In this chapter, we've downloaded and installed the Unreal Engine, and we've taken a look at the templates we can use to get a headstart on our project's development. We've broken down the editor panel by panel to get familiar with how everything is organized, and customized it using the editor preferences. Finally, we've seen how to use plugins and marketplace items to expand on the editor's capabilities and further simplify our own project's development.
As with any complex piece of software, the UE has a lot of systems that you will need to be familiar with in order to make full use of it. In the upcoming chapters, we will be going through most of the major ones, so you will be able to get a well-rounded crash course and know where to go to find any additional information you need.
First, we will be discussing Blueprints, a great alternative to traditional programming. It is easily possible to create entire games using Blueprints alone, without ever having to touch a line of code.
Having said that, we will also have a quick lesson on adding C++ to a Blueprint project to extend our Blueprint functionality.
We will also cover other major systems, such as using UMG to create menus and HUDs, animation Blueprints to control our character, and using replication to create multiplayer games.
Finally, we will talk about the final steps of a project, covering optimization, testing, and deployment.
Let's get started!