CRYENGINE Game Development Blueprints


Book Description

Perfect the art of creating CRYENGINE games through exciting, hands-on game development projects About This Book Create CRYENGINE games from scratch with CRYENGINE Blank Game Starter-kit Discover good working practices and tips to quickly jump into making a new level in the game Build practical game projects and discover advanced concepts of CRYENGINE game development using the examples in the book Who This Book Is For This book is intended for CRYENGINE game developers, wanting to develop their skills with the help of industry experts. A good knowledge level and understanding of CRYENGINE is assumed, to allow efficient programming of core elements and applications. What You Will Learn Create a CRYENGINE game from scratch with the Game Starter-kit Add custom methods to allow the player/AI to use a weapon Create complete “start” and “end” game menus using Scaleform and C++ Discover how to use highpoly modeling workflow and techniques within the pipeline for the SDK to use Use the Crytiff exporter from Photoshop Export the CHR—the format the engine needs to read the skeleton Integrate the character in the engine using the character tool Better understand the rules to create and author skeletons to rig characters designed for CRYENGINE Debug common setup issues that might appear during production with useful tools In Detail CRYENGINE is a game engine developed by Crytek for PC, Playstation, Xbox, Android, and iOS. It can be used to create AAA games, movies, high-quality simulations, and interactive applications. It is most popularly used for game development. In this book, you will start off by exploring the CRYENGINE “Blank” Game Starter-kit, creating a completely playable character from scratch and controlling its movement. You will learn how to implement a weapon and ammo class, and will create complete “start” and “end” game menus using Scaleform and C++. Additionally, you will learn some key texturing techniques for PBR and how to create and bake maps to the lowpoly model. You will also explore how to get a static model from Maya and shaders setbup in the SDK to check the textures during creation, and create all the necessary engine files to export and see the game character's animations in your engine. In the final third of the book, you will learn how to create objectives, set up saved games, layer on audio polish to help immerse the player in the experience, and debug game issues. Style and approach An easy-to-follow, practical guide covering three exciting projects. As you work through each project you will explore new topics including complex animation, advanced scripting, and complex character motion. All the code used in each project is explained in detail.




Unreal Engine Game Development Blueprints


Book Description

Discover all the secrets of Unreal Engine and create seven fully functional games with the help of step-by-step instructions About This Book Understand what a Blueprint is and how to create a complex visual scripting code Discover the infinite possibilities that Unreal Engine offers, and understand which tool to use, where and when Learn to think like a real game developer in order to create enjoyable and bug-free games using this comprehensive and practical handbook Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for intermediate level developers who know how to use Unreal Engine and want to go through a series of projects that will further their expertise. Working knowledge of C++ is a must. What You Will Learn Write clean and reusable Blueprint scripts Develop any kind of game you have in mind, following the rules used by experts Move through Unreal Engine 4, always knowing what you are doing and where to find the right tool for your needs Integrate C++ code into your projects using Visual Studio and the tools that Unreal provides Extricate between classes, nodes, interfaces, macros, and functions Work with different types of assets, from 3D objects to audio sources, from UI buttons to animations Explore all the aspects of the game logic—collisions, navigation meshes, matinees, volumes, events, and states In Detail With the arrival of Unreal Engine 4, a new wonderful tool was born: Blueprint. This visual scripting tool allows even non-programmers to develop the logic for their games, allowing almost anyone to create entire games without the need to write a single line of code. The range of features you can access with Blueprint script is pretty extensive, making it one of the foremost choices for many game developers. Unreal Engine Game Development Blueprints helps you unleash the real power of Unreal by helping you to create engaging and spectacular games. It will explain all the aspects of developing a game, focusing on visual scripting, and giving you all the information you need to create your own games. We start with an introductory chapter to help you move fluidly inside the Blueprint user interface, recognize its different components, and understand any already written Blueprint script. Following this, you will learn how to modify generated Blueprint classes to produce a single player tic-tac-toe game and personalize it. Next, you will learn how to create simple user interfaces, and how to extend Blueprints through code. This will help you make an informed decision between choosing Blueprint or code. You will then see the real power of Unreal unleashed as you create a beautiful scene with moving, AI controlled objects, particles, and lights. Then, you will learn how to create AI using a behavior tree and a global level Blueprint, how to modify the camera, and how to shoot custom bullets. Finally, you will create a complex game using Blueprintable components complete with a menu, power-up, dangerous objects, and different weapons. Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow guide full of practical game examples. Each chapter contains step-by-step instructions to build a complete game and each game uses a different tool in order to cover all the topics in a detailed and progressive manner.




Unreal Engine: Game Development from A to Z


Book Description

Develop fantastic games and solve common development problems with Unreal Engine 4 About This Book Investigate the big world of Unreal Engine, computer graphics rendering and Material editor to implement in your games Construct a top-notch game by using the assets offered by Unreal Engine, thereby reducing the time to download, create assets on your own. Understand when and why to use different features and functionalities of Unreal Engine 4 to create your own games Learn to use Unreal 4 by making a first person puzzle game, Blockmania, for Android. Who This Book Is For This path is ideal for those who have a strong interest in game development and some development experience. An intermediate understanding of C++ is recommended. What You Will Learn Explore the Unreal Engine 4 editor controls and learn how to use the editor to create a room in a game level Get clued up about working with Slate, Unreal's UI solution through the UMG Editor Put together your own content and materials to build cutscenes and learn how to light scenes effectively Get tips and tricks on how to create environments using terrain for outdoor areas and a workflow for interiors as well using brushes Explore the ways to package your game for Android Devices and porting it to the Google Playstore Know inside out about creating materials, and applying them to assets for better performance Understand the differences between BSP and static meshes to make objects interactive In Detail Unreal Engine technology powers hundreds of games. This Learning Path will help you create great 2D and 3D games that are distributed across multiple platforms. The first module, Learning Unreal Engine Game Development, starts with small, simple game ideas and playable projects. It starts by showing you the basics in the context of an individual game level. Then, you'll learn how to add details such as actors, animation, effects, and so on to the game. This module aims to equip you with the confidence and skills to design and build your own games using Unreal Engine 4. By the end of this module, you will be able to put into practise your own content.After getting familiar with Unreal Engine's core concepts, it's time that you dive into the field of game development. In this second module, Unreal Engine Game Development Cookbook we show you how to solve development problems using Unreal Engine, which you can work through as you build your own unique project. Every recipe provides step-by-step instructions, with explanations of how these features work, and alternative approaches and research materials so you can learn even more. You will start by building out levels for your game, followed by recipes to help you create environments, place meshes, and implement your characters. By the end of this module, you will see how to create a health bar and main menu, and then get your game ready to be deployed and published.The final step is to create your very own game that will keep mobile users hooked. This is what you'll be learning in our third module, Learning Unreal Engine Android Game Development,Once you get the hang of things, you will start developing our game, wherein you will graduate from movement and character control to AI and spawning. Once you've created your application, you will learn how to port and publish your game to the Google Play Store. With this course, you will be inspired to come up with your own great ideas for your future game development projects. Style and approach A practical collection of bestselling Packt titles, this Learning Path aims to help you skill up with Unreal Engine by curating some of our best titles into an essential, sequential collection.




Game Creation Blueprint


Book Description

What You Need To Know To Build Your Own Games! Get All The Support And Guidance You Need To Be A Success At Creating Games! Video gaming can be a very entertaining experience for many people. Sometimes you will notice that hours have gone by while you are playing. If you are a person who enjoys playing video games you may want to consider creating your own video game. The market for video games continuously expands. There is a large amount of money that can be made in the video game industry. Learning how to create a video game will give you an opportunity to make a lot of money as well as provide you with a feeling of self-accomplishment. A lot of people have great ideas about video games but sadly many of them do not chase their dreams. The reason for this in most cases is that the person may feel as if it is too hard for them to do or that they may not be smart enough. Do not be one of these people! If you have come up with an idea you have already accomplished one of the hardest parts of creating a video game. Creativity does not come naturally to everyone and you should take pride in the fact that you have a creative mind. If you have a creative mind and enjoy video games you should seriously consider creating your games. After all, it could present you with an opportunity to generate cash flow doing something you love. The following chapter in this book will shed some light on the basics of creating a game and give you some pointers to guide you through the basic processes: Chapter 1: Game Creation Basics Chapter 2: What Tools Are Needed? Chapter 3: 2D Game Creation Software Chapter 4: 3D Game Creation Software Chapter 5: Game Modification Chapter 6: Building a Game on a Social Site




Learning Unreal Engine Game Development


Book Description

A step-by-step guide that paves the way for developing fantastic games with Unreal Engine 4 About This Book Learn about game development and the building blocks that go into creating a game A simple tutorial for beginners to get acquainted with the Unreal Engine architecture Learn about the features and functionalities of Unreal Engine 4 and how to use them to create your own games Who This Book Is For If you are new to game development and want to learn how games are created using Unreal Engine 4, this book is the right choice for you. You do not need prior game development experience, but it is expected that you have played games before. Knowledge of C++ would prove to be useful. What You Will Learn Learn what a game engine is, the history of Unreal Engine, and how game studios create games Explore the Unreal Engine 4 editor controls and learn how to use the editor to create a room in a game level Understand the basic structures of objects in a game, such as the differences between BSP and static meshes Make objects interactive using level blueprints Learn more about computer graphics rendering; how materials and light are rendered in your game Get acquainted with the Material Editor to create materials and use different types of lights in the game levels Utilize the various editors, tools, and features such as UI, the particle system, audio, terrain manipulation, and cinematics in Unreal Engine 4 to create game levels In Detail Unreal Engine 4 is a powerful game development engine that provides rich functionalities to create 2D and 3D games across multiple platforms. Many people know what a game is and they play games every day, but how many of them know how to create a game? Unreal Engine technology powers hundreds of games, and thousands of individuals have built careers and companies around skills developed using this engine. Learning Unreal Engine 4 Game Development starts with small, simple game ideas and playable projects that you can actually finish. The book first teaches you the basics of using Unreal Engine to create a simple game level. Then, you'll learn how to add details such as actors, animation, effects, and so on to the game. The complexity will increase over the chapters and the examples chosen will help you learn a wide variety of game development techniques. This book aims to equip you with the confidence and skills to design and build your own games using Unreal Engine 4. By the end of this book, you'll have learnt about the entire Unreal suite and know how to successfully create fun, simple games. Style and approach This book explains in detail what goes into the development of a game, provides hands-on examples that you can follow to create the different components of a game, and provides sufficient background/theory to equip you with a solid foundation for creating your own games.




Game Development Projects with Unreal Engine


Book Description

Learn the tools and techniques of game design using a project-based approach with Unreal Engine 4 and C++ Key FeaturesKickstart your career or dive into a new hobby by exploring game design with UE4 and C++Learn the techniques needed to prototype and develop your own ideasReinforce your skills with project-based learning by building a series of games from scratchBook Description Game development can be both a creatively fulfilling hobby and a full-time career path. It's also an exciting way to improve your C++ skills and apply them in engaging and challenging projects. Game Development Projects with Unreal Engine starts with the basic skills you'll need to get started as a game developer. The fundamentals of game design will be explained clearly and demonstrated practically with realistic exercises. You’ll then apply what you’ve learned with challenging activities. The book starts with an introduction to the Unreal Editor and key concepts such as actors, blueprints, animations, inheritance, and player input. You'll then move on to the first of three projects: building a dodgeball game. In this project, you'll explore line traces, collisions, projectiles, user interface, and sound effects, combining these concepts to showcase your new skills. You'll then move on to the second project; a side-scroller game, where you'll implement concepts including animation blending, enemy AI, spawning objects, and collectibles. The final project is an FPS game, where you will cover the key concepts behind creating a multiplayer environment. By the end of this Unreal Engine 4 game development book, you'll have the confidence and knowledge to get started on your own creative UE4 projects and bring your ideas to life. What you will learnCreate a fully-functional third-person character and enemiesBuild navigation with keyboard, mouse, gamepad, and touch controlsProgram logic and game mechanics with collision and particle effectsExplore AI for games with Blackboards and Behavior TreesBuild character animations with Animation Blueprints and MontagesTest your game for mobile devices using mobile previewAdd polish to your game with visual and sound effectsMaster the fundamentals of game UI design using a heads-up displayWho this book is for This book is suitable for anyone who wants to get started using UE4 for game development. It will also be useful for anyone who has used Unreal Engine before and wants to consolidate, improve and apply their skills. To grasp the concepts explained in this book better, you must have prior knowledge of the basics of C++ and understand variables, functions, classes, polymorphism, and pointers. For full compatibility with the IDE used in this book, a Windows system is recommended.




Cocos2d-x Game Development Blueprints


Book Description

Packed with comprehensive projects, this book takes a detailed look at a few of the industry's most popular games. This book will show you how to use Cocos2d-x to build games using its core components. You will learn how to incorporate game physics, and import custom models and animations. Next, you will see how to include effects such as particles and sounds. With a brief introduction to the upcoming HTML5 platform using Cocos2d-html5, the book goes on to tackle the many different concepts that comprise game development today. You will learn how to build worlds with meshes, a terrain, user interaction, physics, and more. You will start by developing a puzzle game, and then progress on to games that are increasingly complex. Along the way, you'll learn how to build gaming favorites similar to games such as Flappy Bird, Tilt to Live, Jumpy Clown, Angry Birds, and Tower Defense.




Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5


Book Description

Explore the faster way to build games using UE5 Blueprints using this practical guide with key images printed in color Key Features Design a fully functional game in UE5 without writing a single line of code Implement visual scripting to develop gameplay mechanics, UI, visual effects, VR, and artificial intelligence Deploy your game on multiple platforms and share it with the world Book DescriptionUnreal Engine's Blueprint visual scripting system enables designers to script their games and programmers to create base elements that can be extended by designers. With this book, you'll explore all the features of the Blueprint Editor, along with expert tips, shortcuts, and best practices. The book guides you through using variables, macros, and functions, and helps you learn about object-oriented programming (OOP). You'll discover the Gameplay Framework and advance to learning how Blueprint Communication allows one Blueprint to access information from another Blueprint. Later chapters focus on building a fully functional game step by step. You'll start with a basic first-person shooter (FPS) template, and each chapter will build on the prototype to create an increasingly complex and robust game experience. You'll then progress from creating basic shooting mechanics to more complex systems such as user interface elements and intelligent enemy behavior. The book demonstrates how to use arrays, maps, enums, and vector operations and introduces the elements needed for VR game development. In the final chapters, you’ll learn how to implement procedural generation and create a product configurator. By the end of this book, you'll have learned how to build a fully functional game and have the skills required to develop an entertaining experience for your audience.What you will learn Understand programming concepts in Blueprints Create prototypes and iterate new game mechanics rapidly Build user interface elements and interactive menus Use advanced Blueprint nodes to manage the complexity of a game Explore all the features of the Blueprint editor, such as the Components tab, Viewport, and Event Graph Get to grips with OOP concepts and explore the Gameplay Framework Work with virtual reality development in UE Blueprint Implement procedural generation and create a product configurator Who this book is for This book is for anyone interested in developing games or applications with UE5. Although basic knowledge of Windows OS is required, experience in programming or UE5 is not necessary.




Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine


Book Description

Publisher's note: This edition from 2019 is based on Unreal Engine 4 and does not make use of the most recent Unreal Engine features. A new third edition, updated for Unreal Engine 5 blueprints including new topics, such as implementing procedural generation and creating a product configurator, has now been published. Key FeaturesDesign a fully functional game in UE4 without writing a single line of codeImplement visual scripting to develop gameplay mechanics, UI, visual effects, VR and artificial intelligenceDeploy your game on multiple platforms and share it with the worldBook Description Blueprints is the visual scripting system in Unreal Engine that enables programmers to create baseline systems and can be extended by designers. This book helps you explore all the features of the Blueprint Editor and guides you through using Variables, Macros, and Functions. You'll also learn about object-oriented programming (OOP) and discover the Gameplay Framework. In addition to this, you'll learn how Blueprint Communication allows one Blueprint to access information from another Blueprint. Later chapters will focus on building a fully functional game using a step-by-step approach. You'll start with a basic first-person shooter (FPS) template, and each chapter will build on the prototype to create an increasingly complex and robust game experience. You'll then progress from creating basic shooting mechanics to more complex systems, such as user interface elements and intelligent enemy behavior. The skills you will develop using Blueprints can also be employed in other gaming genres. In the concluding chapters, the book demonstrates how to use arrays, maps, enums, and vector operations. Finally, you'll learn how to build a basic VR game. By the end of this book, you'll have learned how to build a fully functional game and will have the skills required to develop an entertaining experience for your audience. What you will learnUnderstand programming concepts in BlueprintsCreate prototypes and iterate new game mechanics rapidlyBuild user interface elements and interactive menusUse advanced Blueprint nodes to manage the complexity of a gameExplore all the features of the Blueprint editor, such as the Components tab, Viewport, and Event GraphGet to grips with object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts and explore the Gameplay FrameworkLearn Virtual Reality development with UE BlueprintWho this book is for This book is for anyone who is interested in developing games or applications with UE4. Although basic knowledge of Windows OS is required, experience in programming or UE4 is not necessary.




Procedural Content Generation for C++ Game Development


Book Description

Get to know techniques and approaches to procedurally generate game content in C++ using Simple and Fast Multimedia Library About This Book This book contains a bespoke Simple and Fast Multimedia Library (SFML) game engine with complete online documentation Through this book, you'll create games that are non-predictable and dynamic and have a high replayability factor Get a breakdown of the key techniques and approaches applied to a real game. Who This Book Is For If you are a game developer who is familiar with C++ and is looking to create bigger and more dynamic games, then this book is for you. The book assumes some prior experience with C++, but any intermediate concepts are clarified in detail. No prior experience with SFML is required. What You Will Learn Discover the systems and ideology that lie at the heart of procedural systems Use Random number generation (RNG) with C++ data types to create random but controlled results Build levels procedurally with randomly located items and events Create dynamic game objects at runtime Construct games using a component-based approach Assemble non-predictable game events and scenarios Operate procedural generation to create dynamic content fast and easily Generate game environments for endless replayability In Detail Procedural generation is a growing trend in game development. It allows developers to create games that are bigger and more dynamic, giving the games a higher level of replayability. Procedural generation isn't just one technique, it's a collection of techniques and approaches that are used together to create dynamic systems and objects. C++ is the industry-standard programming language to write computer games. It's at the heart of most engines, and is incredibly powerful. SFML is an easy-to-use, cross-platform, and open-source multimedia library. Access to computer hardware is broken into succinct modules, making it a great choice if you want to develop cross-platform games with ease. Using C++ and SFML technologies, this book will guide you through the techniques and approaches used to generate content procedurally within game development. Throughout the course of this book, we'll look at examples of these technologies, starting with setting up a roguelike project using the C++ template. We'll then move on to using RNG with C++ data types and randomly scattering objects within a game map. We will create simple console examples to implement in a real game by creating unique and randomised game items, dynamic sprites, and effects, and procedurally generating game events. Then we will walk you through generating random game maps. At the end, we will have a retrospective look at the project. By the end of the book, not only will you have a solid understanding of procedural generation, but you'll also have a working roguelike game that you will have extended using the examples provided. Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow guide where each topic is explained clearly and thoroughly through the use of a bespoke example, then implemented in a real game project.