Ultra-Custom Animated Books with Localized Text and Journal/Scrapbook System

The ultimate simulated book: Endlessly customizable. Generates pages from (localized!) text, so lots of high-res pages don’t require lots of huge texture maps. Easy controls. Pages can be changed at runtime by other blueprints.

Created for an upcoming game to go beyond interactive books seen in games so far, but available on the Marketplace first, so maybe you’ll get to steal the thunder. Pages are generated from localized Text (you can use textures if you prefer). The books are analog; open to any angle (0-180 deg) and pages can be turned, even while the book is opening/closing. Pages can have “Ephemera” actors attached to them; maps, notes, photos, bookmarks, etc. like a journal or scrapbook.

Grab a prefab style of book and adjust its settings to your needs, or use the Editor to custom-design the interior and exterior of your book using drop-down menus, sliders, etc. If none of the options are quite what you want, features accept custom overrides.

Pages can display moving pictures (and sound), or camera feeds from other scenes in the game (as seen in “Moss”).

Page text has an option to be revealed letter-by-letter, for the appearance of self-writing or VO. Pages can be updated by other Blueprints while the game is running to show new information. Each page can generate its own unique variation of paper aging/dirt. Auto page-numbering option. Lots more.

A versatile Book Controller Blueprint is also included for quick easy player control of books when player enters the trigger box. You can have it bring the book to the player’s view, or shift the player’s view to a CloseUp camera. A demo map includes a dozen books in a range of styles to use as prefabs, as well as book controllers to browse sample books, and an example camera-feed-to-page.

Technical Details

Features

Fully Animated – pages can turn regardless of whether book is opening/closing.

Analog - book can be open anywhere between 1 to 180 degrees

Localized Text – cover title and pages generated from Text input

Photos/Notes/Maps/Ephemera on pages auto flap/fold/flutter with page turning

Simple Controls – call event to turn page / close book / go to page. Or use the included Controller

Design Your Own Book – all aspects adjustable with drop-down menus, sliders, etc. Pre-fabs included

Runtime Changes/Updates – text and contents can be updated during runtime by other blueprints

Animated Text – page text can appear letter-by-letter, as if writing itself or matching Voice-Over dialog

Movie support – page pictures can use video, audio auto-fades with page-turns, etc.

Cover Detailing – versatile system to add/position/scale detail meshes (eg metal corners)

Modular – assembled from simple meshes in case the Art team wants to change something

Read Cover-to-Cover – pageturns move where the spine breaks and how the pages sit

Optimized, VR, SoundFX, Auto page-numbers, many other features

Textures: 4096 for cover/page styles. 2048 and lower as appropriate for other details

Scaled to Epic Skeleton: Yes

Collision: Menu Option. If ON, covers have simple collision, pages none

Vertex Count: 2k

LODs: Some

Meshes: 22

Materials: 5 Master, 30+ Instances

Textures: 60+

Supported Platforms: PC