CGHOW | Ashif Ali

Stylized Projectile Effect in UE5.3 – Niagara VFX Tutorial

Transcript:

Hi guys, I’m Ashif Ali and you’re watching CGHOW. In today’s video, I’ll show you how I created this stylized projectile effect in Unreal Engine 5.3 using Niagara. You can find the project file on my Patreon as usual. Let’s dive into the tutorial!

Before we start, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the bell icon to get notifications for all my new videos.

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Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Create the Material:
   • Start by creating a new material, let’s call it M_Projectile.
   • Set it to Unlit and Masked for a basic, stylized look. I also set the background to a light gray to make it more visible.
2. Create the V Shape:
   • Use a Radial Vector to Radial node to create a circular gradient. Subtract 0.5 to shift the center to the correct location.
   • Add an Absolute node to ensure the value is always positive.
   • Use the Step node to sharpen the edges and create a crisp V-shape.
   • Adjust the shape using the UV coordinates to offset the gradient and ensure it starts from the desired point.
3. Add the Noise Texture:
   • Import a noise texture and multiply it with the V-shape material. This will give the effect a more organic, stylized feel.
   • Scale the noise using the Texture Coordinate node, making sure the scaling happens along the correct axis by inverting the gradient.
4. Add Stylized Animation (Panning Effect):
   • To create a dynamic panning effect, use the Time node and apply a custom formula. This will make the texture shift over time and create a pixelated, skipping frame effect for a more stylized look.
5. Apply the Material:
   • Connect the material to your Niagara emitter and set it to use high spawn rates.
   • Modify the Pivot Point to adjust the rotation and animation center, ensuring the effect looks more realistic.
6. Tiling and Randomization:
   • You can add a Dynamic Parameter to control the tiling and make the texture size random in each particle.
   • Adjust the tiling values for a unique look in each particle’s lifetime.
7. Final Adjustments and Layers:
   • To add more depth, duplicate the effect and change the colors for each layer. Start with white, then add yellow, orange, red, and finish with a darker color. Stretch the layers in different amounts for variation.
   • Adjust the brightness and speed of each layer using the Dynamic Parameter and other values.
8. Final Look:
   • After adjusting the speed and particle size, you’ll get a stylized projectile effect with vibrant colors and smooth animation. You can duplicate the layers and tweak them for variations.

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Final Words:

This is how I created the stylized projectile effect in UE5.3 using Niagara. As always, you can download the project file from my Patreon. Thanks for watching, and keep learning! Bye-bye!