In this class we had to learn first how to load a project from the Epic Games library, then use samples from the scene to learn some of the fundamental elements of animating a complex scene in Unreal Engine.
We were also shown the difference between Possessable and Spawnable active elements (typically rigged characters) within a scene. Possessable characters are described as non-playable character type additions, and remain visible when working on other elements within the scene. Spawnable characters are the active characters, hidden from view when not an active element within a scene or aspect of the sequence being worked on.
I am unfamiliar with Unreal Engine and find the software intimidating, so I focused primarily on making sense of how to use the sequencer and got to grips with some simple controls such as camera focal length, location, zoom and rotation. I also rendered a sequence which was meant to cut between three different active cameras to demonstrate that this was something I spent time learning to do. Unfortunately, the camera cut function wasn’t doing as I asked – I noticed it wasn’t generating keyframes in the video editing sequencer but had no idea how to proceed. This is something I will return to work on at LCC (my laptop does not have enough available storage space to run Unreal Engine while I work at home).
I was reassured to get the chance to stay behind after class and speak to Serra who told me in clear terms what is expected of me in the completion of this unit, and showed me some previous students’ work as a frame of reference to aspire to. Serra also made an excellent point about choosing something familiar to me in terms of development, and as a graduate of LCF I decided to start drafting ideas based on fashion media, I started considering things I would have liked to be able to make in my previous studies as an undergraduate.