Advanced Asset Manipulation and Environment Detailing in UE5

Course Overview

Updated in May 2025. This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. This advanced course in Unreal Engine 5 focuses on mastering the art of 3D asset manipulation and environment detailing. You’ll begin by exploring tools for deforming Quixel assets, learning to warp, bend, and cut shapes to fit your creative vision. With the ability to customize assets through Boolean operations and warping tools, you'll shape environments that go beyond basic designs. As you progress, the course delves into landscape texturing and foliage creation. You’ll set up dynamic landscape materials that respond to terrain features and manually paint in custom textures. The foliage tools will guide you in populating your 3D environment with detailed plant life, rock formations, and tree clusters, creating an organic, realistic world. Advanced techniques for adjusting color values and working with material instances help you bring out the best visual quality in your projects. The final section covers water systems, from setting up water meshes and materials to creating flowing waterfalls and realistic waves. You’ll learn to texture, animate, and tweak water parameters using normal maps, material instances, and vertex painting, ensuring your environments come to life with natural, fluid movement. This course is perfect for 3D artists looking to elevate their environment design skills in Unreal Engine 5. This course is designed for experienced 3D artists, environment designers, and game developers familiar with Unreal Engine 5. Knowledge of basic 3D modeling and UE5 navigation is recommended.