“Hi guys, I’m Ashif Ali, and you’re watching CGHOW. In today’s video, I’ll show you how to create a spline-based Ribbon Trail in UE 5.2 Niagara, along with a dynamic card effect. You can find the project file on my Patreon. Let’s jump into the tutorial!”
Cue intro music and subscribe reminder: “Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and hit the bell icon so you never miss a new tutorial.”
Tutorial Breakdown:
Setting Up the Scene:
Start by describing the basic scene setup.
“I’ve set up a simple scene today with a plane for the background and a camera in sequencer. I’m also using a basic material for the image and a texture with an alpha for the card cutout.”
Creating Materials for the Card:
Show how to create the material for the card.
“Right-click the texture for the card and create a new material. For the card material, I’m using a mask to cycle through and applying a simple multiplier to adjust the visibility.”
Particle Setup in Niagara:
Explain creating the Niagara effect and setting up the card as a particle.
“In the FX folder, I’ll create a Niagara effect for the particle. I’ll use a cleaner method for rotating it and set it to only spawn once.”
Adding Animation and Scaling:
Teach how to animate the scaling and rotation over time.
“Let’s animate the scaling. I’ll use a keyframe to set the initial scale to 0, then gradually scale it up to 1 as the particle evolves.”
Glowing Effect:
Show how to add a glow effect to the particle using the Saturate node.
“I’ll add a saturate node and a power function to control the glow intensity. After that, I’ll multiply it with the alpha to adjust the brightness.”
Animating the Glow in Sequencer:
Set keyframes in sequencer to control the glow parameter.
“In sequencer, I’ll create keyframes for the glow effect. I’ll animate it to gradually brighten as the card moves closer to the camera.”
Creating the Spline Ribbon Effect:
Explain how to create the spline and connect it to the particle system for trails.
“Now, I’ll add a spline and use it to create a ribbon trail that shoots out from the particle. We can adjust the spline’s path to match the desired effect.”
Adjusting the Ribbon:
Teach how to fine-tune the ribbon’s width and curve.
“I’ll adjust the ribbon’s width with a curve, and set up a dynamic parameter to control its appearance. You can make the ribbon’s width variable for different effects.”
Final Tweaks for Realism:
Discuss using different materials and textures for the final ribbon.
“Now, I’ll apply a material for the ribbon. You can use a noise texture to make it look more natural. I’ll also adjust the panning direction and make it fade from both sides for added realism.”
Duplicating Effects for Multiple Trails:
Show how to duplicate the spline and particle system for multiple trails.
“We can duplicate the spline to create multiple trails and adjust their parameters like width and offset. This helps in creating more complex effects.”
Animating the Spline and Ribbon:
“Finally, I’ll animate the ribbons using the minimum and maximum values for the spline. You can create a smooth transition for the ribbon’s fade and adjust the speed with a time parameter.”
Outro:
“And that’s how you can create a dynamic spline-based ribbon trail with a glowing card effect in Unreal Engine 5.2! Make sure to hit the like button if you found this tutorial helpful, and leave a comment if you have any questions. Subscribe to CGHOW for more Unreal Engine tutorials, and check out my Patreon for project files and exclusive content. See you next time!”
Key Elements to Highlight in the Video:
Dynamic Particle Setup: Creating particles that follow a spline path.
Glow and Fade Effects: Using material nodes for glow and fading.
Spline Ribbon Trails: Connecting particles to spline-based trails.
Sequencer Keyframes: Animating parameters such as scale, rotation, and glow in Sequencer.
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!