Architectural Design for Games using Blender & UE5

Modeling, Texturing & Rendering Techniques with Joshua Haun

Learn how to use Blender and Unreal Engine 5 to craft a Victorian-style architectural game environment design using a professional workflow. Environment Artist Joshua Haun shares how to take design elements from Victorian history and bring them into the digital realm, allowing game players to immerse themselves in the game world. 

As graphics in games have become more realistic over the years, players are also more likely to notice when any aspects of a world feel “off.” This workshop aims to discuss the fundamentals of architectural design theory while explaining how to create art suitable for a real gaming production environment, implementing key techniques commonly used in architectural design. 

This workshop is geared toward Intermediate artists seeking to create environments with deeper levels of meaning. Beginners will also enjoy this workshop, provided they have a foundational level of modeling and UV-ing in Blender and basic knowledge of the Unreal Engine 5 interface.

Modeling, texturing with trim sheets, and UV-ing architecture are covered in Blender, while a focus on shader creation, garden design with foliage, lighting, camera work, and shading are all topics showcased in UE5. The final result of the environment will be rendered in Unreal 5; therefore, the material shown in this workshop is primarily geared towards a real-time game engine. However, much of the explanation on design theory, history, and architecture will be universally applicable to all levels of art. 

Other software used in this workshop includes Rhinoceros 3D, Affinity Photo, Substance Painter, and Davinci Resolve.