Putting together a study group to learn UDK

Chase

If you're interested in learning UDK and all it can offer you should join our:

GOOGLE PLUS HANGOUT or OUR SKYPE GROUP

ADD ME ON SKYPE TO GET SITUATED WITH THE REST OF THE GROUP.....chaserm2

EDIT:
Here's a list of videos I've gathered to explain each topic covered on the syllabus. PM me for the syllabus or I can send you the attachment or even better the link on Google Drive. It's my hope that we can learn from these videos to ultimately create our own individual scene or apply it to an individual model. My other hope is that we can treat this as a classroom by which we can be working and learning at the same time. That's the hope anyway, though I know it's not completely realistic.

Video links to get started

Lighting:
Lightmaps
1. What are lightmaps
2. Light map resolution
3. Fixing lightmap seams

Lightmass
1. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Q_CXHKGzs"]Light types[/ame]
2. Condensed lighting tutorial
3. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtmJ1Um9dHY"]Lightmass importance volume[/ame]
4. Ambient Occlusion
5. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WY87JqUFEg"]Emissive lighting[/ame]
6. Light functions
7. Light function example
8. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2yedKZjWKg"]Full daytime walk through[/ame]
9. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysbhjyj_s4E"]Full night time walk through[/ame]

Materials:
1. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVNG8pbRB7Q&list=PL5048DD0254E3FD8B&index=90"]Material properties[/ame]
2. Material nodes
3. Material examples
4. Vertex painting
5. Instancing

Landscape Editor:
1. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCH1Ciy05_A"]Landscape editor[/ame]
2. Foliage
3. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_expuF5SyA"]Decals towards end of video[/ame]

Level layout:
1. LODs
2. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU0hdaFARQo"]Skydome[/ame]
3. Decals
4. Decals2
5. Grouping assets

LANKUS MAXIMUS

I'm in

Awesome idea dude. I hope we get a good turn out!

LordSebbington

Aye, definitely count me in too. If you need any help getting syllabus topics defined just let me know.

Chase

Awesome guys! I have the syllabus pretty much created to what I think are the key components for us to learn. If you have any suggestions or what you think needs to be added just let me know. I have a ton of video links that will help us all become more familiar with each topic.

I was thinking that everyone would either create their own level, or apply each subject to a particular asset, or just mess around with UDK to become more comfortable. The first two would be preferable so that we can all see progression in your work, and so you can possibly get a portfolio piece.

I can't attach the document file here for some reason so I've created a skype group. We can do most of our communication through skype, but also post our progress or questions here for other feedback. My preference is to be able to instantly chat, but I know that's not realistic. If anyone's on facebook you can also add me....Chase Markham. If you're interested in joining don't hesitate to PM me or skype me! Even if we're halfway into learning, the more people the better! Then we can start the learning process

CreativeHD

Sounds cool. I'm in.

I can also set up a Google Hangout so we can talk and see each other's screen and work and ask questions.

passerby

wouldn't it make more sense to just think of a project using udk, with a scope you can accomplish, than document how you went about completing it.

People learn better if there is a end goal they can apply this skills to as they learn them.

ivanzu

I'll join need to learn some more stuff about UDK.

LANKUS MAXIMUS

Awesome. I'll start working through the videos.

TBH, I need to get down a simple prop pipeline once I've learnt these fundamental's. Literally just make a decent looking wall asset...

(3DS > ZBRUSH > PHOTOSHOP > UDK kinda thing)

Chase

No worries Lankus. If you have any questions on that don't hesitate to ask! I'm no master at this stuff by any means, but anything I've learned along the way might hopefully be of some use. For that matter anyone else in our group might have some recommendations or tutorials so pop in and say hey

LordSebbington

Chase wrote: »

I was thinking that everyone would either create their own level, or apply each subject to a particular asset, or just mess around with UDK to become more comfortable. The first two would be preferable so that we can all see progression in your work, and so you can possibly get a portfolio piece.

It might be useful for everyone to start with VERY small, identical briefs.

IE: Make a room, light it, add material. Then add a prop, new material with vertex paint, bake light maps, done.

Then after that, pick a larger, self led brief and apply what you now know on a wider scale. Personally I'd get demoralised having to do too much too soon for the simple fact that if I miss part of the process there's a lot to go back and change with a full level.

EDIT: That said, I've been mulling it over and it's a study group, not a course. I'm thinking it would be good to initially work independently through the suggested syllabus topics and then share that information with the rest of the group. Noting any sticking points or info that will be pertinent as we're all at a similar stage.

Once I've got s decent grasp of things, I wouldn't mind applying it to a larger scene that addresses what we're trying to learn. Of course, discussing it with the group as I work through it.

LANKUS MAXIMUS

Thanks Chase.

That sounds like a good approach LordSeb, work through the syllabus and help each other out with any problems or issues that might occur.

Then with the improved understanding, create a simple scene within the same, loose time frame so we can bounce comments and advice of one another whilst working on the same kind of thing...

Chase

Join the Google hangout and skype at least. A couple of us are going to be learning this together just cause we feel more comfortable that way. We're going tk be starting off small, just learning material definition and creating small shaders. Then move onto lighting, etc. We wont jump into making our own scene because you're right that it would be overwhelming. However you feel comfortable applying what we're learning just go for it. The main thing is we all are asking questions and passing on knowledge which is why you should join the hangout/skype.

LANKUS MAXIMUS

Sounds good Chase. I'll get on to both as soon as I can.

What times do you think you'll be on? Are you EST? Just so i can co-ordinate with my time zone (GMT)

I'm usually up late anyways. I'm watching live NBA atleast 3 times a week...

CreativeHD

passerby wrote: »

wouldn't it make more sense to just think of a project using udk, with a scope you can accomplish, than document how you went about completing it.

People learn better if there is a end goal they can apply this skills to as they learn them.

I completely agree with you passerby.

Chase

I usually work a few days a week but other the other days ill be on working on stuff. Im on the west coast. I can get online tomorrow morning before work so we can figure out how we want to work this syllabus. I think learning together like a presentation of sorts works best. So we would work on thd shaders and learn how to make water for example. Its on a minor scale and less overwhelming instead of working on an entire scene. If you want to do that though you can haha

GabeM

This sounds nice, I think I need to try this out with you guys. It's been hard to learn on my own, I keep starting and stopping.

I need to learn the programming too though, because I'm not really in to shooters or just modding.

I've been working on a game with some friends, something with a goal, and it's helped a lot with practice and learning things I hadn't thought of trying in the past.

It's a copy of the old Mortal Kombat games, but using 3D art for the sprites. I really want to make it, or something like it in UDK.

I try to be able to do everything my self. Modeling, Texturing, Rigging, Skinning, Animation, Rendering, Programming, etc. I need some help and motivation with UDK.



Here's a look at what I'm doing.

http://gabe687.deviantart.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/gabe687/videos?view=0

http://gabrielmelendez.weebly.com/mk1-ninja-animations.html