Unreal Engine Workflow Guide
In this 16-video guide (about 11 hours total), you’ll see the full workflow behind the creation of the XenoRoam VJ Loops in Unreal Engine. These videos were recorded during the actual creative process — with me narrating both how I do things and why I make certain decisions.
This isn’t a polished course or a set of bite-sized tutorials. It’s a raw, real-world look at the full journey: scene building, lighting, camera animation, loop testing in Resolume, and preparing the final deck for performance.
The guide is designed for beginners to intermediates — whether you’re new to Unreal or looking to understand how a full VJ loop set comes together from scratch.
My goal is to give you a window into how I break down a visual idea into loops — including the decisions, the trial-and-error, and the time investment it takes. It’s not quick work, but it’s deeply worth it.
Hopefully, after watching, you’ll walk away with new tools, clearer insight, and the motivation to start creating VJ loops of your own.
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01. Intro – Final Loop Preview in Resolume
We start with the final loops. This video was recorded after the visuals were complete, just to show you the outcome of the full process — what we’re aiming to build together.
02. Building – Creating the Scene with Modular Kit Assets
I use modular assets to block out the scene — adjusting scale, duplicating and mirroring elements, and making tweaks in Blender to optimize poly count and remove unnecessary parts. I also set up a basic dolly-in camera and animate its first motion.
03. Building – Adding Junctions for Visual Complexity
To create more visual interest, I add tiled floors and branching corridors. Statues are placed in the junction area to anchor the scene and guide the lighting design.
04. Lighting – Using Kit Assets as Lamp Fixtures
Lighting is everything — it’s the reason we see anything at all. In this session, I turn kit assets (not originally intended as lights) into lamp fixtures, experimenting first with spotlights, then switching to rectlights for better control and mood.
05. Building – Duplicating and Offsetting to Create a Seamless Loop
I duplicate the scene and offset it in the distance, so the dolly-in camera can seamlessly loop between identical zones. As I go, I notice lighting issues, fix them, and re-duplicate the scene — repeating the process until I’m happy with how the loop feels.
06. Animating – Dolly-In with Constant Lights
I keep the same dolly-in camera, but now add a roaming point light that “scans” the space. I test, iterate, and organize versions with Trello to keep things manageable.
07. Animating – Dolly-In with Side Lights
Using the same dolly-in movement, I introduce animated light patterns coming from the corridor windows. I test it again in Resolume and adjust the light in unreal to bring it closer to my original vision.
08. Animating – Dolly-In with Roaming Lights
I keep the dolly-in camera but now add a roaming point light that “scans” through the scene. I test, iterate, and even start organizing loop versions using a Trello board to stay on track.
09. Animating – Static Camera with Side Lights
Next, I switch to a static camera on a dead-end corridor. This version focuses only on animated side lights. I test and tweak in Resolume as usual.
10. Animating – Static Camera with Roaming Lights
Same static setup, but this time with a roaming light source instead of side lights. After reviewing the test loop, I go back into Unreal to make final adjustments.
11. Animating - Connecting the dolly-in with the static shot
This loop bridges the dolly-in and static scenes. I animate the camera moving backward from the dead-end corridor while fading the scene out by turning off lights. The final result will be set to “ping-pong” in After Effects to complete the loop.
12. Evaluating – Testing the Loops in Resolume
With seven loops ready, I test them in Resolume to see how they play together. This helps identify what’s missing and plan my next steps.
13. Building – Creating the Ceiling from Tile Assets
One thing I notice during testing: the scene could use a ceiling. I create it using tile assets, light it as if it’s being illuminated by the statue lights, and come up with a solution to an earlier duplication gap issue I had with the floor.
14. Animating – Close-Up Camera with Roaming Lights
Even though I could call it done, I’m pulled to get a closer shot of the statue. I animate roaming lights around it, test it in Resolume, and refine the look in Unreal for added depth.
15. Animating – Close-Up Camera with Side Lights
The final loop — a close-up of the statue with animated side lights. This finishes off the visual set for XenoRoam.
16. Releasing – Creating the Resolume Project
I bring the ten finished loops into Resolume and arrange them for performance: starting with slow, moody loops on the right and building toward fast, energetic flashes on the left. I stack loop variations vertically for more looks using blending modes, and also offer color suggestions to inspire colorising setups. With everything arranged, it’s time to release XenoRoam.
02. Building - Starting To Build The Scene
We’re starting with the final loops – this is a video I recorded after the loops were ready in order to show you the final outcome of the process.