Dynamic Dismemberment System

Dynamic Destruction, Limb by Limb

Levi spevakow

Programmer, Technical Artist

Luca Morote

Character Artist

The Dynamic Dismemberment System

The goal was to create a seamless and impactful dismembering system which will blow off each of the enemies limb and show the underneath gore parts with highest fidelity possible.

Gore System Overview:

The Gore System adds a visceral and dynamic layer to combat, enhancing player immersion with realistic dismemberment mechanics. By attaching a specialized Gore Component to enemy actors, the system registers point damage and processes which body part is hit. It uses Unreal Engine's built-in damage interface to extract the bone name, mapping it to predefined body part structures that track health, state, and detachment models.

When a limb is detached, the system can either follow the angle of impact or project it outward from the center of mass, creating dramatic gibbing effects. This allows for dynamic, context-sensitive gore visuals that react to gameplay scenarios in real time.

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Technical Art Pipeline:

The Dismemberment System leverages a sophisticated technical art pipeline to seamlessly integrate gore effects:

  • Embedded Gore Stumps: Dismemberable models include pre-built gore stumps within the mesh, ensuring a natural transition between whole and detached states.
  • UV Mask Mapping: A custom UV Mask is authored, assigning distinct greyscale values (0-1) to each body part and stump for precise visual control.
  • Bit-Based Representation: Body parts and stumps are packed into individual bits within a single scalar parameter, optimizing memory usage and shader efficiency.
  • Custom HLSL Shader: When a limb is severed, the corresponding index triggers the shader to hide the detached limb while revealing the stump. A separate limb model is then spawned and launched, creating a dynamic and gruesome visual effect.
This system ensures a robust, scalable solution for creating impactful and memorable combat moments.
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