Week 6 - Material Change and Lever/Button Interaction, Reflective Writing

My final task for this project was to create a system that can dynamically change the material of objects. I decided that, fitting with the theming of my project as a whole, to create a podium that you would place the object you wanted to change the material of onto. You would then select the material you wanted from a widget with buttons, and then pull a lever to confirm your choice and make the change.

Using a tutorial (UE4 Tutorial - Change Materials in Blueprints - YouTube) to help me create the code that allows the material to change, I used a material reference in the widget that changes every time the player selects a new button. The widget is a component of the podium, which eliminates the need for object references to the widget blueprint. Other than coding this aspect of my project, I also made the environment look better by creating materials for some of the objects the player would be interacting with, and some materials for walls, floors, etc., using textures from various sources: 

  https://freepbr.com/materials/industrial-walls/ 

 https://freepbr.com/materials/storage-container2/

 https://freepbr.com/materials/futuristic-panels1/ 

 https://freepbr.com/materials/worn-shiny-metal/

Over the course of this project, I have learnt to better utilise the blueprints system in Unreal, particularly the level blueprint, which I never utilised before this project. I've also learnt to better discern what I could reasonably achieve with my level of skill. In comparison to my project last year, this one is smaller in scope, but as a result, each individual aspect of the experience is more refined. I also made better use of the equipment the university provides, which allowed me to better test the functionality of my work, and allowed me to ask for advice with a better informed idea as to why I may have encountered an issue.

I believe I have also learned to better problem solve, as I am more familiar with Unreal in comparison to where I was at the start of this academic year. I found that I was less reliant on tutorials for implementing interactive aspects of the environment, instead most of the  assistance I sought was related to materials, which is a secondary focus for this project and it wasn't entirely necessary for me to devote a large portion of my time to creating complex materials.