How to Create MASSIVE Crowds and Battle Scenes in Unreal Engine 5 - Niagara and OverCrowd

Video Description

Get OverCrowd on Fab: https://bit.ly/4puvLkJ Get our Paired Sword Fighting Animation pack to create MASSIVE battle scene action: https://bit.ly/4hyRu7B Check out the updated tutorials: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEv3tGSzqCrX0Ax4e0d9hcnTeDdusSPPB&si=pGB8ULpSMkmNd2_b Business Inquiries: https://www.northwoodsrevolution.com/contact https://discord.com/invite/thedarkestage In this comprehensive tutorial, we're excited to introduce Overcrowd, a powerful new Unreal Engine 5 plugin that allows filmmakers, animators, and game developers to effortlessly create dynamic, realistic crowds at massive scales—without the need for expensive external software. We'll dive deep into Overcrowd's intuitive Wardrobe Editor, demonstrating how to easily organize modular wardrobes and body parts, integrate MetaHuman heads, and bake high-quality animations into thousands of Vertex Animation Textures (VATs). Learn how Overcrowd leverages Unreal Engine’s Niagara particle system to dynamically control crowd behavior, collision avoidance, and interactive animations. Throughout the video, you'll see practical examples including a city scene with hundreds of characters dynamically responding to a UFO overhead, and an epic battlefield showcasing 20,000 modular warriors seamlessly rendered from wide shots down to detailed close-ups. Thanks so much for your patience and support as we roll out this early release! We can't wait to see the epic creations you make with Overcrowd. Don't forget to say hi if you see us at Unreal Fest in Orlando! ElevenLabs for AI Voice morphing: https://try.elevenlabs.io/srb9mtho4n0l QuickMagic for Body Mocap: https://www.quickmagic.ai?code=clmew4 (if link is broken, referral code is: clmew4) Artlist for Cinematic Music and SFX: https://artlist.io/referral/dd1d776b-740e-43da-8557-29c2fe35e03d 00:00-00:40 – Introducing Overcrowd: Powerful Crowd Simulation in Unreal Engine 00:40-00:58 – Overview: What We'll Cover in This Tutorial 00:58-01:35 – Welcome & Beta Announcement 01:35-02:53 – How Overcrowd Works (Vertex Animation Textures & Niagara Integration) 02:53-03:18 – Creating Dynamic Crowds with Niagara Particle Emitters (City Scene) 03:18-04:07 – Massive Battle Scenes with Overcrowd (LOD & Scalability Features) 04:07-04:44 – Future Goals: Total War-style Battle Simulator & Advanced Niagara Integration 04:44-05:23 – Animation Groups for Paired Combat Animations 05:23-05:59 – Dynamic Swapping from VATs to Interactive Actors (Upcoming Feature) 05:59-06:28 – Niagara Integration: Crowd Movement and Collision Avoidance 06:28-07:22 – Current Beta Limitations & Visual Quirks 07:22-08:13 – Tutorial Overview: What You'll Learn Step-by-Step 08:13-09:02 – Installing Overcrowd Plugin in Unreal Engine 09:02-09:32 – Creating & Setting Up a New Unreal Project 09:32-09:54 – Enabling the Overcrowd Plugin 09:54-12:46 – Introduction to the Wardrobe Editor & VAT System 12:46-13:08 – Preparing Materials for VAT Animation 13:08-15:47 – Generating LODs and VAT Mesh Pairings 15:47-17:07 – Setting Up Your First Wardrobe 17:07-20:15 – Adding Animations to Your Wardrobe 20:15-23:49 – Spawning Crowds Using Populate Scene Boxes 23:49-26:06 – Adjusting Individual Characters & Animation Control 26:06-27:20 – Additional Features: Animation Variation & Offsets 27:20-28:13 – Spawning Characters Along a Spline Path 28:13-29:51 – Locking Character Placement & Workflow Tips 29:51-33:06 – Working with Modular Characters & MetaHumans 33:06-35:01 – Modular Assets & Polyphoria's Medieval Armor Pack 35:01-36:07 – Preparing Animations for Modular Characters 36:07-43:06 – Setting Up Asset Pack Materials for VATs 43:06-51:12 – Creating Wardrobe Sets with Weapons and Shields 51:12-58:19 – Adding MetaHuman Heads & Facial Animations 58:19-01:00:01 – Troubleshooting Common Issues (e.g., Floating Eyeballs) 01:00:01-01:05:27 – Facial Animation Integration 01:05:27-01:08:11 – Adding Accessories (Weapons & Shields) to Characters 01:08:11-01:17:05 – Converting Static Meshes to Skeletal Meshes for Accessories 01:17:05-01:19:57 – Finalizing Weapon & Shield Integration 01:19:57-01:22:11 – Increasing Crowd Size & Variation 01:22:11-01:23:20 – Introduction to Niagara Integration 01:23:20-01:29:21 – Using Multiple Wardrobes with Niagara 01:29:21-01:30:18 – Known Bugs & Workarounds for Facial Animations 01:30:18-01:34:25 – Setting Up Niagara Emitters & Spline Movement 01:34:25-01:40:12 – Niagara Neighbor Grid for Collision Avoidance 01:40:12-01:43:26 – Controlling Crowd Animations & Speed in Niagara 01:43:26-01:47:01 – Fixing Duplicate Spawn Bug (Workaround) 01:47:01-01:50:04 – Adding Niagara Crowds to Sequencer & Recording Simulation 01:50:04-01:52:39 – Cinematic Camera Setup & Workflow Tips 01:52:39-01:53:04 – Conclusion & Future Development Goals