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Unreal Engine 5 - Build a AAA-Quality Game Environment

Name: Unreal Engine 5 - Build a AAA-Quality Game Environment
Rating: 4.6 (332 reviews)

Portfolio-ready Workflow - Learn from a AAA Environment Artist by mastering Modular Building Kits and Trim Sheets

Bestseller

Created byNicolas Bucco

Last updated 2/2026

English

What you'll learn

Planning your Projects professionally
Planning and creating Modular Building Kits
Planning and creating Trim Sheets
Creating a clean Project Structure using 3Ds Max and Unreal Engine 5
Understanding and following the Texel Density guidelines
Integrating Assets by increments in UE5
Creating basic and advanced shaders in UE5
Using Weighted Normals
Adding Props for Set Dressing a scenne in UE5
Sculpting a custom terrain using UE5 Landscape Tool
Using the Foliage tool to create an organic composition to complement your exterior environments
Environment Lighting / Post-Process / Composition for a final Render
Creating High Quality Renders using the Movie render Queues
Creating a Professional Breakdown Document for your Portfolio

Course content

7 sections • 65 lectures • 39h 54m total length

Instructor Introduction1:02
Get to know the instructor and the main goal of the course
What to expect from this course?9:37
Overview of all the topics we will be covering over the course. Softwares used and alternatives.
Research and Gathering References4:39
Understand what matters to employers on Portfolios. How to research and gather references for Portfolio projects.
Planning the Modular Building Kit - Pure Ref10:51
Using Pure Ref to organize our references.
Planning the Modular Building Kit using Photoshop26:40
Using Photoshop to plan our Modular Building Kit.
Planning the Modular Building Kit using Photoshop Continued19:49
Using Photoshop to plan our Modular Building Kit continued.

Modular Building Kit: Wall_Corner_0124:53
Creating our Modular Building Kit in 3Ds Max. Modelling the Wall_Corner_01 Asset.
Modular Building Kit: Wall_Window_0114:47
Creating our Modular Building Kit in 3Ds Max. Modelling the Wall_Window_01 Asset.
Modular Building Kit: Wall_Window_01 continued18:47
Creating our Modular Building Kit in 3Ds Max. Modelling the Wall_Window_01 Asset continued.
Modular Building Kit: Wall_Door_0137:30
Creating our Modular Building Kit in 3Ds Max. Modelling the Wall_Door_01 Asset.
Modular Building Kit: Roof Part 115:52
Creating our Modular Building Kit in 3Ds Max. Modelling the Roof_01 and Roof_Corner_01 Assets.
Modular Building Kit: Roof Part 225:26
Creating our Modular Building Kit in 3Ds Max. Modelling the Roof_Top_Corner_01, Roof_Top_01, Tiles_Corner_01 Assets.
Modular Building Kit: Blockout in Unreal Engine 5 Part 139:59
There was actually no ways of uploading the UE5 file, so I have uploaded all the external files for the Materials and Props as you will need them. Creation of the UE5 Project and Blockout import and assembly.
Modular Building Kit: Blockout in Unreal Engine 5 Part 213:53
Creation of the UE5 Project and Blockout import and assembly continued. Setting up our camera for taking screenshots for our Breakdown.

Planning Trim Sheets Part 118:07
Planning our Trim Sheets in Photoshop
Planning Trim Sheets Part 228:42
Planning our Trim Sheets in Photoshop continued.
Planning Trim Sheets Part 320:31
Planning our Trim Sheets in Photoshop continued.
Creating Trim Sheets Part 135:41
Creating our Trim Sheets in Substance Painter.
Creating Trim Sheets Part 249:56
Creating our Trim Sheets in Substance Painter continued.
Creating Trim Sheets Part 333:55
Creating our Trim Sheets in Substance Painter continued, establishing our Texel Density and Assets Unwrapping.
Creating Trim Sheets Part 447:41
Establishing our Texel Density and Assets Unwrapping.
Creating Trim Sheets Part 533:41
Assets Unwrapping.
Creating Trim Sheets Part 635:44
Assets Unwrapping.
Creating Trim Sheets Part 735:46
Assets Unwrapping.
Creating Trim Sheets Part 821:45
Assets Unwrapping.

Tessellation Setup Part 11:12:11
Setting up our Assets for Tessellation in UE5
Tessellation Setup Part 235:46
Setting up our Assets for Tessellation in UE5 continued.
Improving the Roof Part 11:21:50
Setting up our Assets for Tessellation in UE5 continued. Improving the Roof.
Improving the Roof Part 235:52
Setting up our Assets for Tessellation in UE5 continued. Improving the Roof.
Improving the Roof Part 354:50
Setting up our Assets for Tessellation in UE5 continued. Improving the Roof.
Improving the Window42:13
Improving the Roof and the Window.
Improving the Door52:53
Improving the Door.
Creating the Chimney_01 and Fixing the Trim Sheet1:13:57
Improving the Trim Sheets. Creating the Chimney_01 Asset.
Improving the Roof Part 11:02:28
Improving the Roof to its' final version.
Improving the Roof Part 252:00
Improving the Roof to its' final version continued.
Improving the Roof Part 348:44
Improving the Roof to its' final version continued.
Improving the Roof Part 41:03:55
Improving the Roof to its' final version continued.
Improving the Roof Part 542:21
Improving the Roof to its' final version continued.
Creating the Corner_Stones_0151:51
Creating the Corner_Stones_01 Asset.
Glass Shader Part 151:06
Creating our Base Glass Shader using a custom Mask created in Substance Painter.
Glass Shader Part 250:36
Creating our Base Glass Shader using a custom Mask created in Substance Painter continued.
Vertex Painting Part 150:59
You will find the necessary Textures in the zipped folder named Additional_Materials. Setting up the shaders to use Vertex Painting.
Vertex Painting Part 21:06:39
Setting up the shaders to use Vertex Painting continued.
Roof Fixes39:44
Fixing a few things on our Roof Assets.

Adding Decals Part 11:00:21
Using Decals to add uniqueness to our Modular Assets.
Adding Decals Part 250:13
Using Decals to add uniqueness to our Modular Assets continued.
Adding Decals Part 356:53
Using Decals to add uniqueness to our Modular Assets continued.
Fixes and Landscape Creation57:58
Creating a basic Landscape using UE5 Sculpting tools and creating a basic Landscape Material for painting
Foliage Part 135:54
The Grass Foliage type Assets can be obtained from the City Park pack on Fab (UE Marketplace). Migrating Foliage Assets and painting Foliage Assets using UE5 Foliage Tools.
Foliage Part 213:09
Migrating Foliage Assets and painting Foliage Assets using UE5 Foliage Tools continued.
Height Blending Shader Part 141:52
The Textures for the Material of the road can be found in the Additional_Materials zipped folder.
Setting up our Height-Blending Shader for the Road_01 Asset and setting up Vertex painting.
Height Blending Shader Part 229:02
Setting up our Height-Blending Shader for the Road_01 Asset and setting up Vertex paintingcontinued.
Composition and Set Dressing Part 139:44
Working on Composition by moving trees around and Set Dressing by adding Props.
Composition and Set Dressing Part 234:16
Set Dressing by adding Props.
Height Blending Shader Improvements28:10
Improving our Height-Blending Shader.
Lighting Part 123:04
Working on the Lighting.
Lighting Part 222:24
Lighting Part 326:31
Working on the Lighting continued.
Final Render Part 133:19
Setting up the final render using the Movie Render Queue.
Final Render Part 230:16
Setting up the final render using the Movie Render Queue continued.

Requirements

Downloading UE5 (Basic understanding is helpful but not required)
DCC (Digital Content Creation) Package (3Ds Max or Maya or Blender)
2D Editing software (Photoshop or Canva)
Having Access to Substance Painter
Downloading all the course ressources

Description

Become a AAA-Level Environment Artist in Unreal Engine 5

Learn how to plan, model, and integrate a portfolio-ready 3D environment using the same techniques used in AAA studios. By the end of this course, you’ll know exactly what employers look for in a Level/Environment Artist, and you’ll have a completed environment to showcase in your portfolio.

With hands-on modules, templates, and step-by-step guidance, this course is perfect for beginners, intermediate artists, and junior professionals looking to level up.

Why This Course Works

I’ve worked on and shipped games with Ubisoft and an indie studio, including:

Splinter Cell Remake
Rainbow Six Siege X
Postal 4 No Regerts

I’ve condensed years of industry experience into a workflow that is efficient, professional, and portfolio-focused, so you can build AAA-quality environments faster and smarter.

What You’ll Learn (Portfolio-Ready Skills)

Project Planning & Studio Workflow

Plan your environment like a professional
Organize your project structure in 3Ds Max and UE5
Incrementally integrate assets to avoid common pitfalls

3D Modeling & Modular Kits

Create reusable modular building kits
Build trim sheets for efficiency
Maintain consistent texel density

Materials & Shaders

Create basic and advanced UE5 materials
Master instancing and weighted normals
Optimize performance without sacrificing quality

Environment Composition & Props

Add props and set dressing with purpose
Sculpt organic terrain with UE5 Landscape Tool
Use foliage tools for realistic, balanced environments

Lighting, Post-Processing & Rendering

Adjust lighting and post-process for cinematic results
Create high-quality renders for your portfolio
Generate professional breakdowns that impress employers

Bonus Tips from AAA & Indie Production

Efficient non-destructive workflows
Quick prototyping & research techniques
Portfolio tips that catch recruiters’ eyes
Understanding the differences between AAA and indie production

Requirements

No formal knowledge is required, but you’ll need:

Unreal Engine 5 (basic understanding helpful)
3D modeling software (3Ds Max, Maya, or Blender)
2D editing software (Photoshop or Canva)
Substance Painter (for texturing)
Course resources (provided)

Who This Course is For

Beginner 3D artists: Learn the most relevant skills to get started without wasting time.
Intermediate artists: Avoid long projects that teach little; focus on portfolio-ready outcomes.
Junior professionals: Improve your workflow and production quality to reach the next level.

The Outcome

By the end of this course, you’ll:

Build a complete AAA-quality environment from scratch
Have a finished portfolio piece ready for job applications
Understand studio workflows used in AAA and indie productions
Gain practical knowledge employers value most

Who this course is for:

- Beginner 3D Artists (School Students or Self-Taught) who are looking to get the most relevant information on what to learn and focus on
- Intermediate 3d Artists (School graduates or Enthusiasts) who don't want to waste time working on long Projects where they will learn little and have average results to show for on their Portfolio
- Junior 3D Artists working in the industry looking to reach the next level

Unreal Engine 5 - Build a AAA-Quality Game Environment

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction6 lectures • 1hr 13min

Modular Building Kit8 lectures • 3hr 11min

Planning and creating Trim Sheets11 lectures • 6hr 1min

Tessellation Setup & Improving our initial Assets19 lectures • 17hr 10min

Landscape - Foliage - Decals - Lighting - Final Render16 lectures • 9hr 43min

Creating the Breakdown and Publishing the Project on Artstation3 lectures • 2hr 6min

Conclusion2 lectures • 30min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: