LogInRenan Macedo showed how the recently-introduced toolset can be used to create a highly-realistic forest.
Renan Macedo, an aspiring Programmer and Game Developer, has shared an awe-inspiring test demo showcasing a stunning 3D environment made with the novel Procedural Content Generation (PCG) framework, first shown by Epic Games at GDC 2023 and officially introduced as an experimental feature with the release of Unreal Engine 5.2.
For those unaware, the PCG framework in question includes both in-editor tools and a runtime component, allowing the user to define rules and parameters to populate large scenes with Unreal Engine assets and greatly accelerating the process of creating large worlds by making it more efficient and convenient.
Using the PCG framework, the author has managed to set up a highly-realistic and detailed 3D forest scene, noting that it took only four days to achieve the final result and calling the toolset "just another type of Blueprints". The demo itself was rendered at 30 FPS to make it look more realistic by replicating the frame rate of media that we are used to seeing.
"This shot was made in 6k with 1x1 AA samples with DLAA, which was the only way to get a clean render without light blobs from Lumen," commented the creator on Reddit. "When used 16 or 32 samples the foliages went crazy and just kept switching colors in some spots. It is very hard to find the best render model for each scene."
Renan also highlighted a couple of great educational resources on Procedural Content Generation – a lengthy "Unreal 5.2 Preview PCG Tutorial" series by FreetimeCoder and a comprehensive 2-hour-long "Deep Dive into the Electric Dreams Project" by the Unreal Engine team:
You can check out Renan's original Reddit post to learn more about the project. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.