Preface#
Unreal Engine and Unity Engine are currently mainstream game engines, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. My current work is mainly focused on Unity development. During the use of Unity, I have inevitably heard or seen things related to UE. From curiosity at the beginning to wanting to learn it later on, however, I feel that the learning curve of UE is a bit high, after all, I haven't learned C++ yet, which is a bit daunting for a while. On the other hand, because I haven't had any exposure to it in my previous work, although I have plans to learn it, I might want to first focus on mastering Unity before systematically learning UE, so I have put it off for a long time. Today, the company hopes that I will learn UE development, and I have long had this intention. With many skills, why not do it? On August 19, 2024, I officially embarked on the Unreal Engine journey and made a small record.
Getting to Know Unreal Engine#
UE was first released by Epic Games in 1988, claiming to be the most powerful real-time 3D creation tool. UE uses C++ as its main programming language and also has its own Blueprints (visual programming system), known for its high-quality rendering effects and powerful physics engine. It can create stunning visual effects and realistic game worlds.
Official Learning Path#
Unreal Engine has already released the latest version UE5.4, which has many new features compared to previous versions. Refer to the official documentation
Unreal Engine 5.4 Documentation
Learning is mainly based on official documentation because it is the most up-to-date and comprehensive, to some extent, it can help avoid some detours.
Unreal Engine Basics#
Just starting with UE5, it is recommended that you first familiarize yourself with the Unreal Editor interface, Blueprint visual scripting, and what content is available in Unreal projects for you to use.
Installation#
Steps for downloading and installing Unreal Engine for the first time:
- Download and install Epic Games Launcher.
- If you don't have an Epic Games account, register one first.
- Log in to the Epic Games Launcher.
- Install Unreal Engine.
Follow the documentation step by step.
Once installed, you can start it up and begin your journey with UE5.
