Skip to main content
UE Plugin Overview

Overview

This plugin makes it easy to import and use Beeble VFX Passes in Unreal Engine for fast, high-quality rendering. Key features include:
  • Creation of Image Media Sources, Media textures, and Media players from VFX Passes
  • BSDF material setup with color space conversion and normal map handling
  • Level Sequencer setup for rendering 3D scenes and materials using the Movie Render Queue
  • Enhanced Media Plane Control
    • Automatic scaling of the media plane based on changes in camera focal length, ensuring consistent visual alignment
    • Dynamic adjustment of the media plane scale when modifying its distance from the camera, enabling flexible and accurate projection control

Prerequisites

  • Unreal Engine 5.3, 5.5, 5.6 (tested on Windows)

Watch the Video Tutorial

For a visual walkthrough, check out the tutorial video.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Preparation

1.1 Plugin Download

  1. Download the UE plugin from https://app.beeble.ai/plugins
Download plugin
  1. Unzip the plugin file.

1.2 Start Unreal

  1. Launch Unreal Engine.
Launch Unreal Engine
  1. Open a new project; we recommend choosing a blank template in the FILM / VIDEO & LIVE EVENTS category.
Select project template

1.3 Enable Required Editor Plugin

💡 To ensure full functionality of the plugin, make sure the following Unreal Engine plugins are enabled: Python Editor Script Plugin & Geometry Script Plugin
  1. Navigate through Edit > Plugins.
Navigate to Plugins
  1. Find the Python Editor Script Plugin and check the box next to it if it’s not already activated.
Enable Python Script Plugin
  1. Find the Geometry Script Plugin and check the box next to it if it’s not already activated.
Enable Geometry Script Plugin

1.4 Place the Beeble plugin folder inside Unreal Project Plugins folder

⚠️ Beeble Plugin is project-based. Do not install it globally. Place it in YourProject/Plugins (usually under Documents/Unreal Projects).
  1. Open the File Explorer of your Unreal Project.
Open File Explorer
  1. Navigate into Plugins folder. (If the Plugins folder doesn’t exist, create one)
  2. Copy the unzipped plugin folder, BeeblePBRLoader, into the Plugins directory.
Copy plugin folder

1.5 Activate Beeble plugin

  1. Restart your project.
  2. Upon restart, the plugin will initialize automatically, and you should see Beeble PBR Loader appear in the top menu.
Beeble PBR Loader menu

2.1 High Quality Translucency Reflections

  1. Navigate to Edit > Project Settings. Find High Quality Translucency Reflections and make sure to enable this feature to minimize artifacts in the viewport.
Enable High Quality Translucency Reflections

2.2 Use Lumen for Reflections & Global Illumination

  1. Navigate to Edit > Project Settings. Find Reflections & Global Illuminations. Ensure that Lumen is selected for both of these features.
Configure Lumen

2.3 Support Hardware Raytracing

  1. Navigate to Edit > Project Settings. Find Support Hardware Raytracing. and make sure to enable this feature.
Enable Hardware Raytracing

2.4 Increase Cache for smooth playback

  1. Navigate to Edit > Project Settings > Plugins > Img Media

3. Usage

3.1 Load PBR maps using the script

  1. Navigate to Beeble PBR Loader > Import PBR Maps to select the VFX Pass directory.
Import PBR Maps
  1. Select the unzipped VFX Pass directory. IMPORTANT: DO NOT select one of the VFX Pass directory inside.
Select directory - Correct Select directory - Incorrect
  1. After successfully loading the VFX Pass directory, two actors will be visible in the outliner: Beeble Camera and Beeble Footage. Also, upon opening Content Drawer (located at bottom), a Beeble_0000 folder along with its associated assets will be automatically created.
Loaded assets in outliner
  1. To view and edit the preview of rendered image sequences, select PBRSequencer.
Select PBRSequencer
  1. In Sequencer panel, you can find VFX Passes are added together with Camera Cut and Beeble Camera. To view the scene from the perspective of the Beeble Camera, simply click the Perspective button.
View from Beeble Camera
  1. If you want to learn about the Beeble material node graphs, simply click on PBRMaterial in Content Drawer.
PBR Material in Content Drawer
  1. This node graph connects PBR textures to the BSDF material, performing color space conversion (when required) and processing of normal maps, to ensure the precise rendering output.
PBR Material node graph

3.2 Render using Movie Render Queue

  1. Make sure that the movie render queue plugin is enabled.
  2. Open the sequencer again by clicking PBRSequencer in the Content Browser and then click on the button shown in the image below.
Open Movie Render Queue
  1. Click on the Render (Local) button. In case the Movie Render Queue window doesn’t appear, verify that the Movie Render Queue Plugin is enabled.
Render Local
  1. Rendered results will be saved under your Unreal Project folder.

3.3 Media Plane Controllability

💡 This section explains how to use the plugin’s smart scaling features, which help maintain accurate projection and visual consistency as camera properties change.
  1. Automatic Focal Length Scaling: When you change the focal length of the Beeble Camera, the media plane, Beeble Footage, scale is automatically adjusted to keep the projected media correctly proportioned within the frame.
Automatic Focal Length Scaling
  1. Distance-Based Scaling: When you change the distance between the Beeble Footage and the Beeble Camera using the Plane Distance setting, the plane automatically resizes to maintain proper proportions and accurate projection.
Distance-Based Scaling

FAQ

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

Please make sure to enable high quality translucency reflections.

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.

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.