VFX Breakdown – Hammer Impact Effect
In May 2024, our 1mafx.com and Patreon communities voted for a new tutorial: a hammer impact effect. Thanks to everyone who joined in and helped shape the direction.
This ended up becoming a two-part tutorial series that walks through both the visual and technical aspects of the effect. Below is a breakdown of the main ideas and techniques.
If you want to build this effect yourself, Tier 1 members can access the full tutorials.
Watch the teaser for Part 1:
Part 1 Teaser
And here if final results to preview what we will be talking about below.
Part 1 – Core Techniques
We started with cloth simulation to give the character’s outfit a responsive, believable motion during the attack. Then, we used an animation montage to organize and sync the animation with blueprint controls for input handling. This setup is flexible and has become a go-to for many of our Tier 1 members.
On the visual side, we focused on:
- Cast and charge-up FX to build anticipation
- Screen shake timed precisely with the impact
- Refraction FX to enhance the visual punch
Together, these elements build the foundation of the effect, balancing gameplay clarity with cinematic feel.
Also included in Part 1 is a full breakdown of the Substance Designer textures used for key visuals. (Link to texture tutorials at the end of this post.)
See the teaser for Part 2:
Part 2 Teaser
Part 2 – Expanding the Effect
In Part 2, we focused on the environmental reaction and more advanced FX.
This included:
- Decal spawning to leave visual traces on the environment
- Impact FX to visually sell the hammer's power
- Refraction around decals to add depth and realism
Across both parts, the full tutorial covers over four hours of content, ranging from the cloth simulation and blueprint setup to effect creation and polish.
There’s also a detailed breakdown of the decal texture workflow in Substance Designer.
Free Tutorial Resources
If you're just starting out or want to dive deeper into the building blocks behind the hammer effect, here are free YouTube tutorials that cover core assets used in the project:
- Impact Generator: Watch Tutorial
- Disc Mesh Creation: Watch Tutorial
- Trail Texture Tutorial: Watch Tutorial
- Lens Flare Texture Tutorial: Watch Tutorial
- Smoke Texture Tutorial: Watch Tutorial
- Decal System Part 1: Watch Tutorial
- Decal System Part 2: Watch Tutorial
Want to Recreate the Full Effect?
This breakdown gives you a quick overview, but if you’re ready to dive into the full workflow, animation syncing, effect layering, and full implementation, you can join the Tier 1 library at 1mafx.com.
The tutorials are step-by-step, and ideal if you’re building up your real-time VFX skills in Unreal Engine.
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