Arboreal

Arboreal is an original Concept project developed by Schell Games to explore the advanced capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). Rather than a traditional game, the project served as a technical benchmark for the studio's art and engineering teams to master cutting-edge features like Lumen for real-time global illumination and Runtime Virtual Textures for seamless terrain blending. By utilizing SpeedTree for procedural vegetation, the team created a highly immersive, stylized forest environment. Arboreal stands as a testament to Schell Games' commitment to staying at the forefront of game technology, ensuring their production pipeline is ready for the next generation of visual excellence.

• Schell Games
• Unreal Engine 5 (UE5)
• Lumen (Global Illumination)
• SpeedTree
• Runtime Virtual Textures (RVT)
• Real-time lighting
• procedural vegetation generation
• mesh-terrain blending

Is Arboreal a game I can play?

No. Arboreal is classified as a Concept and a technical demonstration. It was created internally at Schell Games to refine their skills with Unreal Engine 5 and its specific lighting and terrain tools.

What is "Lumen" and why is it important in this project?

Lumen is Unreal Engine 5's dynamic global illumination and reflections system. It allows for "infinite bounces" of light, meaning that if a light source moves, the way it reflects off every surface in the forest (like leaves and rocks) updates instantly. This eliminates the need for time-consuming "pre-baked" lighting and allows for much more realistic and immersive environments.

How did the team create the dense forest vegetation?

The team used SpeedTree, a specialized tool for generating high-quality, procedural trees and plants. This allowed them to "sculpt" a lush, dense forest that feels organic and unique without having to hand-model every individual leaf or branch.

What are "Runtime Virtual Textures" (RVT)?

RVT is a technique used to help 3D objects (like a rock or a tree trunk) blend seamlessly into the ground. It "shares" texture information between the terrain and the objects sitting on it, removing the harsh, artificial lines where a mesh meets the ground and making the environment look more like a single, cohesive world.