Unreal Engine is Now Free. Here’s What Architects Can Do With It

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If you have been following Architizer for a while, you will already have feasted your eyes on some pretty extraordinary examples of photorealistic architectural visualizations. You may also have read about how different architectural qualities are considered in the making of some of the world’s most popular video games. Today, though, we look at the awesome results produced when these two themes collide, presenting a series of movie clips with a visual impact that boggles the mind.

Rendering expert and YouTube sensation koooolalala uses the powerful game engine Unreal Engine — now available for free! — to create unfathomably realistic environments that are virtually impossible to tell apart from real life. Color, texture and incredible detail go a long way to tricking the eye, but the most extraordinary aspect of koooolalala’s trailers is their dynamic quality.

UE4 – Shader / FX Test. Having trouble viewing? Click here.

UE4 – SpeedTree – DFAO/GI Test.

UE4 – Colors.

UE4 – Lighting.

Heavy rain pounds against the tiled stairs of a contemporary building in one scene, while the leaves of trees move with a gentle breeze in another, their seeds floating through space, all framed by Tadao Ando–like concrete walls. Meanwhile, rainbow-tinted rays move slowly across the interior of a glass-covered walkway. In other clips, the virtual camera shifts its focus from foreground to background, creating a sense of depth rarely seen in even the most advanced architectural fly-throughs.

Many of koooolalala’s rendering tests move beyond purely architectural realms and into natural environments, and it is here we see some of the most jaw-dropping effects made possible by Unreal Engine. A snowy scene with foliage created with the help of a SpeedTree plugin is a true winter wonderland, while the same software is utilized to create a magical forest packed with wispy ferns and autumnal leaves.

UE4 – SpeedTree – Snow.

UE4 – SpeedTree – Forest.

UE4 – Substance Designer.

The most striking clip of all is also the most understated: A pebble-strewn beach boasts water and lighting effects that are thoroughly convincing to the eye and demands a second play to comprehend its true-to-life accuracy.

This kind of technology is becoming increasingly mainstream outside of the gaming industry. In September of 2014, Epic released Unreal Engine 4 to schools and universities for free, including personal copies for students enrolled in accredited art, architecture and visualization programs. This was followed by a full, free release to the public, meaning that any architect with an ability to learn can harness this powerful suite of tools.

What does the future hold for Unreal Engine and architectural visualization? We can’t wait to find out.

Enjoy this article? Check out these special features, also part of our “Art of Rendering” series:

Methanoia Reveals the Story Behind Architecture’s Most Striking Visualizations

When Architectural Visualization Gets It Right: Victor Enrich’s Surreal Art

How Technology Will Revolutionize Architectural Representations

Alex Hogrefe Creates Stunning Architectural Visualizations Using Only SketchUp and Photoshop

Architizer is building tech tools to help power your practice: Click here to sign up now. Are you a manufacturer looking to connect with architects? Click here.