WEBVTT 1 00:00:23.621 --> 00:00:24.392 Hello everyone 2 00:00:24.392 --> 00:00:27.350 Hello everyone, this is Professor Ok-hee Cho from Sangmyung University 3 00:00:27.350 --> 00:00:30.500 Who will be in charge of introducing and using Unreal Engine third-party solutions 4 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:33.000 This time, we will take a look at 5 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:34.799 The introduction of Niagara VFX 6 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:39.700 Which can be said to be a feature as powerful as metahumans in Unreal 7 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:42.500 Niagara has been quite an issue 8 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:44.700 so you may have heard of it 9 00:00:44.700 --> 00:00:48.700 Most 3D or 2D graphic programs 10 00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:50.900 will have a feature called effects 11 00:00:50.900 --> 00:00:56.299 By effects I mean the ones you might think of like fire or the sparkles on the surface of water 12 00:00:56.299 --> 00:01:00.200 One thing essential to effects is the concept of particles 13 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:03.599 Small particles move to make it look like there is a flame 14 00:01:03.599 --> 00:01:06.199 or give the impression of water 15 00:01:06.199 --> 00:01:08.900 For things like water, of course you could 16 00:01:08.900 --> 00:01:12.800 make some Materials move around instead of using particles 17 00:01:12.800 --> 00:01:15.800 But Niagara has powerful features 18 00:01:15.800 --> 00:01:17.199 That allow you to make basically any effect 19 00:01:17.199 --> 00:01:19.699 like fire, water, or smoke 20 00:01:19.699 --> 00:01:21.500 It's a particle of sorts 21 00:01:21.500 --> 00:01:25.400 A powerful feature that can make particle effects 22 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:28.500 In older Unreal versions, it was called by a different name 23 00:01:28.500 --> 00:01:31.800 I will introduce the older ones as well 24 00:01:31.800 --> 00:01:33.800 Just by learning about Niagara, even if you are a beginner 25 00:01:33.800 --> 00:01:38.000 you'll be able to produce high quality results 26 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:42.500 and not have to buy effects from the marketplace 27 00:01:42.500 --> 00:01:45.099 I really have to make it clear 28 00:01:45.099 --> 00:01:49.800 that learning about Niagara 29 00:01:49.800 --> 00:01:52.000 is one of the shortcuts to gaining Unreal skills fast 30 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:53.500 What is on screen right now 31 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:56.199 Is an example image of Niagara from Unreal 32 00:01:56.199 --> 00:01:59.800 Sparkly effects like those 33 00:01:59.800 --> 00:02:01.950 always show up in animations 34 00:02:01.950 --> 00:02:04.099 as well as video games 35 00:02:04.099 --> 00:02:07.599 In the case of games, a lot of MMORPGs 36 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.800 will give that kind of sparkle effect when you use magic 37 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:12.650 along with some musical sound effects 38 00:02:12.650 --> 00:02:15.800 Or if you take a certain action, like a kicking attack 39 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:18.199 Or swinging a sword 40 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:20.500 That's called a sword trail 41 00:02:20.500 --> 00:02:22.500 It's used to make the light effect 42 00:02:22.500 --> 00:02:24.699 in sword trails 43 00:02:24.699 --> 00:02:27.899 They are everywhere in games 44 00:02:27.899 --> 00:02:32.000 In the past, when there was a separation between 45 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:34.399 the graphical part and programming part of development 46 00:02:34.399 --> 00:02:38.199 there would be someone who specializes in effects 47 00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:42.100 and someone else would do modeling, and another would do textures 48 00:02:42.100 --> 00:02:44.100 And rendering, all of those tasks were distributed among people 49 00:02:44.100 --> 00:02:46.849 But nowadays there are engines for creating games 50 00:02:46.849 --> 00:02:51.050 so someone else can make the effects 51 00:02:51.100 --> 00:02:53.399 And the developer can just get those effects 52 00:02:53.399 --> 00:02:57.300 and put them where they need in their game 53 00:02:57.300 --> 00:02:59.550 You can tell Niagara when to show which effects 54 00:02:59.550 --> 00:03:01.500 For example, if a certain asset does a certain action 55 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:03.500 If a specific sword is being swung 56 00:03:03.500 --> 00:03:05.699 You can set light effects to start following it around 57 00:03:05.699 --> 00:03:08.300 the moment it starts swinging 58 00:03:08.300 --> 00:03:10.800 Or you can set flames to burst from the sword 59 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:13.800 after a bit of delay 60 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:17.600 And the way it's set up 61 00:03:17.600 --> 00:03:19.100 makes it so, so easy to edit 62 00:03:19.100 --> 00:03:22.899 It is a program completely optimized for game development 63 00:03:22.899 --> 00:03:25.300 All of the effects you have seen in video games 64 00:03:25.300 --> 00:03:27.899 In the past they were created one by one 65 00:03:27.899 --> 00:03:29.399 Set up all of the particles 66 00:03:29.399 --> 00:03:31.899 And use 2D image sprites for sparkly effects 67 00:03:31.899 --> 00:03:35.000 to make it look more 3D 68 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:38.500 Effects were an extremely complicated and labor-intensive field 69 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:41.899 Nowadays in Unreal, you can just use Niagar 70 00:03:41.899 --> 00:03:44.899 and you can create commercial level effects 71 00:03:44.899 --> 00:03:47.800 better than any you would find on the marketplace 72 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:51.000 with your own hands 73 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:53.699 Before we begin, you should think about it for a moment 74 00:03:53.699 --> 00:03:56.399 Especially if you have used Unreal 75 00:03:56.399 --> 00:03:59.899 even if you haven't tried using Niagara 76 00:03:59.899 --> 00:04:01.500 What are some effects that are not the movement of an asset 77 00:04:01.500 --> 00:04:03.000 or a character's actions 78 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:06.199 or effects with some preset inputs? 79 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:09.500 Those would be sparkles, explosions 80 00:04:09.500 --> 00:04:12.300 or whirlwinds 81 00:04:12.300 --> 00:04:16.100 Debris spreading from an exploding building 82 00:04:16.100 --> 00:04:18.200 It doesn't have to be that big 83 00:04:18.200 --> 00:04:22.200 A little firecracker popping on a table 84 00:04:22.200 --> 00:04:23.899 Effects like those 85 00:04:23.899 --> 00:04:27.500 How could you make them? 86 00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:30.200 How can you render effects like those in Unreal? 87 00:04:30.200 --> 00:04:32.000 What menu do you use? 88 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:33.899 You should think about that 89 00:04:33.899 --> 00:04:36.299 as you start this lesson 90 00:04:36.299 --> 00:04:41.100 We will look at four things today 91 00:04:41.100 --> 00:04:44.500 First is what Niagara VFX does 92 00:04:44.500 --> 00:04:47.500 and its functions 93 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:52.000 By the way, of course Niagara is hard at the extra high-quality level 94 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:54.600 But even the bottom line quality is pretty high 95 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:58.000 Even if you don't plan on using Unreal 96 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:01.000 If you want to study 3D or effects for video games 97 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:02.799 You should give Niagara a try 98 00:05:02.799 --> 00:05:05.500 because you can make so many amazing things with it 99 00:05:05.500 --> 00:05:09.600 Next we will take a look at the layout and functions of Niagara Editor 100 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:11.799 Next, because properties are very important for particles 101 00:05:11.799 --> 00:05:13.700 and they vary greatly by program 102 00:05:13.700 --> 00:05:17.399 After Effects and Premiere also have particles 103 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:20.749 But you have to study how their menus work to use them 104 00:05:20.749 --> 00:05:22.150 In Niagara, you can choose from a bunch of modules 105 00:05:22.152 --> 00:05:24.100 Whether you want the particles to spin like a tornado 106 00:05:24.100 --> 00:05:27.799 Or spread all over the place like a fountain 107 00:05:27.799 --> 00:05:29.700 There are settings like that 108 00:05:29.700 --> 00:05:31.899 And ways to control the simulation 109 00:05:31.899 --> 00:05:34.100 The number and speed of particles 110 00:05:34.100 --> 00:05:37.200 They are all made really easy to set up 111 00:05:37.200 --> 00:05:39.399 It will look a bit complicated at first 112 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:42.700 But I will give you a breakdown of the menu 113 00:05:42.700 --> 00:05:45.899 I also highly recommend trying it out yourself as you watch the lesson 114 00:05:45.899 --> 00:05:47.799 And so, once a Niagara effect is created 115 00:05:47.799 --> 00:05:52.000 you can apply it wherever you want 116 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:55.100 as if you were applying Materials 117 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:56.500 Like Materials, Niagara can be created and stored to use later 118 00:05:56.500 --> 00:05:58.000 You can make it move 119 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:00.200 or follow a character around 120 00:06:00.200 --> 00:06:01.899 You can mix it with other effects 121 00:06:01.899 --> 00:06:03.749 Each Niagara effect is a kind of asset 122 00:06:03.749 --> 00:06:06.899 You can even integrate it with Unreal Engine Materials 123 00:06:06.899 --> 00:06:09.648 We will also take a look at that as well 124 00:06:09.698 --> 00:06:13.048 Concept of Niagara VFX and the Layout and Functions of Niagara Editor 125 00:06:13.700 --> 00:06:17.299 Now we will look at what Niagara VFX is meant to do 126 00:06:17.299 --> 00:06:19.899 and what its functions are 127 00:06:19.899 --> 00:06:23.299 This is something I made for this lesson 128 00:06:23.299 --> 00:06:25.700 It's not Niagara, but Cascade 129 00:06:25.700 --> 00:06:26.799 Something important is 130 00:06:26.799 --> 00:06:29.500 Niagara became popular and started to be used a lot 131 00:06:29.500 --> 00:06:31.700 when Unreal was at version 5.0 132 00:06:31.700 --> 00:06:33.799 What Cascade is 133 00:06:33.799 --> 00:06:36.600 is the particle system for Unreal 134 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:38.600 before Niagara came along 135 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:41.300 You could create fire with it, make water 136 00:06:41.300 --> 00:06:43.200 smoke effects, all of the effects 137 00:06:43.200 --> 00:06:46.399 It was especially used to make smoke and fire effects 138 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:48.100 When you are playing a game 139 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:51.500 you will notice torches 140 00:06:51.500 --> 00:06:55.100 or fires lit on both sides inside caves 141 00:06:55.100 --> 00:06:58.399 Some games just rendered flames with a texture 142 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:01.200 Other games put a 2D image there 143 00:07:01.200 --> 00:07:03.700 and made it move around slightly 144 00:07:03.700 --> 00:07:07.799 And some games had realistic looking flames 145 00:07:07.799 --> 00:07:09.399 Nowadays you would 146 00:07:09.399 --> 00:07:12.200 make fire effects in a moment's notice with Niagara 147 00:07:12.200 --> 00:07:15.250 But when Niagara didn't exist yet and you were developing games using Unreal 148 00:07:15.250 --> 00:07:18.000 When you needed fire effects, you would go to Cascade 149 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.500 An important thing is right now on the marketplace 150 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:24.299 if you purchase some particle effects related to fire or water 151 00:07:24.299 --> 00:07:26.899 it might turn out to be a Cascade effect 152 00:07:26.899 --> 00:07:29.700 Niagara is much more prevalent now 153 00:07:29.700 --> 00:07:31.399 But this could very likely happen, which is why you need to know about Cascade 154 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:35.600 There are also plugins 155 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:37.600 that allow you to convert effect between Cascade and Niagara 156 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:42.000 So it is important to know about Cascade before you study Niagara 157 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:44.299 In Unreal Engine's old particle system 158 00:07:44.299 --> 00:07:47.700 Naturally the interface changes a bit depending on the version 159 00:07:47.700 --> 00:07:49.200 Cascade is of course a good system 160 00:07:49.200 --> 00:07:53.100 But Niagara is so much more simple 161 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:55.799 and you can do more in a given time 162 00:07:55.799 --> 00:07:57.899 So Niagara is a much more efficient upgrade of Cascade 163 00:07:57.899 --> 00:08:00.000 You could think of it that way 164 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:02.899 It is very similar to Cascade, though 165 00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:05.200 Using Niagara, you can more directly 166 00:08:05.200 --> 00:08:07.200 see and edit the engine's variables 167 00:08:07.200 --> 00:08:10.700 Because you can see and make changes to 168 00:08:10.700 --> 00:08:13.200 the particles, their speed, and gravity, et cetera 169 00:08:13.200 --> 00:08:16.000 By accessing more engine-level data 170 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:19.000 you are able to make it create more complex effects 171 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:21.549 That is why Niagara is such a good system 172 00:08:21.549 --> 00:08:24.150 That is a good way to think of Niagara 173 00:08:24.150 --> 00:08:27.400 But I did say that you should at least know about Cascade 174 00:08:27.400 --> 00:08:29.799 So this is the Cascade interface 175 00:08:29.799 --> 00:08:32.599 I will show you the Niagara interface later 176 00:08:32.599 --> 00:08:34.500 And you will notice 177 00:08:34.500 --> 00:08:36.850 that it is much more simple 178 00:08:36.900 --> 00:08:41.200 So, on the top is the menu bar, and right below it is the toolbar 179 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:44.000 Niagara doesn't really need toolbars 180 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.000 you just have to pay attention to the emitter 181 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.500 which is why I am showing you cascade, so you can notice the improvements 182 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:50.299 Then there is the Viewport panel 183 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:53.299 which is a visualization of the effect itself 184 00:08:53.299 --> 00:08:56.599 It is the interface through which you can see the effect you are making 185 00:08:56.599 --> 00:08:58.500 If it looks like water, fire, or smoke 186 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:00.500 Next, number four is the emitter panel 187 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:04.599 Emitters also exist in Niagara 188 00:09:04.599 --> 00:09:06.700 Whatever kind of particles they are 189 00:09:06.700 --> 00:09:09.400 particles have to appear from somewhere 190 00:09:09.400 --> 00:09:12.299 in order for an effect to occur 191 00:09:12.299 --> 00:09:15.050 A location where the particles 192 00:09:15.100 --> 00:09:19.500 can be emitted from 193 00:09:19.500 --> 00:09:21.400 That is what an emitter is 194 00:09:21.400 --> 00:09:24.299 It is very important in effects 195 00:09:24.299 --> 00:09:27.400 The emitter panel is here is very large 196 00:09:27.400 --> 00:09:29.400 In contrast, as you will see later 197 00:09:29.400 --> 00:09:31.400 Niagara's emitter panel is much simpler 198 00:09:31.400 --> 00:09:34.299 Next are all of the details 199 00:09:34.299 --> 00:09:36.400 Things like number of particles 200 00:09:36.400 --> 00:09:38.599 or whether to apply Materials 201 00:09:38.599 --> 00:09:41.299 Those settings can be adjusted in the Details panel 202 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:43.400 Next is the Curve Editor 203 00:09:43.400 --> 00:09:46.200 Through the Curve editor you can adjust speed 204 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:50.099 And other parameters beside that 205 00:09:50.099 --> 00:09:51.599 That was the how the interface 206 00:09:51.700 --> 00:09:54.200 of Cascade looks 207 00:09:54.200 --> 00:09:55.900 Niagara was only made possible 208 00:09:55.900 --> 00:09:58.500 Because Cascade existed before it 209 00:09:58.500 --> 00:10:01.500 That is something you should remember 210 00:10:01.500 --> 00:10:04.799 Now we will look at what Niagara VFX does 211 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:07.400 and what its functions are 212 00:10:07.400 --> 00:10:10.400 The Niagara VFX system is a powerful tool 213 00:10:10.400 --> 00:10:14.599 for creating and controlling visual effects in Unreal Engine 214 00:10:14.599 --> 00:10:18.400 Just by creating a default emitter 215 00:10:18.400 --> 00:10:21.799 and tweaking a few settings, you can get a sparkle effect 216 00:10:21.799 --> 00:10:23.000 And another important thing 217 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:26.299 We learned about Materials in Unreal 218 00:10:26.299 --> 00:10:29.400 If you use Emissive Color in Materials 219 00:10:29.400 --> 00:10:31.400 you can make a light effect 220 00:10:31.400 --> 00:10:34.900 with just one color 221 00:10:34.900 --> 00:10:36.099 If you set that Material 222 00:10:36.099 --> 00:10:40.400 as the Material of a particle in Niagara 223 00:10:40.400 --> 00:10:42.599 And the hundreds and thousands of particles 224 00:10:42.599 --> 00:10:45.200 will act as a light 225 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:48.400 So if you know some basic stuff 226 00:10:48.500 --> 00:10:50.900 about Materials and how Niagara works 227 00:10:50.900 --> 00:10:53.500 You can make an effect that looks like a swarm of fireflies 228 00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:56.400 The more you try it, the easier and exciting it becomes 229 00:10:56.400 --> 00:10:57.700 Niagara is a program 230 00:10:57.700 --> 00:10:59.299 that makes you feel 231 00:10:59.299 --> 00:11:01.599 that visual effects is not that hard 232 00:11:01.599 --> 00:11:03.900 Niagara does work on versions as early as 4.27 233 00:11:03.900 --> 00:11:05.500 It was introduced pretty later on 234 00:11:05.500 --> 00:11:07.599 And it was designed to replace 235 00:11:07.599 --> 00:11:10.299 the existing Cascade particle system 236 00:11:10.299 --> 00:11:12.000 That is what Niagara is 237 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:13.500 Cascade is a good program 238 00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:15.500 I keep comparing the two 239 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:16.900 because I really want to stress that 240 00:11:16.900 --> 00:11:20.799 Cascade came first 241 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:23.000 And Niagara, based on Cascade, is a more efficient and effective upgrade 242 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:25.099 The main goal of the Niagara system 243 00:11:25.099 --> 00:11:27.200 is to give the user 244 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:29.700 more detailed control of the particle system 245 00:11:29.700 --> 00:11:32.400 And to make it easier to create 246 00:11:32.400 --> 00:11:34.500 more complicated and dynamic visual effects 247 00:11:34.500 --> 00:11:37.099 That is the goal of the Niagara system 248 00:11:37.099 --> 00:11:39.900 Now let's take a look at 249 00:11:39.900 --> 00:11:41.700 the main functions and features of Niagara VFX 250 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:43.500 Niagara has a modular structure 251 00:11:43.500 --> 00:11:45.099 You should understand modular 252 00:11:45.099 --> 00:11:48.299 for example, as if it were 253 00:11:48.299 --> 00:11:49.700 a very complex drawer 254 00:11:49.700 --> 00:11:53.200 but you can open and close just the parts you need 255 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:55.200 That is how you control Niagara 256 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:57.400 What? You need gravity or physics? 257 00:11:57.400 --> 00:11:59.599 Just set up those modules 258 00:11:59.599 --> 00:12:01.099 If you need to adjust speed? 259 00:12:01.099 --> 00:12:02.700 Just tweak the speed module 260 00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:06.299 If you need to decide the number of particles 261 00:12:06.299 --> 00:12:09.599 Or how the effect looks overall 262 00:12:09.599 --> 00:12:12.000 There are modules for those 263 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:15.000 That is how a modular structure works 264 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:17.000 It makes control intuitive, even if the whole is very complex 265 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:19.400 And importantly, it's so easy to view 266 00:12:19.400 --> 00:12:21.599 If you look at regular scripted code for a while 267 00:12:21.599 --> 00:12:25.299 then come back to blueprint code, you can see the difference clearly 268 00:12:25.299 --> 00:12:28.000 Like so, modular structure 269 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:30.700 helps you control particles more easilly 270 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:33.500 That's the key point 271 00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:37.799 Next is real time simulation and interactions 272 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:39.900 So, you can use Niagara 273 00:12:39.900 --> 00:12:43.299 to make the particles interact with the environment in real time 274 00:12:43.299 --> 00:12:47.200 For example, make them collide with the floor 275 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:49.400 Or make them follow the character around 276 00:12:49.400 --> 00:12:52.500 You can make it so they are affected by elements like wind 277 00:12:52.500 --> 00:12:55.200 Or give them properties that make them pass through walls 278 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:58.000 If you want to simulate realistic dust 279 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:00.299 They should probably phase through walls 280 00:13:00.299 --> 00:13:03.400 But if the particles are little grains of something 281 00:13:03.400 --> 00:13:05.200 Or represent fairies 282 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:07.700 Then they can be made to interact with the wall 283 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:09.900 And pile up on the floor below 284 00:13:09.900 --> 00:13:11.099 Giving particles such properties 285 00:13:11.099 --> 00:13:14.500 allow you to make extra realistic effects 286 00:13:14.500 --> 00:13:16.900 And you can set particles 287 00:13:16.900 --> 00:13:20.299 to be emitted from characters 288 00:13:20.299 --> 00:13:23.000 If you also make them be affected by wind 289 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:26.700 Then sparkles that come out of the character 290 00:13:26.700 --> 00:13:28.799 would blow away with the wind 291 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.000 Or you could make them ignore the wind 292 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:33.099 Then while the character's hair is ruffled by the wind 293 00:13:33.099 --> 00:13:34.700 The particles just stay in place 294 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:37.500 All of that can be rendered in Unreal 295 00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:39.299 And you can apply gravity as well as wind 296 00:13:39.299 --> 00:13:42.700 If you reverse gravity, the particles will float to the sky 297 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:46.400 I've given you a lot of examples now 298 00:13:46.400 --> 00:13:50.599 And seriously, you could make all of them yourself right now 299 00:13:50.599 --> 00:13:53.599 Niagara makes that possible 300 00:13:53.599 --> 00:13:55.700 Next, data-centered design 301 00:13:55.700 --> 00:14:00.599 Niagara has adopted a data-centered approach 302 00:14:00.599 --> 00:14:04.599 which means the movements and properties of particles are managed using data 303 00:14:04.599 --> 00:14:10.200 Which can hugely improve the flexibility and expandability of the particle system 304 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:12.700 The fourth feature is the advanced visual editor 305 00:14:12.700 --> 00:14:15.900 This also has to do with Blueprints 306 00:14:15.900 --> 00:14:20.799 Every concept in Unreal has a well built in visual scripting system 307 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:23.000 You can code with Blueprints 308 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:25.700 And with Materials, you don't even have to code 309 00:14:25.700 --> 00:14:28.299 And just connect the nodes you want 310 00:14:28.299 --> 00:14:31.400 to create the desired Material 311 00:14:31.400 --> 00:14:33.900 Niagara is like this as well 312 00:14:33.900 --> 00:14:37.700 The resulting system is an extremely complex 313 00:14:37.700 --> 00:14:39.400 high-quality particle system 314 00:14:39.400 --> 00:14:42.500 But you interact with it 315 00:14:42.500 --> 00:14:45.000 by just connecting some nodes 316 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:48.299 And even if you don't know what you're doing 317 00:14:48.299 --> 00:14:50.000 and click on random nodes 318 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:53.599 you might just create something cool 319 00:14:53.599 --> 00:14:56.900 Because of the modular structure 320 00:14:56.900 --> 00:14:59.200 It's like opening and closing some drawers 321 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:02.599 So even small changes are a big influence on the final product 322 00:15:02.599 --> 00:15:06.400 And there is a tutorial on the Unreal website 323 00:15:06.400 --> 00:15:08.400 But even without it 324 00:15:08.400 --> 00:15:10.099 There are very nice presets 325 00:15:10.099 --> 00:15:12.799 so anyone can make cool particles 326 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:15.000 and explosions, water effects, or fire effects based on them 327 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.900 You can change them the way you like 328 00:15:17.900 --> 00:15:19.799 All of that is very easy 329 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:23.000 The menus are so intuitive that just by viewing them 330 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:27.099 you can understand the complex logic behind them 331 00:15:27.099 --> 00:15:31.200 This is the greatest advantage of Niagara 332 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:33.200 Next up is scripting support 333 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:36.599 Niagara supports scripting 334 00:15:36.599 --> 00:15:40.200 so that the user can have more detailed control of the particle system's functions 335 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:41.600 Because of scripting 336 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.799 you can connect interactions and little details 337 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:46.900 with Niagara to control them 338 00:15:46.900 --> 00:15:49.500 And it works well with other systems as well 339 00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:52.799 You can mix with an animation or an action file 340 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:55.000 so when a certain action is activated 341 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:57.700 the Niagara effect will be shown at the right timing 342 00:15:57.700 --> 00:15:59.599 That's another way you can code things 343 00:15:59.599 --> 00:16:02.349 And integration 344 00:16:02.349 --> 00:16:04.900 with any Blueprint system is also a breeze 345 00:16:04.900 --> 00:16:09.000 Which allows the user 346 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.500 to go beyond standard functions 347 00:16:11.500 --> 00:16:14.900 and render the exact custom effects that they want 348 00:16:14.900 --> 00:16:16.799 This Niagara VFX system 349 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:19.700 can be utilized in so many fields 350 00:16:19.700 --> 00:16:21.900 like game development, movie and animation production 351 00:16:21.900 --> 00:16:25.400 and real-time visualization projects 352 00:16:25.400 --> 00:16:28.299 It was first developed for video game VFX 353 00:16:28.299 --> 00:16:30.799 But it's also useful in animation 354 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:32.799 It can be used to create a rainbow 355 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:35.500 Or sparks coming off of a character 356 00:16:35.500 --> 00:16:38.099 There are a lot of explosions in animations 357 00:16:38.099 --> 00:16:40.900 Explosions can also be made to look super realistic 358 00:16:40.900 --> 00:16:43.099 So much so that Niagara is used not only for animation 359 00:16:43.099 --> 00:16:46.900 but also for special effects in movies 360 00:16:46.900 --> 00:16:48.799 Fire, water, or smoke 361 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:51.349 Before Niagara, you would create those in After Effects 362 00:16:51.349 --> 00:16:53.599 put them into movies, and hope the audience doesn't notice 363 00:16:53.599 --> 00:16:56.000 But special effects can be created in Unreal 364 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:00.700 in actual 3D, with the click of a button 365 00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:03.900 It can be put into live action movies 366 00:17:03.900 --> 00:17:06.199 and still look realistic 367 00:17:06.199 --> 00:17:08.099 And particles have more uses than you might think, too 368 00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:10.800 Particles can be used to create a haze effect 369 00:17:10.800 --> 00:17:14.000 Snow and rain is also made with particles 370 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:16.099 Of course there are weather systems on the marketplace 371 00:17:16.099 --> 00:17:19.800 But just by using Niagara 372 00:17:19.800 --> 00:17:22.699 you can create snow effects 373 00:17:22.699 --> 00:17:25.999 that pile up on a character's shoulders 374 00:17:25.999 --> 00:17:27.800 and fall to the ground 375 00:17:27.800 --> 00:17:30.000 So you should keep that in mind 376 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.500 Real-time visualization projects 377 00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:33.000 They use a lot of special effects too, 378 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:36.599 ones that can dazzle the eye 379 00:17:36.599 --> 00:17:37.900 For example, neon sign-like effects 380 00:17:37.900 --> 00:17:40.000 Many of those flashy graphic effects 381 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:42.099 can be categorized into VFX 382 00:17:42.099 --> 00:17:45.800 Real-time visualization projects 383 00:17:45.800 --> 00:17:48.300 because they need attractive visuals 384 00:17:48.300 --> 00:17:53.300 are another field that Niagara effects are often used 385 00:17:53.300 --> 00:17:56.400 I have used Niagara for about 2 years now 386 00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:00.599 And it is so easy to create beautiful scenes 387 00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:02.800 Whether it's animation or video games 388 00:18:02.800 --> 00:18:07.000 The placement of effects has such a big impact 389 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:09.699 They should be backed up by good sound effects, though 390 00:18:09.699 --> 00:18:13.300 Anyway, Niagara is a system 391 00:18:13.300 --> 00:18:15.099 that rewards you for constant practice 392 00:18:15.099 --> 00:18:17.800 It is very well thought out 393 00:18:17.800 --> 00:18:20.699 One thing about Unreal is that not only is Unreal itself bulky 394 00:18:20.699 --> 00:18:23.599 you have to keep downloading the stuff you need 395 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:25.599 We call those plugins 396 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:27.900 Some plugins are paid, others are free 397 00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:33.199 So, Unreal is a bulky, heavy, advanced game engine 398 00:18:33.199 --> 00:18:38.699 that you can expand further using plugins 399 00:18:38.699 --> 00:18:42.749 If you search for 'Niagara' in the list of plugins 400 00:18:42.749 --> 00:18:44.699 You will get five results 401 00:18:44.699 --> 00:18:46.999 That number will probably get bigger 402 00:18:46.999 --> 00:18:50.400 since Unreal itself and the plugins are constantly being expanded 403 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:53.900 So on this screen, there is no need to install that first one 404 00:18:53.900 --> 00:18:57.500 That's Cascade to Niagara Converter 405 00:18:57.500 --> 00:19:01.500 If you have used Unreal since the legacy versions 406 00:19:01.500 --> 00:19:05.599 And you have this cool Cascade effect you really wanted to use 407 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:07.900 But you don't want to use Cascade anymore 408 00:19:07.900 --> 00:19:09.800 and want to switch to Niagara instead 409 00:19:09.800 --> 00:19:12.800 You can use the cool visual effects 410 00:19:12.800 --> 00:19:16.300 by using this converter 411 00:19:16.300 --> 00:19:20.300 to change them from Cascade effects to Niagara effects 412 00:19:20.300 --> 00:19:21.199 So that is a thing that exists 413 00:19:21.199 --> 00:19:23.699 If you need it, you can install it 414 00:19:23.699 --> 00:19:28.400 But the other four are absolutely necessary when using Niagara 415 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:29.900 Especially the fourth one 416 00:19:29.900 --> 00:19:32.699 Niagara Example CUstom DataInterface 417 00:19:32.699 --> 00:19:34.099 You must install this one 418 00:19:34.099 --> 00:19:36.599 Because as the name implies, it has examples 419 00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:40.199 so presets created using Niagara, and there is a lot of them 420 00:19:40.199 --> 00:19:42.500 Be sure to install that one 421 00:19:42.500 --> 00:19:46.400 And the next plugin became more powerful since 5.2 422 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:50.300 Using Niagara, you could always make beautiful water effects 423 00:19:50.300 --> 00:19:52.900 Like water rippling when a character jumps from it 424 00:19:52.900 --> 00:19:56.549 Or waves forming and splashing when a character touches the water 425 00:19:56.549 --> 00:19:58.699 Underwater effects 426 00:19:58.699 --> 00:20:00.199 that make it look like 427 00:20:00.199 --> 00:20:03.500 a video shot from under the real life ocean 428 00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:06.599 Effects like those were already 429 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:08.400 very good in the initial version of Niagara 430 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:11.900 But it became even more powerful after 5.2 launched 431 00:20:11.900 --> 00:20:14.900 If you create a ravine out of rocks 432 00:20:14.900 --> 00:20:16.900 and let Niagara water effects flow from the top 433 00:20:16.900 --> 00:20:18.750 The water will actually flow like real water 434 00:20:18.750 --> 00:20:21.000 It will froth in tight corners 435 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.199 That is what is now possible with Niagara Fluid 436 00:20:23.199 --> 00:20:26.000 And because of these kinds of updates 437 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:28.599 The most expensive assets in the marketplace 438 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:32.699 used to be ones related to fluid simulation 439 00:20:32.699 --> 00:20:35.800 There were programs on there 440 00:20:35.800 --> 00:20:37.900 that cost hundreds of dollars or even up to a thousand 441 00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:41.900 After the Niagara Fluid function got upgraded 442 00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:45.400 The prices started going down 443 00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:47.099 Before Niagara Fluid 444 00:20:47.099 --> 00:20:50.199 so before we rendered water using particles 445 00:20:50.199 --> 00:20:52.199 How you would render water 446 00:20:52.199 --> 00:20:55.300 is just use a plane as the water surface 447 00:20:55.300 --> 00:20:58.400 And put some moving Material on it 448 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:00.199 to make it look like water 449 00:21:00.199 --> 00:21:02.400 Obviously, because it's a plane 450 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.199 if you go under the water and look upwards 451 00:21:05.199 --> 00:21:07.800 the underwater would just be a void 452 00:21:07.800 --> 00:21:09.800 It's an empty indent in the ground 453 00:21:09.800 --> 00:21:13.300 If you look at retro games, that's how water is rendered 454 00:21:13.300 --> 00:21:17.099 Games these days have better systems 455 00:21:17.099 --> 00:21:22.099 So under the surface will be actual blue water 456 00:21:22.099 --> 00:21:25.099 And you can simulate swimming underwater better 457 00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:28.699 There are paid plugins or marketplace assets 458 00:21:28.699 --> 00:21:30.800 But even with just Niagara Fluid 459 00:21:30.800 --> 00:21:33.500 You can render all of those in detail now 460 00:21:33.500 --> 00:21:36.500 You can also simulate still bodies of water 461 00:21:36.500 --> 00:21:38.300 Or flowing tap water 462 00:21:38.300 --> 00:21:40.300 And you can change the density as well 463 00:21:40.300 --> 00:21:42.000 And use fluid particles 464 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.800 to render things like honey 465 00:21:43.800 --> 00:21:45.599 or sticky paint 466 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.000 Things that are thicker than water, like oil or milk 467 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:52.800 or even pudding 468 00:21:52.800 --> 00:21:54.099 But to do all of that 469 00:21:54.099 --> 00:21:58.599 the Niagara Fluid plugin has to be on 470 00:21:58.599 --> 00:22:01.900 And no matter how many plugins you have in Unreal 471 00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:04.800 You can't just tick the box and instantly turn them on 472 00:22:04.800 --> 00:22:08.199 Once you turn a plugin on, you have to reboot 473 00:22:08.199 --> 00:22:11.000 Just a reminder 474 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:13.500 Now let's take a better look 475 00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:15.099 at the Niagara interface 476 00:22:15.099 --> 00:22:17.400 The reason I showed you 477 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:18.400 the Cascade interface beforehand 478 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:22.800 is while the Cascade interface is complicated and has so many menus 479 00:22:22.800 --> 00:22:26.300 With Niagara you just get this neat menu 480 00:22:26.300 --> 00:22:29.099 There are a lot of rows here 481 00:22:29.099 --> 00:22:30.599 There are a lot of them 482 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:34.699 But this is a screenshot of everything that can go in the interface 483 00:22:34.699 --> 00:22:37.099 Sometimes there will be only five modules 484 00:22:37.099 --> 00:22:38.500 So not all of those modules will always be on the interface 485 00:22:38.500 --> 00:22:40.199 That's how Niagara interface works 486 00:22:40.199 --> 00:22:42.199 The ones highlighted in yellow 487 00:22:42.199 --> 00:22:46.400 are the big handles for our theoretical drawers 488 00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:48.199 Let's take a look 489 00:22:48.199 --> 00:22:49.800 at the important stuff 490 00:22:49.800 --> 00:22:52.400 First is the Emitter Spawn 491 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:53.800 In games or interactive content 492 00:22:53.800 --> 00:22:56.400 The concept of spawn 493 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:59.300 is someplace that objects appear from 494 00:22:59.300 --> 00:23:01.300 In an MMORPG you would say, 495 00:23:01.300 --> 00:23:03.300 "Hey, where does that mob spawn from?" 496 00:23:03.300 --> 00:23:05.000 You would have conversations like that 497 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:08.699 So the spawn location of a certain mob means that is where the mob appears from 498 00:23:08.699 --> 00:23:10.500 And monsters would keep respawning 499 00:23:10.500 --> 00:23:14.300 from a certain location 500 00:23:14.300 --> 00:23:15.699 The appearing of particles 501 00:23:15.699 --> 00:23:18.199 is also called spawning 502 00:23:18.199 --> 00:23:21.099 And the particle has to spawn from a certain location 503 00:23:21.099 --> 00:23:22.900 which is the emitter 504 00:23:22.900 --> 00:23:24.800 That is what an emitter is 505 00:23:24.800 --> 00:23:27.000 So, emitter spawn would mean 506 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:29.199 That particles keep spawning from somewhere 507 00:23:29.199 --> 00:23:31.000 And because we call it 'spawning' 508 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:34.699 You can easily think of particles as having a life cycle 509 00:23:34.699 --> 00:23:37.900 Spawning from somewhere and dying after a set number of seconds 510 00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:39.400 So it has a life span of sorts 511 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:42.900 That is what you set up in Emitter Spawn 512 00:23:42.900 --> 00:23:44.400 So the most basic settings 513 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:46.900 The particles could be fire, or water 514 00:23:46.900 --> 00:23:50.300 They could be explosions or glitter 515 00:23:50.300 --> 00:23:52.500 But the initial settings are done here 516 00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:55.400 Emitter Updates are important as well 517 00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:57.099 In the case of updates 518 00:23:57.099 --> 00:23:59.400 If there was a single burst of particles and then nothing that wouldn't look great 519 00:23:59.400 --> 00:24:01.000 You need a constant stream of particles 520 00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:03.300 That is what Emitter Updates does 521 00:24:03.300 --> 00:24:06.000 If you set it to infinite, the particles will never stop spawning 522 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:08.500 If you set it to once, there will be a burst of particles and that's it 523 00:24:08.500 --> 00:24:10.000 Niagara can create diverse and fun effects 524 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:13.000 just by changing around some properties 525 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.500 If you change properties related to updating 526 00:24:15.500 --> 00:24:16.699 For example, explosions 527 00:24:16.699 --> 00:24:19.699 An explosion should happen once 528 00:24:19.699 --> 00:24:21.800 when, say, a car crashes into a wall 529 00:24:21.800 --> 00:24:22.900 If you change the properties 530 00:24:22.900 --> 00:24:25.699 There might be endless explosions 531 00:24:25.699 --> 00:24:27.800 Or you can set it to happen just once 532 00:24:27.800 --> 00:24:31.000 You can modify that in Niagara 533 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:33.099 Next, Particle Spawn 534 00:24:33.100 --> 00:24:37.500 This has to do with the spawning of particles itself 535 00:24:37.500 --> 00:24:39.800 To put it simply 536 00:24:39.800 --> 00:24:43.500 It is the module you will tweak the most 537 00:24:43.500 --> 00:24:47.099 when trying to change details about shape or visuals 538 00:24:47.099 --> 00:24:50.500 The position, color, and size of particles 539 00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:52.000 are all determined in Particle Spawn 540 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:54.699 For example, the sample I showed you earlier 541 00:24:54.699 --> 00:24:59.500 Had light purple or blue sparkly particles 542 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:02.649 You can modify the color, or the size 543 00:25:02.700 --> 00:25:04.099 Or the position of particles 544 00:25:04.099 --> 00:25:09.800 You can change a particle to be the size of dust and make it sparkly 545 00:25:09.800 --> 00:25:13.699 to make them look like real-life confetti 546 00:25:13.699 --> 00:25:18.199 Or make a single particle the size of a baseball or watermelon 547 00:25:18.199 --> 00:25:20.199 There aren't many situations you would use that kind of particle 548 00:25:20.199 --> 00:25:23.000 But it is an option 549 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:25.500 Just by changing color and size 550 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:28.400 the particles feel a lot different 551 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:31.599 That is what you define in Particle Spawn 552 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:34.000 Next is Particle Update 553 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:37.699 The color of particles could turn more transparent as time passes 554 00:25:37.699 --> 00:25:41.000 Or it could be white at spawn and blue before it disappears 555 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:44.900 Particles don't stay in place 556 00:25:44.900 --> 00:25:46.599 they keep moving around 557 00:25:46.599 --> 00:25:49.699 Changing their properties while they move around is what Particle Update does 558 00:25:49.699 --> 00:25:52.599 You could make it look like there's noise 559 00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:55.599 You can set all of that up in Particle Update 560 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:58.800 And Particle Update has sub-drawers in it 561 00:25:58.800 --> 00:26:01.699 You can insert the ones you need and modify them 562 00:26:01.699 --> 00:26:04.699 If there's a node you don't need, just take it out 563 00:26:04.699 --> 00:26:07.300 Next, Event Handler literally 564 00:26:07.300 --> 00:26:10.400 handles events, or interactions 565 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:14.599 And Event Handlers can connect to each other 566 00:26:14.599 --> 00:26:16.599 To cause new effects 567 00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:18.400 It's a bit comlicated 568 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:21.099 Next is Render, the visual part 569 00:26:21.099 --> 00:26:24.800 If you look up close to a single particle 570 00:26:24.800 --> 00:26:27.000 whatever type of particle it is 571 00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:29.400 If you look at it from close up 572 00:26:29.400 --> 00:26:31.800 It could be a 2D object 573 00:26:31.800 --> 00:26:33.699 Like a piece of paper 574 00:26:33.699 --> 00:26:35.800 cut out to be a circle 575 00:26:35.800 --> 00:26:39.599 Or it could be 3D mesh, in the shape of a sphere 576 00:26:39.599 --> 00:26:42.000 With the mesh render option 577 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.300 you can model tiny people 578 00:26:44.300 --> 00:26:45.900 or a rock 579 00:26:45.900 --> 00:26:48.500 So to do that you would select Niagara - Mesh Renderer - Rock 580 00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:50.900 That will set the mesh to look like a rock 581 00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:53.000 Then, just by using Niagara 582 00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:56.599 you could simulate a pile of rocks rolling away 583 00:26:56.599 --> 00:27:00.199 Or make the particles into human figures 584 00:27:00.199 --> 00:27:01.900 to quickly create crowds with hundreds of people 585 00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:04.199 That is another way 586 00:27:04.199 --> 00:27:06.449 you can effectively use Niagara 587 00:27:06.743 --> 00:27:09.943 Particle Properties and How to Control Simulations 588 00:27:10.800 --> 00:27:13.000 There are various render options 589 00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:15.599 So let me show you how to create one 590 00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:17.699 You first have to create a Niagara 591 00:27:17.699 --> 00:27:19.699 There are a few options on how to do that 592 00:27:19.699 --> 00:27:22.300 You could start from a preset 593 00:27:22.300 --> 00:27:24.699 which is the second option here 594 00:27:24.699 --> 00:27:26.500 The option that is shown in blue right now 595 00:27:26.500 --> 00:27:28.599 the one on the top 596 00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:31.599 will show you a variety of emitters 597 00:27:31.599 --> 00:27:34.000 There's Empty, so an invisible emitter, as well 598 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:37.599 Like a flame spewing from a jet 599 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:41.699 There's an emitter that spews to the side 600 00:27:41.699 --> 00:27:43.400 Fountain is a popular one 601 00:27:43.400 --> 00:27:47.699 which creates a literal fountain of particles 602 00:27:47.699 --> 00:27:49.900 There 's Hanging Particulates 603 00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:51.800 which creates dust-like particles 604 00:27:51.800 --> 00:27:54.500 that just float in the air 605 00:27:54.500 --> 00:27:56.500 You could use Hanging Particulates to render 606 00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:58.900 just airborne dust, or fairy dust 607 00:27:58.900 --> 00:28:00.699 Other things that suspend in the air 608 00:28:00.699 --> 00:28:03.500 are dandelion seeds, or pollen 609 00:28:03.500 --> 00:28:05.199 You can give it slight gravity 610 00:28:05.199 --> 00:28:09.000 So it floats for a while before naturally falling to the ground 611 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:10.800 So there are a lot of emitters 612 00:28:10.800 --> 00:28:12.900 you can use to create in Niagara 613 00:28:12.900 --> 00:28:15.800 There were some samples that we installed as a plugin 614 00:28:15.800 --> 00:28:17.900 Don't forget to install those 615 00:28:17.900 --> 00:28:20.699 then you will always have the examples to turn to 616 00:28:20.699 --> 00:28:23.800 Try creating different initial settings depending on what you want to make 617 00:28:23.800 --> 00:28:25.900 Gain some experience in Niagara 618 00:28:25.900 --> 00:28:27.500 You could outline in your head 619 00:28:27.500 --> 00:28:29.400 which modules you will use 620 00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:31.800 and how you will set them up 621 00:28:31.800 --> 00:28:33.699 If you have the skill to do that 622 00:28:33.699 --> 00:28:36.199 You could start from an empty emitter and still create something cool 623 00:28:36.199 --> 00:28:39.599 New system from a template or behavior example 624 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:42.599 So this is just the second option but zoomed in 625 00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:46.900 There are a huge variety of templates 626 00:28:46.900 --> 00:28:51.500 Fire, water, smoke, you name it 627 00:28:51.500 --> 00:28:53.699 Just by taking advantage of these samples 628 00:28:53.699 --> 00:28:56.900 you can effectively render events 629 00:28:56.900 --> 00:28:58.500 But what is really important 630 00:28:58.500 --> 00:29:02.599 is studying a lot of samples 631 00:29:02.599 --> 00:29:05.699 Because if you search for effects 632 00:29:05.699 --> 00:29:07.500 on the marketplace 633 00:29:07.500 --> 00:29:09.599 You can get smoke effects 634 00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:12.300 You can get complete weather systems 635 00:29:12.300 --> 00:29:14.199 where you can control whether it snows or rains 636 00:29:14.199 --> 00:29:17.500 Make an aurora, or make it a full moon 637 00:29:17.500 --> 00:29:20.300 as if you were a god 638 00:29:20.300 --> 00:29:23.599 Those types of things are on the market as well 639 00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:27.199 The most famous one is a system called Ultra Weather 640 00:29:27.199 --> 00:29:30.699 And you can make ridiculously realistic weather effects with it 641 00:29:30.699 --> 00:29:33.400 Snow builds up on the ground 642 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:36.000 And characters will leave footprints in the snow 643 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:37.199 And there are so many effects, too 644 00:29:37.199 --> 00:29:40.900 Explosion effects are going to be the most abundant 645 00:29:40.900 --> 00:29:43.000 Fluid simulations are also there 646 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:45.800 Other effects, including smoke 647 00:29:45.800 --> 00:29:47.400 And effects in video games aren't 648 00:29:47.400 --> 00:29:49.900 Just fire, water, or smoke 649 00:29:49.900 --> 00:29:51.650 There are a whole other variety of effects 650 00:29:51.650 --> 00:29:56.000 There are sword trails 651 00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:58.500 effects related to combat 652 00:29:58.500 --> 00:30:00.599 Another thing that appears often in games 653 00:30:00.599 --> 00:30:02.400 are portals, of course 654 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:05.300 You enter a portal and you can move to another locations 655 00:30:05.300 --> 00:30:07.800 The portal could be star-shaped 656 00:30:07.800 --> 00:30:10.400 All kinds of sparkly cool 657 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:12.400 portal effects that you would see 658 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:14.900 in fantasy games or movies 659 00:30:14.900 --> 00:30:17.599 They are all on the marketplace 660 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:19.300 One important thing is, though 661 00:30:19.300 --> 00:30:23.800 You can render without studying Niagara 662 00:30:23.800 --> 00:30:27.800 and just get effects from the marketplace 663 00:30:27.800 --> 00:30:30.900 But with just a bit more experience in Niagara 664 00:30:30.900 --> 00:30:32.199 And you really just need to know the basics 665 00:30:32.199 --> 00:30:34.199 Like what the primary elements are and how you can change them 666 00:30:34.199 --> 00:30:36.000 Even that small amount of knowledge 667 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:38.000 will allow you to leverage paid assets 668 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:41.000 A hundred times better 669 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:43.599 That's the important part 670 00:30:43.599 --> 00:30:45.300 At least knowing the basics 671 00:30:45.300 --> 00:30:47.699 as you use these assets 672 00:30:47.699 --> 00:30:49.599 Is a completely different experience 673 00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:52.500 from knowing nothing and simply using them 674 00:30:52.500 --> 00:30:57.099 It expands your abilities so much 675 00:30:57.099 --> 00:31:00.800 But, when studying Niagara 676 00:31:00.800 --> 00:31:04.000 Rather than starting from an Empty emitter 677 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:05.699 and trying to create something from there 678 00:31:05.699 --> 00:31:08.300 Please install the example plugin 679 00:31:08.300 --> 00:31:10.599 And 2D, 3D Fluid plugin 680 00:31:10.599 --> 00:31:13.099 It allows you to create waves 681 00:31:13.099 --> 00:31:15.000 or stuff like pudding 682 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:17.800 You can simulate tap water 683 00:31:17.800 --> 00:31:20.800 or softly rippling water 684 00:31:20.800 --> 00:31:23.099 There are a huge variety of explosions as well 685 00:31:23.099 --> 00:31:24.699 Some are generic explosions 686 00:31:24.699 --> 00:31:27.699 Some simulate real grenades 687 00:31:27.699 --> 00:31:30.000 giving off flames and smoke 688 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:32.599 And there are both 2D and 3D assets 689 00:31:32.599 --> 00:31:35.599 There are both 2D and 3D assets for water as well 690 00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:38.699 And trying to analyze how complex emitters 691 00:31:38.699 --> 00:31:41.800 have their modules set up 692 00:31:41.800 --> 00:31:43.900 will boost your skills in an instant 693 00:31:43.900 --> 00:31:45.699 You can of course get better 694 00:31:45.699 --> 00:31:48.900 by trying to create things yourself 695 00:31:48.900 --> 00:31:51.000 But I recommend 696 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:54.199 trying to break down the emitters 697 00:31:54.199 --> 00:31:57.599 of Unreal's example templates 698 00:31:57.599 --> 00:31:59.199 And growing your skills that way 699 00:31:59.199 --> 00:32:01.099 There are two forms of Niagara in Unreal 700 00:32:01.099 --> 00:32:04.199 2D and 3D, and the reason 2D exists is 701 00:32:04.199 --> 00:32:06.199 Say you need close up shot 702 00:32:06.199 --> 00:32:07.699 of an explosion 703 00:32:07.699 --> 00:32:09.000 The camera would view it from the side at first 704 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:12.099 Then the character moves around as it sees the explosion 705 00:32:12.099 --> 00:32:14.300 In a scene like that you would need a 3D explosion 706 00:32:14.300 --> 00:32:16.000 that looks very realistic 707 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:18.000 That is when you use 3D 708 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:21.199 If you just need to show an explosion in the background 709 00:32:21.199 --> 00:32:22.699 And there will be no close up shots 710 00:32:22.699 --> 00:32:24.800 and the characters are not going near it 711 00:32:24.800 --> 00:32:28.300 In that case, you just need the effects to be visible and nothing more 712 00:32:28.300 --> 00:32:32.000 Then you can use the 2D form of Niagara 713 00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:34.000 The video quality is the same 714 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:36.400 but it would be a bit less processing for the computer 715 00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:38.400 That's how you can use 2D effects 716 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:40.599 Now let's look at particle property settings and 717 00:32:40.599 --> 00:32:43.099 controlling simulations 718 00:32:43.099 --> 00:32:44.699 You can see the Shape Location module 719 00:32:44.699 --> 00:32:46.199 And here is the Offset Mode setting 720 00:32:46.199 --> 00:32:48.199 Shape Location is set to Sphere 721 00:32:48.199 --> 00:32:51.199 And below there are boxes with blue check marks 722 00:32:51.199 --> 00:32:53.400 These options have a huge effect on the final effect 723 00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:55.800 I can't possibly explain 724 00:32:55.800 --> 00:32:58.199 every single component 725 00:32:58.199 --> 00:33:00.500 So I will tell you about the important ones 726 00:33:00.500 --> 00:33:02.099 What Shape Location is is 727 00:33:02.099 --> 00:33:05.300 If particles of fire are spawning 728 00:33:05.300 --> 00:33:07.599 they could become part of a smoke or fire effect 729 00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:10.300 So there are all these particles 730 00:33:10.300 --> 00:33:12.500 and I if look at them from far away 731 00:33:12.500 --> 00:33:16.199 it would seem as if they were forming a cloud 732 00:33:16.199 --> 00:33:18.400 That cloud could be in the shape of a column 733 00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:20.699 Or a square box 734 00:33:20.699 --> 00:33:22.599 Or it could be flat as a plane 735 00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:25.000 Or a thin rod 736 00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:27.800 Clouds are large groups of steam particles 737 00:33:27.800 --> 00:33:29.599 But from far away they look a certain shape 738 00:33:29.599 --> 00:33:32.500 Shape location determines that shape 739 00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:34.699 It's a very important concept 740 00:33:34.699 --> 00:33:37.099 You can use Offset to modify distance 741 00:33:37.099 --> 00:33:40.000 For example, the Niagara asset itself 742 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:41.900 is on the ground 743 00:33:41.900 --> 00:33:45.699 But if you set the Z axis in Offset to 400 744 00:33:45.699 --> 00:33:50.099 The particles would float down all the way from Z=400 745 00:33:50.099 --> 00:33:53.300 So Offset is a very important part of visual effects 746 00:33:53.300 --> 00:33:56.199 And in Add Velocity, velocity basically meansthe force at which the particles fall 747 00:33:56.199 --> 00:33:59.000 Add Velocity is also a key module 748 00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:03.699 Whether it's fire or water, and especially for snow or rain effects 749 00:34:03.699 --> 00:34:05.800 The particles wouldn't fall straight down like this 750 00:34:05.800 --> 00:34:08.399 They would fall at a slight slant 751 00:34:08.399 --> 00:34:11.000 which is why you need some invisible force to push them 752 00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:14.500 by changing the values in Add Velocity 753 00:34:14.500 --> 00:34:16.600 If you set Z to -50 754 00:34:16.600 --> 00:34:18.500 The particles will fall slower 755 00:34:18.500 --> 00:34:20.699 By the way, in Unity 3D 756 00:34:20.699 --> 00:34:22.899 The Y axis is diagonal 757 00:34:22.899 --> 00:34:25.500 But in Unreal the Z axis is the diagonal axis 758 00:34:25.500 --> 00:34:29.450 So you can set X or Y to a small positive number 759 00:34:29.450 --> 00:34:30.899 around 0.1 to 10 760 00:34:30.899 --> 00:34:33.300 And the particles will slant a bit as they fall 761 00:34:33.300 --> 00:34:35.500 like an invisible force is pushing them 762 00:34:35.500 --> 00:34:37.300 Because the Z axis is diagonal 763 00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:40.100 If the X and Z values were all set to 0 764 00:34:40.100 --> 00:34:42.199 the particles would stay where they are 765 00:34:42.199 --> 00:34:47.000 But if Z=-50, the particles would move downwards 766 00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:49.100 You should try it out yourself 767 00:34:49.100 --> 00:34:52.399 Sometimes you have to carefully adjust the values in decimals 768 00:34:52.399 --> 00:34:54.500 Other values you can test out 769 00:34:54.500 --> 00:34:56.699 by going from 10 to 100, then to 1000 770 00:34:56.699 --> 00:34:59.800 I strongly recommend experimenting with X, Y and Z values 771 00:34:59.800 --> 00:35:02.100 Anyway, the Z axis in Add Velocity 772 00:35:02.100 --> 00:35:04.699 has to do with up and down movement 773 00:35:04.699 --> 00:35:07.699 which is similar to another concept, gravity 774 00:35:07.699 --> 00:35:10.500 Changing the Z values 775 00:35:10.500 --> 00:35:12.899 and modifying the Gravity values 776 00:35:12.899 --> 00:35:15.199 seems very similar 777 00:35:15.199 --> 00:35:18.399 But they are separate modules 778 00:35:18.399 --> 00:35:22.000 Also, this Drag module is turned on by default 779 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:25.000 This is an invisible force holding the particles back 780 00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:26.500 For example, it lets snow fall 781 00:35:26.500 --> 00:35:28.100 not like a downpour of rain 782 00:35:28.100 --> 00:35:30.100 but like actual snow 783 00:35:30.100 --> 00:35:32.500 The invisible force holds it back 784 00:35:32.500 --> 00:35:34.800 If you turn it off, it will fall straight down 785 00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:38.100 You could say it gives the particles friction 786 00:35:38.100 --> 00:35:41.199 Depending on how you use Add Velocity 787 00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:45.500 you can give some pattern or rule to the movement of particles 788 00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:47.800 If snow fell in a straight line, it wouldn't feel like snow 789 00:35:47.800 --> 00:35:51.600 Giving a bit of X and Y values would allow it 790 00:35:51.600 --> 00:35:54.500 to fall in slant, in a slightly random fashion 791 00:35:54.500 --> 00:35:55.899 Next, Initialize Particles 792 00:35:55.899 --> 00:35:59.100 'Initial' means the beginning letter of a word 793 00:35:59.100 --> 00:36:00.300 And Initialize Particle 794 00:36:00.300 --> 00:36:03.100 has to do with the spawning of particles 795 00:36:03.100 --> 00:36:06.600 so the fashion in which they are spawned 796 00:36:06.600 --> 00:36:08.800 Where are these settings? 797 00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:11.000 They're in Particle Spawn 798 00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:14.800 Initialize Particle is a sub property of Particle Spawn 799 00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:16.600 Lifetime Min and Max 800 00:36:16.600 --> 00:36:20.500 are the minimum and maximum amount of time 801 00:36:20.500 --> 00:36:22.199 can live before it disappears 802 00:36:22.199 --> 00:36:23.699 Pretty straight forward, right? 803 00:36:23.699 --> 00:36:26.600 You can derandomize the lifetime as well 804 00:36:26.600 --> 00:36:28.600 If you want all particles to survive a set time 805 00:36:28.600 --> 00:36:30.600 Just change the Lifetime Mode to Set and give it a value 806 00:36:30.600 --> 00:36:33.699 If the value is 3, each particle will life exactly 3 seconds 807 00:36:33.699 --> 00:36:35.000 As for the color mode 808 00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:37.899 You can make everything a single color with Direct Set mode 809 00:36:37.899 --> 00:36:40.650 or give it a gradient 810 00:36:40.650 --> 00:36:43.400 So the color of particles 811 00:36:43.400 --> 00:36:46.199 can also be set in Initialize Particle 812 00:36:46.199 --> 00:36:50.100 which is a sub menu of Particle Spawn 813 00:36:50.100 --> 00:36:52.100 You should try not to forget 814 00:36:52.100 --> 00:36:54.699 Then there are the other properties 815 00:36:54.699 --> 00:36:56.699 Shape Location is the shape that all the particles make up 816 00:36:56.699 --> 00:36:58.699 We learned about that 817 00:36:58.699 --> 00:37:01.600 And in that window is Scale Mode 818 00:37:01.600 --> 00:37:04.199 For example, you set up the shape of the Particle Location 819 00:37:04.199 --> 00:37:05.699 to be a column 820 00:37:05.699 --> 00:37:08.100 You can modify the height or diameter 821 00:37:08.100 --> 00:37:11.300 of the column in Scale Mode 822 00:37:11.300 --> 00:37:14.100 If you're making a snow effect 823 00:37:14.100 --> 00:37:15.699 and you wanted to decide the number of snowflakes 824 00:37:15.699 --> 00:37:17.800 You could compare it to the the number of hairs a person has 825 00:37:17.800 --> 00:37:21.000 That has to do with Spawn Rate 826 00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:24.600 which is in Emitter Update 827 00:37:24.600 --> 00:37:27.600 For a snow effect, about 2000 should be enough 828 00:37:27.600 --> 00:37:29.600 If each particle were the size of a baseball 829 00:37:29.600 --> 00:37:33.399 You should probably test a spawn rate of a few dozen 830 00:37:33.399 --> 00:37:35.199 This is Noise Strength 831 00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:36.800 If you want to create a dust effect 832 00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:40.800 if the dust is just distributed evenly in the air 833 00:37:40.800 --> 00:37:42.600 It won't feel like dust 834 00:37:42.600 --> 00:37:45.600 The effect needs some noise 835 00:37:45.600 --> 00:37:48.500 which disturbs the movement of particles 836 00:37:48.500 --> 00:37:51.100 So noise is in the menu as well 837 00:37:51.100 --> 00:37:54.100 Noise can be used 838 00:37:54.100 --> 00:37:55.800 to make the movement of natural particles 839 00:37:55.800 --> 00:37:58.300 like rain or petals seem more natural 840 00:37:58.300 --> 00:38:00.399 Then there is a recently added feature, called Collision 841 00:38:00.399 --> 00:38:01.500 Collision is the concept 842 00:38:01.500 --> 00:38:04.100 of whether or not the particles perceive walls 843 00:38:04.100 --> 00:38:08.100 They could just ignore the walls and go through them 844 00:38:08.100 --> 00:38:10.399 But if the particles are solid and visible 845 00:38:10.399 --> 00:38:12.399 It wouldn't make sense for them to phase through walls 846 00:38:12.399 --> 00:38:13.600 That is when you should turn on collision 847 00:38:13.600 --> 00:38:17.000 and you can set the collision resolution 848 00:38:17.000 --> 00:38:19.800 If it's snow, some would roll off the wall 849 00:38:19.800 --> 00:38:21.000 Some might just stop moving 850 00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:24.500 Some might slow down and stop 851 00:38:24.600 --> 00:38:28.100 You can set all of that up in Collision 852 00:38:28.100 --> 00:38:30.500 Lastly, there are Render options 853 00:38:30.500 --> 00:38:33.199 The most commonly used render options 854 00:38:33.199 --> 00:38:35.800 are Mesh, Sprite, and Ribbon 855 00:38:35.800 --> 00:38:39.300 Mesh is a 3D model 856 00:38:39.300 --> 00:38:41.300 You can assign any 3D model you want 857 00:38:41.300 --> 00:38:44.000 To be the shape of the particle 858 00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:47.199 And the Ribbon Renderer can be used to render lines 859 00:38:47.199 --> 00:38:49.500 This is also used a lot in effects 860 00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:51.500 And Sprite Renderer 861 00:38:51.500 --> 00:38:56.500 allows a PNG file to act as the render for the particles 862 00:38:56.500 --> 00:39:01.300 So those were the renderer options 863 00:39:01.300 --> 00:39:04.100 And lastly, let's take a look at Material Override 864 00:39:04.100 --> 00:39:05.800 If this parameter is checked on 865 00:39:05.800 --> 00:39:09.000 you can define a Material arrangement 866 00:39:09.000 --> 00:39:11.699 that will be used instead of Static Mesh Material 867 00:39:11.699 --> 00:39:15.399 So it is not static mesh 868 00:39:15.399 --> 00:39:17.399 and the Materials 869 00:39:17.399 --> 00:39:20.500 of different Meshes that arrange together 870 00:39:20.500 --> 00:39:23.100 to look as if they are a single Material 871 00:39:23.100 --> 00:39:25.399 So you can choose to use Materials 872 00:39:25.399 --> 00:39:27.300 that are not the static Mesh Material 873 00:39:27.300 --> 00:39:29.899 That is what Override Material is 874 00:39:29.899 --> 00:39:31.800 Modern Override Material requires 875 00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:34.199 the Niagara Mesh Particle flag 876 00:39:34.199 --> 00:39:36.500 to be turned on 877 00:39:36.500 --> 00:39:39.100 If the particle Mesh requires more Material 878 00:39:39.100 --> 00:39:41.100 than exists in the arrangement 879 00:39:41.100 --> 00:39:44.300 or if a component in this arrya 880 00:39:44.300 --> 00:39:48.199 the emitter will take the place of the particle Mesh Material 881 00:39:48.300 --> 00:39:51.199 And of course, Material settings become important 882 00:39:51.199 --> 00:39:53.000 the moment you use Mesh on a particle 883 00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:55.199 And how you modify 884 00:39:55.199 --> 00:39:57.600 the Mesh Material 885 00:39:57.600 --> 00:40:00.500 can also lead to a variety of effects 886 00:40:00.500 --> 00:40:03.300 I hope you try Niagara yourself 887 00:40:03.300 --> 00:40:07.000 to create amazing particles 888 00:40:08.359 --> 00:40:10.809 The Concept of Niagara VFX and Layout & Functions of Editor Concept of Niagara VFX A tool for creating controlling VFX Replaced Cascade since UE 4.27 889 00:40:10.809 --> 00:40:13.209 User has detailed control of particle system Easy to create complex and dynamic VFX Utilization: Games, movies, animation, RTV projects 890 00:40:13.209 --> 00:40:15.559 Functions & Features Modular structure Real-time simulation & interactions Data centered design Advanced visual editor Scripting support 891 00:40:15.559 --> 00:40:23.659 Niagara Interface Emitter Spawn Emitter Update Particle Spawn Particle Update Event Handler Render 892 00:40:23.659 --> 00:40:25.559 Particle Property Settings & Controlling Simulation Creating Niagara Right click to create Niagara Choose from a variety of emitters depending on desired effect 893 00:40:25.559 --> 00:40:27.459 Particle Property Settings & Controlling Simulation Shape Location: Set overall shape of particle cloud Add velocity: Define movement of falling particles 894 00:40:27.459 --> 00:40:29.359 Initialize Particle: Define particle lifetime Spawn Rate: Define number of particles Collision: Define wall perception 895 00:40:29.359 --> 00:40:31.259 Override Materials Define array of Materials to replace static Mesh Material Material settings matter the moment Mesh is used in particle