Getting ready

Before we actually start creating our basic studio scene, we will need to download Unreal Engine 4. I've started writing this book with version 4.20.3, but don't hesitate to use the latest version at the time of reading. 

Here's how you can download it:

1. Get the Epic Games Launcher from the engine's website, https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog, and follow the installation procedure indicated there.
2. Once installed, download the latest version of the engine. We can do so by navigating to the UNREAL ENGINE section of the launcher, in the tab named Library. In there, we'll be able to see a + icon (1), which lets us download whichever version of Unreal we want. Once we've downloaded it, launch it (2) so we can get started:

And that's all you need! We now have everything required to get started in Unreal Engine 4. How cool is that? A whole new game engine at our fingertips, completely free, and with a variety of tools within it that would take years to learn and master. It really is a thing of wonder! Next up, we are going to start learning about one of those tools—the materials. And in order to do so, let's start by creating our first project!