Summary
Iron Edge - Documentation
Document Introduction
This document was created to understand the standards and correct usage of Iron Edge packages. It does not refer to a specific product but to all products. You can find specific details in the appropriate categories.
We recommend that even the most experienced users read the following categories to understand the organization and standardization of files: Folder Structure, Naming Conventions and Folders, and Avoiding Duplicate Files.
Adding the Package to Your Project
Unreal Marketplace
After purchasing the package, you can navigate through the store to find the package, or go to your Library, Vault, filter by the Weapons category, or search the vault by the product name. There, you will have the option "Add to project". By clicking this option, you will be presented with the project selection screen. Note that Iron Edge products may vary in available versions. Currently, the lowest versions of the products are 5.0 or 5.3; any version above this is compatible.
ArtStation
After purchasing, click on your profile picture in the top right corner, and in the dropdown menu, go to "My Library". With the new window open, simply click on the product and download the Unreal Engine file, usually named something like "UE5_5ECarbine_1.00.rar", using the purchase of the Modular Assault Rifle Collection - M4/5E as an example.
Once the rar file is downloaded, extract it and go to the "Content" folder. Inside it, you will find the "Iron Edge" folder. Copy this folder and paste it into the "Content" folder of your project, with your project's Unreal Engine closed.
Note that if something goes wrong with the references, you can simply execute the downloaded file as a new UE project, and with it open, migrate the "Iron Edge" folder to your project. Just right-click on the "Iron Edge" folder within UE and choose "Migrate".
Folder Structure
The folders are organized to accommodate new accessories, weapon parts, and new weapons. Therefore, we do not recommend modifying these folders. What we recommend is that, in the case of modifications to Blueprints (BPs) or any asset, it should be duplicated, as updates in the Unreal Marketplace tend to overwrite existing items.
Attachments
All accessories, such as flashlights, backup sights, optical sights, lasers, vertical grips, rails, and muzzles (flash hiders, compensators, and suppressors), are always placed in the "Attachments" folder, regardless of which weapon they were included with. We do not want to restrict your creativity beyond our modularity, so you are free to use a pistol sight and flashlight on a rifle if they are compatible.
Gun Parts
We identify the following as parts of a weapon:
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Stock
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Pistol Grip
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Barrel
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Handguard
Any of these parts will be in the "Gun Parts" folder. What about the body? We do not consider the body as a part but as the base, the weapon itself. Therefore, it will be in the folder of the package you purchased. For example, if the purchased package is the 5E Carbine, you will have a folder called "Weapons", and inside it a folder with the weapon's name, "5E_Carbine", where you will find the body of the weapon in Static Mesh options for use as props in the scene, and Skeletal Mesh for use on the character, as a pickup and usable item within your game.
The body is separated because it is the only "part" of the weapon that has bones and cannot be mixed with another part that also uses bones.
Ammunition
We identify "Ammunition" as projectiles, casings, and magazines, which are located in a folder called "Ammunition". These items are separated due to the possibility of multiple weapons with different bones using the same ammunition.
Magazines have versions with and without ammunition, both of which have Static Mesh and Skeletal Mesh versions. The version with bones is located in the weapon's folder, along with the body, and the SM version is in the Ammunition folder. This was done because there are different ways to create the game's load and reload system with both types of files.
No Duplicate Files
The entire folder and item organization was designed to facilitate the incorporation of multiple packages, weapons, and accessories. Since almost every new weapon added brings a new part and/or accessory that can be used on any weapon, and ammunition is very common among various types of weapons, this organization is important to avoid duplicate files in your project. Considering that all Iron Edge textures are sold in 4K and 8K, we are preventing you from wasting time with organizing duplicate files.
File Names
Our products are named as if they were real-life weapons and accessories, without restricting existing IPs, so you can use these names in your game. Here are some explanations that can help you when searching for specific parts and files.
All our files comply with UE Marketplace naming standards, which you can understand better here.
All files have a designation of what they are, for example, "Barrel_ELTB" suggests it is a barrel for the weapon. Almost all files have this abbreviation after their description. In this case, ELTB stands for "Edge Lite Barrel", a name and abbreviation you can use in your game.
Iron Edge Brands
Royalty Free
Iron Edge is a registered brand of the Six Sides studio, which authorizes the use of its packages in any indie, small, or medium project after purchasing through our stores, such as the Unreal Engine Marketplace and ArtStation. If your project is not indie, a special license will be required, subject to charges or partnership.
You can use the Iron Edge brand in your projects, as well as the names of the weapons and parts contained in the asset files, as part of your game. At Iron Edge, we aim to create a fictional brand of weapons and accessories that mimics the real world, with context, names, and stories to enhance immersion, always taking care to avoid infringing existing IPs.
Iron Edge is a new brand, and all help to increase its visibility and reach is very welcome. By using the Iron Edge brand, you indirectly help us continue to develop more products. Remember that Iron Edge products are made by a single person, who is also the owner of the Six Sides studio.
You can find all the information about the names of our weapons and accessories here!
Complete Studio License with Source Files
If you do not want to use the Iron Edge brands in your project, you can purchase the complete license package, which includes all source files. These files range from modeling files in FBX and Blender to painting files from Substance Painter and textures. This license is available on ArtStation, here!
Frequently Asked Questions about the Theme
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Why do all the weapons have the Iron Edge brand?
- For realism, immersion, and to offer a slightly lower price. Real weapons have names and brands engraved on their bodies and other parts. Regarding the price, we understand that many gamers are also developers. If they become familiar with or have their first contact with the Iron Edge brand in the games they play, it can bring us exposure and potential customers, allowing us to continue creating quality content at a slightly more affordable price.
Weapon and Project Modularity
The Blueprints were designed to be used directly on the character, ideal for projects where weapons have a system similar to games like Call of Duty, Crysis, Battlefield, and Escape from Tarkov, which require real-time changes or specific moments where modularity is necessary. If this is the case, understand more below.
If you need a single or less modular Skeletal Mesh, as in games similar to Counter-Strike or Valorant, read - Using Weapons as Unique SK.
About the Blueprint
Dropdown Menu
The modularity system in the Blueprints is built with Struct, Data Table, and Enum, where the Enum is responsible for the dropdown menu and for calling the code to update the weapon with the item from the Data Table.
To add a new part to any category, simply create a new name in the Enum and create the item in the Data Table list with the same name. Let's go step by step:
Let's add the suppressor from the 9TD package (Modular Pistol Collection - Handgun 9TD) to the 5E Carbine, our other package (Modular Assault Rifle Collection - M4/5E). The asset will be SM_Suppressor_SHEX-S2_TAN, located in the Attachments folder.
We need to locate the 5E's data table, as each weapon has its own data table. The structure is the same for all weapons. The 5E's data table is in Iron Edge -> Weapons -> 5E_Carbine -> Data. In this folder, we have three data tables: one for Attachments, another for Magazines, and one for Weapon Parts.
Since we are adding an attachment, we will open DT_5E_Attachments. Once open, it will look something like the image below.
A list with several columns, the most important being the column called Row Name. To create a new item in this list, simply click Add at the top of the window. Now, this new item needs to receive its information.
Our structure contains the following information:
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PartType: A list of categories for weapon parts.
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AttachmentType: A list of categories for attachments. Since our suppressor is a muzzle, we will select Muzzle.
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SM - Model A: Option to set the model that should appear. For attachments, we will use an SM. Simply select the SM for the suppressor.
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SM - Model B: This option is for attachments like backup sights, which have two models, one in front and one in back.
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SK - Model: This option is for models that need Skeletal Mesh, such as the weapon body or mag.
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MI: Material instance, to choose which material will be used. If you want to replace the base material, such as with a camouflage or TAN color, you can select the SM with the black color and here choose the TAN material, without needing to create multiple versions of the same model just to change the color.
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Scale: Some models may need scale adjustments as they are used on different weapons.
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HaveConditionA?: Option for when an accessory needs a condition, such as the vertical grip, which needs a handguard to be attached.
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HaveConditionB?: Option for when an accessory needs a second condition, such as the vertical grip, which needs a handguard to be attached.
With everything configured, it will look something like this:
It is very important to consider the name given in the Row Name, as we will need this exact name to place in the Enum.
We will access the Enum folder inside the Data folder and look for the Enum responsible for the category we want to implement in the dropdown menu for our new suppressor. In this case, we want E_5E_MuzzleNames.
With the Enum open, we can click Add Enumerator at the top of the window and fill in with the name we created in the Row Name of the data table, which in this case was "Supp_SHEX-S2_TAN". With all this done, simply save everything.
Return to the 5E_Carbine folder and take any of the BP children of BP_Carbine5E_Master (do not use BP_Carbine5E_ForScene, as the name suggests, it is for merge use in the scene) and place it in your map.
With the BP selected, click on the desired category, in this case, Muzzle, and you will find your newest suppressor at the end of the list. You can adjust the item's order in the dropdown menu by reordering your Enum. The order in the data table does not matter, only the Enum.
Firing System
The firing system is not included! This system is very specific to each project, so it does not make sense to include it in the package, which focuses on creating realistic modular weapons.
Animations
Within Unreal Engine and the Marketplace, we need to divide the topic of animations. We have animations derived from the weapon bones, such as reloading, dry firing, firing until empty, and pulling the trigger, which are exclusive to the specific weapon and not compatible with anything that does not have that identical bone system. Then we have the character animations, those that show the hands and arms interacting with the weapon in reload, firing, and other animations.
In Iron Edge products, you will have only the weapon animations. Character animations, being too broad and not the focus of the package, are not included. Including basic animations for this would stray from the objective of delivering high-quality products, besides obliging us to increase the package prices. As we always strive to deliver the best possible service, we list below animation packages that have been tested and verified before being recommended.
How Are Weapons Assembled?
The way each weapon is assembled is designed to enhance modularity between different weapons, such as an AK and an AR, taking into account how they are in real life. They only receive modifications that are not realistic when it does not align with our optimization standards. Therefore, our three pillars for modularity are versatility, realism, and optimization.
The AR standard, for example, can be found in the Modular Assault Rifle Collection - M4/5E package.
Optimization
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Modular Weapons vs. Complete Weapons
All Static Meshes (SM) and Skeletal Meshes (SK) that have a sufficient minimum quantity to support LODs possess 2 to 5 LODs whenever possible. LODs with only emissive and translucent materials do not cast shadows. This ensures that models maintain good performance and visual quality at different distances, enhancing the game's performance.
Static Mesh (SM) vs. Skeletal Mesh (SK)
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Static Mesh (SM): Used for parts that do not require animation or movement. They are lighter and require less processing, making them ideal for optimizing performance.
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Skeletal Mesh (SK): Used for parts that require animation or movement, such as the body and magazine of weapons. Although heavier, they are essential for greater realism in certain aspects of the game.
Blueprints for Scenario Weapons
Each package includes a master Blueprint (BP) containing only Static Meshes to be used as Merge and create Static Meshes for scenarios. This BP is called BP_5ECarbine_ForScene. The purpose of this BP is to create optimized versions of weapons for use as scenery elements, ensuring they do not consume unnecessary resources while maintaining the necessary visual appearance for the game environment.
Reducing Materials with Magic Merge
The Magic Merge plugin allows the reduction of the number of materials used in a mesh. With it, you can consolidate multiple materials into a single material, simplifying the rendering process and significantly improving game performance. This functionality is especially useful for optimizing modular weapons and complex environments.
Reducing Parts with Magic Merge
In addition to reducing materials, Magic Merge also allows the merging of multiple parts of a weapon into a single mesh. This is particularly advantageous for transforming a set of Static Meshes and Skeletal Meshes into a single Skeletal Mesh, simplifying the model and improving performance. With this functionality, you can reduce the complexity of modular models without losing visual quality and functionality.
Switching Quality for Materials
This feature will be implemented soon. It will allow switching between different material qualities depending on the game's graphical settings, further optimizing performance without compromising the visual quality of the assets.
Magic Merge
This plugin has been tested and approved by Iron Edge, with the developer even adding new functionalities to meet the needs of our Iron Edge customers! Be sure to check it out, as this package is incredible for optimizing everything from Iron Edge weapons to your environments.
Materials
Number of materials
We prioritize that each part has a dedicated material, meaning it does not share this material with other parts. However, we have exceptions for better performance. For instance, very small parts can share UV space to group four or two pieces. An example of this is the MOS of the 9TD pistol, where both MOS models use the same material. Another example is the ELTB barrels, which have four variations and all share the same material.
We divide the UV uniformly when using multiple models with the same material, always into 2 or 4 equal parts for easy manipulation.
The vast majority of models have a single material, whose resolution can vary to improve quality and optimization, ranging from 2K to 8K. For example, the body of the 5E has an 8K resolution. We provide higher resolutions because reducing them is easy within the engine, while increasing resolution is very complicated or almost impossible.
Since each part has a material, when the model is merged, either with the common UE merge or our recommended MagicMerge, the unified model will have many materials, ranging from 6 to 16 materials. For use in BPs as modular parts, this is not an issue. However, for unified use, it can become somewhat unoptimized. Therefore, we recommend reducing the materials, which can be done in various ways. The easiest and most efficient method is using Magic Merge, which allows merging both SM and SK materials.
Material Instance
Our instanced materials are designed to be as lightweight and practical as possible.
Some functions are disabled by default, but they can be easily enabled by selecting the "Adjust ORM" option.
This option allows for fine-tuning of the ORM mask, which primarily controls the roughness and metallic properties. These are crucial for weapon materials, which are often made of plastics and metals.
Another option that can be enabled is "Emissive." This option allows for the visualization of emissives, including their intensity, color, mask, and a feature called BlinkSpeed, which controls the blinking effect speed.
Camouflage System
A camouflage system will be created based on masks and Atlas to be more optimized and save memory.
Static Mesh and Skeletal Mesh
Why do the weapons have SMs and SKs in their parts and not just in the accessories, as is common in other packages?
This standard was adopted to increase versatility and optimization:
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Versatility: Offers a wide range of possibilities between multiple packages, where an AR stock can be used for a G36 or an AK, as they do not share the same skeletons.
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Optimization: Since the weapon has several separate parts within the BP, it is important to optimize processes, with an SM being lighter than an SK. Therefore, only the parts that have movement in the real weapon are SKs, such as the body and the mag in most cases.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Modular Weapons vs. Complete Weapons
Modular Weapons:
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Pros:
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Versatility: Allows customization and interchangeability of parts such as stock, body, pistol grip, handguard, barrel, muzzle, sights, and accessories. This offers a wide range of configurations to meet different game needs.
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Optimization: Each part can be an SM, which is lighter than an SK. This can reduce processing load when multiple weapons are in use.
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Realism: Reflects how weapons are assembled and modified in real life, enhancing player immersion.
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Cons:
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Complexity: Requires a more complex management system to handle modularity and ensure all parts are compatible.
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Performance: Although optimized, modularity may still demand more resources than a fixed weapon due to managing multiple parts.
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Complete Weapons (Single SK):
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Pros:
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Simplicity: A single SK for the entire weapon reduces the complexity of the management system.
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Performance: Fewer resources are needed to process a single SK compared to multiple SMs and SKs, which can be beneficial for projects with performance constraints.
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Cons:
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Less Versatility: Does not allow the same level of customization. A complete weapon cannot be easily modified with different parts and accessories.
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Less Realism: Does not reflect the modular nature of real weapons, which can reduce player immersion.
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Using Weapons as Unique SK
How to Transform Everything into a Single Skeletal Mesh
To transform all parts of a modular weapon into a single Skeletal Mesh, we recommend using the Magic Merge plugin. This plugin offers several functionalities that can be extremely useful:
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Merge SM with SK: Magic Merge allows you to combine Static Meshes (SM) and Skeletal Meshes (SK) into a single Skeletal Mesh. This is especially useful for optimizing performance in simpler projects.
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Reduce Materials: With Magic Merge, you can reduce the number of materials used by a mesh, simplifying the rendering process and improving performance.
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Advanced Optimization: The plugin offers tools to optimize meshes and materials, including merging multiple meshes and simplifying complex materials.
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Easy Integration: Magic Merge is easy to integrate into Unreal Engine, allowing you to quickly and seamlessly apply its functionalities.
This plugin has been tested and approved by Iron Edge, with the developer even adding new functionalities to meet the needs of our Iron Edge customers! Be sure to check it out, as this package is incredible for optimizing everything from Iron Edge weapons to your environments.
Recommended Assets
Magic Merge
We highly recommend the Magic Merge plugin for asset optimization. It allows you to combine Static Meshes (SM) and Skeletal Meshes (SK) into a single Skeletal Mesh, significantly improving your project's performance.
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Material Reduction: Consolidates multiple materials into one, simplifying rendering and enhancing performance.
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Advanced Optimization: Tools to optimize meshes and materials, including merging multiple meshes.
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Easy Integration: Quick and simple integration into Unreal Engine.
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Enhanced Performance: Reduces the complexity of modular models, resulting in better performance.
Tested and approved by Iron Edge, Magic Merge is indispensable for weapons, environments, and other assets, efficiently optimizing your project.
Magic Merge on the Marketplace!
Disclaimer
We do not receive any compensation from the sales of the recommended products. This recommendation is made solely to improve the use of products sold by Iron Edge and provide additional support.