The Essential Beginner's Guide To Getting Started With UDK v1

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“The Essential Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started with UDK©: 150+ How-To Techniques, Tips
and Insight”
Copyright ©2014 World of Level Design™ LLC. All rights reserved.
First published: November 2014

Cover Image: Environment constructed in UDK
Published by World of Level Design LLC
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About The Essential Guide to Getting Started with UDK Guide………. Page 05
Who This Guide is For……………………………………………………………….. Page 05
UDK The Foundation or The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Environment

Construction with UDK………………………………………………………………. Page 06
Section 01:
30 Quick Steps to Getting Started with UDK………………………………... Page 08
Section 02:
18 Tips on Mastering BSP Brush Geometry Construction………………. Page 25
Section 03:
21 Tips to Using and Improving Static Mesh Workflow for Environment
Construction………………………………………………………………………..…… Page 35
Section 04:
15 Ways of Texturing Your Environment………………………….…..…….. Page 48
Section 05:
16 Tips to Improve Your Lighting with Exterior and Interior
Environments………….…..…………………………………………………………… Page 60
Section 06:
9 Ways on How to Use Fog in Your Environment…….…………………… Page 76
Section 07:
8 Tips to Using Skies Within Your Environment…….……………………… Page 82
Section 08:
10 Ways to Improve How Your Environment Looks with Post
Processing…….…………………………………………………………………….…… Page 90
Section 09:
34 Tips and Advice on Getting Started, Using and Creating Better
Landscapes…….…………………………………………………………………….…. Page 102
Section 10:
The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Environment Construction
with UDK…………………………………………………………………………………. Page 131
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ABOUT THIS GUIDE

I always wanted to create an in-depth guide for beginners and returning users
on how to get started very quickly with UDK.
This Guide Is It!
The following is The Essential Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started with UDK©.
It features 128+ pages and 150+ techniques, methods, insight, tips and
advice on how to use UDK to get started.
The book contains a lot of information that is straight to the point and gives you
a good overview of tools, interface, texturing, using Static Mesh, skies, fog, post
processing, lighting, landscape and methods constructing environments with
UDK.
WHO THIS GUIDE IS FOR

Beginners and New Users: Beginners that have never used UDK (Unreal
Development Kit) but want to quickly jump into learning about its tools and how
to construct a game environment without any additional software (other then
UDK). If you are a beginner, this guide is for you.
Returning to UDK: Those who have taken some time off from UDK and want
to quickly jump back to using it without spending much time going over tutorials.
This guide will get you back up in no time.
Intermediate/Advanced Users: If you are a intermediate or advanced user of

UDK, you will find this guide as a refresher and as a normal mode of operation.
You may find this guide helpful with few shortcuts and additional information to
speed up your workflow.
REVIEWS, MISTAKES AND ERRORS

Please submit any mistakes and typographical errors you find to
support@worldofleveldesign.com
If you enjoyed the content in this ebook, please submit any feedback and
reviews to support@worldofleveldesign.com
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UDK THE FOUNDATION SERIES

UDK The Foundation is the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Environment
Construction in UDK.
If you want to learn more in-detail and how to steps of each process of
constructing a game environments from beginning to end using UDK, see this full
series, UDK The Foundation.
This extensive series will take you through the very beginning of learning UDK to
a workflow of constructing a game environment using default assets. You won’t
need anything else other then a free version of UDK and “UDK The Foundation”
series in order to follow the material.
Click here to visit UDK The Foundation page for full details...
(http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/store/udk-the-foundation.php)
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Downloading UDK
Download and install UDK from
here:
https://www.unrealengine.com/
products/udk/
Choose the latest or any other

available version. Once you
download it, install it by double
clicking on the installer.
Launching The Editor

and The Game
After install, you will have
UDK Editor and UDK Game.
You can use the start menu

to find the launcher and
start the editor or the
game.
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Start a New Map

When you launch UDK for the first time you will have one of the default map
templates open up. To start a new map go to File  New:
 Start a new Blank Map
 Use one of the four default map templates that come available with
UDK. These templates are pre-set for you with lighting, skybox and fog for
a specific time of day. They allows you to quickly start testing or creating
something in UDK.
 You can also open already existing map file; File  Open
Learn From Example Files

Learn from existing files by opening example maps from the Editor. Use any of
the following the following directories to open map files from:
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 C:\UDK\UDK Version\UDKGame\Content\Maps\UT3
 C:\UDK\UDK Version\UDKGame\Content\Maps\Showcases
 C:\UDK\UDK Version\UDKGame\Content\Maps\Mobile
You can use the example files to look around at how game environments were
constructed by Epic.
Reverse engineering the process is one of the quickest way to learn how
something was done.
Auto-Save Your Maps

Choose to keep or disable auto-save function in UDK. This
is a personal preference but I disable this function because
I like to manually save my own work, instead of the
software doing it for me. This is turned on by default.
You do have an option of leaving auto-save enabled and setting increments of

how often you want the map to be saved. You must save your initial map first,
then any time you open and work on this map file, it will auto-save for you.
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Save Your Map

Save your map files and package files inside C:\UDK\UDK
Version\UDKGame\Content and within Content folder, you can create
subfolders to organize your work better.
UDK vs UPK Map Files

Two most common file types to know are .udk and .upk files.
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 .UPK: is a package file that will contain assets to be used in your map
such as textures, materials, 3d models (Static Meshes), audio etc
 .UDK: is a map file that you will work on inside the editor
Build to Scale
Build everything to scale and correct proportion. You must do this at the very
beginning of the project, otherwise you’ll cause a domino effect where
everything you create will be disproportionate and will not be to proper scale.
Here are 3 ways to help you to build game environments to scale:

1. Insert a skeletal mesh reference or create a box using a brush with 96
unreal units in height, and 32x32 units in width and length
2. Test by playing in your environment. Use various play-in-editor functions;
such as Right Click  Play From Here
3. Use the surrounding geometry (props) to judge scale. Vehicles, buildings,
doorways, windows, roads etc. all should help you continue to build to
scale.
How to Insert a Character Reference Scale

Simplest way to build to scale is to use/insert a Skeletal Mesh throughout your
environment as a way to match surrounding geometry to the player.
Follow these steps to insert a skeletal mesh for the purpose of scale reference:
 Open Content Browser (press Ctrl+Shift+F)

 Click on All Assets
 Under Object Type, Filter by ‘Skeletal Meshes’
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 Select the Skeletal Mesh you want to use, then Left-Click and drag from
Content Browser into perspective viewport
Unreal Scale and Dimensions

Learn and know base units of scale in Unreal Engine.
The following are dimensions to start with:
 Human Height/Width/Depth: 96x32x32

 Depends on the wall but average Wall H/W/D: 256x256x16 (height could
be 192; 208;)
 Door H/W/D: 144x96
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 Step Height: 16 / Step Depth: 32
Use these values as a starting point but know that these values can be modified
to fit a specific project and you may need to adjust them based on the game and
the environment you are creating.
Note: when you play in editor without setting any gametypes, default first
person view will appear to be taller; to fix this you will need to access World
Properties and use any of the gametypes such as UTGame, DM, CTF etc that will
match 96x32x32 character scale. We’ll cover this in a bit.
3 Ways to Play Test in Editor (Play In Editor)

You can play test any time from the editor by using the following methods:
1. In perspective viewport Right-Click  Play From Here
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2. In the viewport toolbar, press Play in Viewport (Alt+F8)
3. Play This Level in Editor Window from Man Toolbar; this option requires
you to have a player start in your level
Insert a Player Start

Player Start is a spawn actor that allows the player to spawn in the level. Every
level should have at least one of these.
In perspective viewport Right Click in Your Level (on any ground plane
object) and choose Add Actor  Add Player Start
How to Enable Hud and Weapons in Game

Default settings will not give you access to Unreal Hud, Character and Weapon.
To enable this go to:
View  World Properties

Scroll down to Game Type
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Choose any of the following for Default Game Type and Game Type for PIE
(Play-In-Editor):
 UTDeathmatch
 UTCTFGame_Content
 UTTeamGame
 Utgame
 UTVehicleCTFGame_Content
Shortcut to Maximize/Restore Viewports

Press Alt+X to Maximize/Restore an active viewport. To make a view active, just
left click in that viewport.
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Change Viewport Configuration

If you do not like the 2x2 split viewport configuration, go to View  Viewport
Configuration and change you viewport options to what you like.
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Master Viewport Navigation

Master navigation inside your viewports. Here are the shortcut keys to do so:
Perspective:
W and S = Move Forward and Back
A and D = Move Left and Right (Strafe)
Hold Right Mouse Button and Move = Look Around
Hold Left Mouse Button and Move = Move Forward and Back
Hold Right+Left Mouse Buttons and Move = Move Up/Down/Side-to-Side
Orthographic (Top/Side/Front):
Hold Right or Left Mouse Button and Move = Pan Around (Orthographic
Viewports)
Hold Right+Left Mouse Buttons and Move = Zoom In/Out (Orthographic
Viewports)
Viewport Viewing Options

There are 11 viewport viewing options in UDK. Each is designed for its specific
purpose. Most of these will be used in perspective viewport and common one
you’ll start with are:
Brush Wireframe (Alt+1)

Wireframe (Alt+2)
Unlit Mode (Alt+3)
Lit Mode (Alt+4)
The rest are more for specific to lighting, shaders and optimization.
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Enable Real Time Viewport Preview

In perspective viewport, press Ctrl+R for real-time viewport preview to see
effects, animations and animated materials.
Enable Game Mode

In perspective viewport, press G for game mode, this will hide all editor icons
and will show you what your environment will look like in game. Game mode and
real-time preview is the closest you can get to seeing your environment without
testing it in-game.
Viewport Movement Speed

Control how fast you move within the viewport using Camera Movement Speed
Option in Viewport Toolbar. Left Click to change it, Right Click for the menu.
Object Selecting, Moving, Scaling and Rotating

Here are some quick ways to select, move, rotate, scale and remove
objects/actors from your level:
 Left Click to select any object in the world

 Press Spacebar to cycle between Move/Scale/Rotate gizmo for that object
 Left-Click on any of the axis (XYZ) and drag to move/rotate/scale that
object
 Press Delete to remove that object from your world
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Shift+Move Objects
If you press and hold Shift while moving an object, this will lock and move the
camera along with that object.
Allow Translucent Selection

You will not be able to select objects that have
translucent materials; so things like glass,
water, smoke will not be selectable - unless you
enable ‘Allow Translucent Selection’.
Enable ‘Allow Translucent Selection’ icon at the top toolbar will let you select
objects that contain a translucent material.
Setting and Recalling Camera Reference Positions

You can set camera markers throughout your environment and then recall and
jump to that location at any time.
Position the camera where you like it then press Ctrl+1 or Ctrl+any
numeric value (0-9)
At any time to recall that camera position press 0, 1, 2, 3-9.
Grid Snapping
You always want to build and construct your environment (assets and brushes)
that are aligned to the grid. Keep Snap to Grid Option enabled and only turn it
off for minor detail work.
Keep the grid size to manageable values. When you first start working, use
larger grid size to block everything in (32-128) then lower it down to (4-16) as
you get down to detail work.
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Change your grid size using Bracket Keys [ ] or use drop down menu on the
bottom right panel.
World and Local Reference Coordinate System

You can change which reference coordinate system
you are using, World or Local.
World coordinates reference the entire world and XYZ direction does not change;
local coordinate references the object itself. This causes problems when you are
using Geometry Mode and working with BSP brushes.
You may not use Reference Coordinate System set to Local very often, but
reason I mentioned this because it is very common to enable it by accident.
By pressing the Tilde ~ key, you cycle between Local/World coordinates.
So if you are working with BSP brushes and you notice that reference coordinate
system is off when you are moving vertices or faces, switch back to World by
using the drop down menu or pressing the Tilde key.
Content Browser is Your Content Management System

Content Browser is your content management system within UDK. In here you
will find all of the assets to use in your level. These include Static Meshes (3d
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models), animations, skeletal meshes, materials, textures, sounds, particle

effects, etc. You also use Content Browser to import your assets and to jump
over to additional tabs at the top of the menu.
Press Ctrl+Shift+F or click on the Content Browser icon to open it.
Set Kill Z
Kill Z setting will destroy the player when they fall outside your world. For
example, if the player falls down a cliff, Kill Z value will make sure that when
they reach a certain depth, they will be automatically killed.
To set this go to one of the side views (Front or Side) for better view. Next, go
to:
View  World Properties

Under Zone Info change the value in Kill Z to where you want the Kill
Zone to be
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Negative value will move the red line that you see in Front or Side view to
be below the world
Build Options
Anytime you want to see what your environment really looks like, you will need
to use Build function. UDK does a very good job previewing lighting and
geometry but you still need to Build to see final results.
Build options are located at top toolbar menu and are as follows:
 Build Geometry: builds bsp geometry brushes
 Build Lights: builds lighting
 Build Paths: builds path nodes (for AI)
 Build Cover Nodes: builds cover nodes (for AI)
 Build All: will build geometry, lighting, paths and cover nodes.
You will be using this menu to Build your environment and see what it really
looks like.
Most Basic Set Up for a Functional Environment
Here are the bare essentials in order to have a functional environment:
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 Ground plane
 Light
 Player Start
Recommended Set Up For Functional Environment

Here are the recommended elements for a functional environment:
 Ground plane
 Dominant Directional Light
 Player Start
 LightMassImportance Volume
 Skybox
 Fog
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Use BSP Brushes to Block In Environments

BSP brushes should be your first go to when blocking in the layout of your
environment. Spend time during this process to make sure everything is set to
scale and the layout of your level is how you like it. During this stage you are
paying attention to proportion, scale and spatial relationships. Do this before you
add any textures or Static Meshes. This stage is often called white-boxing.
Red Builder Brush

Red Builder Brush is the
template from which you
can create
(adding/subtracting) bsp
brushes and volumes into
your world.
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Builder Brush Shape/Brushes Menu

You can change Builder Brush shape by selecting a different shape
in side menu under Brushes.
Left-Click on the icon to change the shape of the Builder

Brush
Right Clicking on the icons will open Builder Brush menu for
that shape
I tend to only use cube, stairs and cylinder.
In the Brush Builder menu you can choose various settings such as height,
radius, step height etc for that object. Change some property in the Brush
Builder menu and hit Build to see the preview.
Once you have the shape you like, you add or subtract that brush into your
world. Remember, the red builder brush is just a template that you use to define
the shape which you can then add them into your level as a brush.
I Can’t Find My Red Builder Brush

If you can’t find the Builder Brush, use ‘Go To
Builder Brush’ on side menu toolbar options icon.
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Builder Brush Visibility

Press B key to turn on/off Red Builder Brush visibility.
Your First Brush

Use the Builder Brush to create your first BSP brush by pressing Ctr+A to add it
into your level.
Adding/Subtracting BSP Brushes

You can add or subtract BSP brushes.
Press Ctrl+A to add a BSP brush from Builder Brush

Press Ctrl+S to subtract from a BSP brush
Lit Mode:
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Wireframe Mode: notice the yellow wireframe for subtracted section.
Deintersect and Intersect

I rarely use Intersect or Deintersect, but these functions allow you modify the
Builder Brush based on if the Builder Brush is intersecting or not intersecting
certain geometry already placed within your level. It creates a more interesting
and unique Builder Brush, which you can then add into your level as a single
shape.
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CSG Operations Menu

Adding, subtracting,
deintersecting and intersecting
are CSG operations. These
functions have their own sidebar
menu.
BSP Brush Wireframe Colors

All brushes have a certain color so you can recognize them easier.
Blue: additive/added brushes

Yellow: subtracted brushes
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Selecting BSP Brushes

To select BSP brush in orthographic (front, side, top) views, simply left click on
the BSP brush wireframe.
To select BSP brushes in

perspective viewport:
Use Wireframe Mode

(Alt+1) and left click on the
brush to select it
In Lit mode (Alt+4) press
Ctrl+Shift+Left Mouse Click
You can also change how BSP brushes are selected by going to
Preferences Clicking BSP Selects Brush:
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Duplicate BSP Brushes

After you have your added or subtracted a brush, you can duplicate that brush
by selecting it and pressing Alt+Left Mouse Click and Drag.
Hold Alt+Left Mouse Click and Drag= Duplicate (brushes, static meshes
etc)
This method works for duplicating (brushes, lights, static meshes) inside UDK.
Geometry Mode
Geometry Mode (Shift+2) is very useful to
help you block in layouts using BSP Brushes.
It is one of the fastest ways to manipulate
brushes and update your geometry.
Geometry Mode allows you to resize and change the shape of already placed bsp
brushes. So instead of using Builder Brush to add and subtract geometry, you
duplicate an already existing brush and use Geometry Mode to change its shape
by manipulating its vertices, faces and edges.
Select a brush within your level and press Shift+2 for Geometry Mode
Click on the face, edge or each vertex. With one of them selected you can
now move them and change the shape of the brush.
If you need to select multiple components, press Ctrl+Left Click on faces,
edges or vertices to add to or remove from a selection.
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Seeing BSP Brush Changes

Anytime you duplicate a bsp brush or use
Geometry Tools to resize its shape, you will not
see any changes in the viewport. Build
Geometry to see updated changes.
Real-Time BSP
Visualization
Better option is to use ‘Auto-
Updating BSP Visualization’
by going to Preferences and
turn on “Auto-Updating BSP
Visualization”. This will
change the BSP updates to
happen in real-time.
Changing CSG Operation of BSP Brushes

Double click on the wireframe of BSP brush or select the wireframe and press F4
to go to Brush Properties. Under Brush menu, you can change the CSG
Operation of that brush to additive or subtractive. This is helpful when you
duplicated a bsp brush and need to change its operation from additive to
subtractive and vice versa.
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Importance of Brush Order

With all this duplicating and changing CSG operation of brushes, you will
encounter an issue where your geometry is not updating. For example, the
subtracted brush isn’t carving out a hole in your additive brush. This is due to
bsp brush order. To fix this you have re-set the brush order of a brush to either
last or first.
Select the brush

Right-click and select Order  To First or To Last
Brush Pivot Points

After using Geometry Mode, you will often see BSP brush pivot points in odd
places. This is normal. It is very easy to reset and place brush pivot points
anywhere you want. This works best in orthographic viewports (front, side, top).
Right click on any pivot point of the brush to move the pivot point there
Right click again and choose Pivot  Save Pivot to PrePivot (make sure
the brush is selected)
In the Pivot Menu, you have few other

options you can choose what you want to
do with your pivot point on that brush such
as Reset, Move Here, Move to Center.
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Using BSP Brushes

Some guidelines on using BSP brushes:
 Block In the initial layout of the level to judge space, proportion and test
gameplay; BSP is great to get the sense of the level before you spend any
time detailing with Static Meshes
 Use BSP for large surfaces such as flat walls, floors, ceiling
 Use BSP to fill any gaps in-between static meshes and other BSP
Geometry
 Do not detail with BSP brushes
 Do not create complex shapes with BSP brushes
BSP Workflow
Basic BSP brush workflow to speed things up:
Use the default builder brush cube

Add that into your level by pressing Ctrl+A
Go to Preferences and turn on Auto-Updating BSP Visualization and
Clicking BSP Selects Brush
Use Geometry Mode (Shift+2) and use vertices, edges and faces to
change the current brush shape to what you want
Duplicate already created, addition brushes and use the Geometry Mode
to continue resizing and modifying its shapes.
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BSP vs Static Meshes

Static Meshes are 3d models that are created inside a 3d application such as
Maya, 3dsMax, Modo, Blender etc. Then, they are imported into UDK. These 3d
models will be used to construct your environment.
Static Meshes will make up the majority of your environment, anywhere from
60% all the way to 100%.
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BSP brushes are used to block in the space and layout of the level and to
prototype the environment but then you should minimize the amount of BSP
brushes you have in your level by replacing them with Static Meshes.
Which Static Meshes are Available

To see which Static Meshes are available in UDK:
Go to Content Browser

Filter by Static Meshes and click on All Assets
Use the preview window to scroll down to see what comes with UDK.
Inserting Static Meshes

Multiple ways to insert Static Meshes into your environment:
 Select the Static Mesh from Content Browser, Left Click and Drag into
perspective viewport
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 Select the Static Mesh in Content Browser, in perspective viewport Right

Click and choose ‘Add Static Mesh: Name’
 Select the Static Mesh in Content Browser, in perspective viewport press

and hold Alt+S then Left-Mouse Click to place that Static Mesh
Place and Align Static

Mesh Onto Another
Object
Select a Static Mesh in
Content Browser. In
perspective viewport press
Alt+S+Left Mouse Click on
any already placed Static
Mesh to align that mesh on
another object.
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Static Mesh Visibility

Press Alt+W to turn Static Mesh visibility on and off. This will become very useful
when you need to select BSP brushes, volumes or specific actors within the
scene that is heavily populated by Static Meshes.
Insert as Static Mesh vs InterpActor

You can place any 3d model from Content Browser as a Static Mesh or as an
InterpActor. There are other options, but these are the most two common.
The difference between Static Mesh and InterpActor Mesh are:
 Static Mesh: static object. Most commonly used, cannot be moved or

interacted with, uses baked in lighting (lightmaps) and cheaper to render
than InterpActor.
 InterpActor: dynamic object. Receives dynamic lighting, can be

moved/interacted with, can be used in Kismet (scripting language of UDK)
to script various behaviors.
After selecting any Static Mesh in Content Browser, Right Click in your level and
choose to insert as a Static Mesh or as an InterpActor.
Convert Already Placed Static Meshes

If you have already placed a Static Mesh into your level but need to have it
converted to another type, here are the steps:
Select the mesh, Right Click  Convert  Convert to...
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Note: Mover is another name for InterpActor.
Re-Use Static Meshes

You want to re-use Static Meshes that are already placed in the level. Every
duplicated Static Mesh becomes an instance of the original mesh and it is seen
by UDK as one single mesh. The amount of Static Meshes does increase the file
size and how long it will take to Build Lighting in your map, but it doesn’t slow
down your map as much as if you had a dozen of different Static Meshes. Vary
the size and location and re-use as many as you can in your level.
Static Mesh Construction

The key to using Static Meshes is to combine different meshes and construct
something interesting and new. For example using 3 or 4 meshes to construct a
bridge; meshes that were not created to specifically design such a bridge. You
are basically using what you have at your disposal and constructing new
39
environments and objects from Static Meshes in ways that they weren’t intended
to.
Modular Static Meshes

Many meshes are created with modularity in mind. This means that some
meshes snap together to create a larger piece of architecture. For example a
building contains walls, columns, windows, trims, doors etc. Each would be
constructed so they are aligned and snap together to create a full building by re-
using these individual elements together.
Example of modular pipes:
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Vary The Size of Static Meshes

Vary the size of your Static Meshes by changing their Draw Scale. You can often
re-use same Static Meshes by increasing/decreasing the scale.
Select the Static Mesh and on the bottom panel you will have four input boxes
for Draw Scale.
Uniform Scale: DrawScale XYZ

Non-Uniform (single axis only): DrawScale on X; DrawScale on Y and
DrawScale on Z
Work General to Specific

When constructing your environment, start with the base meshes first that define
the large shapes of your environment. Walls, pillars, columns, stairs etc. Work
from large shapes to small details. Start from general and work down to specific.
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Using Default Static Meshes

If using default Static Meshes that come with UDK, you’ll have to be more
creative. There are not a lot of meshes available. Enough to start and create
something with, but you will be limited by theme.
At first, when you are learning UDK, use default Static Meshes to create
something new and interesting with what you have available.
Find Static Mesh in Content Browser

Quickly find a Static Mesh that you already placed within a level. Select it and
press Ctrl+B. This will open and select that Static Mesh inside Content Browser.
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Static Mesh Intersecting Each Other

Static Meshes can intersect each other. Just be aware that this may cause some
visual glitches if two faces are on the same plane and you may get odd
light/shadow behavior after you build lighting. But usually, this doesn’t cause
noticeable problems and you are free to intersect meshes.
Convert BSP To Static Mesh

You can convert any created BSP brush to a Static Mesh. Select the BSP brush
wireframe, Right Click  Convert  To Static Mesh.
You will then have to define a Package to save the Static Mesh into.
Package: is the .UPK file to save into. Create one or use drop down to
select already created package.
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Group: is a way to organize your content better within that package.

Usually Groups are named as StaticMeshes, Textures, Materials.
Name: name of the Static Mesh
We could also texture the BSP brush before converting it so we have a texture
applied on the Static Mesh.
Some guidelines to follow when converting BSP brush to Static Mesh:
 Make sure you set the pivot point of the brush to wanted location before
you convert
 Use only additive brushes (blue wireframe) and do not use any subtractive
brushes
 If you need to use subtractive elements of the BSP, use intersect and
deintersect to create the shape of the brush then add that in; so the
entire brush is additive
 Texture the bsp surfaces if you want to have a different texture then the
default pattern appear on your converted Static Mesh
You can now place this object into your environment as a Static Mesh instead of
a brush.
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Static Mesh Properties

Double click on any static Mesh placed in the level to access its properties.
Through here you can control many aspects of this particular selected Static
Mesh. There are many options available and you will be accessing this menu
during some of the phases of your environment construction (such as replacing
materials, overriding lightmaps, disabling/enabling collision, setting draw
distances, setting lighting properties etc).
Select the Static Mesh and pressing F4 will also open up its properties.
Replace Placed Static Mesh with Another

In Static Mesh Properties, under Static Mesh Component you will have field
called Static Mesh. This will list the name of the static mesh and name of the
package. You can replace this Static Mesh with another without having to re-
insert a new and deleting the old.
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Here are steps to quickly replace an already positioned Static Mesh in the same
location with another one:
 Open Content Browser

 Select a different Static Mesh
 Go back to Static Mesh properties menu and use the arrow icon ‘Use
Selected Object in Content Browser’ to replace.
Unreal Static Mesh Editor

If you double click on any Static Mesh from the Content Browser, Unreal Static
Mesh Editor will pop up. Through Mesh Editor you are able to change various
properties for all instances of this one Static Mesh. You can view/change UV
channels, triangle/vertices count, view or create collision, change Lightmap
Resolution, apply materials, generate/import level of detail or simplify a mesh.
Static Mesh Editor vs Static Mesh Property

Unreal Static Mesh Editor menu properties applies to every instance of this Static
Mesh that has been placed or will be placed in the level. Changing properties
here, will result in every instance of this Mesh receiving the new property.
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If you double click on already placed Static Mesh within your level and go
through Static Mesh Property, you will only effect this one single, selected
instance of the mesh. You will also be able to override certain properties that
were set in Unreal Static Mesh Editor.
Creating New Static Meshes

If you want new Static Meshes with specific theme and new textures, you’ll need
to model them inside a 3d application such as Maya, 3dsMax, Blender, Modo or
other and then import them into UDK.
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Textures vs Materials
There is a difference between textures and materials. Textures are usually a 2d
image created in an exterior application (such as Photoshop or Gimp) and
Materials are shaders that will use textures and various other expressions inside
UDK.
You will be using Materials to apply onto your Static Meshes and BSP geometry
and textures will be a part of those materials.
See this tutorial for further more detailed explanation: Difference Between
Textures and Materials in UDK
Looking Through Available Materials

UDK comes with a large set of materials to use. Browse through what is available
by opening Content Browser and filter by Materials and Material Instance.
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Looking Through Available Textures

UDK comes with a large set of textures to use. Browse through what is available
by opening Content Browser and filter by Textures.
Change Material On Static Meshes

Most default Static Meshes contain a material applied to them. When you
place/insert a Static Mesh into your level you are also using a materials. You can
replace the default material applied to a Static Mesh by double clicking on the
mesh that you already placed in your level.
Under Rendering Tab you will see Materials field.
Follow the steps to replace default material with a new one:
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 Click on the Plus Icon to create a new array (entry field).
 In Content Browser, search for a new material and select it
 Back to properties menu of the Static Mesh, click the arrow icon ‘Use
Selected Object in Content Browser’
 At any time you want to remove that material and go back to default one,
come back to this menu and click the x icon to clear the field
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Not every material will work due to specific UVs that have been created for that
Static Mesh and how it was textured.
Applying Materials on BSP Brushes

In Content Browser, find the material you want to use. Then use one of the
following methods to apply that material onto a BSP surface:
 From Content Browser, Left Click and Drag onto BSP surface
 You can also use this method to replace materials on Static Meshes
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 From Content Browser, select the material. Go to perspective viewport

and Right Click on the brush face and choose ‘Apply Material: Name’
Find Materials Faster

Quick way to find a specific material from your level inside Content Browser.
 Select already placed Static Mesh in perspective viewport

 Press Ctrl+Shift+B to find that material inside Content Browser
Access Surface Properties on BSP Brushes

Left Click on BSP surface to select it. Press F5 to open Surface Property menu.
You can also double click on BSP surface to open the same menu.
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Surface Property Menu

Surface Property Menu allows you to change scale, rotation, alignment, lightmap
resolution and other options of any BSP surface. This only works on BSP and not
on Static Meshes. The menu will allow you to align, pan, scale, rotate textures on
BSP brushes.
Workflow Texturing BSP Brushes Faster

As you work and texture BSP brushes, use the following shortcuts to speed up
your process:
 Alt+Right Mouse Click to grab a texture from a brush surface

 Alt+Left Mouse Click on another brush surface to apply that texture
Material Instance Constant

Material Instance Constant is an extension of a regular Material. Think of this as
a parent/child relationship. Parent is the master material and child is the
Instance Constant. Any changes you do in the master material, will apply to
Material Instance Constant. But any changes you make to an Instance does not
translate to the main material.
Material Instance Constant allows to create an extension of the your master

material without having to constantly edit properties using the Material Editor.
You can change Instance Constant values faster and without having to rebuild
and update as you would with a regular material.
Here is an example of a Master Sky material and Material Instances for different
time of day skies:
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For example, if you just want to change the color of the diffuse texture, but you
don’t want to import a new texture then rebuild entire material from scratch just
to change the color. In this case, you would create a Material Instance Constant
and define a property for Diffuse Color, then apply that Material Instance
Constant to your geometry or Static Mesh.
Creating Material Instance Constant

You need to have a regular material to create Material Instance Constant from.
 In Content Browser, Right Click on the material and choose ‘Create New
Material Instance (Constant)’
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 Name the Instance material and define the package and group you want
it in. For this example, we’ll keep everything in the same package and
material. Notice _INST post-fix has been added.
In order to have Instance Constant properties to change, you have to define

them inside the original material.
 Open Material Editor of the original material by double clicking on it. We’ll
use this light material to change the color of the light.
 Right Click on any node (expression) that you want to extend in order to
change within Material Instance Constant
 Choose ‘Convert to Parameter’ and define a name in the properties
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 The name you give to the Parameter, will now show up in the Material
Instance Constant. Here is our new Material Instance Constant
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Decals
Decals are textures that are overlaid on top of already used geometry in your
level. Things like blood splatter, oil spills, color discolorations, posters on the
walls, dirt and grime etc. Decals are a great way to add additional detail and
break up the repetition of your textures and Static Meshes.
Inserting Decals
Here are the steps to insert decals into your level.
 Go to Content Browser and Filter by Materials and search for ‘Decal’

 Find a decal material and select it
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 Go to Actor Classes tab

 Open up Decals and choose ‘Decal Actor’
 Left Click and drag from the Actor Classes into perspective viewport or in
perspective viewport Right Click and choose ‘Add DecalActor Here’
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Double click on the Decal actor to access its properties
Creating New Materials

To create a new material, see this detailed tutorial on how to do so: How to
Create Your First Material in UDK
Importing Textures
Every texture you import into UDK must be placed within its own package. You
have to create a material in order to use that texture in your level. See this
tutorial on importing your own textures: How to Import Custom Textures in UDK
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Light Source
Every light you place in your scene should have a light source. Light sources are
anything that emits light in your environment such as sun, moon, lamps, light
posts, headlights etc. This is purely for aesthetics and visuals.
Primary and Secondary Light Sources

First use a primary light source to light your environment. This is usually an
exterior light such as the sun (Dominant Directional Light). Then begin to light
the rest of the level using secondary light sources.
Your primary light source will define the lit areas as a starting point. Then
expand and light the rest. Start with general lighting and work down to specific.
Primary Light Source:
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Secondary Light Sources:
Dominant Directional Light (Sunlight/Moonlight)

Use Dominant Directional Light, the primary light source (unless it is interior only
scene). To insert a Dominant Directional Light:

 Expand Lights and Directional Lights
 Choose Dominant Directional Light
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 In perspective viewport, Right Click and choose ‘Add

DominantDirectionalLight Here’
Now position the light to shine on your environment at the angle you want.
Double click on the Dominant Directional Light and change the following
properties:
 Brightness: how intense do you want the light to be

 Light Color: color of the light
Lock Selected Light to Camera

One of the easiest ways to position lights in your scene towards the direction and
angle you want is to use Lock Selected Actors to Camera. This is the most useful
for Dominant Directional Lights and Spot Lights.
Enable in the perspective viewport toolbar ‘Lock

Selected Actors to Camera’
 Select the light, the view will jump and lock to the actor
 Use the regular movement navigation and position your view to where
you want to point the light to
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 Disable the ‘Lock Selected Actors to Camera’ once you are done to un-
attach yourself from the light
Light Shafts
Light Shafts simulate lighting as it hits other objects and creates beams of light
in the process. It is a beautiful effect to use in your environment. Only non-static
lights can render light shafts, these include any toggleable, moveable and
dominant light actors.
 Double click on your light (Dominant Directional Light)

 Scroll down to Light Shafts tab
 Enable ‘Render Light Shafts’
 Change Bloom Scale: how intense are the light shafts
 Bloom Screen Blend Threshold: adds additional brightness to the light,
this is very useful to simulate a bright sun effect
 Bloom Tint: color of the light shafts (this should match the color of the
Dominant Directional Light)
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Light Interiors with Point Lights

Point Lights is what you will be using most of the time to light your interiors. To
insert a Point Light:
 Right Click in your scene, Add Actor  Add Light (Point)

 Shortcut Key: Hold L and Left Click in your scene
Double click on the Point Light and change the following properties:
 Brightness: how intense do you want the light to be

 Light Color: color of the light
 Radius: the effect radius of the light in unreal units
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Point Light Brightness and Intensity

You can
decrease/increase light
radius by selecting the
light and press F4 for
properties then input a
value under Radius field
in unreal units.
Shortcut is to select the

light and press Spacebar
until you have scale
gizmo. Increase/decrease
the scale to change
radius.
Lighting with Spot Lights

Another way to light you environment is to use SpotLights instead of PointLights.
Spotlights will use a focused beam generated form a light source, instead of
using general 360 degree area to emit light from.
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To insert a SpotLight:

 Expand Lights  SpotLights  SpotLight
 Left Click and drag the SpotLight from Actor Classes or select SpotLight
then in perspective viewport Right Click and choose ‘Add SpotLight Here’
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Change the properties of the SpotLight:
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Use Emissive Property for Lighting

Instead of using pointlights or spotlights to light your scene, you can use an
Emissive property of a material to emit light. For this to work, the Static Mesh
must have a material that contains Emissive property element.
No lights are being used to light this scene, only Emissive Light Property:
To enable Emissive Lighting:
 Double click on the Static Mesh that has been placed in your level and go
to properties
 Expand Lightmass tab and enable ‘Use Emissive For Static Lighting’
Change the following settings:
 Emissive Boost: intensity and strength of the emissive light
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The color of the light will be determined by the emissive texture. The downside
of using this is you must Build Lighting to see the result.
Building Lights
In order to see accurate lighting on your
Static Meshes, you must Build Lighting.
When you first insert a Static Mesh into your level, UDK will use dynamic lighting
to preview. Static Meshes rely on baked lighting, this means that lighting and
shadow information is stored in a texture. Build Lighting to see accurate
representation of what it really looks like in-game.
Top toolbar has Build Lighting icon, but

before you build any lighting you may
want to select which Lighting Quality do
you want to build on (Preview, Medium,
High and Production).
Preview is the fastest and most common to use at first. As you get closer to
finishing your environment you will want to build everything on Production to
finalize your map.
To begin, use these Lighting Options

when you click on Build Lighting:
 Build BSP
 Build Static Meshes
 Build Quality: Preview
 Use Lightmass
 Generate LOD Textures
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Insert LightMassImportance Volume

Every level should have a LightMassImportance Volume set up. This helps to
define which area do you want UDK to focus on when building lights.
Every environment should have a Lightmass Importance Volume. Surrounding

the area where the player is going to be within the environment.
To set up LightMassImportance Volume:
 Use Builder Brush to define the area

 Use Geometry Mode to change the shape of the Builder Brush
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 Right Click on Add Volume (side tool bar)

 Choose ‘LightMassImportanceVolume’
Hide the Builder Brush (B key) and you will see a bright yellow wireframe for
LightMassImportance Volume.
Dynamic Lights and Static Lights

PointLights and SpotLights are static lights. These cannot be moved or activated.
If you want to set behaviors for lights (turn them on/off) or attach them to
another objects to move them, you will need to use dynamic light actors such as:
 PontLightMovable/PointLightToggleable
 SpotLightMovable/SpotLightToggleable
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These light actors can be found under

Actor Classes tab, expand Lights and
expand PointLights and SpotLights.
Lightmaps
Lightmaps are textures that contain light/shadow information for Static Meshes
and BSP geometry within your level.
Static Meshes must have a lightmap channel for this to work properly. Otherwise
the Static Mesh will not be lit correctly. Every Static Mesh must have a second UV
channel that is dedicated to a Lightmap.
Lightmaps are a bit of a complex topic, see this detailed series to learn
everything you ever wanted to know and how to use Lightmaps: UDK: 18
Important Principles for Creating/Using Lightmaps (Lightmapping Basics)
Static Mesh Lightmaps

Lightmaps are baked lighting and shadow textures. That means if you increase
lightmap texture resolution you will improve lighting/shadow quality but also
increase the texture memory size; and if you decrease the lightmap resolution
you will lower the quality of lighting/shadow but also decrease texture memory
size.
Each Static Mesh has an option to increase or decrease its Lightmap Resolution.
Just remember, that Static Meshes must have a second UV channel specifically
dedicated for lightmaps, so it can store this information.
To change Lightmap resolution you have two options.
First option is through Static Mesh Editor. From Content Browser, double
click on a Static Mesh. Under Lightmap Resolution you will see a value
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such as 32, 64, 256 etc. This is the lightmap resolution of this Static Mesh.
If you change any value through Static Mesh Editor, it will apply to every
single instance of the Static Mesh in your current map and any other map
that uses this mesh. This method is mostly used when you first import a
Static Mesh into UDK.
Second option is to change lightmap resolution through Static Mesh

properties. Double click on already placed mesh in your level. This method
will allow you to change properties just for this single Static Mesh. Enable
‘Override Light Map Res’ and set a new value in Overridden Light Map
Res. All values have to be in power of 2 (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 etc).
Rule of thumb is increase lightmap resolution on meshes that you need to have
very specific lighting/shadows information and meshes that are going to be close
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to the player. Decrease it on meshes that are far away and don’t need accurate
shadows and lighting.
BSP Lightmaps
To change lightmap resolution on bsp surfaces follow these steps:
Select BSP surface and press F5 to access Surface Properties (you can
also double-click on the surface)
Under Lighting and Lightmap Resolution, the default value will be set to
32.
Changing this works the opposite way than it did for Static Meshes.
Increasing the value will lower the quality of the light/shadow across the
surface, decreasing this value will improve the quality of light/shadows of
the surface. So if you want to make the shadows at a higher quality on
your BSP surface, then decrease Lightmap Resolution to 8 or 4. Example:
Shadows on left box are at 32 resolution and shadows on right box are at
4.
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For more information check out this tutorial on BSP Lightmaps: UDK: Lightmap
Resolution for Static Meshes and BSP
Softer/Harder Environment Shadows:

Default shadows from a Dominant Directional Light have a very sharp edge.
Follow these steps to make your Dominant Directional Light cast softer shadows
in your scene.
 Double click on Dominant Directional Light and go to its properties

 Under Light Source Angle, increase this value to a higher number for
softer shadows
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Using Fog
Using Fog will add atmospheric effect to your level. To create natural, realistic
environments, you should use fog. Here is an environment with Fog and without
Fog.
Atmospheric Perspective
Atmospheric perspective is the effect that changes how objects in the
environment are seen based on their distance to the viewer. As the distance
between the player and the object/landscape/environment increases, the
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contrast and detail of these objects decrease. More distance, less detail and less
contrast. Using Fog allows you to create atmospheric perspective in your level.
Exponential Height Fog

There are various types of fog actors. Main one you will use for the exterior is
Exponential Height Fog. Height Fog is the old fog actor.
Exponential Height Fog is the newer fog actor and allows for smoother transition
between high to low density of fog. It also has two color settings for fog.
Opposite Light Color and Light Inscattering Color.
How to Insert Fog

To insert Exponential Height Fog:
 Go to Actors Classes tab

 Expand Fog and select ExponentialHeightFog
 Left Click and drag from Actor Classes into perspective viewport
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 Another way is to select ExponentialHeightFog then in perspective

viewport, Right Click and choose Add ExponentialHeightFog Here
Cycle Fog Visibility

Press F key to turn on/off fog visibility in your level.
Tweaking Fog Properties

Tweaking fog is very simple. There are only a few settings to focus on. Double
click on the Fog actor and focus on the following properties to tweak:
 Fog Density: the intensity and thickness of the fog

 Start Distance: at what distance will the fog start
 Opposite Light Brightness: brightness intensity of opposite light color
 Opposite Light Color: color of the fog when facing away from the sun
 Light Inscattering Brightness: brightness intensity of light inscattering
color
 Light Inscattering Color: color of the fog when facing the sun
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Fog Opposite and Inscattering Colors

Exponential Height Fog has two color values to set. Here are some basic
guidelines to follow:
Opposite Light Color: fog color when you are looking away from the
sun (away from Dominant Directional Light). It should be the color of the
sky box (usually a shade of blue)
Light Inscattering Color: fog color when you are looking at the sun (at
Dominant Directional Light). It should match the color of the primary light
source (the sun/Dominant Directional Light)
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Different Fog for Interior and Exterior

If you want to have different Fog for interiors vs exterior then you need to use
FogVolumeConstantDensityInfo Actor in addition to the Exponential Height Fog.
Insert FogVolumeConstantDensityInfo:
 Go to Actor Classes tab and expand Fog category

 Choose FogVolumeConstantDensityInfo and insert it in your level by Left
Click and drag from Actor Classes into perspective viewport
 Another way is to select FogVolumeConstantDensityInfo and in

perspective viewport, Right Click and choose Add
‘FogVolumeConstantDensityInfo Here’
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How to Tweak FogVolumeConstantDensityInfo

You need to resize this Fog Volume to surround which area that you want the
fog to effect.
Select the fog actor and resize it by scaling it in different directions (x, y, z). Use
non-uniform scale tool in the main toolbar to scale in one specific axis only.
Double click on the actor to open its properties. Focus on the following settings:
 Density: the intensity and thickness of the fog

 Simple Light Color: color of the fog
 Start Distance: at what distance will the fog start
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Skies
Skybox or Skydome are 3d models with a sky material applied to them.
Two Types of Skies

There are two ways to insert a skybox/skydome. As a Static Mesh or as a
InterpActor (dynamic mesh). Each has its own settings to tweak and make that
sky work in your environment. We’ll cover how to insert both in this guide.
Template Map Sky

Lets deconstruct the sky that is being used in the template maps.
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Template map sky contains:

 Static Mesh that is inserted as an InterpActor
 Draw scale of the sky mesh is set to 100x
 Name of this mesh is SM_SkySphere
 Template sky uses a complex material that defines the position of the sun
based on Dominant Directional Light position and it also contains moving
clouds
 The master material is M_Procedural_Sky_Master02
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 There are also additional materials as MaterialInstanceConstant such as

for Afternoon, Morning, Night skies
 You can simply select the sky in one of the templates and press
Ctrl+Shift+B to find that material inside Content Browser in order to study
or find out which one is being used
Inserting A Sky as InterpActor

InterpActor is a dynamic Static Mesh and can be used to set scripting behaviors.
It also accepts dynamic lighting (no lightmaps). Here is how to insert and make
the sky work as an InterpActor:
 Go to Content Browser
 Filter by Static Meshes and search for ‘sky’
 Select SM_SkySphere
 In perspective viewport, Right Click and choose ‘Add InterpActor:

MapTemplates.Sky.SM_SkySphere’
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 Increase Draw Scale of the sky to 100. Image below shows Draw Scale
through Static Mesh properties, but you can increase it using XYZ Draw
Scale input box
Double click on the sky to go into

its properties. Disable the
following settings.
Under Lighting: uncheck Cast

Shadows
Inserting A Sky as Static Mesh Sky

Static Mesh is a static object. It uses baked in lighting (lightmaps) and cannot be
used to set up scripting behaviors. The sky material most likely will use an
Emissive property (unlit), it contains less triangles and requires different set up
to make it work as a static object. Here is how to insert a sky as a static object:
 Go to Content Browser and Filter by Static Meshes and search for ‘sky’
 You could use any of the available skyboxes, but for this purpose we will
focus on S_UN_Sky_SM_SkyDome03 and S_UN_Sky_SM_SkyDome05
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 Select one of the two skies and insert them into your level by Left Click
and drag from Content Browser into perspective viewport
 Increase Draw Scale of the sky to 100
Double click on the sky to go into its properties. Disable the following settings:
 Under Lighting tab uncheck Cast Shadow
 Under Rendering tab, uncheck Accept Static Decals and Accept Dynamic
Decals
 Under Collision tab, uncheck Block Rigid Body and set Collision Type:
Collide_NoCollision
 If your material uses Emissive texture to light the sky
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 Under Lighting uncheck Accept Lights and Accepts Dynamic Lights (use
this only if Emissive property is being used by sky material)
Increase Draw Scale of Your Sky

You want to increase the scale of your skydome to a very large value, about
100x. Increasing this scale will help to create more natural and realistic transition
between fog and the sky. If using half sphere this will help to hide the Static
Mesh edge. If using full dome, this will help to hide the bottom of the sky.
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Replacing Sky Material

Inserting a skydome will most likely contain a material already applied to it. If
you want to use a different sky material on the Static Mesh/InterpActor sky,
follow these steps:
 Go to Content Browser
 Filter by Materials and Material Instances (Constant)
 Search for sky
 Find the one you want to use
 Left Click and drag the material from Content Browser onto your skydome
Skybox and Lighting Colors

The type of sky you use, will determine the colors of your Dominant Directional
Light (your sunlight/moonlight) and color of your fog. Use the sky material and
the time of day to help you determine what colors you should use.
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Sky without fog. Notice the colors of the sky material. Peach/orange and blues:
Fog color for opposite and inscattering light colors match the material sky:
Light color of the Dominant Directional Light matches the material color as well,
with a lighter peach/orange hue than the fog:
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Post Processing
Post Processing will allow you to adjust colors, saturation and atmosphere of
your map. There are two ways to adjust Post Processing.
First is through World Properties,

which will apply to the entire map.
Second is through creating a Post Processing Volume, that will apply to a specific
defined area when the player enters that volume.
90
Complimentary Colors (Shadows and Light)

By default shadows within you level are going to be too dark. As far as art
fundamentals go, you should not use white or black colors in your environment.
These values do not exist in nature.
To light your environment so it looks good, start with using complimentary color
scheme. Your shadow color should be the opposite color on the color wheel to
your primary light source.
So, if your primary light source (the sun) is orange hue then the shadow color
should be blue.
Complimentary color scheme is a good rule of thumb to start with when lighting
your environments. You will find that your lighting will become more harmonious
and appealing.
You can notice complimentary color rule being used in the Height Fog within
template maps:
91
Change Environment Color

Environment Color is shadow color. By default, it is too dark. Here is how to
change your Environment Color:
 Go to View  World Properties

 Under Lightmass tab, go to Environment Color. The Default is black and
makes the environment shadows way too dark:
 Left Click on the color tab and pick the color you want for your shadows
 You will need to Build Lighting to see the changes
92
Desaturate
You can desaturate your scene by remove any color from it; turning your scene
into a full black-and-white. Of course you can remove some color and making it
partially desaturated using values between 0 and 1.

 Expand Rendering tab and expand Default Post Processing Settings
 Scroll down to Scene Desaturation
 Value of 0 = no desaturation; value of 1 = full desaturation
Add Bloom to Your Lights

Bloom will add a glow effect to all of your lights. By default, Bloom will be
enabled but you can increase the intensity of it by changing the following values.
Access Bloom Setting:

 Expand Rendering tab and expand Default Post Processing Settings
Begin with focusing on the following settings:
 Bloom Scale: intensity strength for Bloom effect. Be careful not to over do
this, as it will begin to blow out your highlights in your scene.
93
 Bloom Tint: color of the Bloom effect
Depth of Field
Depth of field will add a blur effect beyond a certain distance from the camera or
player’s point of view. This is a good effect if you want to blur the background
and have something in focus in the foreground.
94
There are a lot of values for Depth of Field, so here is my recommendation on

how to begin tweaking DOF.
First enable Depth of Field and

you will want to focus on these
DOF settings:
 Set DOF Blur Bloom Kernel Size and DOF Falloff Exponent to 0.
Everything else within DOF settings should be at default values.
95
 Start with DOF Focus Distance which will control where do you want
the Depth of Field to start. How many unreal units from the point of view
of the player do you want Depth of Field to begin. Right now, you will see
a very harsh jump between Depth of Field and no Depth of Field.
 Set DOF Blur Kernel Size, which sets how blurry do you want depth of
field to be. 0 is off and higher values will increase the amount of blur.
Default is 12.
 Set DOF Focus Inner Radius. This will extend the blur beyond the
amount you already set for DOF Focus Distance. This is the transition
between focus and depth of field. In order to see this effect taking place,
change DOF Falloff Exponent, which is the falloff value that takes DOF
Focus Inner Radius and blurs the amount till full effect of Depth of Field.
This makes the transition softer or harder, depending on how you set this
up.
96
From here you can tweak the rest of the properties with better understanding
what is happening with Depth of Field.
It takes a bit of time to get used to understanding all the values, but once you
get a hang of it by following the above formula, it becomes easier.
High Lights, Mid Tones and Shadows Color

The following settings will allow you to change the colors of your scene
highlights, mid-tones and shadows.
Go to View  World Properties and under Rendering tab, expand Default
Post Process Settings
Scroll down and expand Scene High Lights, Scene Mid Tones and Scene
Shadows
XYZ value fields correspond to RGB or Red, Green and Blue channels.
97
XYZ = RGB
Changing these values will add or remove certain colors from your scene.
Default Scene Tones:
Updated Scene Tones:
98
Best Way To Tweak Post Processing

Manually inputting values into XYZ fields of High Lights, Mid Tones or Shadows
isn’t the best way to change your scene colors. Here is how to best tweak Post
Processing:
 To the right of each XYZ value you will see up/down arrows. Position the
mouse over it, until you see the cursor change to up/down arrow icon.
Left Mouse Click and move the mouse up or down
 First change the value to a large number to see the effect. Then, change
it using very low increments to the color you want for all three RGB (XYZ
fields).
 Move from highlights to mid-tones to shadows and then I go back and
forth to find the final values
Screenshots Before and After

Before you start changing High Lights, Mid Tones and Shadows, take a before
screenshot of your environment. Change the values, then take a screenshot
again. Compare the results. It is very difficult to tell how your environment
looked prior to seeing the changes and after.
Adding Additional Post Process Volume

Changing Post Process using World Properties will apply to the entire scene. But
what if you want to have a different look and feel for interiors then you do for
exteriors? For this you need to create a Post Process Volume.
Here are the steps to create a new Post Process Volume:
99
 Use the Builder Brush to surround the area you want a new post process
volume to be in
 Once you got the brush resized and positioned, Right Click on Add Volume
(side tool bar)
 Choose ‘PostProcessVolume’
 Hide the Builder Brush (B)
You will see a pink wireframe, this is Post Process Volume. If you enter this
volume, any Post Processing you did using World Properties will be reset to
default.
100
Now, double-click on the Post Process Volume wireframe to access its properties.
Here you will have all the same settings you saw under World Properties. Change
the values to what you want this new volume to look like when the player is
inside it.
101
Landscape vs Terrain
You want to use Landscape Mode,
the new terrain system in UDK rather
than the old Terrain Mode. Both icon
are available in the sidebar.
Make sure to use Landscape Mode.
Creating New Landscape

Creating the initial landscape is very
simple.
 Left Click on Landscape Mode icon

 Under Heightmap Size input Size
(vertices) - how large do you want
your landscape
 Once you hit Create Landscape,
the menu will change and will
provide you with ability to modify
your terrain
 Use the recommended sizes that are provided to use by Epic

http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/LandscapeCreating.html#Recommended
%20Landscape%20Sizes

102
Overall Quads per Sections per Component Total

size (vertices) section component size (quads) Components
1024 (32x32
4033x4033 63 4 (2x2) 126x126
components)
256 (16x16
2017x2017 63 4 (2x2) 126x126
components)
64 (8x8
1009x1009 63 4 (2x2) 126x126
components)
256 (16x16
1009x1009 63 1 63x63
components)
509x509 127 4 (2x2) 254x254 4 (2x2 components)
16 (4x4
505x505 63 4 (2x2) 126x126
components)
255x255 127 4 (2x2) 254x254 1
253x253 63 4 (2x2) 126x126 4 (2x2 components)
127x127 63 4 (2x2) 126x126 1
127x127 63 1 63x63 4 (2x2 components)
Size of the Landscape

Size of the landscape will be determined by overall vertices size and by total
number of components. The size you choose will depend on many factors, here
are some to consider:
 Playable map or stand-alone game environment

 How detailed do you need the landscape to be
 Do you need better performance or better visual quality of the terrain
 How large is your environment
Optimization vs Quality Landscapes

“Performance Considerations: The choice of component size vs the total number
of components is a performance trade-off. Smaller component sizes allows
quicker LOD transitions and also allows for the occlusion of more terrain, but the
smaller size necessitates more components. Each component has a render-
thread CPU processing cost and each section is a draw call, so try to keep these
number to a minimum. For the largest landscapes, Epic recommends a maximum
of 1024 components.” - Epic Games
All Landscape sizes are usable if you follow Epic’s guidelines for recommended
sizes. But you have to decided on each size that fits your project specifications.
103
Here is a simple guideline I use:
More Total Components, more CPU processing cost and higher draw
call but better quality of the terrain (good for stand alone non playable
game environments or level designs are well optimized or may use
streaming landscapes)
Less Total Components, better for performance (good for level
designs; faster rendering because you have more landscape being
culled/occluded) quicker LOD transaction; BUT you will have more
components.
Always Use Photo Reference

Use good photo reference of the landscape you are creating. Pay attention to the
terrain’s shape, silhouette, formation and transitions between higher elevation
and lower elevation. Reference will save you a lot of time and help you create
more authentic landscapes.
104
Set The Scene

Creating the initial landscape, you must set the scene inserting some necessary
actors.
These include:
 LightMassImportance Volume
 Character model for scale reference
 Skydome/Skybox
 Dominant Directional Light
Landscape Info
At anytime, you can check what size landscape you are using by looking under
Landscape Info. This will give you Vertices Size and Total Number of
Components.
105
What is a Heightmap
Heightmap is a texture that stores
surface elevation data. This is the
formation of the landscape when you
paint height and modify the terrain.
The whites within the heightmap are
peaks, the blacks are valleys. Grays
are the transition between the peaks
and the valleys.
This is UDK exported heightmap:
Four Essential Heightmap Tools

Four essential tools to paint your
heightmap with are
Paint
Smooth
Flatten
Noise
Master these and you’ll master

landscape creation.
Modifying Landscapes with Four Tools

The four essential painting tools are Paint, Smooth, Flatten and Noise. Left Click
on each icon to enable that tool. Here is how to use them.
Paint Tool is the most commonly used tool. This will paint and modify your
heightmap or it will paint textures (layers) on your landscape. It depends on
what you are working on. Within the context of this section, we are focusing on
modifying the heightmap.
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Raise (paint up) the Terrain Heightmap

Ctrl+Shift+Left Mouse Click = Lower (paint down) the Terrain Heightmap
106
Smooth: softens the transition between elevations
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Smooth the Terrain Heightmap
Flatten: flattens terrain to a chosen level
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click over the area to which you want to Flatten the
heightmap to
107
Noise: generates random noise on your terrain
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = add random heightmap noise
Landscape Tool Settings to Get Started

These are some of the basic steps that I recommend you start with setting the
properties for each of the four tools.
108
Enable Paint Tool:
 Set Tool Strength (.2 to .6) for large

areas
 Set Tool Strength (0.05 to 0.10) for
detail and smaller areas
 Set Brush Size: the size of the
painting brush
 Brush Falloff: how smooth the
transition is when painting your
terrain. Higher the value more
gradual transition to the peaks and
valleys. 0 is no transition and very
hard and steep edges between the
brush and unaffected areas.
 Clay Brush allows for more
smoother, gradual and natural
painting of the terrain
Enable the Smooth Tool:
 Set Tool Strength: how strong the

effect do you want
 Set Brush Size and Brush Falloff:
size of the brush and falloff
(transition radius)
 Set if you want Detail Smooth On
or Off. If enabled, will control the
ability to maintain some detail as
you smooth your terrain
 Detail Preserve Smooth: how
much detail do you want to
preserve during smooth. Larger
values remove more details,
smaller values preserve more
details.
109
Enable the Flatten Tool:
 Set Tool Strength: how strong

the effect do you want
 Set Brush Size and Brush
Falloff: size of the brush and
falloff (transition radius)
 Use Slope Flatten will create a
slope from higher to lower
elevation; if you choose
Both/Addition/Subtraction, it
will only focus on added or
subtracted areas of the
landscape or both. Use
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click on top of
a hill and move the mouse to
see the slope begin to take
shape.
Enable the Noise Tool:
 Set Tool Strength: how strong the

effect do you want
 Set Brush Size and Brush Falloff: size
of the brush and falloff (transition
radius)
 Addition will only raise the heightmap
adding noise
 Subtraction will only lower the
heightmap adding noise
 Both will add/subtract the heightmap
to add noise
 Set Noise Scale: scale of the noise
filter, smaller value is smaller noise
scale
110
Changing Brush Size

Instead of changing the Brush Size through Landscape menu, use a shortcut
keys (bracket keys) [ ] to increase/decrease Brush Size.
Two Types of Erosion

There are two types of erosion, Hydraulic and Thermal. One simulates water,
streams and rain erosion, the other simulates sun and wind erosion. Each
produce a different type of effect.
Thermal Erosion: simulates the transfer of soil from higher

elevations to lower elevations from sun and wind. It adds a noise
effect to provide a more natural and random formation of the
landscape.
Hydraulic Erosion: hydraulic erosion simulation, i.e. erosion from

water, to adjust the height of the heightmap. This tool adds a noise
filter to create a natural effect of how water flow causes the erosion
of the landscape.
Workflow #1
Use the four tools (Paint, Smooth, Flatten and Noise) to define shape. Then
spend more time on detailing the terrain, manually. Erosion tools would only be
used with low settings to refine and add a bit of additional detail.
Using this workflow you are manually creating the landscape, being in control of
the entire process, including the detail. Erosion plays a small element in this
workflow landscape creation.
111
Workflow #2
Use Paint, Smooth and Flatten tools to roughly block in large shapes but do
not spend any time detailing or refining. Just block in large shapes. Then, use
Erosion tools to create detail. In this workflow you are letting erosion do its work
by creating the detail for you, instead of painting manually.
Workflow #1 is more deliberate and manual, and you control the entire process.
Workflow #2 is more faster workflow and allows the tools (erosion) to do their
work.
Each will produce a different effect and formation of the landscape.
Using Exterior Application to Generate Heightmaps

There is a handful of software you can use to generate heightmaps and texture
layers that will allow you to import them into UDK. Speeding up the Landscape
creation process considerably.
So, instead of manually painting the heightmap and texture layers, you create
them in outside application and import them in.
Some Heightmap Generating Software:

 World Machine
 Terragen 2
 L3DT
 HMES TerreSculptor
 VUE
112
Learn the Landscape Tools First

Before you get into external terrain generators, I recommend that you spend
some time formatting landscapes manually. Learn the tools in UDK first, then
once you get proficient with them, explore the above software.
Multiple Landscapes
You could have multiple landscapes and you can use drop down menu to select
which one you want to modify at the time. But it is better to stick with just one.
Each additional landscape will require more processing cost.
Landscape Texture Layers

Landscape Layers allow you to paint textures on the terrain. Once you have a
Material applied to your landscape and layers created for painting, you will be
able to paint textures on your terrain.
Landscape Texture Layers

Landscape Layers allow you to paint textures on
the terrain. Once you have a Material applied to
your landscape and layers created for painting, you
will be able to paint textures on your terrain.
113
Landscape Material Basics

Your Landscape needs a material. Create a new material or use an existing one.
Each landscape material will contain Landscape specific nodes that will allow for
terrain layers to be used. These material expressions (nodes) are
TerrainLayerWeight or LandscapeLayerBlend. Landscape material will also
contain diffuse and normal map textures.
Start with using TerrainLayerWeight node. LandscapeLayerBlend is an

alternative to TerrainLayerWeight node and it allows for manual layer blending
using an Alpha Channel within the texture. Starting with landscape materials, go
with TerrainLayerWeight first, then you could expand into
LandscapeLayerBlend.
Here is the basic set up of the Landscape Material using two diffuse textures and
TerrainLayerWeight nodes:
114
Creating New Landscape Material

Creating a new Landscape Material follows the same steps as if you are creating
any other material. Here are quick steps:
 In Content Browser, Click on New icon
 Under Factory choose Material

 Define the Package you want to save this material into. Package is a .UPK
file that we covered earlier. You can create a new package here or use
drop-down menu to select an existing package.
 Define Group: which is a way to organize your content within a package. I
usually group all materials under ‘Materials’ name.
 Name: name the material. Example: MAT_FirstLndscape
 Click OK
115
Once you click OK, Material Editor will open up and you can start creating the
framework of this new landscape material. You will need these basic expressions
to get started:
 Diffuse textures: terrain color textures

 Normal textures: bump map
 Texture Coordinates: controls repetition and tiling of diffuse and normal
maps
 TerrainLayerWeight: landscape texture layers that will allow you to set up
names and paint using Landscape Edit Mode
Here is diffuse set-up:
Here is normal map set-up:
116
Terrain Layer Weight Parameter Names

Each TerrainLayerWeight expression you use in your material must have a
Parameter Name set up. This name will be used to set up Layers in Landscape
Edit Mode in order to allow you to paint this texture onto the landscape.
In the screenshot below you see selected TerrainLayerWeight node, with

Parameter Name set to Grass:
117
Setting Up Texture Layers

Once you have a landscape material created, you need to Add New Layers
through Landscape Edit Mode.
 Open Landscape Mode

 Scroll Down and under Target
Layer, press Edit
 Add New Layer by typing in a
name that matches
TerrainLayerWeight node
Parameter Name and press Plus
Icon. Texture layer will now
show up
 Repeat the steps for all Layers you have in your Material
 Click back to None under Edit mode
 Select which texture layer to paint on your landscape
Now you have the ability to paint new texture layers or switch back to
Heightmap and modify the landscape.
118
Apply Material to Landscape

In order to paint texture layers, you need to apply the material onto your
landscape. Here are the steps to do so:
 In Content Browser, select the Landscape Material
 In perspective viewport, double click the landscape to open properties

menu
 Under Landscape tab, choose Landscape Material and left click on the
green arrow ‘Use Object in Content Browser’
Black Landscape
When you first apply the material, the landscape will be black. This is normal,
because you do not have any layers painted on it. You need to paint a base
texture layer on your landscape.
119
Painting Texture Layers

Painting texture layers is very simple. Here are the steps to do so:
 In Landscape Edit Mode

 Select the texture layer you
want to paint by left clicking on
it (it will be highlighted)
 Select the Paint Tool

 Set Tool Strength
 Set Brush Size
120
 Ctrl+Left Mouse Click: paint selected texture layer

 Ctrl+Shift+Left Mouse Click: remove/un-paint the top most texture layer;
works only if you have multiple texture layer painted
Continue switching between texture layers and painting them onto your
landscape.
Material Scale, Rotation and Position Set Up

Default texture scale is probably going to be too large. You will need to change
this my using Texture Coordinate expression and updating your material.
Follow these steps:
 Go to Content Browser and find your Landscape Material
121
 Double click to open Material Editor

 Right Click  WorldPosOffset  New TerrainLayerCoord
 Connect TerrainLayerCoord into input of ‘Texture Sample’
 Select ‘TerrainLayerCoord’ node and increase Mapping Scale to make the

texture tile more (or other property you want to change)
122
Adding or Deleting Landscape Components

Each landscape contains a number of components. You could have one single
component that makes up the entire landscape or multiple components as high
as 1024 (recommended maximum value of total components).
Sometimes you will find yourself wanting to have a larger or smaller landscape
then you originally anticipated. You can either delete or add new components
after you have already created the initial landscape.
 Enable Landscape Edit Mode

 Select Add Component Tool, position the mouse cursor in empty area
right next to the landscape and press Ctrl+Left Mouse Click to add a new
component
123
 Select Delete Component Tool, position the mouse cursor over the
landscape. You will see components being highlighted, press Ctrl+Left
Mouse Click to delete the selected component
Fix: Adding/Deleting Components Will Change Landscape Tiling

There is a small issue when you are deleting/adding components from your
landscape.
If you add a new component, you will notice that the default tiling changes and
is now different then when you first created your landscape.
124
If you remove a component from the originally created landscape, this will cause
a change of tiling across landscape section.
Simple fix is to:
 Remove one single component from originally placed landscape, this will
change the tiling, then use Add Component Tool and add that component
back in. Tiling will now be the same across your entire landscape.
Removed component from original landscape:
Added new component to original landscape to reset the tiling:
125
 Another option is to just decrease the tiling of your Landscape Material by

adjusting TerrainLayerCoord to a smaller value.
Creating Holes, Cave Entrances in Landscapes

Using the Visibility Tool will allow you to paint out and remove specific areas that
you want to hide from being visible to the player.
This is great for optimization purposes by painting out visibility of areas you don’t
want to render. And it can be used to create a hole in the ground in order to
create a cave, or a structure that allows for the player or be underneath the
landscape.
Follow the steps to paint out visibility of your landscape:
 Enable Visibility Tool

 Choose Brush Size
 Ctrl+Left Mouse Click to paint and remove landscape visibility

 Crlt+Shift+Left Mouse Click to paint visibility back
126
Copying Landscape Sections to Other Areas

One of the quickest ways to manually extend your heightmap is to copy and
paste already created landscape section from one area to another. To do this
you can use Region Copy/Paste Tool.
Enable Region Copy/Paste Tool. You will see

a transparent region box show up in your
level.
Use this region box to surround which areas of your landscape you want
to copy data from
Left Click to select the region and if you press Spacebar you can cycle
between Move/Scale/Rotate. Use Non-Uniform scale to resize the region
box in a single axis only.
127
When ready, click on Copy Data to Gizmo. Move the region to another
area, you will see data being stored inside it.
Paste this data anywhere you want over the landscape. Press Ctrl+V to
paste the stored data.
128
You can keep re-using and continue pasting landscape data in different
sections or you can reset it and click on ‘Clear Data From Gizmo’
Once you have copied the data to gizmo, you can move, scale and rotate this
data before pasting. You are not limited to use the same size or orientation of
the copied information.
Use Smooth Gizmo Brush

With Region Copy/Paste enabled, you will have a checkbox to set ‘Use Smooth
Gizmo Brush’.
If enabled ‘Use Smooth Gizmo Brush’ it will smooth the transition between
pasted landscape data and landscape outside the region.
If ‘Use Smooth Gizmo Brush’ is disabled, it will paste entire data without any
transition. This will create harsh edges between the stored data and landscape
outside the region, but it will also paste all the data that was copied. After this,
you can use smooth and paint tool to fix the surrounding area.
129
Landscape Key Shortcuts:

Here are some shortcuts for painting/modifying landscapes:
[ ] = Decrease/Increase Brush Size (bracket keys)

Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Raise (paint up) the Terrain Heightmap (when
Paint Tool is enabled)
Ctrl+Shift+Left Mouse Click = Lower (paint down) the Terrain Heightmap
(when Paint Tool is enabled)
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Smooth Terrain Heightmap (when Smooth Tool is
enabled)
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Flatten To Selected Position (when Flatten Tool is
enabled)
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Add Noise (when Noise Tool is enabled)
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Add Erosion (when Erosion Tools are enabled)
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Paint Selected Texture Layer (when Paint Tool is
enabled and Texture Layer selected)
Ctrl+Shift+Left Mouse Click = Remove/Unpaint the Top Most Texture
Layer (when Paint Tool is enabled and Texture Layer selected)
Ctrl+Left Mouse Click = Paint Visibility On (when Visibility Tool is enabled)
Ctrl+Shift+Left Mouse Click = Paint Visibility Off (when Visibility Tool is
enabled)
130
What you have just gone through is only the beginning.
Check out UDK The Foundation series for complete workflow and guide for
constructing environments using UDK.
UDK The Foundation: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Environment

Construction in UDK
It includes over 7 hours of video tutorials (420+ minutes) and 43 videos.

It covers more in-detail how to get started with UDK and the workflow of
creating an environment using default assets. So you don’t just learn the basics
but take it a step beyond and learn the workflow of constructing an environment
using UDK.
131
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Copyright ©2014 World of Level Design™ LLC. All rights reserved.

First published: November 2014

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For Schools, Colleges, Universities etc:

Who This Guide is For……………………………………………………………….. Page 05

UDK The Foundation or The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Environment

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This Guide Is It!

WHO THIS GUIDE IS FOR

Intermediate/Advanced Users: If you are a intermediate or advanced user of

REVIEWS, MISTAKES AND ERRORS

UDK THE FOUNDATION SERIES

This page is intentionally left blank

Choose the latest or any other

Launching The Editor

You can use the start menu

Start a New Map

 Start a new Blank Map

Learn From Example Files

Auto-Save Your Maps

You do have an option of leaving auto-save enabled and setting increments of

Save Your Map

UDK vs UPK Map Files

Here are 3 ways to help you to build game environments to scale:

How to Insert a Character Reference Scale

 Open Content Browser (press Ctrl+Shift+F)

Unreal Scale and Dimensions

The following are dimensions to start with:

 Human Height/Width/Depth: 96x32x32

 Step Height: 16 / Step Depth: 32

3 Ways to Play Test in Editor (Play In Editor)

1. In perspective viewport Right-Click  Play From Here

2. In the viewport toolbar, press Play in Viewport (Alt+F8)

Insert a Player Start

How to Enable Hud and Weapons in Game

View  World Properties

Shortcut to Maximize/Restore Viewports

Change Viewport Configuration

Master Viewport Navigation

Viewport Viewing Options

Brush Wireframe (Alt+1)

Enable Real Time Viewport Preview

Enable Game Mode

Viewport Movement Speed

Object Selecting, Moving, Scaling and Rotating

 Left Click to select any object in the world

 Press Delete to remove that object from your world

Allow Translucent Selection

Setting and Recalling Camera Reference Positions

World and Local Reference Coordinate System

By pressing the Tilde ~ key, you cycle between Local/World coordinates.

Content Browser is Your Content Management System

models), animations, skeletal meshes, materials, textures, sounds, particle

Press Ctrl+Shift+F or click on the Content Browser icon to open it.

View  World Properties

Recommended Set Up For Functional Environment

Use BSP Brushes to Block In Environments

Red Builder Brush

Builder Brush Shape/Brushes Menu

Left-Click on the icon to change the shape of the Builder

I tend to only use cube, stairs and cylinder.

I Can’t Find My Red Builder Brush