Unreal Engine: The Power Behind Lushfoil Photography Sim
Creating Stunningly Realistic Environments
Unreal Engine is known for allowing game developers to create stunningly realistic environments and lighting, even with limited resources. Epic’s addition of the photogrammetry library Quixel expanded the possibilities further with its collection of real-world high-definition photography.
The Story Behind Lushfoil Photography Sim
A couple of months ago, we spoke to Matt Newell about how he used the tech to develop a surprising game that involves taking photos in natural real-world locations – his Lushfoil Photography Sim. Now the solo developer has given more insight into the making of the game in Unreal Engine.
Gameplay and Features
Lushfoil Photography Sim is an immersive game in which players trek through beautifully crafted and highly realistic-looking environments to capture vistas with an in-game camera. The game simulates how real photos are captured, providing control over shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and white balance, and even allowing a long-exposure effect with realistic motion trails.
The Making of the Game
Matt developed the game alone, while Annapurna came in to help with console porting and Steven Green helped with the sound. In an interview for the Unreal Engine blog, he talks about how he learned Unreal Engine from scratch by using resources from the UE website and engaging with the development community.
UE Features Used
Matt highlights three key features that were instrumental in developing the game:
- Distance Fields: allowed for a cost-effective way to add realistic ambient occlusion and other material effects
- Contact Shadows: added small-scale shadows on surfaces and geometry to bring out details in the environment and make scenes look more real
- Virtual Textures: saved performance and blended environmental assets together
Inspiration and Goals
Matt says he was inspired by walking simulator games and eventually began to incorporate light first-person mechanics to his environments by using UE templates. He aimed to reduce game-like occurrences of things like objectives and popups to focus on maintaining the player’s sense of presence in the world.
Conclusion
Lushfoil Photography Sim is a unique game that allows players to experience the thrill of photography in a stunningly realistic environment. With its non-linear gameplay and realistic camera settings, it’s a game that appeals to both photographers and non-photographers alike. The use of Unreal Engine’s features, such as Distance Fields, Contact Shadows, and Virtual Textures, has enabled the game to achieve its realistic look and feel.
FAQs
Q: Who is the game really for?
A: Hopefully everyone, photographer or not.
Q: What inspired the game?
A: Walking simulator games and the desire to incorporate light first-person mechanics to his environments.
Q: What Unreal Engine features were used in the game?
A: Distance Fields, Contact Shadows, and Virtual Textures.
Q: Is the game non-linear?
A: Yes, the game gives the player a lot of freedom, with no ‘incorrect’ direction to walk or approach objectives.
