Using DMX to control custom Unreal Engine lighting and other assets (UE 5.2)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- Welcome to the first DMX stage lighting with Unreal.
This is the first video of its series needed to build lighting, or other assets, and control them in real time with DMX in Unreal Engine 5.2
It covers setup, best settings, building your first fixture using light materials, importing prefabbed fixtures, and using the patch tool built in.
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Discord: / discord
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Chapter Markers:
Start: 0:00
Plugins needed: 1:28
Get engine Content: 2:50
Project Settings / Editor Preferences: 6:09
Output Color Variable: 15:40
Set Light up to adjust brightness: 18:39
Set Color: 20:50
Performance Booleans: 21:48
Emissive Materials + Performance Booleans: 25:57
Create Lens Material: 29:03
Assign Lens Material to Lens Component: 34:20
At this point we have a functioning light with a light up lens: 34:58
Create Beam: 36:03
Unreal Beam Material Walkthrough: 38:35
Connecting to the beam mesh by blueprint: 44:08
Save your progress (More often then here): 46:17
Establish a DMX Stream: 49:21
Configure Project to accept DMX: 50:10
Build DMX Profile: 50:53
Patch the fixture in the DMX Library: 52:41
Viewing the DMX Stream in Unreal 53:26
Discovery - Controlling fixtures in editor 56:09
Correcting the unrevealed Variables from earlier 1:01:46
System Complete: 1:02:40 - Фільми й анімація
This was amazing. So helpful after watching a number of very unhelpful videos on the same topic. Thanks.
Thanks!
Hey Mate, Super cool tutorial, i learned many new things. next project Robe T1 ? Grtz. Tom , Light engineer and owner of PhamtomPower.
Hey Tom! Sorry I got away from this channel for a bit. Thanks for the feedback! Next project is to get a marketplace running where people can sell these fixtures. After that, I want to continue on multi cell fixtures and tour - prominent movers. I can look into the Robe T1.
Thank you for this.
Thanks for the feedback
you saved my life,!!!
hidden gem
Thanks! I’m trying to get back to recording more on this but life gets busy 🥲 hopefully in the next few weeks I’ll have done time
Absolute masterclass. Bravo 👏 I am planning on using unreal engine to drive some pixel matrixes for image based lighting of real subjects on a green screen. In order to get the best light quality, CRI, TCL, I, etc. I plan to use 5-in-1 SMD5050 LEDs with red, green, blue, warm white and cool white diodes on each chip. Any insight on how to handle the color space transforms? Do you have any general advice?
The Quasar Science Image Based lighting articles on their website might be useful, if you’re new to the use case, like I am.
I’m a director and producer based in Hollywood. Thanks again man, please keep these videos coming!!!
Hey Patrick! Thanks for the compliment, you got my head spinning with this one! Luckily I have a travel day today so I can plug my brain into this because I see it’s a very needed step!
The simple answer is to multiply your RGB output variable by a delicately tuned vector lower than 1,1,1 to get a color output that looks the same, but getting there is a different story. I have a model being built in my head though.
Thanks for the topic, I’ll make a video on it once I get it figured out, until then, I’m gonna “live update” my research on my Discord in the community support channel. Once I reach a solution, I’ll certainly let you know!
Until then, cheers and happy creating! What you’re doing sounds like a really cool project that would produce some neat results!
Hey Patrick, ive thought about this one. Definately sounds like something id want to make a video about.
Please note this method is not tested, only ran through in my head for a few days.
The amber and white cell methods are tested, but not color transforms.
My method would involve needing an RGB sensitive color meter, which are pricey, or a good eye for noting RGB Values, in addition to a color accurate monitor. I dont beleive a traditional color temperature meter will work for dialing RGB Values.
1. Getting the real fixtures RGB Values with the RGB values at full, no other cells. Lets call this "Fixture RGB"
2. Get the real fixtures warm white cell temperature, then the cool white cell temperature. Lets call this "Fixture CW" and "Fixture WW"
Now we find how to make those colors in UE5.
3. In UE5, adjust the RGB values to the same color temperature as the real fixtures RGB values at full. You would want to use the color accurate monitor to get these values, if possible.
Note for method of displaying: When color matching your UE fixture to your real fixture, you may find the fixtures RGB Vector is very close to "Fixture RGB" From the color meter.
4. Upon finding a UE5 RGB mix that is similar to your fixtures RGB Values, record that value and store it to a variable vector "RGB Transform".
5. Include a step, after setting your "RGB Output" Vector, where you get your RGB Output, multiply your RGB Output by your RGB Transform, and (with an if statement here) to set your RGB Output to the new transformed value.
This gives a more accurate value for the RGB Values.
Adding a "If statement" with a boolean "isUsingRGBtransform" to your event pin that goes into the spot indicated above, and running that true pin to the Set RGB Output node just described, will allow you to optionally use the transform. You may need this for studios for fast and trouble free calibration.
For your White cell values, I would follow a different process.
1. Set up your RGB channels as normal. (Disable the color transform we just created)
2. Create a linear color that represents your fixture Warm White and Cool White. Right click the pin and split pin structure to give you RGB values. Recombine these values to a vector. You now have two more key features, your 'CW RGB Mix' and 'WW RGB Mix'
3. Run those color pins out to a multiply node. Multiply it by the normalized channel value on theWW and CW channel. (So it accepts 0-1 range, not 0-255. If its 0-255, divide by 255 first.) This is your vector 'CW Output' and 'WW Output'
4. AFTER YOU MULTIPLY RGB OUTPUT BY YOUR RGB TRASNFORM (NOT BEFORE):
Add your CW Output, WW Output, and RGBoutput together. If all cells are up, this will give you a value close to 3, 3, 3, so this added value must be divided by 3, and your light brightness must be multiplied by 3 from what it was currently.
5. Set your added and divided RGB Value to Set "RGB output", overwriting it again. Now you can continue with your development process, and any flaws in real world lights you are using to light actors are replicated in the virtual world.
To take this one step further, Unreal lights turn at a 1% intensity, while real world lights usually do not.
To replicate this, include another step where you find what DMX Value the real lights turn each R, G, or B value at, and then subtract that value out of 255 from the initial channel value.
This value would need to be added to the color transform, since if it werent, the transform value at full would be missing the brightness at which the cells turn on, which is not accurate.
Hope this helps!
Follow me on discord for more information about UE DMX! Im going to put this method up for discussion and for the community to see. I would love to see some photos of your studio posted up on the showroom chennel!
Link to discord: discord.gg/q9tbcUPRGR
很厉害，希望能有更多关于DMX教程
Thank you, just made 2