Valentine's Day 2023 - UE5 Personal Project
On the technical aspect, I wanted to learn artificial lighting and emissive materials in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5).
Read on to see my process.
As all projects like these should begin, I went online to search for reference and inspiration images, and was intrigued by the vibe of neon lighting, ghastly ambience, and the reflections of light on surfaces cast by the fluorescent lighting.
Image references
Finding a message to embed in my scene was not difficult.
I particularly enjoyed the quote "Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs" in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
In this line, Shakespeare used a metaphor to convey the idea that love can be elusive and intangible, much like smoke. Love can be difficult to define or grasp, and can seem to come and go like smoke on the wind.
Additionally, the "fume of sighs" suggests the idea of longing and desire. When we sigh, it is often a sign of yearning or longing for something we do not have, which can be a common experience in matters of the heart. So, the line can also be interpreted as saying that love is a product of our deepest longings and desires.
I thought the line was very appropriate for the message I wanted to convey, so I modelled a sign post in Rhinoceros 3D with the message fixed on.
3D modelling of the sign in Rhinoceros 3D
Into UE5, I set up the camera angle, general scene and natural lighting. Following my reference images, I created a scene with a cold, lonely vibe.
The scene was thus set to night time, with dense fog in the background. The road in the foreground the passes the sign appears to be a lone road in the wilderness, distant from any urban life or civilisation.
Using blend materials, I painted the road static mesh with puddles of water, which would aptly reflect the florescent signs. The road also reflects an appropriate amount of light to give it a wet and cold look.
Mesh painting with material blend - green channel represents water material
