Blender to Unreal Engine 5 - 3D Props - Medieval Windmill

1. Welcome to the Course

This lesson will give you a quick sneak peek into the course.

2. Introduction and Course Objective

This lesson is an introduction to the course. Alongside high-definition renders of the medieval windmill, you will also be finding out about all the different course sub-components we will be going through. This video will also introduce you to the course layout and on-screen tooltips.

3. Getting the Basics Right

In this lesson, you will be getting a brief introduction to the basics of Blender. Getting the Blender basics right will be essential to your learning process, making this a short course within a course.

1. Working with References

In this lesson, we will start working with the course references. You will learn how to utilize images and their scale to develop your own 3D models.

1. Starting the Windmill Grey Box

This lesson will be the beginning of the course modelling process. We will start by 3D modelling the grey box of our medieval windmill.

2. What Are Seams and Sharps

In this lesson, we will be discussing the basics of sharps and seams and their meaning for 3D modelling. This will be a short course within a course providing you with fundamental knowledge for your learning going forward.

3. Being Careful with Extrude

In this lesson, we will be looking into functions such as extrude and merge to create our simple grey box in the least amount of time.

4. Dimensions and Grounding Our Grey Box

This lesson will see us ensuring that the dimensions of our medieval windmill are correct. In other words, we will be ensuring that the height and width of the building and all sub-components are realistic overall and in proportion to one another.

5. Finishing the Grey Box

In this lesson, we will be completing the grey box model for our medieval windmill game asset.

1. The Importance of Resetting Transformations

In this lesson, we will look at one of the biggest issues in Blender. Simply put: if something is not working, resetting your transformations should be the first point of call. But why?

2. Working with Textures and Nodes

This lesson will be another short course within our course. You will be learning all about materials and maps for 3D modelling, helping you realize the potential of your 3D game assets and props.

3. Creating Our First Material

In this lesson, we will be creating the first material for our medieval windmill. This will be a dark and murky wood material for all the building details.

1. Working with Booleans

In this lesson, we will need a whole piece of wood for our windmill arm. The easiest way to achieve this is using the Boolean modifier, but this does bring a lot of issues on its own.

2. Solidifying 2D Planes

In this lesson, we will be looking at why sometimes modifiers don't work. This is mostly down to making sure our Normals are facing the correct way.

3. A Creative Way to Create Wooden Supports

In this lesson, you will be finding out about how to create wooden supports for 3D assets in Blender in a creative way. Sometimes the angle just isn't correct, and we need a way to make sure the angle is exactly what we need.

4. Working with Different Transforms

In this lesson, we take a look at the transformation orientation menu options within Blender. This is another tool to help with angles of meshes that need transforming in some way.

5. Creating Realistic Wood Joints

This lesson will show you how to make wood joints look realistic. This is a common issue with wood materials in 3D modelling. There is a simple checkbox that you should go through every time, which we will cover in this lesson.

6. Creating Unique UVs the Easy Way

In this lesson, you will be learning all about how to create unique UVs easily within Blender. Unique UVs are important because we don't want our model or our wood looking the same. Here, we will show you a very simple technique to eliminate this problem.

1. HDRI and the Eevee Renderer

This lesson will introduce you to the Eevee Blender renderer. Eevee replaced Cycles renderer in Blender 2.8, and this lesson will be an introduction to using it. You will also find out how to use HDRIs as backgrounds for your 3D models such as this medieval windmill.

2. Working with Stone

This lesson will see us working with the stone material for our medieval windmill. You will be learning how to position it to make it look realistic. Stone will generally accent the lower parts of the windmill, acting as the building's foundation.

3. Altering Shaders in Blender

In this lesson, we look at an amazing node called the gamma node. This then gives us the ability to alter brightness of shaders on the fly and change the appearance of the textures we have created outside Blender.

4. Creating Windows and Projecting UVs

This lesson will introduce you to making 3D windows for medieval-styled buildings. You will also be learning about how to project UVs.

5. Lead and Pane Creation

This lesson will see you working with lead materials that will allow our medieval windmill windowpanes. You will also be creating the windowpane to start with.

6. Applying Glass to Our Windows

In this lesson, you will be learning how to apply glass to windowpanes.

1. Planning Out the Windmill Arms

This lesson is all about pre-planning. When working on a complex asset like the windmill, it is important to plan way ahead as this will have an impact further down the line. In this lesson, we need to work out how and where the arms of the windmill will go.

2. Laying out the Arm Struts

Now that we have worked out just where the arms will go, it's time to lay out a simple grey box that we can build around. This is an important part of 3D modelling as it will save you a ton of time in the future.

3. Windmill Arms Prep for Materials

In this lesson, we will be preparing our medieval windmill arms to apply materials to them. We will use the techniques we have learned so far. This will include marking seams for adding materials.

1. Working with Cloth and Proportional Editing

This lesson covers cloth. Now we do know Blender has its own cloth simulator but there are also very simple techniques to create the look of cloth. As our windmill arms need only small pieces of cloth, we will take the latter route.

2. The Amazing Torus

In this lesson, we look at the Blender primitive-the torus. This is quite simply one of the most useful primitives when it comes to something a little more than a cube and allows a vast array of uses, for instance, a chain.

3. Creating Realistic Cloth Sail Mesh

In this lesson, you will be learning how to best create a mesh for cloth sails. These cloth sails will adorn the windmill arms of our structure. Our aim is for the cloth to look as if it was tightly strung.

4. Creating Holes and Links

This lesson will see us creating holes and links to bind our medieval windmill arm cloth pieces together. We could go down the route of using maps to create the look of holes in mesh, but it will be a better learning process if the holes were real.

5. Working with Mirrors

This lesson will see us learning how to work with mirrors in Blender. You will find out how to create copies of the same 3D asset quickly and easily.

1. Engineering the Turning Mechanism

In this lesson, we look at not only creating the turning mechanism but making it realistic. One of the key questions you should ask yourself when creating something is, is it realistic and is it structurally sound? Would it work in real life?

2. What Is Structurally Sound

This lesson will cover how to make sure a 3D building is structurally sound from an architectural point of view. Our medieval windmill will be a good example of that because of its complex sub-structures and levels, helping you apply this learning to various other contexts.

3. Testing Complex Seams

It's always good to find out if you have a good understanding of how seams work. In this lesson, we will do just that. We mark many seams for the turner before finding out if we marked them in the correct places for a perfect unwrap.

4. Finishing the Windmill Arms

In this lesson, we will be completing the build of our medieval windmill's arms.

1. Starting the Main Roof

This lesson will see us begin work on creating our medieval windmill roof.

2. Creating the Wooden Sloping Supports

This lesson will show you how to create sloping supports for irregular roofs. It's an important lesson and can be frustrating if you don't know the correct workflow. Not only does this technique save time but it also looks great.

3. Adding Materials to the Main Roof

In this lesson, we will be adding materials to the main roof of our medieval windmill.

4. Realism with Roof Tiles

This lesson will show you how to get roof tiles to look individually variant using Blender techniques. In this way, you will be learning how to achieve realism with the materials of a 3D model.

1. Lots of Supports Needed

This lesson will focus again on the structure of buildings. We take a deep look at what exactly we are going to need to support our large roof before committing to creating meshes. In other words, take a step back before jumping in.

2. Fixing Mesh Issues Along the Way

In this lesson, we will be practicing essential troubleshooting techniques for 3D modelling. Our focus will be on fixing various mesh issues that might emerge.

3. Finishing the Main Small Support Mesh

In this lesson, we will finish creating the supports and take a look to be sure whether it looks right and works properly. It's a good idea to do this along with the mesh preparation before adding modifiers.

4. Finish the Main Roof

This lesson will see us completing the main roof of our medieval windmill.

1. Taking Stock of How to Create Something

At this point in the course, you should now be able to look at most models and think about ways of how to create that model and start to take a more professional view of modelling.

2. Working on Our Smaller Roof

In this lesson, we will be working on the smaller roof for our medieval windmill.

3. Finishing Our Small Roof

This lesson will see us completing the 3D modelling and texturing process for our medieval windmill's small roof.

1. Refining the Grey Box

in this lesson, we will be refining our medieval windmill grey box through a troubleshooting process. We should always check the grey box periodically through the build; this is important for complex builds to make sure it will all come together.

2. Working the SVGs

In this lesson, you will be going over a complete introduction into working with SVGs. We will be using SVGs to create the metal sign for our medieval windmill, enclosing a stalk of grain within a circle.

3. Converting Curves to Mesh

This lesson will focus on turning the curve mesh, which is actually not mesh at this point, into actual topology. Although this sounds simple, if you just use the Blender default options, you will not only be disappointed but also end up with a lot of useless overblown polygons.

4. Finishing the Sign

This lesson will be the final lesson on modelling the essential components of our medieval windmill wall sign.

5. Creating the Sign Links

In this lesson, we will be attaching our medieval windmill wall sign to our windmill using metal chain links.

1. Medieval Atmosphere with Wood

This lesson will focus on the aesthetics of what it is that makes a building look medieval or roman as an example. It's important to reference how the particular time period put buildings together to understand the composition of the buildings.

2. Creating the Main Door Placeholder

This lesson will focus on placeholders. This is a little like grey boxing but it is for the smaller details of the build. We can then check to see exactly what works or doesn't.

3. Creating a Door Alcove

In this lesson, you will be learning how to create a door alcove for 3D game models using Blender functionalities.

1. Speeding up Our Workflow

At this point of the course, we can really start to ramp up the speed of not only building meshes but our entire workflow. We will see the quickest workflow for creating buildings from this era.

2. Creating the Small Window Extension

This lesson will see us working on a wooden extension that will be placed on the exterior of the second level of our medieval windmill.

1. Working Out Our Walkway Placement

In this lesson, we look at laying down the groundwork for our main walkway. This should always be done with such an important and integral part of the model. A few questions always need answering when taking this on. Does it work and does it fit, for example?

2. Finishing the Window Extension

This lesson will see our complete work on modelling our window extension of our medieval windmill.

3. Working with Complex Meshes

Windows can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be. Always remember: the more complex the mesh is, the more complex the preparation; so don't run before you can walk so that you don't end up with a lot of bad topology and seams.

4. Realistic Support for Our Extension

In this lesson, we will be building wooden supports for our window extension. These are essential to the structural integrity and relative realism of our medieval windmill.

5. Increasing Efficiency in Modelling

The title of this lesson is a little vague. It basically means when and where we should reuse meshes to speed up the workflow. This is where you should now be learning to forward-think about every aspect of 3D modelling.

1. How to Use Edge Length

For those engineers out there, who have to work to tolerances when creating builds, we take a look at how to show edge lengths of meshes. This is so sophisticated in Blender that you could actually create surgical precision meshes once you know this is available.

2. Increasing the Complexity

As we work through the course, we will add new ways or make meshes more complex. Not only does it stop the lessons from becoming a little stale but it also increases your skills in 3D. In other words, we have tried to build within the course a skill arc.

3. Using Average Island Scale

This lesson will focus on UV mapping. There are lots of options here to make applying materials a much smoother process but again, it's more a case of knowing what can be done. If you learn these simple techniques, then it will set you up well for future builds.

4. Creating the Balcony

This lesson will see us creating the balcony for our window extension using wooden railings.

5. Creating the Balcony Supports

In this lesson, we look at perhaps the most complex part of the build, at least from an engineering standpoint. Not only does our balcony have to fit the era but it also has to be supported in a realistic way that again fits the era. No steel supports in this build!

6. Easy Ways to Fix Mesh Problems

This lesson will see you troubleshooting within Blender once more. We will be discussing easy ways to fix mesh problems based on the learning content we have encountered.

1. Starting Our Waterwheel Build

This lesson will be all about pre-planning our waterwheel. This sounds easy but it's actually fairly in-depth. The main part of most meshes is the very first primitive and this is indeed the case here. Just how many sides should a cylinder have is the question.

2. Forward Thinking with Seams

In this lesson, we take a look again at how to speed up the workflow. Before using modifiers or copying a particular mesh, ask yourself this question: Can I make the most of the seams and sharps if I prepare the mesh correctly before?

3. Creating Simple Bolts

This lesson will look at easy ways to create fixings. Normally, these would be done with a normal map. As we are using seamless textures in this build and not painting directly on the mesh, we need another way. The only way is to build low poly meshes.

4. Finishing the Outside Wheel

This lesson will see us finish the modelling and texturing process of the outside of our watermill wheel.

1. Creating the Central Pillar

In this lesson, we will be creating an essential part of our waterwheel. Its central pillar will be what helps it animate and we need to put a lot of focus on the process of its creation because it could make or break our model.

2. Creating the Stone Opening

This lesson will give you extremely valuable skills in creating anything that has stone around it. Using a few tried and tested practices, this can be done in a couple of minutes with most builds.

1. How to Create Arched Supports

This lesson will introduce you to unusual but aesthetically pleasing type of building supports. You will learn how to make arched wooden supports for the second level of our medieval windmill.

2. Finishing the Balcony Supports

In this lesson, we will be finishing the balcony supports. We will also have the opportunity to add some medieval character to our building's design and embellish its decorative details through wooden beams.

1. Creating Doors the Easy Way

This lesson will be a complete introduction to creating doors for 3D game assets in Blender.

2. Creating the Stone Arched Door

This lesson will look at a technique that professionals have been using for years now. At this point, it is so refined that until some new tech comes along, it may be the fastest and easiest way of creating simple but effective stone doors.

3. Handles from Curves

In this lesson, we again take a look at curves and how we can use them to create door handles. Although in this course, we don't look at curves too much, it's an integral part of 3D modelling and another feather in your cap of available features within Blender.

4. Finishing the Door Handles

This lesson will see us completing the modelling process of one of the most essential parts of fully functional doors-door handles.

1. Starting the Main Ramp

This lesson is about getting started with modelling the main ramp that will adorn our medieval windmill's first or ground level.

2. Creating the Base

In this lesson, we will be creating a simple base for our 3D model to sit upon. This is only temporary but is a great way to show off a model you have created. There is no point putting all the work into a model to just sit it on a basic plane for a portfolio shot.

3. Working with Arrays

As we first picked up Blender, we have been creating stairs-we must admit, with varying degrees of success. In this lesson, we will show you not only the easiest way but also the most believable. Even though Blender has built-in addons to create stairs, it's important to be able to do this from scratch yourself.

1. Building a Complex Support System

This lesson will provide you with advanced skills in building support systems for 3D buildings or other game assets. Similar to the balcony but perhaps taking it a little step further to advance our skills.

2. Creating the Supporting Posts

In this lesson, we will be creating the supporting posts for the staircase leading from our medieval windmill's main ramp on its first floor to the ground level.

3. Creating the Balcony, Bridging It All Together

Now that you have learned how to create stairs and balconies, it's time to bring these components together. Although saying it sounds easy, if it was the real world, it would be very complex. In the 3D modelling world, it is also fairly complex and sometimes challenging to bring all these components together.

4. Fine-Tuning the UV Maps

With lots of parts, there will always be lots of UVs; this lesson is about taking the UV skills you have learned and putting them into practice to create variations quickly and easily in this part of the build.

5. Finishing the Main Ramps Seams

In this lesson, we finally finish the stairs and ramp. Most of the complex side of this model is now behind us with the bay window being the only real obstacle in terms of 3D skill.

6. Finishing the Side of the Windmill

This lesson will see us finishing the side of our medieval windmill. These decorative extra details to our medieval windmill design will add to its aesthetic romanticism of a time far gone.

1. Laying Out the Bay Window Grey Box

This lesson involves adding another element to our medieval windmill build. We will be creating a grey box for a bay window.

2. Applying the Stone Wall Bottom

In this lesson, we will be applying stone materials to our bottom wall. This material is meant to add the most structural support to our building.

3. Critically Analyzing Our Build

This lesson will see us performing quality assurance (QA) checks on our medieval windmill build. This means looking at every aspect of the windmill and asking what could be done better for future builds. Critically analyzing our work is a fundamental part of 3D modelling. At this point, it's a good idea to get some outside feedback.

1. Starting the Bay Window Build

This lesson will involve working on the bay window structural components. We will be creating its windowpanes.

2. Lots of Glass Issues

In this lesson, we will be troubleshooting through different issues that can emerge when we try to add glass to complex window structures such as are common in bay windows.

3. Working on the Bay Window Frame

This lesson will see us modelling the window frame for our bay window. We will also be integrating our windowpanes and glass within it.

4. Top and Bottom of Our Bay Window

In this lesson, we will be creating perhaps the easiest part of the bay window. Now if you think back to the beginning of the course what was once complex is now simple and it should give you a good reference of just how much you have learned in a short span of time.

5. Completing the Windmill Build

In this lesson, we will be going over the final touches of building our medieval windmill. At this point, we are nearly ready to export our 3D game asset into Unreal Engine 5.

1. Creating a Base for Our Windmill

This lesson will focus on creating a stone base for our medieval windmill. As our windmill would be placed next to a body of water so that the waterwheel can submerge into it for the mill to function, a base would ensure that the remainder of the building would be safe from water damage.

1. Setting Up Our Portfolio Render

This lesson will focus on going through a checklist of all the essentials to achieve a great render outcome for our 3D artist portfolios using our medieval windmill as an example. We will be using an HDRI background.

2. Eevee and Cycles Rendering

In this lesson, you will get a full introduction to rendering in both of Blender's render engines-Eevee and Cycles. This will help you better identify their differences and choose the renderer that works the best and looks the best for you.

1. Welcome to Animation

This lesson will introduce you to animate using Blender functionalities. We will be jumping straight in at the deep end, and sometimes that's the only way to learn. These are simple animations but will really give you a good idea of what's possible in your own buildings.

2. The Animation Workflow

This lesson will introduce you to the professional workflow for animating 3D models. Preparation of our model before we do anything to do with animation is key here. We will go through every step so don't worry if this is your first time in the animation zone.

3. Weighting Bones and Keyframes

In this lesson, we will be looking at the technical aspects of animation. Just what is it that allows us to manipulate meshes in such a way? Sounds like an easy question but even the simplest animations require a fair bit of setup.

4. Setting Up Our Animations

This lesson will see us setting up the animations that will be included in our medieval windmill scene. These will include the windmill arms, the waterwheel, and our windmill sign, which will sway in the wind.

1. Welcome to Unreal Engine 5

In this lesson, we finally get to open up Unreal Engine 5. We will show you some new stuff and how, on a basic level, UE4 and UE5 are practically the same. Don't worry if you are using Unreal Engine 4; everything in this course will work exactly the same.

2. Creating Materials in Unreal Engine 5

In this lesson, you will learn how to create materials within UE5. We will show you how to import and organize the maps to have a clean UI. We will look at what maps to use and how exactly we turn those maps into materials.

3. Applying Materials and Testing

In this lesson, you will learn how to apply materials to the model and test the final result.

4. Final Lesson: A Realistic Game Asset

This lesson will be the last lesson of our course. In this lesson, we will be completing our game assets. This has been some journey and, in the end, you will see for yourself what you have achieved and now what is possible in the future.