In brief
- Karim Yasser, who has worked on projects like Dune: Awakening and Gears of War: E-Day, is developing a light-and-shadow painting plugin for UE5.
- The tool aims to let artists control in-scene lighting with 2D-drawing logic using tools such as Paint, Smudge, Flatten, Smooth, Noise, Gradient and Lasso.
- Painted light and shadow data is saved into textures, making it editable even after processing.
- Spot Light support and Gobo presets are already available; an early-access version is planned soon, though no exact date has been announced.
A new tool running inside Unreal Engine 5 aims to handle scene lighting through direct painting rather than classic light-source adjustments. Karim Yasser, Senior Lighting Artist at MBC Game Studio, has showcased the work-in-progress state of the plugin he's developing. Yasser's résumé includes projects such as Dune: Awakening, Gears of War: E-Day and 1348 Ex Voto.
What the plugin does
The tool allows artists to paint light and shadow onto the scene like a 2D canvas. The process works in real time and non-destructively, meaning the artist can go back and edit after painting. The painted information is saved into textures, so the lighting control is preserved even after the process is complete.
The plugin currently includes the following brushes and fill options:
Paint
Smudge
Flatten
Smooth
Noise
Gradient (for filling large areas)
Lasso (free selection)
Yasser states that he plans to add custom shapes in later stages. Artists can also continue applying Gobo with various presets; Spot Light support is available for both global and local lighting setups.
Why it's being developed
According to Yasser, the plugin is part of a broader toolset designed to overcome certain limitations in Unreal Engine's existing lighting tools and speed up artists' workflow. The tool is currently in development, and an early-access release is planned soon; however, no exact date or pricing has been announced.
What it means for archviz and architectural visualization
Unreal Engine is increasingly favored by archviz studios for real-time presentations, virtual tours and high-quality visualizations. Lighting is one of the most critical elements directly affecting atmosphere and material perception in such scenes. The classic method requires adjusting parameters like position, color temperature and intensity for each light source individually; a painting-based approach could allow more intuitive creation of shadow transitions and highlight points, especially in interior scenes.
That said, the plugin is still in development and hasn't been officially released. Points archviz teams should track when evaluating this tool include which Unreal Engine versions it will be compatible with, its performance impact, and licensing terms — none of which have been clarified yet.
Frequently asked technical details
The tool has so far only been shared as a work-in-progress. The developer continues to share more examples and setup details via his personal LinkedIn account.
Sources
1 sourceSource texts are not republished; short quotes are marked, everything else is our own summary and commentary.
The idea of controlling light and shadow by painting them directly is an intriguing approach, especially for archviz artists looking to build atmosphere in interior visualizations. Being able to intervene directly in the scene instead of fiddling with classic light-source settings could save time, particularly on projects requiring quick revisions before a presentation.
Still, it's worth remembering that the tool is still in development, with no official release, pricing or compatibility information available yet. For studios in Turkey, it would be wiser to wait for the early-access release and community feedback before bringing this kind of experimental plugin into a production pipeline.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Unreal Engine light-painting plugin be released?
The plugin is still in development; an early-access version is planned to be released soon, but no exact date has been announced.
Who is developing the plugin?
It's being developed by Karim Yasser, a Senior Lighting Artist at MBC Game Studio, whose résumé includes projects like Dune: Awakening and Gears of War: E-Day.
What features does the plugin offer?
It offers real-time, non-destructive light-and-shadow painting using tools like Paint, Smudge, Flatten, Smooth, Noise, Gradient and Lasso; Gobo presets and Spot Light support are also available.
