Preview Scene Settings

User guide for the Preview Settings panel inside the Animation Tools.

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The Preview Scene Settings panel enables you to quickly assess what your assets will look like in multiple environments and light scenarios without having to set up these scenes within your level. Several different settings can be defined and applied from Skeletal Meshes to lighting and Post Process effects all within each of the Animation Tools inside the editor.

The location of the Preview Scene Settings panel can be found in the upper-right corner of the Animation Tool you are using.

PreviewSceneSettings.png

If you close the Preview Scene Settings panel, you can re-enable it from the Window option from the menu toolbar.

EnablePreviewSceneSettings.png

You can also access the Preview Scene Setting panel from the Viewport Options drop-down menu.

ViewportMenu.png

Animation

The following options are available within the Animation section.

Settings_Animation.png

The Preview Controller enables you to define how the preview is animated.

Property

Description

Default

Defaults to the Animation Tool's setting

Reference Pose

Uses the reference pose for the Skeletal Mesh

Use Specific Animation

Enables you to define an animation to use.

Live Link Preview Controller

Enables you to preview using the Live Link settings.

Mesh

This section enables you to change the Skeletal Mesh used for previewing.

Mesh.png

Option

Description

Preview Mesh (Animation)

The Skeletal Mesh to use for previewing.

Each type of asset, whether it's an Animation Sequence, Animation Blueprint, or a Skeleton can store and be overridden with different Preview Meshes. The order of overriding goes from Skeleton to Asset, so if an asset doesn't have an override, it defaults to the Skeleton's Preview Mesh.

Additional Meshes

This section enables you to include additional Skeletal Meshes to the preview scene as part of a Preview Mesh Collection .

AdditionalMeshes_01.png

Option

Description

Allow Different Skeletons

When selecting an additional mesh, whether or not to filter by the current Skeleton.

Allow Custom AnimBP Override

When using a preview collection, allow it to override custom Animation Blueprints.

Additional Meshes

The Preview Mesh Collection to use as included meshes for previewing.

Skeletal Meshes

The Skeletal Mesh assets that are included in the specified Preview Mesh Collection.

Preview Mesh Collections are useful when you have several Skeletal Meshes that are related (like components of a character). Preview Mesh Collections are also very flexible and support the use of unsaved assets within an unsaved collection. They can also be extended by projects that might need to interface with other systems that can "build" a Skeletal Mesh out of other Skeletal Mesh parts.

Settings

This section contains various settings for Lighting , Environment , and Post Processing , that define the makeup of the viewport for previewing as well as establishing Profiles .

Settings_01.png

Option

Description

Profile Name

Name to identify the profile.

Shared Profile

Whether or not this profile should be stored in the project.ini file.

Settings can be saved as a Profile and you can add or switch between Profiles from the Profiles menu at the bottom of the window.

Settings_Profiles.png

Lighting

The following options are available for Lighting in the viewport.

Settings_Lighting.png

Option

Description

Use Sky Lighting

Whether or not this profile should be stored in the project.ini file.

Directional Light Intensity

Manually set the directional light intensity (0.0 - 20.0).

Direction Light Color

Manually set the directional light color.

Sky Light Intensity

Manually set the sky light intensity (0.0 - 20.0).

Rotate Sky and Directional Lighting

Toggle rotating of the sky and directional lighting. Press K and drag for manual rotating of Sky and L for Directional Lighting.

Environment Intensity

The environment lighting intensity when Show Environment is disabled.

Lighting Rig Rotation

Current rotation value of the sky in degrees (0 - 360).

Rotation Speed

Speed at which the sky rotates when rotating is toggled.

Environment

The following options are available for the Environment in the viewport.

Settings_Environment.png

Property

Description

Show Environment

Toggle the visibility of the environment sphere.

Show Floor

Toggle the visibility of the floor.

Environment Color

The color used for the environment if Show Environment is disabled.

Environment Cube Map

Sets environment cube map used for sky lighting and reflections.

Post Processing

In the Post Processing section, you can apply various Post Processing effects or disable Post Processing effects entirely.

Settings_PostProcessing.png

Please see the Post Processing documentation for more information.

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