the Size of Landscape Layer Textures

In this video we’ll learn a method of adding variation to each Landscape Layer Texture inside of our Landscape Material so that tiling issues are greatly reduced.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add Visual Variation to Landscape Layer Textures

In this video we'll learn what Painting Restrictions you can apply in order to prevent unwanted or uneccessary layers from appearing on areas of your landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Apply Painting Restrictions

In this video we'll learn to use the Smooth Tool while Landscape Painting. This tool is used to smooth the transistion between different Landscape Layers.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Use the Smooth Tool when Landscape Painting

In this video we'll learn to use the Flatten Tool when Landscape Painting. This tool enables you to sample a portion of your painted landscape in order to apply it elsewhere.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Use the Flatten Tool when Landscape Painting

In this video we'll learn to use the Noise Tool when Landscape Painting. This tool is used to add some quick, random variation to your painted layers.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Use the Noise Tool when Landscape Painting

In this video we'll learn to use the Visibility Tool. This is the tool to use if wanting to poke holes in your landscape (to create caves).

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Edit Landscape Material to Enable Hole Creation in Landscape

• Poke Holes in Landscape (for caves!)

In this video we'll learn how to make a 2-Sided Material. With a 2-sided material, you can see the "back" of a material. This proves useful for water materials or, in our case, our landscape material.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Make a Material 2-Sided

In this video we'll answer some questions that commonly come up when students are learning how to paint their landscapes.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Allow more than 4 Layers of "Paint" onto a Landscape Component

• Access Landscape Layer Usage Mode

• Identify & Manage "Orphaned" Layers

• Set a Landscape Layer's "Hardness"

In this video we'll learn to use the Circle Brush when Landscape Painting. This is your default brush when using the Sculpting Tools. Use of the Circle Brush gives you access to different Brush Falloffs.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Use Different Brush Falloff Types

In this video we'll learn how to use the Alpha Brush when Landscape Painting in order to give your landscapes a more organic look and feel.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Paint Landscape Layers with an Alpha Brush

In this video we'll learn to use the Pattern Brush when Landscape Painting. With this brush you assign a texture of your choosing which allows you to paint a specified pattern onto your landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Paint Landscape Layers with a Pattern Brush

In this video we'll learn to use the Component Brush when Landscape Painting. With this brush you can paint a specific layer onto a Landscape Component quickly and easily.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Paint Landscape Layers with a Component Brush

In this video we'll learn how to setup Paint Layer Settings within our Blueprint Brush in order to determine the rules where textures such as grass, snow, etc. get applied.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Paint (texture) Layers onto a Landscape using a Blueprint Brush

In this video we'll take a look at how Grass Types can enhance our painted Landscape Layers by adding meshes on top of linked layers.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Install Asset Packs

ASSETS ADDED...

• Asset Pack: Open World Demo Collection (aka "Kite Demo")

• Asset Pack: Megascans - Meadow Pack (optional)

• Asset Pack: Megascans - Garden Lawn (optional)

In this video we'll at how to create a Grass Type and link it to a Landscape Layer inside our Landscape Material.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create a Landscape Grass Type

• Add Landscape Grass Type to Landscape Material

ASSETS ADDED...

• Landscape Grass Type: LG_Grass_01

In this video we'll demonstrate how you can create a Grass Type for other Landscape Layers you'd like to assign meshes to.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create a Landscape Grass Type

• Add Landscape Grass Type to Landscape Material

ASSETS ADDED...

• Landscape Grass Type: LG_Path_01

In this video we'll learn how we can create fields in our landscape by configuring a newly created Grass Type in specific (but simple) way.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create a Landscape Grass Type

• Edit Landscape Grass Type to make Fields

ASSETS ADDED...

• Landscape Grass Type: LG_Field_01

In this video we'll learn to use the Region Selection Tool. This tool is used to specify areas of your landscape that CAN or CANNOT be affected by other tools (such as landscape sculpting or painting tools).

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Define Areas of your Landscape that CAN be affected by Other Tools

• Define Areas of your Landscape that CANNOT be affected by Other Tools

In this video we'll learn to use the Region Copy / Paste Tool (sometimes referred to as the “Landscape Gizmo” Tool). This tool allows you to copy a defined area of your landscape and paste it elsewhere.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Use Landscape Gizmos

• Copy / Paste Defined Areas of a Landscape

In this video we'll learn to use the Mirror Tool. This is the tool to use if wanting to mirror (duplicate) a defined area of your landscape. GREAT for making landscapes with 2 symettrical halves!

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Mirror (duplicate) a portion of your Landscape

In this video we'll learn what a Material Instance is, why we want to create one, and how to go about modifying our Landscape Material’s parameters.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create a Material Instance

• Assign Material Instance to Landscape

• Edit Material Instance Parameters

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Material Instance: M_Landscape_Inst

In this video we'll learn how to create Surface Types within the Project Settings of Unreal Engine 4. Surface Types are essentially labels you can apply to Physical Materials. In assigning these Surface Type labels onto Physical Materials, we can spawn specific effects onto our different Landscape Layers.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create Surface Types

In this video we'll learn how to create Physical Materials. These assets will enable us to apply special properties to each layer that gets painted onto our Landscape Material.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create Physical Materials

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Physical Material: PM_Mud

• Physical Material: PM_Gravel

• Physical Material: PM_Snow

In this video we'll learn how to assign Physical Materials to Landscape Layer Info Objects. In doing so, our various layers painted in our landscape can have special properties applied to them (such as ice becoming slippery).

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Apply Physical Materials to Landscape Layer Info Objects

In this video we'll add a couple Animation Notifies to our character's run and walk animations. We'll use those notifies to create script inside of our Character Animation Blueprint in order to make various footfall FX play specific to whatever Landscape Layer a character is traversing on.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create Animation Notifies

• Write Script

In this video we'll continue creating script inside our Character Animation Blueprint.  What results is a sound effect and particle effect triggering whenever our character's foot impacts the ground.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Write Script

In this video we'll learn how to create a Decal Material and spawn it at the location of our character's footfalls so that it can leave a trail of footprints specific to whatever layer they're moving upon.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Import Textures

• Create Decal Materials

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Texture: T_Gravel_Footprint_Left_D

• Texture: T_Gravel_Footprint_Left_N

• Texture: T_Gravel_Footprint_Right_D

• Texture: T_Gravel_Footprint_Right_N

In this video we'll continue where we left off in the last video by creating script inside our Character Animation Blueprint. What results is a ground decal that spawns whenever our character's foot impacts the ground.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Write Script

In this video we'll learn how to affect our Character's Movement depending on what Surface Type they are standing upon.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Write Script

In this video we'll explore what a Landscape Spline is and the things it can be used to make in your world (things like roads, fences, and flowing water).

In this video we'll create a new landscape and Landscape Layer upon which our created Landscape Splines will reside.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add Landscape Layers

• Reserve a Layer for Splines

ASSETS ADDED...

• Level: Splines

In this video we'll learn how to access the Landscape Spline Tool, how to add a spline to our landscape and lastly how to edit it once it's been added.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Access the Spline Tool

• Add a Spline to a Landscape

• Join Spline Control Points

• Join Multiple Control Points to a Single Control Point

• Split Spline Segments

• Move & Rotate Spline Control Points

In this video we'll learn all about what Spline Control Points are and how to work with them.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Select Control Points

• Assign Meshes to Control Points

• Delete Control Points

In this video we'll learn about the Mesh Settings available for any Control Point(s) selected within a spline.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Edit Control Point Mesh Settings

In this video we'll learn all about what Spline Segments are and how to work with them.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Select Segments

• Assign Meshes to Segments

• Delete Segments

In this video we'll learn about the Mesh Settings available for any Segment(s) selected within a spline.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add Vehicle Advanced Content

• Edit Segment Mesh Settings

ASSETS ADDED...

• Asset Pack: Vehicle Advanced

In this video we'll use the Landscape Spline Tool to create a basic roadway.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create a Road using the Spline Tool

In this video we'll use the Landscape Spline Tool to create a simple fence.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create a Fence using the Spline Tool

ASSETS ADDED...

• Asset Pack: Advanced Village Pack

In this video we'll explore the various Spline Settings available to edit whenever Control Point(s) are selected.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Edit Control Point Spline Settings

In this video we'll learn about the Spline Tool's Landscape Deformation Settings. With these, you can deform the landscape up or down in accordance with your spline.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Deform the Landscape Up / Down Beneath a Spline

• Apply Landscape Painting Beneath a Spline

In this video we'll demonstrate how to use a Spline Blueprint to create flowing water in your level.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create a River using a Spline Blueprint

ASSETS ADDED...

• Asset Pack: Procedural Natural Pack Vol. 1

In this video we’ll learn to create another New Landscape. A level (map) can contain numerous landscapes and each can be edited independently.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create another New Landscape Actor

• Specify a Landscape Actor to Edit

In this video we'll learn how to Add Landscape Components to your selected landscape or Delete Landscape Components from your selected landscape.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add or Delete Landscape Components

In this video we'll learn to use the Selection Tool. This tool is handy for selecting multiple Landscape Components simultaneously that you may want to edit in some way.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Use the Landscape Selection Tool

In this video we'll learn how to Move Landscape Components from one level to another. In doing so, we'll also learn how to script the streaming in of another level.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Move Landscape Components to Different Levels

• Stream Levels with Scripting

In this video we'll learn how to edit the size of the Components that make up our Landscape. This is a critical tool to utilize when desiring to optimize your landscape's performance.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Edit Landscape Component Size (to affect performance)

In this video we'll learn what World Composition is and what it's used for in Unreal Engine 4.

In this video we'll learn how to activate World Composition and bring on our Levels and World Composition tabs. In doing so we'll be setup to create a large, open world.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Activate World Composition

• Access the Levels Tab

• Access the World Composition Tab

In this video we'll learn how to create the proper World Composition setup. This consists of making a sub folder of levels. We'll start by creating our center landscape level tile.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create Sub Folders

• Load a Level

• Unload a Level

• Make a Level Current

• Create a Landscape

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Level: Landscape_x00_y00

In this video we'll learn how to navigate the World Composition tab as well as how to read the various pieces of information being presented to you.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Navigate the World Composition Tab

• Read the World Composition Tab

• Move a Level Tile in World Composition

In this video we'll continue to compose our world by creating additional landscape levels that we'll "stitch" together to create a giant open world.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Add Additional Landscape Tiles to World Composition

• Edit all Landscape Tiles in our World

ASSETS ADDED / CREATED...

• Level: Landscape_x-01_y00

• Level: Landscape_x-02_y00

• Level: Landscape_x00_y-01

• Level: Landscape_x00_y-02

• Level: Landscape_x00_y01

• Level: Landscape_x00_y02

• Level: Landscape_x01_y00

• Level: Landscape_x02_y00

In this video we'll learn how to create and assign Streaming Layers to landscape level tiles in World Composition.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Create Landscape Tile Streaming Layers

• Assign Landscape Tile Streaming Layers

In this video we'll learn how to associate actors placed into your world to a given landscape level tile. As a level tile streams in or out, all actors associated with that level tile stream in or out as well.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Associate Actors to a Specific Level Tile

In this video we'll offer up some tips and answer some common questions related to World Composition.

THIS LESSON TEACHES HOW TO...

• Identify & Solve Common World Composition Questions