Sequencer¶
UE's non-linear cinematic editor. Keyframe anything: actor transforms, properties, materials, audio, anim, cameras, Niagara, post-process.
Anatomy¶
- Level Sequence — the asset
- Master Sequence — sequence containing shot sub-sequences
- Track — one row in the timeline (Transform, Anim, Audio, Event)
- Section — one segment of a track
- Subscene — nested sequence
Common tracks¶
| Track | Use |
|---|---|
| Transform | Animate actor location/rotation/scale |
| Skeletal Animation | Play AnimSequences / Montages |
| Audio | Schedule sound |
| Camera Cuts | Switch cameras across shots |
| Event | Trigger BP / C++ events |
| Material Parameter Collection | Animate global material params |
| Niagara | Trigger / parameterize VFX |
| Geometry Cache | Scrub baked sims |
Game vs cinematic¶
Sequencer drives both:
- Cinematics — Movie Render Queue, locked timeline
- Gameplay sequences — fire from BP
Play Sequence, branch on conditions
Movie Render Queue¶
Window → Cinematics → Movie Render Queue — production-grade renderer:
- Reference Motion Blur (more accurate than realtime)
- Anti-Aliasing settings (spatial samples + temporal samples)
- OIDN / DLSS Ray Reconstruction denoise
- Console variables override
- Path Tracer integration
Custom sections¶
Implement UMovieSceneSection + UMovieSceneTrack for custom track types — niche but possible.
Sequencer keyframing best practices¶
- Animate via Cine Camera Actor, not regular Camera, for film-grade focus / aperture
- Use Camera Anim Sequence for reusable shakes
- Bake to Anim Sequence for retargetable cinematics
- For game-driven sequences, mark sections Take Aspect Ratio Constraint off