We’re back with another development update from Project Enceladus. This one dives a bit deeper into the techy side of things, so if you're into performance tricks, custom tools, and animation workflows — this is for you!
Performance Upgrades – Custom Data Layers & HISM
As our levels grow larger and more complex, performance becomes a bigger concern — especially in a puzzle-platformer where flow and timing are everything.
That’s why we built our own Data Layer system in C++. Unlike Unreal’s World Partition system, this gives us more precise control:
Load/unload actor groups using tags
Spread the work over frames with FTSTicker
Keep GPU usage stable and predictable
It’s lightweight, custom-fit, and perfect for our level design needs.
We also implemented Hierarchical Instanced Static Meshes (HISM) in our new Hangar level — a massive open space filled with detailed assets.
Let’s just say:
Before HISM? Our GPU cried.
After HISM? Silky smooth.
We're now updating earlier levels to benefit from the same optimization.
Mocap, but Make It Indie – Using Meta Quest for Hand Animation
To bring our main character Darren to life, we needed fluid, believable hand animation — without a full mocap studio.
So we built our own VR-based mocap workflow using a Meta Quest headset, directly inside Unreal Engine 5.
The Setup:
Meta Quest VR headset
Full-body IK system
Custom Blueprint + code logic
In-editor capture tools
Clean-up and polish directly in Unreal
Exported animations used in gameplay
It's quick, scalable, and fits our indie toolkit perfectly.
Meet Darren – Our Metahuman Protagonist
Darren, our lead character, now has a finalized Metahuman model — and it’s looking sharp.
Since storytelling and expression are central to the game, we’re using the new Metahuman Animator plugin in UE 5.6 to drive facial performance and emotion in real time.
It’s still early days, but we’re excited about how much nuance we can capture. We’ll share facial animation tests soon!
What We’re Working on Next:
Facial mocap testing and refinement
Finalize animations, extend the State Machine of Darren
Wrapping up Level 5 of Chapter I
Thanks for reading, and for being part of this journey!
– The Dev Team