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360 Rendering in Unreal Engine 5 Tutorial
360 Rendering in Unreal Engine 5 Tutorial
Updated over 8 months ago

Overview

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of enabling panoramic rendering in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5), covering everything from plugin activation to final export. By following these steps, you'll be able to create stunning 360 images for your projects.

What You'll Learn:

  • How to enable the necessary plugins for panoramic rendering.

  • Adjusting exposure settings to avoid common rendering issues.

  • Setting up cameras and using the Sequencer for efficient batch rendering.

  • Exporting your panoramic images and models for use in digital spaces.

Tutorials

Enable the Plugin

To activate panoramic rendering capabilities in UE5:

  1. Navigate to Edit > Plugins.

  2. Search for "pano".

  3. Enable "Movie Render Queue Additional Render Passes".

  4. Accept beta warning (if applicable)

  5. UE5 will prompt you to restart. Please restart it now.

Turn off Auto-Exposure (Avoid Black Renders)

The Panoramic plugin does not work with auto-exposure. Using auto-exposure can cause your renders to turn out black. Here’s how to adjust it:

  • For Post-Process Volumes:

    1. Go to Lens-Exposure > Metering Mode and set it to Manual.

    2. Set Exposure Compensation to a value that suits your scene. A setting of -2 is commonly effective.

  • For Cameras:

    1. Select your camera.

    2. Navigate to Post Process > Lens-Exposure > Metering Mode and set it to Manual.

    3. Adjust Exposure Compensation to fit your camera's needs, such as -2.

Camera settings might need adjustments based on their locations (indoors/outdoors) to ensure proper exposure.

Enable Panoramic Rendering and Allocate History Per Pane (Avoid White Renders)

  1. In the Movie Render Queue, add your level sequence.

  2. Click on Unsaved Config under Settings, delete Deferred Rendering, and select Setting > Panoramic Rendering.

  3. In Advanced settings, ensure Allocate History Per Pane is enabled.

Allocate History Per Pane might prolong rendering times but is essential for achieving correct exposure. If your renders look off, check this setting.

Output Settings

  • Location and Format:

    1. Choose your Output Directory Location.

    2. Set File Name Format to {camera_name}.

  • Resolution:

    • Ensure the resolution is 2W x 1H and a power of 2, e.g., 2048 x 1024 for quick renders or up to 8192 x 4096 for high-quality production.

The output resolution should match one of the recommended ratios for best results.

Setting up Cameras

  1. Add a new camera by going to Window > Place Actors and selecting Cinematic-Cine Camera Actor. Drag it into your scene.

  2. Rename your camera (e.g., "DS_cam_00"). Avoid rotations in the X or Y axes.

  3. Position the camera approximately 140cm (4.5 feet) from the floor to enhance interior visuals and discourage downward views.

Camera Height Insight:

While 140cm is slightly below average eye level, it makes interiors appear larger and more inviting.

Read more in our How it Works

Using the Sequencer for Batch Rendering

The Sequencer in Unreal Engine 5 is a powerful tool for orchestrating and rendering animations, including panoramic images from multiple camera positions. This section will guide you through setting up the Sequencer for efficient batch rendering of your panoramic shots.

Step 1: Create a Level Sequence

  1. Go to the Cinematics menu in the toolbar and select Add Level Sequence.

  2. Choose a suitable name for your sequence. For simplicity, you can stick with the default name or choose something descriptive, like "Panoramic_Render_Sequence".

  3. Save the sequence in your project's directory.

Step 2: Setting Frame Range

  1. In the Sequencer window, locate the Working Range settings at the bottom. These settings define the start and end points of your animation.

  2. Set the Working Range Start to 0. This is where your animation (or batch render sequence) will begin.

  3. Set the Working Range End to the number of frames corresponding to the number of camera positions you have. For example, if you have 10 cameras, you might set the end range to 10, allocating one frame per camera shot.

Step 3: Add Cameras to the Sequencer

  1. For the first camera (e.g., "DS_cam_00"), drag and drop it from the World Outliner into the Sequencer. This action adds it as a track.

  2. Right-click in the timeline within your camera's track and select Properties > Section Range End. Set this to 1 to allocate a single frame for this camera shot.

  3. Move to the next frame on the timeline by advancing one frame forward.

Step 4: Repeat for Additional Cameras

  1. For each additional camera (e.g., "DS_cam_01"), repeat the process:

    • Add the camera as a track by dragging it into the Sequencer.

    • Allocate a single frame for this camera by setting the Section Range End to one frame after its start.

    • Advance to the next frame on the timeline before adding the next camera.

Render

With all cameras added and configured in the Sequencer:

  1. Open the Movie Render Queue from the Window menu.

  2. Click +Render and select your sequence.

  3. Adjust rendering settings as needed, then start the render. Each camera's frame will be rendered in sequence, producing a set of panoramic images.

What is next?

After creating your 360 images, consider elevating your project by uploading them to digitalspaces.io for enhanced presentation and interactivity. Your first upload is complimentary!

Exporting Your Work

Finally, export any associated models by choosing File > Export All > FBX and saving them to your preferred location.

Experimentation and Feedback

We encourage you to experiment with these settings and techniques to find what works best for your unique projects. If you encounter any issues or have success stories to share, we'd love to hear from you. Your feedback helps us improve and expand this tutorial for the benefit of the entire UE5 community.

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