Guides

So in order to learn the Camera Tool you can either watch this tutorial 👆 or read the summary of the video 👇

Getting Started
To create a camera in Unreal Engine 5, start Dash and simply type "camera" into the prompt bar. This action will create a camera and automatically display the options menu to adjust its settings. This camera is different from the normal Cine Cameras inside of UE5, so in order to use the Camera Tool from Dash you need to create the camera from Dash. If you close the Camera Tool, you can open it back up with the aperture icon that is shown in Dash when you have selected the camera in the Viewport or in the UE5 Outlier. 

Understanding Camera Settings
First, let's explore the camera tool itself. The focal length determines the zoom of the lens, which affects how close the subject appears in the viewport. A larger focal length results in a greater zoom. The aperture controls the size of the camera lens, where lower values decrease the depth of field and larger values increase it. By combining the aperture with the focal length, you can create different depths of field for your scenes.

If you have experience with real-world photography, these concepts should be familiar. If not, don't worry! Play around with the settings and observe how they affect your scene. Practice makes perfect!

Additionally, the exposure setting allows you to adjust the overall brightness or darkness of the camera view. Higher exposure values brighten the image, while lower negative values darken it. Dash's camera system closely mimics that of real-world cameras, offering a familiar experience to photographers and cinematographers.

But there's more! In Dash, you can also control lens distortion and invert it with a checkbox. Furthermore, adjusting the sensor width and height in Dash allows you to fine-tune the aspect ratio of your rendered images, making it incredibly easy to achieve the desired look.

Enhancing Visuals with Color Grading and Effects
Dash goes above and beyond by offering additional tools to enhance your visuals in your UE5 Environment. With Dash, you can quickly cycle through a variety of preset LUTs (Look-Up Tables) for color grading. Simply press the "Shuffle Grading Presets" button to explore different color grading options. You can also adjust the intensity of the color grading using the grading intensity slider.

To add a touch of realism to your Unreal Engine environment, Dash provides controls for bloom and vignetting. Bloom simulates lens artifacts caused by overexposed light, while vignetting adjusts the brightness at the edges of the frame. These effects can greatly enhance the visual appeal of your scenes, but be careful not to overdo it!

If you're a fan of the vintage film look, Dash has got you covered! The film grain option allows you to mimic the grain produced by old-style SLR film cameras. Different film speeds produce varying types and scales of grain, giving you the freedom to experiment and find the perfect aesthetic for your project.For added visual depth and sharpness, Dash offers detail strength and sharpening options. Increasing the detail strength brings out the shadows and highlights in the camera image, while the sharpening effect enhances the overall clarity and definition.

Creating unique visual effects within the Unreal Engine 5 is made easier with Dash's fringe feature. Fringe creates the lens defect known as chromatic aberration, which adds an interesting color fringe alongside the edges of dark and light parts of the image within the camera viewport. This effect can be used to add a touch of realism or to achieve a specific artistic style.

Color Correction and Outlining
‍In Dash, you have the ability to further refine your visuals through color correction. Use the Hue, Saturation, Brightness, Contrast, and Temperature controls to fine-tune the colors and tones in your UE5 scene. This versatility allows you to achieve the desired mood and atmosphere for your project.

Lastly, Dash offers options for outlining the environment. This effect creates a black stylized outline around the objects, adding a unique visual style to your scenes. The outline effect can be adjusted to your preferences, allowing for creative experimentation and customization. All in order to make sure your Unreal Engine environment looks as good as possible.