Index for Unreal
This is a collection of technical deep-dives focused on architecture, optimization, and low-level implementation. My goal is to document the how and the why of my workflow, provided through the lens of a C++ first developer.
📜 A Note on Source Access
I work with Unreal Engine source access. This means I am legally bound by what I can and cannot share. While I will always try to explain the "why" behind a solution, there are times when I can only share the implementation ("the how") without exposing proprietary logic.
These notes assume a baseline of technical literacy. I won't spend time explaining why MSAA doesn't play nice with Deferred Shading, I expect you’re here because you already know the fundamentals and want to move faster.
🛠 My Implementation Philosophy
My approach to Unreal is driven by a desire to reduce overhead (see Optimization) and maintain a clean, performant project structure:
- C++ for Systems: Core logic, heavy math, and data management live exclusively in C++.
- Blueprints for Glue: I use Blueprints strictly as "connection logic." They are used to hook up assets or trigger events, not to build complex systems.
- Project Agnostic: These notes are designed to be modular. I’m not building a specific game genre here; I’m building robust systems that can be dropped into any high-performance environment.
- The "C-Style" Approach: In my daily work, I write very C-style C++. I carry that philosophy into Unreal, prioritizing direct memory management and procedural logic unless the engine provides a demonstrably better way to handle it.
📑 Unreal Engine Technical Notes
- Optimization — Profiling tools (
stat Unit,stat Game, Unreal Insights), eliminating actor tick, andTArraymemory reservation. - Deferred Shading vs Forward Shading — GBuffer tradeoffs, MSAA vs TSR, translucency, and light limits.
- Async Loading vs. Streamable Manager — Macro level streaming vs micro
FStreamableManagersoft pointers. - Enhanced Input Mappings & Action Maps — Input Actions, Mapping Contexts, and C++ setup without ticking.
- In World UI — Projecting interactive Widget Blueprints (
WBP) onto 3D world primitives.
🔗 Related Notes
- Game Development Hub — Main game dev index.
- Basics Of NetWorking — Unreal NetDriver, RPCs, and network bunch channels.
- Environment — Godot vs Unreal visual philosophy and tonemapping.
- Compression — Unreal Audio Submixes and sidechain ducking.