2nd Edition

Game Development and Simulation with Unreal Technology, Second Edition

By Alireza Tavakkoli Copyright 2019
    736 Pages
    by A K Peters/CRC Press

    698 Pages
    by A K Peters/CRC Press

    Dr. Alireza Tavakkoli’s Game Development and Simulation with Unreal Technology covers the latest version of Unreal Technology. Since the 1990s Epic Games, Inc. has been leading the revolution of gaming graphics and Artificial Intelligence. Now, unreal technology is one of the most potent and prominent engines that is currently used in games. Its influence can be spotted in classic triple A titles like, Fortnite, Gears of War 2, Borderlands 2, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

    Tavakkoli goes into detail concerning the creation of game level designs, blueprint coding, shader programing, as well as artificial intelligence concepts to help readers in creating their own games. Game Development also includes a number of practice friendly extensions and concept modules to help solidify the reader’s understanding of concepts and techniques. The book is divided into three sections that act as building blocks in order to facilitate the comprehension of the material.

    Key Features:

    • Provides beginner level through advanced concepts in blueprint programming with the Unreal Engine 4.18
    • Hundreds of small/mid-scale projects developed as concept examples throughout the book which can be utilized in more comprehensive entertaining interactive computer simulations and games
    • Chapter exercises will take the readers’ understanding of Unreal Engine to the next level.

    SECTION ONE Unreal Technology Basics: Introductory Development Techniques

    Chapter 1 Setting Up Unreal Project Templates

    Chapter 2 A Premier on Level Design in Unreal Technology

    Chapter 3 Unreal Visual Scripting with Blueprints

    Chapter 4 Materials in Unreal Engine

    SECTION TWO Making Game Worlds Stand Out: Intermediate Development Concepts

    Chapter 5 Advanced Material Concepts in Unreal Engine

    Chapter 6 Visual Effects and Cascade in Unreal Engine

    Chapter 7 Terrains and Landscapes in Unreal Engine

    SECTION THREE Example Games: Advanced Game Development Concepts

    Chapter 8 Advanced Blueprint Concepts

    Chapter 9 A Top-Down Game with Bueprints

     

    Biography

    Dr. Alireza Tavakkoli is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Digital Gaming and Simulation. His research interests include Artificial Intelligence, Visual Computing, Robotics and Teleoperation, and Digital Gaming and Simulation. Prior to joining the University of Nevada, Reno, he served as a tenured professor of computer science at the University of Houston-Victoria and was the founding director of the Computation and Advanced Visualization Engineering Laboratory, where undergraduate and graduate students utilize a state-of-the-art motion capture studio for research in entertainment and serious gaming application.