Creating Screen UI Elements in Unreal Engine PDF

Creating Screen UI Elements in Unreal Engine EMGD0813 | GAME PROGRAMMING 3 I. INTRODUCTION ❑ Overview of Unreal Engine (UE) - What is User Interface (UI) - Importance of User Interface (UI) in game development ❑ Objectives Overview of Unreal Engine What is...

Creating Screen UI Elements in Unreal Engine EMGD0813 | GAME PROGRAMMING 3 I. INTRODUCTION ❑ Overview of Unreal Engine (UE) - What is User Interface (UI) - Importance of User Interface (UI) in game development ❑ Objectives Overview of Unreal Engine What is User Interface (UI) - is vital for enhancing player interaction and providing essential information. Overview of Unreal Engine Importance of UI in game development – is to create an immersive experience for players.  Objectives ❑ Understanding how to design, implement, and optimize screen UI elements in UE ❑ Highlight key features of UE for UI creation ❑ Learning how to build a simple main menu II. BASICS OF UI IN UNREAL ENGINE ❑ Understanding Unreal Motion Graphics (UMG) UI Designer ❑ Blueprints vs. C++ for UI ❑ Common UI Elements in Games Understanding UMG UI Designer UMG – a built-in tool in Unreal Engine Key UI Components – Widgets, Blueprints, Text, Buttons, and Images Blueprints vs. C++ for UI Blueprints -A user-friendly, node-based scripting language in UE. C++ -A powerful programming language. Common UI Elements in Games Menus - Interface that allows players to navigate between different game states. Common UI Elements in Games HUD (Heads-Up Display) - Displays vital information directly during gameplay. Common UI Elements in Games Inventory Systems - A screen where players manage items, weapons, and gear. Common UI Elements in Games Dialogue Boxes - Pop-ups or overlays used for character interactions or notifications within the game. III. DESIGNING UI ELEMENTS ❑ Principles of Good UI Design ❑ Designing with UE’s UMG Designer Principles of Good UI Design Simplicity and Clarity - UI should be easy to understand and use, with clear labels and intuitive navigation. Consistency and Accessibility - Visual consistency in terms of fonts, colors, and element placement ensures the UI feels compatible. Principles of Good UI Design Responsiveness and Adaptability – UIs must be responsive to user inputs and adaptable to different screen sizes, resolutions, and devices. Designing with UE’s UMG Designer Setting Up the UI Project - Starting with a blank UMG project and configuring the basics like screen resolution and aspect ratio. Designing with UE’s UMG Designer Laying Out Widgets - Using Horizontal/Vertical Boxes (organize widgets in rows or columns) and Grids (organize in cells) to structure the UI. Designing with UE’s UMG Designer Styling Widgets - Customizing widget appearance using colors, fonts, borders, and other visual properties. Designing with UE’s UMG Designer Interactive Elements - Creating clickable buttons, scrollable menus, sliders for settings (e.g., volume), and other interactive components. IV. IMPLEMENTATION OF UI IN UE ❑ Setting Up a UI Widget Blueprint ❑ Adding and Removing UI Elements at Runtime ❑ Interactive UI Elements Setting Up a UI Widget Blueprint Creating a UI Widget Blueprint - A visual scripting setup where you define how UI elements behave. Setting Up a UI Widget Blueprint Connecting Widgets to Gameplay - Using Blueprints to attach the UI elements to gameplay. Adding and Removing UI Elements at Runtime Displaying UI During Gameplay - Integrating the UI so it appears when needed, such as when a player pauses the game or opens the inventory. Adding and Removing UI Elements at Runtime UI Visibility Logic - Using Blueprints to show or hide UI elements depending on game events. Interactive UI Elements Handling Input Actions – Programming how UI elements respond to user inputs like clicking, tapping, or hovering over them. Interactive UI Elements Event-Driven Programming - Using “OnClick,” “OnHover,” and similar events in Blueprints to trigger actions when users interact with the UI V. ADVANCED UI TECHNIQUES ❑ Animations and Transitions ❑ Integrating 3D Elements into UI ❑ UI for VR/AR with Unreal Engine Animations and Transitions Creating UI Animations - Using UE’s timeline or animation tools to add life to the UI with fade-ins, slide-ins, or scale animations. Animations and Transitions Transitions - Adding smooth transitions between UI screens or elements. Integrating 3D Elements in UI 3D Models in UI - Showing interactive 3D assets within the UI, like a rotating character or weapon in an inventory screen. Integrating 3D Elements in UI 3D UI for Interactive Previews - Allowing players to preview objects, skins, or character models in the UI. UI for VR/AR with Unreal Engine Spatial UI Elements - Designing UI in 3D space for VR (Virtual Reality) or AR (Augmented Reality) environments. UI for VR/AR with Unreal Engine Considerations for Immersive Experiences - Making sure the UI is optimized for player comfort, such as ensuring it’s easily readable without overwhelming the field of view. VI. OPTIMIZING UI FOR PERFORMANCE ❑ Best Practices for UI Performance ❑ Testing UI Performance in UE Best Practices for UI Performance Minimizing Draw Calls - Each UI element may require a draw call, so keeping these minimal improves performance, especially on lower-end systems. Best Practices for UI Performance Efficient Widget Blueprints - Keep widget logic clean and avoid overly complex scripts in Blueprints to prevent performance bottlenecks. Best Practices for UI Performance Optimizing Textures - Avoid using large, uncompressed textures for UI elements to reduce memory usage. Testing UI Performance in UE Profiling Tools - UE provides tools like the Profiler and Stat Unit to monitor performance metrics like frame rate, draw calls, and CPU/GPU load. Testing UI Performance in UE Resolution and Scaling - Ensure that the UI adjusts properly across different screen resolutions and aspect ratios. Thank you! Do you have any questions? "If you're not doing well, keep trying. We must keep up appearances."