Unreal Engine Plugin

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Prerequisites

• Unreal Engine (see the Fab listing for supported versions)
• Beeble Unreal Engine Plugin - Get it on Fab (published by District Cinema)
• An Epic Games account and the Epic Games Launcher

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Step-by-Step Guide

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1. Preparation

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1.1 Add the Plugin to Your Fab Library

1. Open the Beeble: Video-to-VFX listing on Fab and sign in with your Epic Games account.
2. Click Add to My Library. The plugin is free.

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1.2 Install the Plugin to Unreal Engine

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and go to Unreal Engine > Library.
2. Under Fab Library, search for beeble, then click Install to Engine on Beeble: Video-to-VFX.

3. Choose the Unreal Engine version to add the plugin to, then click Install.

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1.3 Start Unreal

1. Launch Unreal Engine.

2. Open a new project; we recommend choosing a blank template in the FILM / VIDEO & LIVE EVENTS category.

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1.4 Enable the Plugins

💡 To ensure full functionality of the plugin, make sure the following Unreal Engine plugins are enabled: Python Editor Script Plugin & Geometry Script Plugin

1. In your project, go to Edit > Plugins.

2. Find the Python Editor Script Plugin and check the box next to it if it’s not already activated.

3. Find the Geometry Script Plugin and check the box next to it if it’s not already activated.

4. Search for Beeble and check the box next to it, then click Restart Now at the bottom of the window.

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1.5 Open the Beeble Panel

1. After Unreal restarts, click the Beeble button in the main toolbar. The Beeble panel opens with the recommended project settings, VFX Pass import, footage, camera and render controls.

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2. Recommended Setup

Everything in this section is set from the Beeble panel (see 1.5), so you no longer need to look each setting up in Project Settings. In the panel, a setting shown in green is on and one shown in red is off.

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2.1 Recommended Project Settings

1. Under Recommended Project Settings > Lighting, check the box next to each setting that is not on yet:
   • Lumen — uses Lumen for reflections and global illumination.
   • Hardware Ray Tracing — enables hardware ray tracing support.
   • High Quality Translucency Reflections — minimizes artifacts in the viewport.

2. Unreal may ask you to restart the project so the change takes effect. Restart when prompted.

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2.2 Increase Cache for Smooth Playback

1. Under Image Media, check Global Cache. This one applies right away, no restart needed.
2. Raise Cache Size (in GB) so image-sequence playback stays smooth. A larger cache uses more memory.

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3. Usage

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3.1 Import VFX Passes

1. Under Import VFX Passes, choose how to bring in your VFX Passes downloaded from Beeble:
   • Import Folder — the unzipped VFX Pass directory.
   • Import Zip — the downloaded .zip, without unzipping it.
   • Batch Import — several shots at once.

2. With Import Folder, select the unzipped VFX Pass directory itself. IMPORTANT: DO NOT select one of the VFX Pass directories inside it.

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3.2 Load a Shot

1. Pick an imported shot from the Load Shot list, then click Open to load it into the level. Delete removes the selected shot.
2. Import Info below shows the loaded shot’s name, frame count, duration, frame rate and scale.

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3.3 Adjust the Footage

The Footage section controls how the footage plane is drawn and lit in your scene.

• Keying, Use Depth, Use Translucent Material, Receive Shadows, Cast Shadows and Use Screen Space UVs turn those behaviors on or off for the footage.
• Render <-> Original Blending and Base Color <-> Original Blending blend the relit result back toward the original footage.
• Alpha Erosion shrinks the edge of the footage’s alpha.
• Footage Material Properties sets the strength of the Normal, Metallic, Specular and Roughness passes.
• Attach Footage to Camera parents the footage plane and the camera to a shared root, so you can move them together. Detach Footage to Camera separates them again.

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3.4 Render from the Beeble Panel

The Render section renders the loaded shot without leaving the Beeble panel.

1. Next to Save to, click Select and choose the folder for the rendered frames.
2. Choose a Preset, or keep Custom and set Format, Colorspace and Frame Rate Override yourself. Sequence Default keeps the shot’s frame rate.
3. Set the output Resolution and the Frame Range to render.
4. Click Render.

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3.5 Render with Movie Render Queue Presets

The plugin also adds Beeble presets to Movie Render Queue.

1. Open Window > Cinematics > Movie Render Queue and click + Render to add your shot’s sequence.
2. Click the arrow next to the job’s Settings.
3. Under Import Configuration, pick a Beeble preset:
   • Beeble_DefaultPrimaryConfig
   • Beeble_EXR4kACEScg — 4K EXR in ACEScg
   • Beeble_HD1080PNG — 1080p PNG
   • Beeble_UHD2160PNG — 2160p (UHD) PNG
4. Click Render (Local).

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FAQ

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Why do my rendered results in the viewport look too glossy?

Please make sure to enable high quality translucency reflections.

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Can I use path-tracing with Beeble?

No. Path tracing is designed to replicate how light interacts in the real-world. Beeble uses 2D planes to mimic 3D geometry, which disrupts the path-tracing process. For instance, a 2D plane in Beeble will block photons from reaching its front surface if the light source is behind it, making effects like rim lighting unachievable with path-tracing. Additionally, using path-tracing with Beeble can result in various artifacts.

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Which renderer should I use with Beeble PBR maps?

For rendering PBR (Physically Based Rendering) maps in Beeble, we suggest using ThreeJS, Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen, and Blender’s EEVEE. These renderers have been tested and confirmed to produce accurate results. To ensure proper setup of PBR maps, users are advised to use the official plugins provided for Blender and Unreal Engine, as the setup process can be complex.