Unreal Engine Physics Essentials

Katax Emperore, Devin Sherry

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781784394905
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Programming Games
• Index: Computer Science

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.

Unreal Engine Physics Essentials

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Table of Contents

Unreal Engine Physics Essentials

Credits

About the Authors

About the Reviewer

www.PacktPub.com

Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more

Why subscribe?

Free access for Packt account holders

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the color images of this book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Math and Physics Primer

Launching Unreal Engine 4

Units of measurement

What is an Unreal Unit?

Common measurements in Unreal Engine 4

Unit snapping in Unreal Engine 4

Changing units of measurement in 3ds Max and Maya

Units of measurement – a section review

The scientific notation

How to use scientific notation?

The scientific notation – a section review

The 2D and 3D coordinate systems

The top perspective

The side perspective

The front perspective

The 2D and 3D coordinate systems – a section review

Scalars and vectors

Scalars and vectors – a section review

Newton's laws/Newtonian physics concepts

Newton's first law of motion

Newton's second law of motion

Newton's third law of motion

Newton's laws of motion – a section review

Forces and energy

Forces and energy – a section review

Summary

2. Physics Asset Tool

Navigating to PhAT

The PhAT environment

The PhAT example and experience

Deleting current assets

Adding and customizing current assets

Summary

3. Collision

Collision and Trace Responses – an overview

Collision and Trace Responses – a section review

Simple versus complex collision

Simple versus complex collision – a section review

Creating simple collisions

Creating simple collisions – a section review

Creating complex and custom collision hulls

Creating complex and custom collision hulls – a section review

Collision interactions

Collision interactions – a section review

Custom object and trace channel responses

Custom object and trace channel responses – a section review

In-depth collision presets

In-depth collision presets – a section review

Summary

4. Constraints

What are constraints?

The first physics constraint actor experience

Customizing physics constraint actor

A simple game with Blueprint

Summary

5. Physics Damping, Friction, and Physics Bodies

Physics Bodies – an overview

Physics Bodies – a section review

Angular and Linear Damping

Angular and Linear Damping – a section review

Physical Materials – an overview

Physical Materials – a section review

Physics Damping

Physics Damping – a section review

Summary

6. Materials

What is physical material?

Creating the first material

The physics of materials

Summary

7. Creating a Vehicle Blueprint

Vehicle Blueprint – a content overview

Vehicle Blueprints – a section overview

Creating the Vehicle Blueprints

Creating the Vehicle Blueprints – a section review

Editing the Vehicle Blueprints

Editing the Vehicle Blueprints – a section review

Setting up user controls

Setting up user controls – a section review

Scripting movement behaviors

Scripting movement behaviors – a section review

Testing the vehicle

Summary

8. Advanced Topics

Simulating complex physics – destruction

Summary

Index

Unreal Engine Physics Essentials

Copyright © 2015 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: September 2015

Production reference: 1230915

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

35 Livery Street

Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78439-490-5

www.packtpub.com

Credits

Authors

Katax Emperore

Devin Sherry

Reviewer

Abdullah Obaied

Commissioning Editor

Edward Bowkett

Acquisition Editor

Indrajit Das

Content Development Editor

Shubhangi Dhamgaye

Technical Editor

Siddhesh Ghadi

Copy Editor

Relin Hedly

Project Coordinator

Harshal Ved

Proofreader

Safis Editing

Indexer

Monica Ajmera Mehta

Graphics

Disha Haria

Production Coordinator

Nilesh R. Mohite

Cover Work

Nilesh R. Mohite

About the Authors

Katax Emperore was born in January 1974. Since his childhood days, he has loved board games, science magazines, comic books, and graffiti pa...

Table of contents

• Unreal Engine Physics Essentials