This is the Safari online edition of the printed book.

Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3 is your start-to-finish guide to modding and level design with the world’s hottest new gaming engine: Unreal Engine 3. Here’s everything you need to know to jumpstart your skills and create stunning new content and games for consoles and PCs alike! Your authors aren’t just the world’s #1 Unreal game development trainers: They’ve even built the training modules that shipped with Unreal Tournament 3: Limited Collector’s Edition. Now, working with the full cooperation of Unreal Engine 3’s creators, Epic Games, they introduce every facet of game development–from simple level creation to materials, lighting, and terrain...even advanced level optimization and streaming!

Packed with tips, hands-on tutorials, and expert techniques, Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I is all you need to create levels that look spectacular and work brilliantly...levels that gamers just can’t stop playing!

You’ll find expert tips on

• Understanding the game development process from start to finish

• Planning projects for greater efficiency, faster delivery, and better quality

• Crafting worlds with stunning beauty and clarity

• Bringing amazing realism to characters, objects, and props

• Making the most of Unreal Engine 3’s massively upgraded lighting system

• Scripting complex gameplay quickly and easily with Unreal Kismet

• Building animated game assets with Unreal Matinee 

• Testing game performance during live gameplay

• Optimizing levels by improving the interaction between lights and surfaces

• Using advanced level streaming to create vast, rich, highly playable levels

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 10 Ratings

Learn from the Pros - 2009-10-15
Reviewer Rating:
The straightforward approach to teaching the Unreal Editor is the main strength of this book. Each aspect of the Unreal Engine and Editor is approached methodically and is effectively broken down into steps that allow for a thorough examination of each concept. Each concept is taught with ample screen shots and diagrams accompanying the detailed, well presented text.

In addition to the tutorial section of the book, the appendices are extremely thorough, covering each aspect of the user interface for the Unreal and Curve Editors.

If the rest of the series is as well thought out and executed as this volume, then this series has the potential to be the ultimate resource in stock Unreal Engine development and modification.

The recipient is pleased! - 2009-11-20
Reviewer Rating:
I ordered these for a very talented friend who has the tough work of trying to break into the gaming industry. He's commented that the books are easy to understand, and I see that his confidence has been boosted. Coincidentally, just today, he sent me his first rendering since receiving the books that he was very proud to say couldn't have been possible without having learned it from the books. His pride is not unfounded or biased, and there is a nice obvious positive jump in quality from previous builds. We both hope he will gain the understanding he needs to impress future employers and have him hit the ground running in crafting video games.

As far as I know, he received the books in good shape, and I do know they were delivered in a timely fashion without any delays. Thanks!

Interesting book - 2009-11-03
Reviewer Rating:
For someone like me who is starting with this of creating stages for unreal tournament and maybe later creating my own games, this book is great, it explains everything really nice making it easy for me to understand it.

A 'must' for any library catering to game programmers - 2009-10-17
Reviewer Rating:
Mastering Unreal Technology V. 1: Introduction to Level design with Unreal Engine 3 is a winner, offering expert tips on game development, planning projects, bringing realistic qualities to settings and characters, and more. It is packed with tutorials and all the basics for using a level design program that can create fine new games for consoles and PCs both, and is a 'must' for any library catering to game programmers seeking to use the latest, best game-creation engines. It is a weighty all-inclusive guide, not a light pop coverage - something that will satisfy serious game programmers seeking depth and detail.

Great book! - 2009-10-12
Reviewer Rating:
This book has been a great read and resource for helping me get my hands dirty with Unreal Editor 3.0. I am new to the engine, and honestly, this book has really helped give me the insight I need without straying off the beaten path. The information is great and the little tips are extremely helpful. I have searched and browsed through numerous tutorials and websites online, and this book has everything in it to get someone started!

My only complaint is that the illustrations are of average quality and not in color, and the problem with that is trying to see which edges or verts they have selected in the pictures. Sometimes, you can't even see what they have selected or what color they are referring to because of the black and white.

Besides that, great book!

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