As a motion designer interested in 2D & 3D, I am crazy excited about this project. I've been interested in getting into Unreal Engine, and although I've worked in 3D, it hasn't made sense to learn a game engine just to do 3D. However, Project Avalanche proves to be an amazing tool that might bring together my video, 2D and 3D workflows in motion, all in one place. Here's a quick rundown.
Unreal Engine is a powerful real-time 3D creation tool developed by Epic Games. It's widely used for creating video games, but its versatility extends far beyond that. From movies and television shows to virtual production and live events, Unreal Engine has become a go-to solution for a wide range of creative industries.
Examples of Unreal Engine's use in broadcast and video include:
- Virtual sets: News studios, sports broadcasts, and even talk shows are increasingly using Unreal Engine to create realistic and dynamic virtual sets.
- Augmented reality (AR): Unreal Engine can be used to overlay graphics and information onto the real world in real-time, creating engaging and interactive experiences.
- Live events: From concerts and awards shows to product launches and sporting events, Unreal Engine can be used to create stunning visuals and enhance the audience experience.
But the use-cases above are not necessarily the main need for broadcasters. Unreal did a poll with their community and the realization was that the above use-cases only accounted for a small percentage. The clear winner or workflow need in video is overlay graphics and general animation (2D & 3D).
Project Avalanche is a closed-beta, next-generation animation toolset built within Unreal Engine. It aims to revolutionize the way motion graphics and visual effects are created by:
- Procedural animation: Project Avalanche lets you create complex animations and effects using procedural tools, rather than manually keyframing every movement. This saves time, allows for more nuanced and realistic simulations, and opens up new creative possibilities.
- Node-based workflow: Project Avalanche uses a node-based interface that makes it easy to connect different elements and create complex visual effects without needing to write code.
- Real-time editing and feedback: With Project Avalanche, you can see your edits and changes in real-time, making it faster and easier to iterate and perfect your work.
In essence, Project Avalanche takes the power and flexibility of Unreal Engine and applies it specifically to the world of motion graphics and visual effects. It has the potential to significantly streamline workflows, unlock new creative possibilities, and make high-quality motion graphics more accessible to a wider range of creators.
While Project Avalanche is still in closed beta, it's already generating a lot of excitement within the creative community. Its potential to transform the way motion graphics and visual effects are created is undeniable, and it will be interesting to see how it shapes the future of broadcast and video production.
Features I’m most excited about:
- World outliner: 2D & 3D assets and sets inside of a nested system that’s controllable and tidy-able by you
- Really neat 2D & 3D tools or modes inside one tool: e.g. rulers & guides and pixel grid in a 3D environment 🤤
- Modern procedural geometry: think Figma inside After Effects
- 3D tools like, Modifiers, deformers, cloners & effectors
- Realtime lighting & rendering
- Realtime live booleans on geometry
- SVG importer