Unreal Engine Developer (Build Browser-Based 3D Event Pre-Visualization Platform with Unreal Engine)

Project Brief for Developers (Build Browser-Based 3D Event Pre-Visualization Platform with Unreal Engine) Project Goal Build a web-based event pre-visualization platform that lets event agencies, marketers, and production teams create a high-fidelity, interactive 3D virtual clone of any event venue and "play" their full show inside it before the real event happens.

Users should explore the space, preview content on screens/stages from any angle, rehearse timing and cues, collaborate remotely, and gain confidence in how everything will look and feel on-site — all directly in a Chrome browser with no heavy software installs.

The experience should feel like "playing the event like a video game" in a precise digital twin of the venue.

Core Requirements (MVP Scope) - Venue & Scenic Import / Digital Twin Creation - Support upload of CAD files (AutoCAD .DWG, Revit, Vectorworks, Rhino, FBX, etc.) for venues, seating, stages, scenery, and non-traditional screens.

Automatically or semi-automatically convert these into a clean, performant 3D model in the engine (use Datasmith or equivalent pipelines). - Goal: 1:1 accurate scale, sightlines, and geometry.

Processing time target: under 24-48 hours per venue (backend automation where possible). - Include basic lighting, materials, and camera placement tools (POV, drone-style, custom angles).

Content Loading & Playback - Easy interface for users to add static images or video content (MP4, etc.) via links from Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, direct URLs, or uploads. - Map content to specific surfaces/screens in the 3D scene (support irregular/non-rectangular screens). - Real-time playback of videos on surfaces using video textures/media framework — no pre-rendering required. - Support a "run of show" / cue list: sequence content playback, advance cues manually or timed, with pause/scrub. - Spatial audio if possible (content sound adjusts based on virtual position).

Interactive Experience - First-person navigation and free camera movement inside the venue. - Switch between multiple camera views (including multi-cam simultaneous display for broadcast teams). - Screenshot/video capture from any viewpoint. - Comments/annotations pinned to specific content, cues, or locations (real-time visible to collaborators). - Simple timeline or cue sheet mirroring the event program.

Web Delivery & Accessibility - Entire interactive 3D experience delivered via browser (Chrome preferred) using server-side rendering and streaming (no high-end GPU required on user side). - Password-protected shareable links per project. - Responsive UI overlay for controls, media list, comments, etc.

Backend / Infrastructure - User/project management (agencies can have multiple clients/projects). - Secure file handling and cloud storage integration. - Scalable streaming infrastructure (handle multiple concurrent users per session). - Basic admin dashboard for monitoring.

Additional Nice-to-Haves (Phase 2) - Real-time multi-user collaboration (see others' avatars or cursors). - Export options (media packages, Disguise-compatible files, stills/videos). - Mobile/tablet support. - Integration with common event tools (e.g., basic run-of-show import).

Tech Stack Recommendation (Strongly Preferred) - Core Engine: Unreal Engine 5 (latest stable) — for high-fidelity real-time rendering, CAD import tools (Datasmith), media textures, Blueprints + C++ where needed. - Web Delivery: Unreal Pixel Streaming (or equivalent high-quality - WebRTC streaming solution) to run the experience in-browser with low latency. - Frontend/UI: React or similar for the web wrapper, controls, file upload UI, and dashboard. - Backend: Node.js/Python + cloud services (AWS/Azure/GCP) for user auth, project storage, signaling server for streaming, and file processing. - Database: PostgreSQL or MongoDB for projects, comments, etc. - Other: Integration with cloud storage APIs (Dropbox, Google Drive), video streaming (e.g., HLS if needed).

Deliverables - Fully functional MVP web application (hosted or deployable). - Source code (Git repo) with clear documentation. - Setup instructions for scaling the streaming servers. - Basic user guide / demo video. - Ability to iterate quickly based on agency feedback.

Success Criteria - A non-technical user can upload CAD → get a venue link → add media links → walk through and preview a full event sequence in under an hour (after initial processing). - Visual fidelity and accuracy match real-world venue (validated by side-by-side comparison). - Smooth performance in browser on standard laptops.

Recommended Developer Skills, Background & Experience Must-Have Expertise: - Strong Unreal Engine 5 proficiency (3+ years hands-on): Blueprints, C++, level design, materials, Niagara (if effects needed), media framework/video textures, Datasmith/CAD import pipelines. - Pixel Streaming / WebRTC deployment: Experience streaming full Unreal projects to browsers at scale, customizing the player page, handling input/events, and managing signaling/matchmaker servers. - 3D real-time visualization: Background in architectural viz, virtual production, broadcast graphics, live events previs, film/TV previs, or game-like interactive experiences. - Cloud architecture: Setting up scalable Unreal streaming on AWS/Azure (or similar), auto-scaling instances, cost optimization.

Full-stack web development: React/Vue for frontend, Node.js or Python backend, REST/GraphQL APIs, authentication, file uploads. - CAD/3D asset pipelines: Experience optimizing large CAD models (Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, etc.) for real-time performance.

Strongly Preferred: - Prior work on virtual production, event/lighting previs (DMX integration a plus), digital twins, or interactive 3D web apps. - Knowledge of event production workflows (cues, run-of-show, multi-screen setups, sightlines). - Experience with media servers (Disguise, Resolume, etc.) or integration points. - Portfolio showing browser-based 3D interactive experiences (especially high-fidelity ones).

Nice-to-Have: - Familiarity with spatial audio in Unreal. - Multi-user replication systems. - DevOps for Unreal (packaging, CI/CD for streaming builds).