Hey guys! Ever dreamt of creating your own stunning games or immersive experiences? Well, buckle up because we're diving into the amazing world of Unreal Engine 5 (UE5), and this time, we're doing it in Arabic! This tutorial is designed for absolute beginners, so no prior experience is needed. We'll break down the complexities of UE5 into easy-to-understand steps, guiding you through the basics and helping you build a solid foundation. Get ready to unleash your creativity and bring your visions to life!

Why Unreal Engine 5?

Before we jump in, let's talk about why Unreal Engine 5 is such a big deal. UE5 is a powerful and versatile game engine used by professionals and hobbyists alike. It's known for its cutting-edge graphics, realistic physics, and intuitive tools. Whether you want to create a AAA game, an architectural visualization, or a virtual reality experience, UE5 has got you covered.

• Nanite: This groundbreaking technology allows you to import film-quality assets with massive polygon counts directly into UE5 without any performance loss. Say goodbye to tedious optimization workflows!
• Lumen: Lumen is UE5's global illumination and reflections system. It dynamically adjusts lighting in real-time, creating incredibly realistic and immersive environments. No more baking lightmaps!
• Blueprint Visual Scripting: If you're not a coder, don't worry! UE5's Blueprint system lets you create complex game logic using a visual, node-based interface. It's like programming with building blocks!
• MetaHuman Creator: Create realistic digital humans in minutes with MetaHuman Creator, a cloud-based app that integrates seamlessly with UE5.
• Vast Asset Library: The Unreal Engine Marketplace is packed with high-quality assets, including models, materials, and sound effects, to help you speed up your development process.

With these features, Unreal Engine 5 empowers you to create stunning visuals and interactive experiences with unprecedented ease and efficiency. It's a game-changer for anyone serious about game development or real-time rendering.

Setting Up Unreal Engine 5

Okay, let's get started! First things first, you'll need to download and install Unreal Engine 5. Here’s how:

1. Download the Epic Games Launcher: Head over to the Unreal Engine website and download the Epic Games Launcher. This is your portal to everything Unreal Engine.
2. Install the Launcher: Once the download is complete, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. This might take a few minutes, so grab a cup of coffee.
3. Launch the Epic Games Launcher: Once installed, launch the Epic Games Launcher and sign in with your Epic Games account. If you don't have one, you can create one for free.
4. Install Unreal Engine 5: In the Epic Games Launcher, navigate to the "Unreal Engine" tab and click "Install" next to the Unreal Engine 5 version you want. Choose a location to install the engine and wait for the download and installation to complete. This could take a while depending on your internet speed, so be patient.
5. Launch Unreal Engine 5: Once the installation is finished, click "Launch" to start Unreal Engine 5. The first time you launch it, it might take a bit longer as it compiles shaders and sets up the environment.

Now that you have Unreal Engine 5 installed, let’s familiarize ourselves with the interface. The UE5 editor can seem overwhelming at first, but don't worry, we'll break it down step by step. The interface mainly consists of:

• The Main Menu: Located at the top of the screen, the main menu gives you access to various options like File, Edit, Window, and Help.
• The Toolbar: Below the main menu, the toolbar provides quick access to commonly used tools like Save, Open, and Play.
• The Content Browser: This is where you manage all your assets, including models, textures, and blueprints. You can create folders, import assets, and organize your project.
• The Viewport: The viewport is your main window for viewing and interacting with your level. You can navigate around the scene, select objects, and manipulate them using the transform tools.
• The Details Panel: When you select an object in the viewport, the Details panel displays its properties and settings. You can modify things like its position, rotation, scale, material, and more.
• The World Outliner: The World Outliner lists all the actors in your current level. It's a handy way to select objects and manage the hierarchy of your scene.

Spend some time exploring the interface and getting comfortable with the different panels and tools. The more familiar you are with the editor, the easier it will be to create your own projects.

Creating Your First Project

Alright, now it's time to create your first Unreal Engine 5 project! Follow these steps:

1. Launch Unreal Engine 5: If you haven't already, launch Unreal Engine 5 from the Epic Games Launcher.
2. Select a Template: In the Project Browser window, you'll see a variety of templates to choose from. For this tutorial, let's select the "Games" category and then choose the "Blank" template. This will give us a clean slate to work with.
3. Configure Your Project: Give your project a name (e.g., "MyFirstProject") and choose a location to save it. You can also select the target platform (e.g., Desktop, Mobile) and the quality preset (e.g., Maximum, Scalable). For now, let's stick with the default settings.
4. Create Project: Click the "Create" button to create your project. Unreal Engine 5 will generate the necessary files and open the editor with an empty level.

Congratulations! You've just created your first Unreal Engine 5 project. Now let's add some content to the level. Start by creating a new folder inside the content browser, in that folder we are going to store our assets.

Adding Basic Elements to Your Level

Let's populate our level with some basic elements. We'll start by adding a floor, a light source, and a player start point.

• Adding a Floor: In the Content Browser, navigate to the "Sources" panel and click on the little plus icon to add a new folder and name it anything. Inside of this folder you should add a new folder called "Geometry", next open that folder. In the main editor window, click on the plus icon labeled "Add" and search for "cube". Drag and drop a Cube actor into the viewport. In the Details panel, scale the cube along the X and Y axes to create a floor. For example, set the Scale X and Scale Y values to 10 to make a large floor.
• Adding a Light Source: Click on the "Add" button again and select "Lights" then "Directional Light." Drag and drop a Directional Light actor into the viewport. Adjust the Rotation of the light to change the direction of the sunlight in your scene. Experiment with different angles to see how it affects the lighting.
• Adding a Player Start: Click the "Add" button and select "Basic" then "Player Start." Drag and drop a Player Start actor into the viewport. This is where your player will begin when the game starts. Position the Player Start above the floor so that the player doesn't spawn inside it.

Now that we have our basic elements in place, let's test the level. Click the "Play" button in the toolbar to start the game. You should see your player start in the scene and be able to walk around. If you don't see anything, make sure the Player Start is positioned correctly and that there are no errors in the level.

Understanding Blueprints

Blueprints are a visual scripting system that allows you to create complex game logic without writing code. It's a powerful tool for designers and artists who want to create interactive experiences.

• Creating a Blueprint: To create a new Blueprint, navigate to the Content Browser and click the "Add" button. Select "Blueprint Class" and choose a parent class for your Blueprint. For example, you can choose "Actor" to create a basic object in the world.
• The Blueprint Editor: Double-click the Blueprint asset to open the Blueprint Editor. The Blueprint Editor consists of several panels:
  • Components: This panel lists all the components attached to your Blueprint. Components are reusable pieces of functionality that you can add to your Blueprint, such as Static Meshes, Lights, and Audio Sources.
  • Event Graph: The Event Graph is where you create the logic for your Blueprint. It uses a node-based interface where you connect nodes together to create a graph of execution.
  • Details: This panel displays the properties and settings of the selected node or component.
• Adding Logic to Your Blueprint: To add logic to your Blueprint, you can use various event nodes, such as "Event BeginPlay" (which is triggered when the actor is created) and "Event Tick" (which is triggered every frame). You can also add function nodes, variable nodes, and control flow nodes to create complex behaviors.

Blueprints can be used to create a wide variety of gameplay mechanics, such as character movement, object interaction, and UI elements. They're a fundamental part of Unreal Engine 5 development, so it's important to get comfortable with them.

Adding Interactivity

Let's add some interactivity to our level using Blueprints. We'll create a simple door that opens when the player approaches it.

1. Create a Door Blueprint: Create a new Blueprint Class based on the "Actor" parent class and name it "Door." Open the Door Blueprint Editor.
2. Add a Static Mesh: Add a Static Mesh component to the Door Blueprint and assign a door model to it. You can use a simple cube for now.
3. Add a Box Collision: Add a Box Collision component to the Door Blueprint. This will act as a trigger volume that detects when the player is near the door. Adjust the size of the Box Collision to cover the area in front of the door.
4. Add Logic to the Event Graph: In the Event Graph, add an "Event ActorBeginOverlap" event. This event is triggered when another actor (like the player) enters the Box Collision. Connect the "Other Actor" pin of the "Event ActorBeginOverlap" event to a "Cast To Character" node. This will check if the overlapping actor is the player character.
5. Open the Door: Connect the execution pin of the "Cast To Character" node to a "Timeline" node. Create a new Timeline and add a Float Track to it. Set the Timeline to play from start to finish. Add two keyframes to the Float Track: one at time 0 with a value of 0, and one at time 1 with a value of 90. This will create a smooth animation from 0 to 90 degrees.
6. Rotate the Door: Connect the output of the Float Track to a "Set Relative Rotation" node. Connect the "Door" Static Mesh component to the "Target" input of the "Set Relative Rotation" node. Split the rotator struct and connect the Float Track output to the "Z" input. This will rotate the door around the Z-axis.
7. Close the Door: Add an "Event ActorEndOverlap" event to the Event Graph. This event is triggered when the player leaves the Box Collision. Connect the "Other Actor" pin of the "Event ActorEndOverlap" event to a "Cast To Character" node. Connect the execution pin of the "Cast To Character" node to a "Reverse" input of the Timeline node to play the timeline backwards, closing the door.
8. Add the Door to the Level: Drag and drop an instance of the Door Blueprint into your level. Position it so that it's in front of the player start.

Now, when you play the game, the door should open automatically when you approach it and close when you walk away. Congratulations, you've added your first interactive element to your level!

Conclusion

So there you have it, guys! You've taken your first steps into the exciting world of Unreal Engine 5. We've covered the basics of the interface, created a new project, added basic elements to the level, learned about Blueprints, and even added some interactivity. Remember, the key to mastering Unreal Engine 5 is practice and experimentation. So keep exploring, keep creating, and most importantly, have fun! شكرا لكم و إلى اللقاء في الدروس القادمة! (Thank you and see you in the next lessons!).