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Epic Explains Layered Materials In Unreal Engine 4 Video
Epic has released a new video showing off one of the new features of Unreal Engine 4. It gets technical, but even for those who aren't ever planning on making a video game, the visuals are still easy to appreciate.
The new technique is called "layered materials" and allows different color and texture combinations to be mapped to different parts of an object. The application and the results are featured, such that those of us who are on the consumer end can appreciate what can be done in the new engine.
The Unreal Development Kit is free to download, with the licensing fee of $99 due when a game on the engine becomes available for sale. Royalties don't start until revenue reaches $50,000. In short, if you're just interested in playing around with Unreal Engine, you can do so for free.
Our Take
My only up close experience with Unreal Engine 4 so far has been using the Oculus Rift HD at E3 2013. This demo gives a great look at what's possible with the engine, and this is just one of the advancements since Unreal Engine 3. I don't create games, but I can definitely appreciate the visual possibilities with UE4.
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