Creating realistic lighting and shadows in Unreal Engine is a multi-step process. The most important step is to use the lighting system correctly.
1. Choose the right Light Types: Depending on the scene, you can choose from different types of lights such as Directional Light, Point Light, Spot Light, Sky Light, and Rect Light. Each light type has its own purpose and will affect the look of the scene.
2. Set the Lighting Parameters: You can adjust the intensity, color, and other parameters of each light type to create the desired effect.
3. Use Post-Processing: Post-processing effects such as bloom, depth of field, and color grading can be used to further enhance the lighting and shadows in the scene.
4. Use Volumetric Lighting: Volumetric lighting simulates the effect of light passing through objects such as fog, smoke, and dust. This can add a great deal of realism to the scene.
5. Utilize Lightmass: Lightmass is Unreal Engine’s global illumination system. It can be used to create realistic lighting and shadows by simulating the interaction of light with objects in the scene.
6. Use Shadow Maps: Shadow maps are used to create realistic shadows. They can be adjusted to create soft or hard shadows, as well as to adjust the shadow resolution.
7. Use Reflection Captures: Reflection captures are used to simulate the effect of light reflecting off of objects in the scene. This can add a great deal of realism to the lighting and shadows.