UNREAL ENGINE 5
Discover how Pietro Chiovaro uses the powerful Megascans asset library to build a gorgeous scene
The ability to create stunning environments in real-time game engines has become increasingly accessible and visually impressive with the arrival of Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) and its integration with Quixel Bridge. The new UE5 offers incredible rendering capabilities and a solid set of tools for creating stunning and realistic environments. From the other side, Quixel Bridge provides a vast library of highquality photoscanned assets, including decals, 3D models, textures, and materials captured from real-world locations.
By mixing the potential of UE5 with the rich and diverse Quixel Megascans library, developers and artists can bring their virtual creations to life with awesome details and visual accuracy. Whether you’re building a large landscape, a complex interior or a fantasy scene, the integration of the Megascans library within UE5 empowers creators to make visually stunning environments that immerse players.
In this tutorial, we’ll explore the step-by-step process of creating realistic environments using Quixel models in Unreal Engine. From the first step of downloading the software and setting up your maiden project, through to the lighting, material customisation, scene optimisation, post-processing details, and finally the rendering process, make sure to follow all the steps to create your first scene in this marvelous software!
01 PREP A DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT
Install and set up Unreal Engine 5. You can download it through the Epic Games Launcher, which is available for both Mac and Windows devices. Make sure you have all the necessary hardware and software requirements to run UE smoothly. On windows it’s recommended you have an Nvidia RTX GPU to enjoy features like ray-tracing, while for Mac users Unreal Engine 5.2 introduced several improvements with Apple Silicon. If you have Unreal installed already, keep in mind to update it to the latest version available.
02 PLAN YOUR SCENE
Having a clear vision of the scene you want to create is absolutely essential. Consider the period, style, mood and overall atmosphere you want to bring to your project. Sketch out your ideas or create a mood board for reference. If concepting is not your strong point, you could generate some concepts and references using new AI solutions like Midjourney.
03 CREATE A NEW PROJECT
Start up the Epic Games Launcher, and in the Unreal Engine tab create a new project. Here
