Epic Games has officially released Unreal Engine 5.4, bringing new features and improvements for developers and game makers across all industries.
Unreal Engine includes new features and improvements in animation and rendering, media and entertainment, improved developer iteration, fabric simulation, and more.
As for animation features, Unreal Engine’s core animation toolset has been significantly updated for character rigging and animation production. You can quickly and easily edit characters and create animations directly in the engine, no longer having to waste time working in multiple external applications.
Using the recently introduced “Modular Control Rig” feature, you can create animation rigs with easy-to-understand modular parts instead of complex, segmented graphics. The “Automatic Retargeting” feature makes it easier to achieve results when reusing bipedal character animations. To make the ‘Deformer Graph’ easier to use, the ‘Skeleton Editor’ has been expanded and a new set of deformer functions has been added.
In terms of creating animations, it offers a new “Gizmo” feature, a revamped “Anim Detail”, updates and improvements to the “Constraint” system, and a new “Layered Control Rig” feature that greatly simplifies the process of adding animations to clips anima. We’ve focused on making the animation toolset more intuitive and powerful, while simplifying your workflow.
“Sequencer”, Unreal Engine’s nonlinear animation editor, has significantly improved readability and usability in various aspects of the sequencer tree, and a new “keyframe script method” has been added, opening up the possibility to create custom animation tools.
In the animation section of the gameplay, the official version includes the “motion match” function, which has been carefully tested in Fortnite Battle Royale and applied to more than 100 characters and NPCs on all platforms, from mobile to console.
Motion Matching, a next-generation scalable framework for animation features, uses current game character motion information as the key to creating a relatively large database of captured animations, instead of using complex logic to select and transfer animation clips. animation at runtime Use the search method.
In version 5.4, we focused on transforming Unreal Engine’s easy-to-use toolset for animators into a tool with excellent performance and memory expansion, and we added a set of debugging tools that helps developers understand what’s going on. happening internally. Additionally, by adding a “selector”, you can now select animations using the context of the game.
Reference image of the modular control system
In the rendering function, a new function, “Tessellation”, which can add fine details such as cracks or bumps during rendering without changing the original mesh, has been added to “Nanite”, Unreal Engine 5’s virtualized micropolygonal geometry system.
Performance has been significantly improved with the introduction of variable rate shading through nanite-based computational materials. A “spline mesh workflow” is also supported, which is useful for tasks such as creating roads in a landscape. Additionally, a new option to disable UV interpolation allows you to use vertex animation textures for world position offset animation, allowing the “AnimToTexture” plugin to be used with Nanite geometry.
‘Temporal Super Resolution has also improved stability and performance, resulting in predictable results regardless of the target platform. Among these, ghosting has been reduced thanks to the new resurrected story heuristics and the ability to mark materials that use pixel animation.
We’ve also made major updates to the Movie Render Queue for creators creating one-way content. The new node-based “Movie Render Graph” architecture lets you build a graph that renders a single shot, or for large teams of artists, you can design it to fit complex multi-shot workflows.
Graph is pipeline friendly and allows studios to build and automate tools with Python hooks. Additionally, a “render layer” is provided that allows you to easily create high-quality elements for post-compositing, such as separating foreground and background elements, and supports both path tracer and deferred renderer.
Media and Entertainment features a new “Motion Design” mode in Motion Graphics, consisting of specialized tools for creating complex 2D motion graphics. Developed based on production testing and feedback from leading broadcasters, this feature is designed to provide motion designers with an improved user experience and continued productivity. It provides a comprehensive toolset that includes 3D cloners, effectors, modifiers, animators, and more.
Nanite tessellation reference image
As a feature to improve developer iteration, “Unreal Cloud DDC”, a self-hosted cloud storage system for data caching derived from Unreal Engine, was introduced. The hands-on testing was completed via Epic Games’ Amazon Web Service.
The local DDC has been improved using the new “Unreal Zen Storage” server architecture. This provides improved data conditioning performance, faster editor load times and play-in-editor (PIE) workflows, and greater control over cache writes, deletes, and data duplication prevention.
As for the fabric simulation functionality, thanks to the collaboration between Epic Games and CLO Virtual Fashion, a new USD importer has been added to the panel’s fabric editor, which now allows you to import clothing and simulation parameters from Marvelous Designer or CLO to create real-time simulations in minutes can do.
Additionally, several new and improved features have been added to Unreal Engine version 5.4, and the new pricing and licensing models for Unreal Engine, Twinmotion, and Reality Capture announced in March will apply with the release of Unreal Engine version 5.4.
Meanwhile, to commemorate the release of the new Unreal Engine 5.4, Epic Games Korea will hold a webinar on May 21 at 2 PM where Unreal Engine experts will provide detailed explanations of key features and updates.
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