Introduction: Hi guys, I’m Asif Ali, and you’re watching CGHOW. In today’s video, we’re going to create a basic AOE (Area of Effect) effect in Unreal Engine 5 using Niagara. If you haven’t subscribed to my channel yet, please do so! If you like this video, don’t forget to like, share, and comment. Let’s dive into the tutorial!
Step-by-Step Tutorial:
Create the Environment:
Start by creating a map. I’ll set the background color to gray.
Idle Animation Setup:
Drag the idle animation into the viewport and position it at the origin (0,0,0). Press ‘F’ to focus on it.
Material Setup:
I’m going to create a ring material. For that, I already have an existing ring material, but let’s recreate it for this effect.
I’ll use two radial particles with different radii (R1 and R2), where R1 is larger and R2 is smaller. Subtract them to create the ring effect.
Adjust Particle Density:
Set density values (D1 and D2) to control the sharpness of the ring. A higher density like 20 will give a sharper effect.
Particle Settings:
Set up two particle emitters to spawn once and with an infinite lifetime.
Set the particles to face the camera by using custom vector alignment with the Z-axis.
Ring Size and Alignment:
Adjust the particle size and align them in the Z-direction to match the ring’s orientation. Adjust particle size for visual consistency.
Color and Glow Effect:
Make the ring blue and adjust the alpha value for transparency.
Add a glowing effect by multiplying with a texture like an aura or noise to make the glow more dynamic.
Animation and Rotation:
Add rotation to the ring using the rotator module. Set the rotation speed for a continuous effect.
Tiling and Noise Adjustments:
Adjust the tiling of the texture to control how sharp or blurry the ring looks. Increase tiling to get a more detailed effect.
Use dynamic parameters to control noise and color variations.
Additional Element:
Add another element in the center of the ring using a shape texture. Apply a material that will create a radial gradient to define two colors.
Adjust the radial shape’s positioning to make sure it is centered and modify the size to match the ring’s visual style.
Spawn Rate and Particle Placement:
Set the spawn rate and adjust the particle locations using a shape emitter to randomly distribute particles within the ring.
Adding Velocity and Motion:
Add vortex velocity to make the particles spin. Use the spring module to give particles a natural motion that returns to their original position.
Ray Effect:
To add a ray effect, use a cylinder mesh to simulate rays coming from the center. Apply a material that fades from top to bottom.
Final Adjustments and Extra Details:
Modify the particle size, spawn rate, and colors for visual consistency.
Add additional elements such as ribbon particles for more dynamic movement.
Final Result:
After adding all elements and fine-tuning the properties like color, velocity, and particle size, you’ll have a glowing, rotating AOE ring with rays emanating from it.
Conclusion: That’s it for this tutorial. I hope you found it helpful! If you liked the video, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and comment. Keep learning, and I’ll see you in the next one. Thanks for watching!
I am Ashif Ali, Real-Time VFX Artist, I make Unreal Engine Niagara Tutorial on this channel. I've made it my mission to share my knowledge and expertise with the world through my YouTube channel. So why not join me on this exciting adventure? Follow me on my social links, subscribe to my channel, and support my growth as a creator. Together, we can create amazing things and take our skills to new heights. And who knows, you might even get access to some of my exclusive files for free!