Author Topic: Unreal Engine 4 for ArchViz - Thoughts?  (Read 292345 times)


2015-03-05, 19:54:03
Reply #91

lacilaci

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This is just a simple scene with minimal interaction (changing the walls color). Would be glad if you walk around and leave your opinion.

The project is done for learning, so optimization wasn't the main goal here.

The build archive can be downloaded from my website:
LINK

I think it is amazing, really the best quality I've seen so far (personal opinion).

I finally learned how to make the material/object switching interactivity in UE4 via blueprints and menus..

What is really bothering me is the "look but don't touch" fell those virtual tours give. I mean, yes, if you do a still image or an animation it is the same but since it is interactive it is so frustrating not being able to do anything but switching materials or some crap....

Some "archviz" gameplay mechanics needs to be invented :D

2015-03-05, 21:09:14
Reply #92

borisquezadaa

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Now i want to take a scene and test interactive demolition. XD. It uses physx  so it would be not hard to make... there is an excellent plugin from nvidia for 3dsmax (Apex) for all kind of physics stuff. Is not hard to use. Physx is all kinds of fun.

« Last Edit: 2015-03-05, 21:19:29 by borisquezadaa »
What i do with Corona My Corona post of random stuff rendering
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2015-03-06, 07:01:06
Reply #93

philippelamoureux

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I watched the Tim Sweeney's GDC talk and it's nice that he talked quite a bit about arch-viz, Vr and experiences forged with ue4. They even showed some stuff and it's in their engine demo trailer.

I've heard that Enlighten is very expensive. But epic is coming with their own solution for dynamic G.I. It's still at an early stage right now tho. It's called DFGI. It can't be worst than LPV (which was made a Lionhead studios).

I also started to check out the blueprint system and it's so fun to play with it. Hopefully we can do cool stuff in the future with it. The maya museum VR UE4 app was a pretty clever use of it imo.

2015-03-06, 09:58:52
Reply #94

lacilaci

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I watched the Tim Sweeney's GDC talk and it's nice that he talked quite a bit about arch-viz, Vr and experiences forged with ue4. They even showed some stuff and it's in their engine demo trailer.

I've heard that Enlighten is very expensive. But epic is coming with their own solution for dynamic G.I. It's still at an early stage right now tho. It's called DFGI. It can't be worst than LPV (which was made a Lionhead studios).

I also started to check out the blueprint system and it's so fun to play with it. Hopefully we can do cool stuff in the future with it. The maya museum VR UE4 app was a pretty clever use of it imo.

It's pretty awesome, I would like to know how is the on screen object menu done..

Anyways, isn't DFGI limited to only one light bounce? I think these realtime GI solutions could be nice in open spaces but don't think that it will be useful in interiors. I doubt we will see realtime GI matching offline rendering GI quality or precomputed lightmass in case of UE4 anytime soon.

2015-03-06, 10:17:39
Reply #95

philippelamoureux

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He uses UMG that comes with UE4 (unreal motion graphics). He talks more in details on ue4 forums iirc.

I agree with you for G.I. I think all solutions are pretty much 1 bounce. I think the closest thing I've seen for real good dynamic G.I is Brigade 3.0 from otoy...But it's not out yet. For a game engine it's another story I guess.


2015-03-06, 10:29:52
Reply #96

fellazb

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I've heard that Enlighten is very expensive.

But Enlighten is available in Unity 5.0 which is now also free to use, well at least the personal edition. 

2015-03-06, 11:32:33
Reply #97

philippelamoureux

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Maybe but I doubt it's THAT good for Arch viz. It's only 1 bounce and apparently require a lot of pre-processing, etc... Maybe it's good for games but for arch viz I doubt it. I've never seen an example anywhere either...

2015-03-06, 12:01:35
Reply #98

Juraj

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Well it goes like this:

VXGI by nVidia Gameworks > Geomerics Enlighten > Lionhead's LPV (eventually to be in UE4) >   DFGI > Current generic UE4 LPV shit

All of them are...ugly, and incapable of interiors or combination of interiors and exterior. That one is pretty much impossible due to grid size difference necessary for these frameworks to function.
But for games atleast the VXGI is pretty boss.
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2015-03-07, 02:02:05
Reply #99

philippelamoureux

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Yea better start learning uvw unwrapping for real!!!

Have you guys noticed how the demos for dynamic G.I (like the new kite open world demo from epic at GDC) are always open, empty, nature scenes lol? This isn't what arch viz is about...

One little downside is lightmass can take quite a while to bake lightmaps. I've have scenes where it takes 6-7-8+ hours and it's not even the ultimate quality settings!

2015-03-07, 02:10:20
Reply #100

Juraj

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Where can I hire my own unwrapping slave ? Can I advertise such position ; ) ?

"Prop-processing artist"
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2015-03-07, 05:36:15
Reply #101

philippelamoureux

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haha! I have a new workflow...

I only use the auto-unwrap on import in UE4...I break the model in so many pieces that it ends up working fine! simple kitchen chair? 8 pieces, 8 lightmaps, bang. LOL I can break up models all day long...anything as long as I don't have to sew and stitche uvs!!!!

I have my Tamayo museum scene....I think I have 200 lightmaps total...I haven't unwrapped a single thing. Sure it's long as hell to bake but I just have 8gb of ram!!!

Juraj, you have a render farm, I envy you...with the swarm agent I'm sure you could bake incredible scenes VERY fast.

2015-03-07, 11:08:39
Reply #102

lacilaci

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I don't get this, what is wrong with unwrapping. The map doesn't need to be perfect.

2015-03-07, 11:12:04
Reply #103

philippelamoureux

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It can be a tedious task...something we don't have to do at all with offline renderers (or rarely). That means we have to spend quite some time on that boring task instead of working on more important stuff.

2015-03-07, 12:59:22
Reply #104

Juraj

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I don't get this, what is wrong with unwrapping. The map doesn't need to be perfect.

Are you being realistic ? Try unwrapping already "baked-down" high-poly meshes like sofas or complicated chairs. Plugin or manually, it's tedious process, and every mistake shows as ugly black seam, lowering substantially visual quality.
And yes, quite to contrary of texture maps, lightmaps unwraps need to be as close to perfect for the GI as possible.

Yes, everyone can unwrap few box walls, that's not where we're getting at. Big scene with thousand of assets, lot of the high-poly hero assets, not so much.
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