Paper Sketch to Unreal Map Tool
A simple idea - "Wouldn't it be great if I could play my hand-drawn maps in Unreal Engine?"
Process Overview -> Converting Hand-drawn map into parametric Houdini to playable Unreal Engine Landscape with Custom Inputs.
Tool output showcase with different inputs, and operation on various landscape shapes.
Tool Application in Unreal Engine 5 using Houdini Engine
Example Map Output
Example Map Output
Houdini Tool Overview
Houdini Showcase with primary network and sub-networks
The generated map can be played right away in the Unreal Editor with a default setup
A Houdini Tool that converts Paper Sketches to Playable Unreal Engine Maps ->
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"Wouldn't it be great if I could just take my scribbles of maps, and play them in Unreal Engine?" is the question I started with, as I found myself drawing post-it landscapes at my previous role. It started as experimental tool transitioned into prototyping utility that generates playable Unreal Engine maps from paper sketches in less than a minute. It's using Houdini and Houdini Engine -> Unreal Engine under the hood, and is ideal for playing with art-directed prototype maps and landscapes.
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The tool can be used with custom materials and meshes. For this demonstration, I used Stylized Provencal Asset pack from Fab. I don't intend to spend more time on the utility, but I do see the possibility of additional features and parametric controls, including but not limited to, Landscape Refinement, Elevation Control and Paths Generation for Player and NPC.