LogInEdoardo Grimaldi demonstrated a robust system for simulating myriads of interactive rodents.
Technical Artist Edoardo Grimaldi has experimented with Unreal Engine 5's Niagara, a built-in toolset for setting up visual effects in the engine, showcasing Rats Horde, an impressive custom-made system that lets one simulate myriads of interactive rats.
As the author explains, this system utilizes Niagara for GPU particle simulation, enabling the rats to detect and avoid the player and lights. The system incorporates diverse states for each rat, a Level of Detail mechanism, and VAT animations. Moreover, the system is exceptionally optimized and offers cost-effective performance, especially considering the number of particles spawned.
Besides Unreal Engine 5, the author has also used Blender for modeling and animation, Substance 3D software for texturing and decals, and Houdini for simulating fluids.
"I developed Rat Horde in Unreal Engine, a personal project that allowed me to refresh my knowledge and gain a better understanding of how to program complex behaviors in Niagara," commented the author. "This project showcases the incredible potential and versatility of Niagara, which can be used for various purposes, including driving gameplay logic."
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