Unreal Engine 5 | FreeFlow

Unreal Engine 5 for early access – A New Dawn for Startups?

Epic Games have just launched the most featured and detailed version of Unreal Engine 5 for early access!

Unreal Engine 5!? English Please! What the hell is that?

Why don’t we start with some Visual coolness?

 

Now, at FreeFlow, Why are we talking about Unreal Engine 5?

To understand this, we have to understand a few new genres of startup categories. we have been recognizing them for the last 2 years. Some of those are:

  • Interior Designers
  • Architecture Firm
  • Automotive Innovations
  • Game Studios
  • Edutech/Content Creators/Provider
  • Augmented Reality Technology Products
  • Fashion Designers/ Fashion related solutions
  • Electro-Mechanical Machines/Tools Innovations like Turbines, Robotic arms, etc.
  • Home and Industrial Automation

 

All of these startups require some platform like Unreal Engine 5 to create amazingly detailed interactive experiences.

  1. These Interactive Experiences make it easy to virtually explain the service or product they are going to deliver to their customer. This is a very required feature that Home/ Industrial Automation startups as well as, Augmented Reality Technology products must-have nowadays.
  2. Pre-visualization also helps them to improvise the product/service at the planning stage. As a result, it reduces rework efforts to satisfy the requirement. In particular, this helps Interior Designer, Architecture Firms to deliver quality and accuracy.
  3. Applying Physical Properties with the model design allows Simulation of different Real Life conditions. For this reason, it helps the design Process of Mechanical, Electro-Mechanical, and many other types of equipment for many Innovations.
  4. Fashion, Product based, Automotive startups can enable customers with easy 3D product visualization along with add-ons as well as customizations.
  5. Edtech Startups can design Amazing Interactive & Gamified Learning Experiences with all details required.

Check out how Shopify uses Unreal Engine for an immersive customer experience

Why we feel that Unreal Engine 5 is a very appropriate tool for startups

To understand this we have to look into the latest features of Unreal Engine 5 together with some of its differentiating factors.
Before we start on features, Let me tell you the best thing any startup would love to know.


It is absolutely free & codes are accessible for development!
So, some feature tweak, modification, Plugin design is also possible in case of very specific requirements.

Unreal Engine 5

It is easy to start and Lots of free Learning Resources
Epic Games have a lot of free courses, youtube videos, a huge community & Lots of free resources in the Market

Unreal Engine 5

It brings Future and Uber Coolness in Branding
Using an ultra-modern approach in branding brings startups an edge over other competitors.

Unreal Engine 5

New Features in Unreal Engine 5 that turns the game for startups

In general, if a startup company plans to develop a game or any kind of interactive experience. They require it with a good amount of details along with cool features. Therefore, they need a lot of tools,3d models, plugins to get these done. These tools, models, and other resources cost a hefty amount which creates splurges of expenditures. As a result, they either get discouraged at the initial stages or end up doing incomplete work or roughly done work.

Unreal Engine 5

Image Courtesy: Epic Games

The latest features in Unreal Engine 5 bring them way ahead in this matter than anyone who is using some other hefty costly tools and resources. Let’s talk about those features.

Nanite:

Unreal Engine 5 Nanite

Nanite, Image Courtesy: Epic Games

It is a virtualized Micropolygon Geometry system to intelligently stream and process only the detail you can perceive of fine-tuned or scanned 3d models. Nanite allows designers to create games or interactive experiences with massive amounts of geometric details.

Unreal Engine 5 High PolyNanite with High Poly Mesh
Unreal Engine NaniteNanite with Nanite Mesh

Lumen:

Lumen in the World of Nanite

Lumen in the World of Nanite

Lumen in the World of Nanite

Lumen in the World of Nanite

Lumen in the World of Nanite

A fully dynamic global illumination and reflections system, designed for the future. It renders diffuse interreflection along with infinite bounces and indirect specular reflections in large, detailed environments at scales ranging from millimeters to kilometers. In simpler terms, it lets the designer create dynamic, believable scenes where indirect lighting adapts on the fly to changes to direct lighting or geometry.

World Partition:

Unreal Engine 5 World Partition

World Partition. Image Courtesy: Epic Games

With current-generation tech, open-world games and simulation projects quickly hit technical limits on terrain size. Creators have to struggle with the increasingly complex authoring and streaming workflows. They needed to keep it within memory and performance budgets. Developers require to manually divide maps into sublevels, then use the level streaming system to load and similarly unload them as the player traversed the landscape while building large landscapes. World Partition’s new data management and distance-based level streaming system provides a complete solution for large world management.

Animation Toolset:

Unreal Engine 5

Animation Window. Image Courtesy: Epic Games

Unreal Engine 5 brings new kinds of animation toolsets like Control rig, Fullbody IK (Inverse kinetics), Motion wrapping. Using these tools creators can fine-tune game character’s animation with natural life-like movements.

Control Rig. Unreal Engine 5

Control Rig
Image Courtesy: Epic Games

Motion Wrapping Unreal Engine 5

Motion Wrapping.
Image Courtesy: Epic Games

Fullbody IK. Unreal Engine 5

Fullbody IK
Image Courtesy: Epic Games

Chaos Physics:

Chaos Physics

Chaos Destruction
Image courtesy: Epic Games

It is a lightweight physics simulation solution, built from the ground up to meet the needs of next-generation creators. The Chaos Physics system replaces the legacy physics system and additionally comes with significant performance improvements. The system includes the following major features:

  • Rigid Body Dynamics
  • Rigid Body Animation Nodes and Cloth Physics
  • Destruction
  • Ragdoll Physics
  • Vehicles
  • Physics Fields
  • Fluid Simulation
  • Hair Simulation

MetaSounds:

Unreal Engine 5

Meta Sound Designer windows
Image Courtesy: Epic Games

It is a fundamentally new way of making audio. MetaSounds is a high-performance system that offers complete control over audio DSP graph generation of sound sources. Consequently, This allows creators to manage all aspects of audio rendering to drive next-generation procedural audio experiences.

MetaHuman Creator:

Metahuman Creator Unreal Engine 5

Metahuman Creator. Image Courtesy: Epic Games

A free app for easily designing photorealistic Human characters for Unreal Engine.

Qixel Bridge:

A quickly accessible library of preloaded with Free Megascans and amazing high poly 3d models.

Enough, I am done with my Tech talk.
Finally, What’s My Personal Interest in Unreal Engine 5?

Personally, I have always been a creator myself. From 3d Design to augmented Reality design, by using tools like Adobe full suite, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, Cinema 4D, Daz Studio, Unreal Engine I have tried it all. Sometimes from the personal passion side, and sometimes for a professional project requirement, I had to learn and use these.

 

FreeFlow Technologies joining the Game

Nowadays, at FreeFlow we have started our small new tech team setup. We have named this part of the team as ‘FreeFlow Technologies’.

This team is already into a Mixed reality game-based project for one of our upcoming startups. Furthermore, they are also doing projects ranges from Web Platforms to Computer Vision. As a CIO of FreeFlow, I have been talking with a lot of startups and henceforth I realized that they need solutions that require to be made by tools like Unreal Engine 5.

 

Unreal Engine 5

Some UE 5 snips from our own systems

 

 

There are few startups in my mind who, for sure would love to have solutions built with this. For example, IoT solution startups like Datoms would love to provide an interactive home automation experience to their customer. Embright Infotech one of our Extended Reality Startups is already into using platforms like this. F&B Startups like Jigsaw coffee, Tafreeh would love if their packaged food products can be made purchasable via an online cool 3d store. Edutech platforms whether be it a MasterMentors or a Collegeshala interactive learning is something they all are looking forward to as a future of their business.

 

 

At FreeFlow Technologies, our team is now ready to deliver these kinds of solutions for your startup or you can proceed with your own team, we are ready to assist you all.

 

Article by:

Rudranil Das
Rudranil DasCIO (Chief Information Officer)

 

 

 

Electric Scooter for Logistics , Venture Built by FreeFlow

Electric Scooters for Logistics, why is it our next venture?

We are glad to announce the launch of our latest venture RideWise – Electric Scooters for Logistics. Suraj Juneja, the Founder of FreeFlow contemplated the idea of RideWise. In fact, around 8 months back during the first lockdown, the ideation happened. The modern world is constantly on the lookout for more convenient solutions. With this in mind, We created RideWise scooters as the most sustainable and eco-friendly Logistics solution.

The world is changing :

Currently, the world we are living in has been revolutionized by technology during the last 100 years. We have witnessed an up-gradation of traditional appliances and devices. However, witnessing the adverse effect of the industrial revolution on the environment over years. Humanity made conscious efforts to save our main source of existence, which led to the birth of the environmental revolution. The evolution of electric vehicles gradually began to become mainstream when the world realized the need for Green Technology.

Electric Scooters for Logistics , Ridewise

At the core, RideWise is about developing its own fleet of electric scooters for logistics!

As a matter of fact, we have all heard about how electric cars and bikes are on their way to rule the roads across the globe. It’s the future of the automobile industry and it helps to make the environment livable in the long run. However, the question that arose was – how intelligent it will be to ditch fuel-powered two-wheelers and shift to electric two-wheelers? Anybody concerned about greener cities will know the importance of the shift. Electric bikes are well, electric. Hence, there will be a negligible carbon footprint.

A calculation by portals that sheds light on the planet’s greatest environmental issues and its advanced technology to solve them, found out that:

  • When 500 cities, each with a population of more than one million adopt e-scooters. It would remove emissions equivalent of 105,000 cars from the road every day.
  • In addition to that, there will be a potential reduction in noise pollution as these scooters are practically silent.
  • As a no-brainer, electric scooters are fast, environment friendly, and convenient.

The reasons we chose to develop Electric Scooters for Logistics:

  1. Firstly it’s the need of the hour. No pollution, negligible carbon footprint, and less emission make e-vehicles a sought-after transport system.
  2. Secondly, the youth are keen to take up the role of online food delivery executives who often cannot afford to buy their own two-wheelers as most banks cannot fund them. Consequently, the food delivery apps charge them a hefty amount as an investment fee to procure bikes for them. RideWise in collaboration with FreeFlow will help these youth to hire these electric bikes.
  3. Thirdly, we found that restaurants and food brands are at the mercy of large aggregators. Aggregators either charge a hefty fee particularly for higher value orders or switch off the service of certain brands as per their choice. RideWise would be like their own fleet without having to own one for direct deliveries to their customers. A big boon for home chefs!
  4. Fourthly, it’s way more cost-effective than guzzling fuel. These EVs cost a few paise per kilometer and the rates will only keep decreasing. Soon we will have charging stations all around.

Let’s Build the future with RideWise :

We would also have other models available for rent for a daily commute. People would be able to hire for themselves or their employees especially when shared commuting is avoidable in order to follow COVID norms.

With the changing times, RideWise makes your life super easy in the age of new normal across the country. We are excited to see where this brand heads in the future. We are also pretty confident as electric bikes are the future of the automobile industry. While doing our research we found that Steve Jobs believed, electric scooters would create a much larger influence than personal computers and most cities will be redesigned around them. No joke, and it doesn’t end here as Jeff Bezos was also a supporter and investor in the original Segway scooter released in 2001.

FreeFlow believes that with this team, their innovation and approach, it is a great mix to achieve success in their pursuit.

Covid-19 Relief Initiatives by FreeFlow Ecosystem

Covid-19 Relief Initiatives by FreeFlow Ecosystem

In the urgent fight against the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, FreeFlow joined hands with several COVID-19 relief initiatives & measures. Under those circumstances, the FreeFlow ecosystem has partnered with many NGOs and organizations in the Process. These organizations provided funds, oxygen cylinders, beds to several hospitals & nursing homes as well as arranged isolation centers.

Organizations we partnered with :

The entire world came to a staggering halt during March 2020. The global lockdown was announced due to the sudden spread of Novel Coronavirus. The world that we lived in and believed in, changed overnight. Every plan of joyful celebrations, weddings, vacations, and gatherings was shelved. Only one course of action was announced – social distancing from each other across the globe. Everyone followed and witnessed how the deadly pandemic was spreading all over.

2021 witnessed India gasping for oxygen, correspondingly the tally for lives lost daily started increasing than what it was in 2020. Many worked as assistants to frontline workers to help the patients and provide whatever assistance they could.  Similarly, we also witnessed human compassion and warmth to its fullest. Thousands of common people came ahead to stand by the situation. As a matter of fact, they did whatever one could to their utmost capability and they did overwhelmingly.

Individuals, different social groups, & organizations came forward to volunteer. The work ranged from donating & arranging oxygen cylinders to coordinating medicines, food, and hygiene products – the list is endless. Many inspiring stories making the round of the “New Age Heroes” emerged from every nook and corner. As a result, these everyday people created a new faith amongst everyone, from patients to their relatives!

Therefore, we from FreeFlow salute these “Everyday Heroes” who responded to the crisis with their proactiveness and empathy.

The FreeFlow ecosystem was a part of several COVID-19 relief initiatives and went all out to stand by the needy during this crisis hour:

 

  1. Reach Needy

  • Multiple fundraisers with dedicated raise objectives.
  • Transparent modeling of contributors, impact and last-mile reach, through the crisis.
  • Dedicated modules on oxygen cylinder enablement for hospital centers.
  • Regularised medical vial support to 3 hospitals, 7 safe homes, and 2 nursing centers.

The total value of all funds massed since Jan ’20 ~ 27.34 lakhs.

Reachneedy site , Covid-19 Relief initiatives

 

2. Dedicated safe room infrastructure development for COVID-19 Positive patients in two forms.

  1. Oxygen Parlours (Oxyzone) so that patients who need emergency oxygen can be brought in.
  2. Isolation centers with medical supervision & emergency support for the purpose of breaking the chain.

Covid-19 Relief initiatives

 

3. Technology platform coordination and spread via Twitter APIs and consolidated bed/vial live dashboarding – COVIDSOS.LIVE

Covid-19 Relief initiatives

 

4. Bundl Health COVID Resources

Bundl Health Resources , Covid-19 Relief initiatives

5. Furthermore, a good number of FreeFlow employees went ahead to donate blood and platelets for roundabout 437 patients. Some of them also participated with Live volunteer teams for on-ground coordination with Red Volunteer Against COVID Group and Prameya Foundation

Furthermore, FreeFlow connected various medical startups to the concerned people looking for hospital beds to medication arrangements. These startups worked 24 hours to address the needs that sailed across from various districts and states. Today, FreeFlow is thankful for the relentless efforts of the startups and the social organizations that assisted in handling the situation like true HEROES.