In official “Shooter Game” demo I notice maps use sublevels broken out like: level, audio, collision, lighting, vista. It seems you could do something similar using “Layers” instead of “Sublevels” is one recommended over other? What are pros and cons of each?
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Hey ,
Layers are an organizational tool, letting you make selections and alter visibility quickly while working in your level. This can be an extremely valuable tool when working in large levels.
You can read more about levels here: Layers Panel in Unreal Engine | Unreal Engine 5.2 Documentation
Levels, on other hand, can be edited individually. Breaking a larger level into multiple smaller levels allows a team of people to work on same level at same time. An example, as seen in ShooterGame, is Highrise_Lights .umap. A lighting artist could have this level checked out to work on lighting without stopping a level designer from moving elements in Highrise_Gameplay .umap.
Levels can also be used for level streaming. Using a level streaming volume to trigger one of these levels will turn on elements of that specific sub-level (and maybe turn off those of another). This helps build a level with more Actors without having them all run at same time.
There are quite a few differences in functionality between Layers and Levels, and it’s a good idea to use both in your level. For example, an Actor can exist in multiple Layers at same time, while an Actor can only exist in one Level at a time.
I hope that helps explain some of Layers vs Levels. Have fun exploring further!
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