Introduction to Unreal Engine Game Lighting – PBL Workflow – UE 4.27 – Amit Patpatia

Introduction to Unreal Engine Game Lighting Information

In this self-paced video course you will learn how to master exposure, ev100, curves and multiple day of times. While doing that you learn what materials are poor and how to fix it. And you learn multiple approach, techniques and principles to go off the beaten path. You also improve your art fundamentals and learn how light and colour function and how it related to our lighting. Lastly, you learn about optimization.

Learning Fundamental Lighting

To ensure you have the vocabulary and basic training for your eyes we show you what is needed to improve your lighting through a fundamental understanding of light in real life.

(All the video structure is at the bottom of the page. We do not point out everything on this list, it is just key things.)

Understanding Incorrect Materials

Even though you are an experienced 3D Artist we as professional lighting artists must be able to communicate why the lighting is working incorrectly. Often, it starts with troubleshooting materials.

Correcting incorrect materials

Once we show you how to spot incorrect materials and why it is incorrect. We will correct it in Photoshop/Gimp. And you will see the difference it makes before we even correct the lighting.

Setting up correct Exposure and EV

We explain Exposure, EV, and Curves throughout the course in different ways to ensure you get comfortable with the fundamentals of it. Although, we also showcase how to go away from it if needed. Furthermore, we show different times of day and ensure you understand many complicated things that happen contextually.

Working on Volumetrics and Light Bleeding

Working on settings that aid the quality of volumetric and methods that could reduce light bleeding.

Adjusting Post Processing

Sometimes you need to go into Post Processing to tweak the color grading and effects. You learn how to do it without ruining your image while getting some introduction to the various options.

Understanding Emissive and Extra Lighting

Some people get the emissive wrong but having gone through PBL workflow so far you will adjust it accordingly. You will also learn where to put extra light after the main lighting is done. Most people add tons when it is not needed.

Understanding Different EV for Time of Days.

As you progress through the course you will learn different methods, techniques, and workflow dealing with PBL Exposure and EV-based lighting. You will learn copying things does not work. Half of the course iterates on different approaches using different times of the day.

Doing Artistic Lighting and changing Curves

Watch and learn how to use correct exposure and then move over to artistic lighting that looks better while staying true to the fundamentals of lighting. When to adjust curves. This ensures you can adjust quickly if Art Directors needs changes.

How analysing Lighting in Painting improves our art

We go through some classical paintings to further train your eyes throughout the curse to ensure you become independent in spotting issues with your lighting.

How Painting relates to Artistic Eye and Lighting

Throughout the course, there are mini reminders about art fundamentals but also how to train your eyes to be better at lighting. How to see the value and understand color.

Teaching Candle Principle

Learning this is hard for most so we ensure to explain many techniques and principles to cover most learning methods. That is why we do not use the same approach at different time of day.

Why Purkinje Effect matters

We explain about Purkinje Effect and how it relates to our eyes thus why cinema uses blue lighting a lot besides the other reasons.

Game Optimization Techniques

We explain the importance of game optimization and some easy fundamental methods to make your environment more playable by checking your work for issues.

The Danger of Fog

People use fog a lot. Sometimes too much. We explain how to subtly use it and why it can ruin your image if you overextend it. Furthermore, we explain how it affects light and color so you can better guide the whole team.

And lots lots lots more

By taking this tutorial either using Unreal 4 or 5 you will be able to grow to another level with lighting. And if you want to dig deep, fast track, and become better by having us critique your work then upgrade to mentorship today.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Videos about the course, communication and feedback.

If you paid for mentorship review and critique during the course the videos that explains the process goes here. If you are not there are other videos explaining other things.

Essential Beginner Theory of Art and Lighting

In this section you have enough content to introduce you to essential theory to master lighting in any context.

Polar Facility (Day Time Lighting)

Before you can start learning technical lighting it is important that your fundamentals are refreshed and the same as this course. To fully empower you and reach your potential it is essential that you know why your light is incorrect or poor. Knowing what to slide or number to put in does not help if your eye is not fully trained or your awareness of what needs to be done is non-existent. However, this tutorial should also give insight towards Technical Lighting Artist since there is a bit of blueprint going on, customization and such besides lighting.

Understanding Specific Art Fundamentals Part 1

I want to iterate on some art fundamentals based on our earlier introduction. The purpose is to remind you in a different way to ensure you remember, understand and implement previous theory into practice. We also start going into more examples to ensure you understand how to train your eye, analyse and improve your lighting by studying past. These videos although short and concise should be enough to steer you at the right direction.

Polar Facility (Overcast Lighting)

In this section I quickly show you how switch from daylight unreal sky atmosphere lighting over to static hdri overcast lighting.

Polar Facility (Night Lighting – Using general principles)

Polar Facility – (Sunset Lighting )

In this section we go through quickly how to do sunset lighting using atmosphere method and how to transfer it over to skybox method. Further more, it is meant to make you a bit more comfortable in understanding the principles of EV as a starting point before adjusting it creatively to your needs later.

Game Optimization

Understand Specific Art Fundamentals Part 2

Light Functions

Unreal 5 – Bonus Sessions

These videos are co-working sessions meant to be free for all sessions meant to enhance your understanding of color, light, value, and artistic approach using lumens. It is unorganized, and messy and goes through the principles you learned above in a different way.

Common Questions

About Author

Amit has already taught over 2000 students world wide in various topics such as lighting. He has worked for outsourcing companies such as Iron Belly Studios as Technical Lighting Artist. Junior Lighting Artist for start up companies such as Bluebox. Lighting Artist at Ubisoft for Tom Clancy – Ghost Recon Breakpoint and currently is Senior Lighting Artist at Interior Nights. His speciality lies in Cinematic and Game Lighting while keeping things optimized.

More courses from the same author: Amit Patpatia

Salepage: Introduction to Unreal Engine Game Lighting – PBL Workflow – UE 4.27 – Amit Patpatia