Video Tutorials: udkTutorial youtube channel

[javahawk]

Tutorials Index: udkTutorials YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/udkTutorials)

Comments, suggestions for tutorials, etc, always welcome here, on my youtube page, or via email.

Email: udkTutorials@gmail.com

Beginner Level

Graphics Overview: Introduction to Computer Graphics (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVED14AY0Hs) (8:54)

I will discuss what the goal of graphics is, what pixels are and how they are represented, generic RGB color representation, buffers/memory, and frame rate/fps.



Content browser Overview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOae7z9jRKU) (10:33)

I will cover what the content browser is, what packages are in UE3, how packages are structured and saved, common package practices, creating and saving a package, saving thumbnails, adding tags to art assets, creating collections in the content browser, and customizing the user interface.


Material editor introduction (Part 1) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP0jX5nUB50) (10:14)
Material editor introduction (Part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIxQS66oIQE) (10:38)

I will cover creating an RGB "merge" texture, how to import a texture without an alpha channel, how to create a new material, some material node manipulation, setting up color changers for use in Material Instances (MIC), creating an MIC, and placing an MIC in game.


Intermediate Level

Creating a fire material / VFX effect in Cascade (Part 1) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJwMsCeQ830) (10:24)
Creating a fire material / VFX effect in Cascade (Part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5aS4xlv-A) (6:32)

I will cover creating a fire material using two texture samples, by using a scrolling bump offset to create noise in the fire opacity map. I will then show how to create the effect in cascade, with a basic layout overview and some basic module manipulations. Finally I will place the emitter (effect) in game by creating a prefab and saving it into our package.


Creating a chrome/metallic material using a cube map (Part 1) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1Zh3qDyXOY) (6:29)
Creating a chrome/metallic material using a cube map (Part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ5PONVHCgg) (7:56)

I will cover creating the chrome/metallic material using one external texture sample, and a user generated cube map in game. I will then show how to import a static mesh from 3dsMAX, how to apply the material to the static mesh, and a few keyboard shortcuts when manipulating models in editor.


Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 1) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLGOwGh5YAs) (10:57)
Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-26aOcARdH8) (9:54)
Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T85-PThomsM) (7:04)

Creating a simple level blockout by creating a generic soccer stadium.

I will cover proper scale conversion between 3dsMAX and Unreal Engine, using references to create a to-scale level blockout of a soccer stadium type environment. Will show how to create a simple mix map type texture, proper 2ndary UV setup for lightmap generation in-game using 3dsMAX, simple environment lighting using a direction and sky light, and adding all necessary actors to run around the environment.



Creating an Earth / Planet Shader (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS8vDVCHF9c) (10:52)

Creating a earth / planet shader in the Unreal Development Kit.

I will cover the 6 texture maps I use, including how to generate normal maps based off grayscale images using Crazy Bump. I will walk through the material network, talk about making the material MIC friendly, and also a quick explanation of how you can use the Light Vector function in the Mat Editor.



Creating a Vertex/Mesh paint shader and painting Static Mesh's using the Paint Tool (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4ZHVDuiKo) (10:22)

Creating a vertex / mesh painting material and using it to paint a wall in the Unreal Development Kit.

I'll discuss how to create a vertex / mesh paint supported material. I will also discuss how to create a smooth gradient transition between verticies and how to create a random hard edged transition in the material. Then I'll briefly also talk about how to paint the verts in the editor.



Some information about me:

Im a professional developer (Technical Artist specializing in shader creation, VFX, and environment design) with 4 years experience in UE3, 1 unreal title under my name (one of 3 lead artists for Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia) and another currently unannounced unreal-based title.

I plan to add 1 tutorial per week, and as soon as I get a basic foundation set, I will create some more advanced tutorials. All tutorials up to this point will focus on creating media for a project I am currently working on, called Dungeon Defense, so by watching these tutorials, you can also get an inside feel for the development of a small project.

I know there is a lot of competition when it comes to tutorials, my goal is not to compete,, but rather to show how to create something interesting and show a few little insider tips and tricks to make the workflow easier, and to increase performance when possible.

Feel free to follow me on twitter!

Twitter: javahawk

-Joshua Javaheri

[bearxj]

thank you,freind.

[sueds]

hi. I think most of basic stuff have been covered in 3dbuzz stuff so yea tips and tric are always welcome. Since you are a vfx artist great shader are always welcome. How to set a good explosion or a car reflection.

This is the kind of stuff people will certainly like. Also If you do know a bit of unrealscript that kind of tutorial is always welcome.

anyway thanks.

[javahawk]

Yeah, I understand a lot of materials have been covered by 3dbuzz and other great video tutorials on youtube.

I want to be able to create some pre-requisite tutorials first that I can point back to for reference before jumping right into more complex stuff.

I plan to focus on VFX and shader setup for sure. Right now I have a simple fire material using bump offset. I plan to make another tutorial to build off that. So, in essence, each tutorial will build on itself and use ideas from previous tutorials - So more like a series, instead of standalone.

Again, for me this project is two fold. I want to be able to help the community, but I also want it to be something I can point to as a standalone portfolio type material. So it works both ways. And the reason I don't want to just point to other tutorials as pre-reqs is because I never know if those tutorials will ever move, get deleted, not become available for some reason, etc, so that's why I want to do it this way.

Thank you for the tips! I really appreciate your input and strive to really help the community here both with my tutorials and through forum support.

Sincerely,

Joshua

[Hendrixlt]

I'd like to se some advance cascade tutorials. Everyone has a fire tutorial.

[Nysuatro]

Or a tutorial about animated decals. :)

[javahawk]

Tell me what you want to see, and I'll get it done for you =)

Joshua

[Hendrixlt]

I wouldn't mind seeing a really good shiny, reflective metal material tutorial.

[sueds]

I wouldn't mind seeing a really good shiny, reflective metal material tutorial.

I second that. A car/ reflective shader would be great.

[Chuck D Nades]

Weather effects

[Bobreg]

Streaming levels

[javahawk]

Good ideas guys.

I'll do a metallic/shiny chrome like material tutorial first using reflection/cube maps generated from a scene. Showing you how to generate a cubemap too.

I like the idea of weather effects tutorial - But typically they involve material AND vFX work. So this might have to be a 2 or 3 multi part tutorial.

Thanks for the ideas guys!

Joshua

[javahawk]

Streaming levels

What about streaming levels? How to use/create sublevels and load them?

[javahawk]

Good ideas guys.

I'll do a metallic/shiny chrome like material tutorial first using reflection/cube maps generated from a scene. Showing you how to generate a cubemap too.

I like the idea of weather effects tutorial - But typically they involve material AND vFX work. So this might have to be a 2 or 3 multi part tutorial.

Thanks for the ideas guys!

Joshua

Hey guys I'm currently in the process of uploading my chrome material tutorial set. Check it out here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1Zh3qDyXOY

[Hendrixlt]

Hey guys I'm currently in the process of uploading my chrome material tutorial set. Check it out here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1Zh3qDyXOY
Awesome tutorial. Thanks Javahawk.

If I may trouble you for a "beam" particle effect cascade tutorial, that would be really awesome.

[Snufkin]

Thanks for the material tutorials. I really need help with textures and stuff seeing as they are my weakness.

[javahawk]

If I may trouble you for a "beam" particle effect cascade tutorial, that would be really awesome.

Do you mean using a beam emitter in cascade? IE, "Beam Data?" Or just creating like, a simple laser beam effect?


Thanks for the material tutorials. I really need help with textures and stuff seeing as they are my weakness.

You're welcome Snufkin - Let me know if there is anything specific you want help with?

[sueds]

already done ? this is great ! Watching it right now

[Bobreg]

What about streaming levels? How to use/create sublevels and load them?
All of the above.

By the way... would you know how to change a textures default sound association?
Whoops Found it!

[Hendrixlt]

Do you mean using a beam emitter in cascade? IE, "Beam Data?" Or just creating like, a simple laser beam effect?

Well both, if possible.

[javahawk]

All of the above.

By the way... would you know how to change a textures default sound association?
Whoops Found it!

This would make a great tutorial (sub levels). I'll look into using some of our projects media for an upcoming tutorial on this.

[javahawk]

Well both, if possible.

Beam data is some really iffy stuff, because its so difficult to preview directly in cascade, unfortunately. I'll have to make one eventually for sure, but until then I need to really think about how to present the material. Thanks for the suggestions!

[Bobreg]

...(sub levels)...upcoming tutorial
Cool! Looking forward to it.

[javahawk]

Just uploaded a quick tutorial --> Importing a 'Complex' Static Mesh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiGmbH8nl_A

[javahawk]

New fun tutorial: Creating a level blockout!


Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 1) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLGOwGh5YAs) (10:57)
Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-26aOcARdH8) (9:54)
Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T85-PThomsM) (7:04)

Creating a simple level blockout by creating a generic soccer stadium.

I will cover proper scale conversion between 3dsMAX and Unreal Engine, using references to create a to-scale level blockout of a soccer stadium type environment. Will show how to create a simple mix map type texture, proper 2ndary UV setup for lightmap generation in-game using 3dsMAX, simple environment lighting using a direction and sky light, and adding all necessary actors to run around the environment.

[Bobreg]

Excellent. I did translate the 3D stuff to terms for Blender2.49b. Very nice.
Thank you.

[Thewiruz]

Thank you!
Love your tutorials.Everything is extremely useful especially the workflow between 3d packages like 3dstudio and UDK!

Keep up the hard work!

*Edit*
Ohh and if you have some time left in the future maybe you could do a quick modular building tutorial.

Anyway thanks a million for all the work you have put into these videos!!

[Kudo]

Well, I've got a really serious request.
Mathematics required for computer graphics.

# Vector Spaces
# Coordinate Systems
# Coordinate Spaces
# Vectors
# Matrices
# Transformations
# Perspective Projection and the View Frustum
Please make something like this, thanks.

[javahawk]

Well, I've got a really serious request.
Mathematics required for computer graphics.
Please make something like this, thanks.

Wow, this took nearly a semester for me in school to learn all of that stuff, I don't know how feasible it is to write tutorials on all of that material, haha. I'd like to keep my tutorials more geared towards direct relevancy to the UDK if possible...

Joshua

[javahawk]

Thank you!
Love your tutorials.Everything is extremely useful especially the workflow between 3d packages like 3dstudio and UDK!

Keep up the hard work!

*Edit*
Ohh and if you have some time left in the future maybe you could do a quick modular building tutorial.

Anyway thanks a million for all the work you have put into these videos!!

Creating a tutorial on modular design is a great idea. I'll put it on my to-do list... Thanks for the recommendation!

[Froyok]

Idiot request :) : but, that's will be cool if you can make a video about how to cook our game (make the exe, how configure some ini files, and so on).

[Kudo]

Wow, this took nearly a semester for me in school to learn all of that stuff, I don't know how feasible it is to write tutorials on all of that material, haha. I'd like to keep my tutorials more geared towards direct relevancy to the UDK if possible...

Joshua
Well, I've been studying game mathematics cource of game institute since last september, didn't complete it yet =[.
I'm 13 years old next april after all =].
I was a that I thought that I after learn C++(Well, at least learn Variables,Functions,Arrays,Memory Management,Classes, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Encapsulation, Abstract Classes, Templates, STL Containers(std::map, std::vector, std::iretator, etc.), Exception handling, a background about win32) I would jump down into d3d10 learning, but well that didn't happen, programming is the easiest part. now comes math. maybe just some simple explanations about math?

[javahawk]

I had a request to create and walk through a planet/earth shader... So here you go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS8vDVCHF9c

[Chuck D Nades]

I'd like to see something more in-depth about the Mesh Paint tool. I've seen a couple videos on some of the cool things people can do with it, but nothing really basic as to how it actually works.

[javahawk]

I'd like to see something more in-depth about the Mesh Paint tool. I've seen a couple videos on some of the cool things people can do with it, but nothing really basic as to how it actually works.

My next tutorial is on vertex painting, what a coincidence!

Joshua

[polix]

Speedtree Forest painting and SpeedGrass painting in for an area would be helpful if you have time.

[javahawk]

Speedtree Forest painting and SpeedGrass painting in for an area would be helpful if you have time.

Sure thing, I'll add it to my list.

Joshua

[Thewiruz]

Hello hawk!
Do you have many requests ? Guess you have a lot :)

[javahawk]

At this point pretty much every tutorial i do is request based :D

[Thewiruz]

Ahh okay,Will any modular tutorial show up in the future?,I have requested one but are there anyone more then me who ask for modular (a building) for an example?

You are doing a great job,Not many guys who would give away their free time as you do and i appreciate that!

[javahawk]

Yes, I have that one marked down from your earlier post. I'm trying for 1 tutorial per week or so :D

[javahawk]

Here's your Vertex Painting material/tool tutorial!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4ZHVDuiKo

[Allar]

I salute you good sir. Keep up the excellent work.

[reropme]

Hi,

I watched your new tutorial and before that the one from Chris, but one Question remains the same. How would I go about creating a NormalMap based on the VertexColorShader with sharp edges. Chris used a second power node to create shadows around the edges, but while that looks a bit better, I think a NormalMap would be even more realistic.
So my question is there a way to generate a NormalMap procedurally inside the UDK MaterialSystem?
Thanx in advance

[javahawk]

Reropme,

You can absolutely do this. Give me a few days and I'll come up with something for you.

Josh

[reropme]

Thank you, that would be great

[Chuck D Nades]

My next tutorial is on vertex painting, what a coincidence!

Joshua

Thank you for this. Took me a couple of times to get it, because I'm a n00b, but I made it work. Just had to do it to one of Epic's meshes to see this in action, since I can't make my own assets :D

[javahawk]

Thank you for this. Took me a couple of times to get it, because I'm a n00b, but I made it work. Just had to do it to one of Epic's meshes to see this in action, since I can't make my own assets :D

No problem! I have a few videos ready to go but I cant release them for legal reasons quite yet.

[HeadClot]

Hey, I have Tutorial Requests

1. Replacing the default character with an custom character
2. Replacing the Characters Default weapon with Custom weapon (melee and Ranged)

[javahawk]

new tutorial up... Animating a material via matinee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov5GhqaM9AA

[javahawk]

Hey guys! Just wanted to give everyone a heads up regarding one of the projects I am working on at Trendy Entertainment- the announcement of Dungeon Defense today in the UDK Showcase... Check it out here!

http://udk.com/showcase-dungeon-defense.html

For more information on us, check out our website at http://www.trendyent.com or follow us on twitter @trendyent

Hope everyone is enjoying the tutorials! More to come soon!

Joshua