Intro And Design Theory

Course Introduction and Design Theory

Course Overview

This course is broken down into four main areas:

• User interface design theory
• Unreal Motion Graphics (UMG) system
• Creating modular components
• Creating user interface integration

The course will explore user interface design theory and valuable resources for references. We’ll work with Unreal Motion Graphics, which is Unreal Engine’s system for creating user interface.

Learning Objectives

• Prototype and mockup user interface with external software
• Create modular widget components that can be reused to speed up workflow and be open to changes during development
• Design several user interfaces for game development and prototyping such as resources, nameplates, and ability bars
• Integrate UI with gameplay features such as damage, healing, AI, and statistic change actors

These user interface integrations will be vital for proper display of information for future game modes.

User Interface Design Theory Overview

User interface design theory covers basic workflows for creating functional user interface in game design. These design philosophies help give players the information they need to accomplish gameplay challenges.

Note

Key Principle: User interface design directly impacts the player’s experience. Too much can be distracting, while too little can leave the player frustrated and confused.

Design Workflow Considerations

Many things can change with user interface during development process. We will review:

• Modular workflows: Creating reusable components
• Programming paradigms: Better structure for UI construction
• Iteration flexibility: Dramatically improve production by being able to quickly adjust to changes during iteration and feedback

The modular approach allows developers to quickly adjust to changes during development, making the UI system more flexible and maintainable.

Programming Paradigms for UI

Universal Rule for UI Programming

Critical Rule

Never store the core data for a game within the UI. The data itself should be stored properly on a character component or blueprint object.

UI Communication Flow

The job of the user interface is to retrieve data from proper storage locations and display it to the player. Think of it like a website analogy:

• Your web browser (Chrome, Brave, Safari) doesn’t store the core information
• It retrieves information from the web hosting service and displays it as programmed
• Similarly, UI widgets should retrieve data from actor components, characters, or other objects

Data Storage Best Practices

When programming user interface:

• Core information should not be stored directly on UI widgets
• Data should exist in other areas such as:
  • Actor components
  • Character blueprints
  • Other game objects
• UI retrieves that information to display to the player

This separation ensures proper data management and prevents circular references that can cause optimization issues.

The UI acts as a display layer that communicates with the underlying game systems through well-defined interfaces and object references.