In this session we explored more complex uses of sequencers and covered material blending in Unreal.
- Master and sub sequencers were touched on again, emphasizing the importance of layering to maintain a level of organisation within your project. To keep track of each sequence’s purpose, we organised them into colour-coded folders, making it easier to navigate projects as they become more complex.
- Camera and shot setup allows for arrangement and rearrangement of transitions and camera cuts. We practiced adding cameras and animating them independently, linking them to the master sequence. Working in multiple viewports at once enabled me to experiment with perspectives and ensure continuity.
- Master material creation allows for customisation on many levels of a material, combining multiple textures with adjustable parameters like roughness, normal, color etc.
- By creating instances of master materials, real-time adjustments can be made to properties such as tiling without reopening the master material
- Texture sampling was explained too, showing how RGB channels are used for ambient occlusion, roughness and displacement and how it interacts with lighting. I knew normal maps affected how light reflects off an object but was unsure of how each colour directs light left-right, top-bottom etc. Adjusting the normal map strength allowed the lighting to create a sense of dimensionality and depth, even across flat surfaces, mimicking the way materials might look after rain or under direct light.
- We were also shown how to blend textures to create materials with node logic, allowing for direct and complex manipulation of texture attributes UE.
Overall, this week sharpened my understanding of both the structural and artistic sides of Unreal Engine.