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Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3 |  | Authors: Jason Busby, Zak Parrish, Jeff Wilson
Publisher: Sams
Category: Book
List Price: $49.99
Buy New: $27.48
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Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 36186
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1 Pap/DVD
Pages: 912
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.9
Dimensions (in): 9 x 7.4 x 2
ISBN: 0672329913
Dewey Decimal Number: 794.81526
EAN: 9780672329913
ASIN: 0672329913
Publication Date: July 31, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3 is your start-to-finish guide to modding and level design with the world’s hottest new gaming engine: Unreal Engine 3. Here’s everything you need to know to jumpstart your skills and create stunning new content and games for consoles and PCs alike! Your authors aren’t just the world’s #1 Unreal game development trainers: They’ve even built the training modules that shipped with Unreal Tournament 3: Limited Collector’s Edition. Now, working with the full cooperation of Unreal Engine 3’s creators, Epic Games, they introduce every facet of game development—from simple level creation to materials, lighting, and terrain...even advanced level optimization and streaming! Packed with tips, hands-on tutorials, and expert techniques, Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I is all you need to create levels that look spectacular and work brilliantly...levels that gamers just can’t stop playing! You’ll find expert tips on - Understanding the game development process from start to finish
- Planning projects for greater efficiency, faster delivery, and better quality
- Crafting worlds with stunning beauty and clarity
- Bringing amazing realism to characters, objects, and props
- Making the most of Unreal Engine 3’s massively upgraded lighting system
- Scripting complex gameplay quickly and easily with Unreal Kismet
- Building animated game assets with Unreal Matinee
- Testing game performance during live gameplay
- Optimizing levels by improving the interaction between lights and surfaces
- Using advanced level streaming to create vast, rich, highly playable levels
Winner of the Front Line Award for best game development book of 2009!
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
Worth the price of admission January 23, 2010
Rob
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I've evaluated several 3D game engines, including XNA Game Studio 3 (ok for home enthusiasts), Torque 3D (not ready for prime time as of this writing), Unity (nice), Blender3D (ok for home enthusiasts), and Unreal Engine 3. The Unreal Engine UDK blows them away, although the Unity 3D Platformer is really quite good. You can't beat what you get with the Unreal Engine UDK, especially considering that its free. Some licensing rules apply if you actually create and sell a game.
I purchased this book in order to get a "head start" on developing applications with the Unreal Game Engine. I was very pleased with its contents. The examples in each chapter really drive home the benefits of using the Unreal Game Engine. I especially enjoyed the introductory chapter, the static meshes chapter, the material creation chapter, the terrain chapter, the Kismet chapter and the Matinee considerations chapter.
I downloaded the November and December Betas of the Unreal Development Kit (UDK). So if you do the same, be aware of the following differences.
1. When you copy a chapter's map to your Content directory, change its extension from ut3 to udk.
2. You will have some problems in Chapter 4: A Universe of Brushes. Some of the UT3 features (geometry modifiers for BSP extrusion, etc) are not in the UDK. You will not be able to extrude the capital and entablature on the columns in the temple. Don't waste time trying to figure out where they are, like I did. Unreal recommends using static meshes rather than BSP brushes to build your levels. So they've removed some of the modifiers from the UDK.
3. The property names in the book use Hungarian notation, but the UDK does not. Just remove the first character and you will find your property.
4. Every map needs a Killz setting. When you build your map you will get an error that the Killz setting is not initialized (something like that). So go to View/World Properties and expand Zone Info. You will see Kill Z as the first property. Set its value to something like -10000.
5. I had some issues with the Swarm, and ended up turning it off. I don't need to build my levels on multiple machines, and I didn't want to spend the time setting it up. So I disabled it.
That's it! Most of the examples in the book work as described. I'm very impressed with Kismet and Matinee. I think Autodesk could learn something here.
I can't wait to buy Volume 2: Advanced Level Design Concepts with Unreal Engine 3.
Reads like A textbook August 2, 2009
E. Southerland II (Tempe, AZ USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Simply a spectacular how-to book. Covers a lot of ground, and I can't wait for volumes 2 and 3 to get released. Also, not only do you get an amazingly well written and thought out work that reads like a text book for learning the UT3 editor, you also get a DVD packed with all the examples and tutorials covered in the book, and a free copy of UT3 as a download from steam.
This is the answer you have been looking for! August 27, 2009
Blaine Greenman (Chinese Fortune Cookie Factory)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is an excellent reference and guide to everything UT 3.0. I have been working with the editor for years, and I am able to do mostly what I need to. I got this book to support the community and have a nice reference guide. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of knowledge this book provides. It offers many examples and insights into content development / map design for UT. No matter if you are a beginner or an advanced user, this a perfect reference book for your library.
3D Buzz Rules!
Learn from the Pros October 15, 2009
Don Jordan (Orem, Utah USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The straightforward approach to teaching the Unreal Editor is the main strength of this book. Each aspect of the Unreal Engine and Editor is approached methodically and is effectively broken down into steps that allow for a thorough examination of each concept. Each concept is taught with ample screen shots and diagrams accompanying the detailed, well presented text.
In addition to the tutorial section of the book, the appendices are extremely thorough, covering each aspect of the user interface for the Unreal and Curve Editors.
If the rest of the series is as well thought out and executed as this volume, then this series has the potential to be the ultimate resource in stock Unreal Engine development and modification.
The recipient is pleased! November 20, 2009
Jason T. Reimche (Flagstaff, AZ USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I ordered these for a very talented friend who has the tough work of trying to break into the gaming industry. He's commented that the books are easy to understand, and I see that his confidence has been boosted. Coincidentally, just today, he sent me his first rendering since receiving the books that he was very proud to say couldn't have been possible without having learned it from the books. His pride is not unfounded or biased, and there is a nice obvious positive jump in quality from previous builds. We both hope he will gain the understanding he needs to impress future employers and have him hit the ground running in crafting video games.
As far as I know, he received the books in good shape, and I do know they were delivered in a timely fashion without any delays. Thanks!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
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