Master Class: The Comprehensive Guide to CRYENGINE Sandbox Editor

Get a crash course in developing games with CRYENGINE by watching a comprehensive 90-minute Sandbox Editor Master Class from our Learning Manager, Brian Dilg.

Introduction to Sandbox - Brian Dilg

Start Topic
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:09 Using the Launcher
0:01:00 Using shell extensions
0:02:42 Using GameSDK assets in a non-GameSDK level
0:05:04 Customizing tool layouts
0:07:13 Creaitng a new level
0:11:25 Using entity components to add an entity
0:11:46 Empty entities and helpers
0:13:21 Using the selection, move, rotate, and scale gizmos
0:14:27 Basic camera navigation in Sandbox editor
0:14:54 moving the camera instantly to any object(s)
0:16:59 Orbiting the camera around selected object(s)
0:18:11 Testing physics
0:18:39 Adding a Rigidbody component
0:20:01 Global wind and atmospheric pressure
0:20:24 Brushes vs. physicalized meshes
0:21:00 The resting property
0:21:11 The physics tool
0:21:46 Seeing an object's mass using the Physics tool
0:23:23 Changing the mesh model
0:23:58 Changing thumbnail sizes in folder windows
0:24:11 Snapping objects to the terrain and understanding pivots
0:25:00 Using Get Physics State
0:26:26 Renaming entities
0:26:52 Folders and layers in Level Explorer
0:27:15 Hiding layers and entities
0:27:20 Freezing (locking) entities
0:28:44 Environment Editor
0:29:53 Transform properties
0:30:13 Modifying values by dragging, typing, or clicking
0:31:49 Changing sun settings in an environment preset
0:33:13 Saving an environment preset
0:34:13 Saving a custom tool layout
0:34:52 Physics point constraints
0:35:26 Wireframe view
0:37:12 Absolute world vs. parent/child coordinates
0:37:51 Limiting degree of movement on physics constraints
0:39:02 Physics line constraints
0:42:07 Physics plane constraints
0:42:43 Damping
0:44:23 Mass vs. density
0:46:21 Modifying the heightmap using the Terrain Editor
0:47:42 Reversing the direction of terrain sculpting brushes
0:48:49 Ocean and terrain heights - default, custom
0:49:28 Hiding and repositioning ocean and terrain
0:50:30 Custom ocean height
0:51:07 Generating procedural terrain
0:51:44 Camera collisions with objects or terrain
0:52:31 Adding an environment probe to add ambient light and specular reflections
0:55:26 Setting preferences for helpers
0:56:58 Generating cubemaps for environment probes
0:59:03 Environment probe and cube maps names
0:59:41 Using environment probes in interiors
0:59:58 Fine tuning environment probe settings
1:01:20 Using terrain paint layers
1:02:47 Making terrain textures height- and slope-dependent
1:05:26 Using a water volume to create a lake
1:06:37 Snapping to terrain
1:11:02 Assigning a material to a mesh
1:11:50 The console tool
1:15:06 Using the material editor
1:17:59 Adding a brush to the level
1:19:25 Repositioning objects while modifying terrain height
1:20:39 Dynamically repositioning entities while sculpting terrain
1:21:21 Using the Vegetation Editor
1:26:43 Setting vegetation to bend in the wind
1:27:34 Graphics spec and performance
1:28:12 Using Display Info to monitor frame rate and other performance and memory information
1:29:43 Setting the active layer
1:30:09 Disabling physics on background layers
1:31:01 Layer checkout and team development methods

The Sandbox Editor is the heart of CRYENGINE video game development.
This presentation provides you with an essential overview of the interface's core features.
You'll also receive advice on how to organize and manage your work with the Sandbox Editor, so you can develop an effective workflow, whether you are developing alone or as part of a team.

#cryengine #masterclass #tutorial

[cryengine]

In the presentation, Brian showcases each of the Sandbox Editor's core elements, providing you with a comprehensive overview of the interface. The video demonstrates how to create new levels at the very beginning of a new project and shows you how to use the camera, manipulate assets, use entity components, add physics, and much more. You will see how to paint terrain, create water, use the Material and Vegetation Editors, set the graphics quality, monitor performance, and use layers effectively.

Alongside a demonstration of features, Brian advises on organizing and managing your work with the Sandbox Editor so that you can develop an effective workflow, whether you are developing alone or as part of a team.

To follow along with the tutorial, you'll need to download the GameSDK Sample Project from the CRYENGINE Marketplace, which will provide you with all the assets you require.

If you want to read up on some of the topics that Brian mentions in this masterclass, visit our documentation:

Here you will be able to find some of the specific tools mentioned:

Also if you want to know, what the latest updates on CRYENGINE are:

[illiavolha]

Very underrated engine. The only one triple A engine that supports both ++s and #. You need to concentrate on VR, AR and MR with integration of Ray Tracing into VR projects. Good luck.

[eclipsegst]

Please keep these coming! I really want to see more CryEngine games on the market and this is by far the best way to get that to happen. Teach, and you will find your students. I feel you have underestimated the importance of walkthroughs and tutorials in the past, but its not too late to change that!

[unforgettablememories_umy]

First I thanks to CRYTEC team and Learning Manager, Brian Dilg. This tutorial is a very special diamend to every newcomer to cryengine 5 and thank you again CRYTEC. This tutorial is really helpfull and useful my friends and keep it up.

[ExVersion]

This is such a high quality training material, thank you for sharing guys!

[Ophelos]

This video was long overdue, thank you for making it.

[pufthemajicdragon]

"There is probably no job that you could ever get where you would need all these tools" - Definitely not aiming at indie developers :(
It's still a fantastic and wonderful intro tutorial and this by itself will overcome a lot of hurdles that people have to starting up using CryEngine. Please keep the tutorials coming!

[EsvardCat]

Unreal rejected me over and over for being cuban and didn´t allow me to learn blocking me everywhere, but Crytek gave me a new chance to make AAA games with Cry Engine, also gave me all the necessary materials to learn how to use it. I really hope one day when I make my games I can repay back all your kindness and pay my 5% royalty with a smile in my face, proud of using Cry Engine. I feel enormously gratefull for let me be part of your community, you are the best.

[alessioscukhov]

Woohoo, great lesson! Now, i’m waiting flowgraph tutorials)

[BitCodeKhan]

Thanks Brian. I hope we will get more videos like this one.

[PantherCat]

I have waited many moons and suns for this.

[hypethedemon]

why the hell arent there any 5.7 tutorials

[DeathDealer-DD]

hey Brian Dilg i hope you're doing great, Thank you so much for the clear explenations, cryengine is amazing and if only it had certain things it'll make it PERFECT, like importing and dragging streight to the content browser within the sandbox, image formats and assets fbx or obj { this will save soo much time instead of creating textures, saving it and re-opening them in photoshop and re-saving it with crytool....so brain battery draining} the material editor legacy and the new one dont instantaniously update if you make changes, vertex painting in the sandbox for more control and freedom without doing it in 3d softwares witch is a limited and lacks live interaction, vegetation Grow on terrain with more option like selective texture flood or grow botton {grass for exemple will grow grass meshes on grass textures}, more like procedurally beside the manual adjustments, and of corse with options like slope controls and so on...

[EsvardCat]

I am quite new using cry engine and I feel so thankfull for a video like this. 1 million thanks.

[Beanibirb]

Thank you so much. Been put off learning CryEngine due to lack of proper tutorials and being overwhelmed with having to try and navigate the editor. Been waiting for this for a very long time.

[prothegee]

I'm sooo waiting for the next release, want to migrate any cpp and cs project to C.E.

And thank you for one video tuts indepth with C.E.

[moravianlion]

Coming from GTA V modding community, I'd like to create an open world game predominantly set in urban environment. I'm working on very robust PCG system in Blender in order to be able to tackle such challenge. I do everything with it, terrain, vegetation, grass, buildings, interiors, 3D roads and decals and so on. While CE editor is very nice, my *main concern right now are LOD hierarchies* .

Can I import for example static object City block A (LOD5) that splits into Street A, Street B, Street C and each of those "Street" objects splits into Corner 1, Corner 2, Corner 3, Corner 4, Corner 5 and so on?

Also, is there a possibility to read and modify CE level files? I could just export it procedurally within Blender via Python into an XML file for example. To certain degree at least. And same question would be also for grass instances. Do they rely on masks or can I import their scattered positions anywhere in 3D space (as distributed on my static environmental terrain chunks)?

[Septem]

Why would engine developers put "Mass" into Mesh component instead of Rigidbody component?

[thomasquwack]

Hey, why doesn’t hunt have a gravity gun equivalent? Such a tool was useful in making the bayou, perhaps it would be fun playing in the bayou?

[zerfjafnat]

After having a lot of hiccup learning unreal, cryengine is giving me a lot of promise. I think though having the workflow more simplified would be a whole lot better. Also continiously making these in-depth tutorials would help a lot. ^_^