Unreal Shader Studies

Motion Design with Unreal Engine 5

Date

2023

Role

Everything

Overview

This personal project was an experiment with Unreal Engine 5 material editor to create a group of virtual 3D watch faces. Building multilayered complex shaders is always challenge for me, but to get them working in a real-time engine is a fun endeavor.

Taking the shaders I created a series of unique timepiece faces. I am passionate about timepieces, and this playful approach to watch design allowed me to explore several themes with unique materials.

Approach

Using the Substrate Material system, I was able to replicate multi-layer materials using a single shader. After designing the different watch faces, I built 3D animated forms and brought them into Unreal Engine. I then brought the watches to life with lighting and animation to create motion examples of each watch face.

INSPIRATION

I chose a selection of beautiful materials and environments found in the natural world to emulate through my different shader studies. This ranged from precious stones to interstellar phenomena.

TERRASEEKER

Inspired by rare minerals and stones, this series explored the complex appearance of Bismuth, Malachite, Rainbow Opal, and Pink Turquoise.

SEAASEEKER

Inspired by marine life and the ocean, this series explored water and sand, nautilus shell texture, and refractive light in the ocean depths.

STARSEEKER

Inspired by astronomy and celestial themes, this series explored the complex appearance of Jupiter, Nebula clouds, Aurora Borealis, and Planetary Maps.

PROCESS

Designs were drawn and built and animated in Cinema4D. Each material for the watch faces were built with Substrate shaders to replicate the complex behavior when it comes to lighting, subsurface layers, and refraction.

Ian Sterling, 2023