UE4/PK-Editor Pack Setup

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(last edit version: v1.0.0)

PopcornFX Editor

Download and install the PopcornFX Editor:

http://wiki.popcornfx.com/index.php/Announcements

One UE4 Project, One PopcornFX Pack

Using one single PopcornFX Project to author your PopcornFX assets for UE4 will make things easier.

You will be able to import PopcornFX assets from anywhere, but thumbnails and asset dependencies (textures, meshes) will be automatically resolved inside a single Pack.

Create/Setup your PopcornFX Pack

Create a new Project: Project_selection

Open your Project settings.

The important part here is the Axis System to be setup the same way as in UnrealEngine4: Axis_LeftHand_Z_Up

You could setup the Unit System to Unit_Centimeter, but you may will have some problems with the camera, mesh import...

So, we advise to set Unit System to Unit_Meter for now. (then in the UE4 PopcornFX Plugin, we will setup the GlobalScale to 100)

So in PK-Editor, 1 unit means 1 meter and it will be converted to 100 unit (100cm) in UnrealEngine4.

Asset file naming convention

See https://wiki.unrealengine.com/Assets_Naming_Convention

The UE4 PopcornFX Plugin will try to resolve automatically a lot of path depending on their location in the Pack.

So, we advise you to keep the same directory hierarchy inside your Pack than inside your UnrealEngine4 "/Game/" Content: this will make things easier when importing effects.

Keeping the same asset naming convention can be a good idea too:

• "T_" Texture
• "SM_" Static Meshes
• "Pk_" PopcornFX Effects
• "Pkat_" PopcornFX Texture Atlases

Here is a good example of Pack hierarchy:

• Particles/
  • Pk_FireBall.pkfx
• Textures/
  • FX/
    • T_Fire.png
    • Pkat_Fire.pkat
• Meshes/
  • SM_Teapot.FBX

Note

• As you might know, UnrealEngine 4 does not support compressed textures (eg DDS), so try to use other image format (non-compressed) in PK-Editor too, it will be easier to import them directly in UnrealEngine 4 with the UE4 PopcornFX Plugin.
• UE4 assets do not contain extension in their name: so 2 files "Fire.png" and "Fire.pkat" will have the same name "Fire" when imported in UE4. This a good reason to name your assets "T_Fire.png" and "Pkat_Fire.pkat".