Navigate the UE5 Editor: First Mobile Scene

Build a mobile obstacle course scene while mastering UE5 viewport navigation.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every mobile game you have ever played started as an empty 3D space that someone filled with objects, one piece at a time. The skill that separates a game developer from everyone else is the ability to move through that space quickly and confidently.

In this project, you will install Unreal Engine 5 5.8, learn to navigate its 3D viewport, and build a small obstacle course scene designed for a mobile game.

What You'll Build

A 3D obstacle course scene built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5.8, using viewport navigation and actor transformation tools to place and arrange platforms, ramps, and walls for mobile.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A fully configured UE5.8 mobile project running on your Mac with iOS target support.
A hand-built obstacle course scene with 10-15 placed and transformed actors, previewed in Mobile rendering mode.
Muscle memory for all core viewport controls: fly, orbit, focus, transform, and view switching.
Secret Mission: Add dramatic lighting and camera bookmarks to navigate your scene like a cinematic pro.

Are there any prerequisites?

No prior game development experience is needed. You just need a Mac with Apple Silicon and at least 100GB of free disk space. This guide walks you through installing everything from scratch.

Before We Start

Before We Start...

Install Unreal Engine 5.8

Every Unreal Engine project starts with the engine itself installed on your machine. Before you can place a single object or navigate a 3D scene, you need UE5 running locally.

In this step, you'll create a free Epic Games account, install the Epic Games Launcher, and use it to download Unreal Engine 5.8 with iOS mobile support enabled.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a free Epic Games account and install the Epic Games Launcher.
Install Unreal Engine 5.8 with iOS target platform support.
Verify the engine launches successfully.

Create an Epic Games account and install the Epic Games Launcher

The Epic Games Launcher is the hub where you download and manage all your Unreal Engine versions. You'll create a free account first, then install the Launcher on your Mac.

Open your web browser and go to unrealengine.com/download.
Click Sign In in the top-right corner.
Click Create Account and follow the prompts to set up a free Epic Games account.
Once your account is created, return to the download page and click Download Launcher to download the macOS installer.
Open your Downloads folder in Finder and double-click the .dmg file to mount the installer.
Drag the Epic Games Launcher icon into your Applications folder when prompted.
Press Cmd+Space to open Spotlight.
Type Epic Games Launcher and press Enter to open it.
Sign in with the Epic Games account you just created.

What is the Epic Games Launcher?

The Epic Games Launcher is a desktop app that manages your Unreal Engine installations. You can install multiple engine versions side by side, access sample projects, and manage plugins all from one place.

macOS asking for permissions?

macOS may prompt you to allow the app to run since it was downloaded from the internet. Click Open when prompted. If the Launcher has trouble writing files later, go to System Settings then Privacy & Security then Full Disk Access and enable it for the Epic Games Launcher.

help me troubleshoot Epic Games Launcher permissions on macOS

Install Unreal Engine 5.8

With the Launcher open, you can now download the engine itself. This is a large download (approximately 50-100GB depending on components), so make sure you have a stable internet connection.

In the Epic Games Launcher, click Unreal Engine in the left-hand navigation panel.
Click the Library tab at the top.
Click the Install Engine button in the top-right corner of the Launcher.

What if I see a Library view instead?

If you already see the Library with an ENGINE VERSIONS section, click the Add (+) button next to it to add a new engine tile. By default, the latest version (5.8) is selected on the tile.

Confirm that the engine tile shows version 5.8. If it shows a different version, click the version number dropdown on the tile and select 5.8 from the list.
Before clicking Install, look for an Options link or section in the install dialog.
Under target platforms, ensure iOS is checked. This adds iOS rendering support so you can preview your game as it would appear on an iPhone.
Click Install to begin the download and installation.
Wait for the installation to complete. This can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on your internet speed.

Do something else while you wait

The download is large. You can minimize the Launcher and use your Mac normally while it downloads in the background. The Launcher will show a progress bar on the engine tile.

Installation stuck or failing?

If you see an error mentioning file corruption or permissions, go to System Settings then Privacy & Security then Full Disk Access and enable it for the Epic Games Launcher. Then restart the Launcher and try again.

If the download keeps restarting, check that you have at least 100GB of free disk space available. You can check this in System Settings then General then Storage.

help me fix Unreal Engine 5.8 installation errors on macOS

Verify the installation

Once the installation finishes, the engine tile in the Library will change to show a Launch button. Let's confirm everything works.

In the Epic Games Launcher, click Launch on the UE 5.8 engine tile.
Wait for the Unreal Project Browser to open. This is the window where you create and manage UE projects.
Confirm you see the Project Browser with template options (Games, Film, Architecture, etc.).
Close the Project Browser for now by clicking the red close button. You'll create a project in the next step.

✔️ The Project Browser opened successfully

Your Unreal Engine 5.8 installation is working correctly. You're ready to create your first project in the next step.

ⓧ The Launcher shows Launch but nothing happens

If clicking Launch does nothing or the window closes immediately, try these fixes:

Restart your Mac and try launching again.
In the Epic Games Launcher Library, click the dropdown arrow on the engine tile and select Verify to check for corrupted files.
Make sure your Mac meets the minimum requirements: Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) and 16GB RAM.

help me troubleshoot Unreal Engine 5.8 not launching on macOS

Your engine is installed and ready to go. Next up, you'll create a mobile-targeted project and take your first tour of the Unreal Editor.

Create a Mobile-Targeted Project and Tour the Editor

With Unreal Engine installed on your Mac, it's time to create the project you'll build your obstacle course inside.

Every UE5 project starts with a template and a set of hardware targets. Choosing the right settings now ensures the editor optimizes rendering and previews for mobile devices from the start.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a new project configured for mobile game development.
Identify the five core editor panels you'll use throughout this project.
Customize viewport settings for comfortable navigation.

Create a new project configured for mobile

You need a project that targets mobile hardware from the very beginning. This tells UE5 to use a lighter rendering pipeline and smaller default texture sizes, which matches how your obstacle course will look on a phone.

Return to the Epic Games Launcher.
Click Launch on the UE 5.8 engine tile to open the Unreal Project Browser.
In the Unreal Project Browser, select the Games category on the left.
Choose the Blank template.
Under Project Defaults, set Target Hardware to Mobile/Tablet.
Set Quality Preset to Scalable.
In the Name field, type ObstacleCourse.
Click Create.

The editor takes a moment to generate shaders and compile assets. Once it finishes, you'll see the full Unreal Editor interface with an empty level.

Why Mobile/Tablet and Scalable?

Setting Target Hardware to Mobile/Tablet tells UE5 to disable desktop-only rendering features that don't exist on phones. Scalable quality ensures textures and effects are sized appropriately for smaller screens and lower-powered GPUs.

Together, these settings mean what you see in the editor closely matches what a player would see on an iPhone.

Project Browser not appearing?

If clicking Launch opens a previously created project instead of the Project Browser, close the editor. Then reopen from the Launcher and hold Option while clicking Launch to force the Project Browser to appear.

If the Launcher shows a spinning progress indicator, wait for shader compilation to finish. This can take a few minutes on first launch.

Help me get the Unreal Project Browser to appear on macOS so I can create a new project.

Identify the core editor panels

The Unreal Editor has five panels you'll use constantly. Take a moment to locate each one in your editor window.

Look at the center of the screen. This is the Level Viewport where you'll navigate the 3D world and place objects.
Look at the right side. The Outliner panel shows a hierarchical list of every actor in your level.
Below the Outliner, find the Details panel. This shows properties of whatever actor you currently have selected (transform, materials, physics).
Look at the bottom of the editor for the Content Drawer button. You can also summon it by pressing Ctrl+Space. This is where you browse and manage all project assets.
Look at the top of the editor. The Main Toolbar contains shortcuts for Build, Play, and platform deployment controls.

What is the Content Drawer?

The Content Drawer is a temporary overlay that gives you access to all of your project's assets (meshes, textures, materials, blueprints) without permanently taking up screen space. It slides open when summoned and collapses when you click elsewhere.

You can also dock it as a permanent panel if you prefer. For this project, the temporary overlay works well because it maximizes your viewport space.

Ctrl+Space conflict on macOS

On macOS, Ctrl+Space may be assigned to Spotlight or Input Source switching by the system. If the Content Drawer doesn't open, click the Content Drawer button on the bottom toolbar instead. You can also remap the shortcut in Edit then Editor Preferences then Keyboard Shortcuts.

Customize viewport settings for comfort

The default camera speed in the viewport can feel sluggish, especially in an empty level. Adjusting this now saves frustration when you start flying around your scene.

Click Edit in the menu bar at the top of the editor.
Select Editor Preferences.
In the left sidebar, expand Level Editor, then click Viewports.
In the Controls section, note the Camera Speed setting. If navigation feels too slow later, come back here and increase it.
Close the Preferences window by clicking the X in its top corner.

What is the camera speed setting?

This controls how quickly the viewport camera moves when you fly around using WASD keys. A higher value means faster movement, which is helpful for large scenes.

You can also adjust speed on the fly by scrolling the mouse wheel while holding the right mouse button in the viewport.

You should now see the Unreal Editor with your ObstacleCourse project open, the Level Viewport in the center, and the Outliner, Details, Content Drawer, and Main Toolbar all identifiable.

Your project is configured and you know your way around the editor. Next up, you'll learn the viewport navigation controls that let you fly, orbit, and focus inside your 3D scene.

Master Viewport Navigation

Your project is set up and you know where all the key panels live. Now it's time to learn the single most important skill in Unreal Engine: moving through 3D space.

Viewport navigation is what separates a confident game developer from someone who fights the editor at every turn. In this step, you'll build muscle memory for fly mode, orbiting around objects, and switching between different camera angles.

In this step, get ready to:

Fly through your scene using WASD controls.
Orbit, dolly, and track around objects using Maya-style controls.
Switch between Perspective and orthographic views.

Practice fly controls (WASD movement)

Fly mode is the primary way to move around large 3D scenes. It works like a first-person video game: you hold a button to look around, then use keyboard keys to move in any direction.

Click anywhere inside the Level Viewport to make sure it has focus.
Hold Right Mouse Button (RMB) and move the mouse to look around. Your camera rotates in place.
While still holding RMB, press W to fly forward.
Press S to fly backward.
Press A to strafe left.
Press D to strafe right.
Press E to fly up.
Press Q to fly down.
While holding RMB, scroll the mouse wheel up to increase camera speed, or scroll down to decrease it.
Practice flying a full loop around the default scene. Move forward, rise up, turn around, and fly back to where you started.

What are these controls doing?

Fly mode only activates while you hold the Right Mouse Button. The moment you release it, the camera stops moving. This prevents accidental navigation when you're trying to click on objects.

The scroll wheel speed adjustment is persistent. If you increase speed, it stays faster until you scroll back down. This is useful for large levels where the default speed feels sluggish.

Camera not moving?

Make sure you are holding RMB the entire time you press WASD. If you release the mouse button first, the movement keys stop working.

If movement feels extremely slow, scroll the mouse wheel up a few times while holding RMB to increase the camera speed.

Help me troubleshoot viewport fly controls that aren't responding.

Practice orbit, dolly, and track (Maya-style controls)

Fly mode is great for covering distance, but when you need to inspect a specific object from all angles, orbit controls are faster. These are called Maya-style controls because they mirror the navigation in Autodesk Maya, a popular 3D modeling tool.

Click any object in the viewport to select it. You should see an orange outline around the selected object.
Press F to focus the camera on the selected object. The camera snaps to center on it.
Hold Alt + Left Mouse Button (LMB) and drag to orbit (tumble) around the object.
Hold Alt + Right Mouse Button (RMB) and drag to dolly (zoom toward or away from) the object.
Hold Alt + Middle Mouse Button (MMB) and drag to track (pan) left, right, up, or down.
Select a different object and press F again. Practice orbiting around it from multiple angles.

When to use orbit vs. fly

Use fly mode (RMB + WASD) when you need to travel through a large level. Use orbit (Alt + LMB) when you want to examine a single object from every side without losing your position relative to it.

The F key is your best friend. It instantly recenters the camera on whatever you have selected, no matter how lost you get. Think of it as a "find me" button.

Orbit not working?

Alt + LMB orbit needs an object to be selected first. Click on something in the viewport (or click its name in the Outliner panel) before attempting to orbit.

If you don't have a middle mouse button (common on trackpads), you can simulate MMB by holding Alt and both LMB + RMB simultaneously, then dragging.

Help me fix orbit and track controls on my Mac trackpad.

Switch between viewport modes

Perspective view shows your scene in full 3D. Orthographic views flatten the scene to a 2D projection from a specific angle. Switching between them helps you align objects precisely and understand your scene's layout.

Look at the top-left corner of the Level Viewport. Click the Perspective dropdown.
Select Top to see your scene from directly above. Notice how everything looks flat from this angle.
Open the dropdown again and select Front to see the scene from the side.
Open the dropdown once more and select Perspective to return to full 3D navigation.
Press G to toggle Game View. This hides all editor icons and widgets, showing a clean preview of what a player would see.
Press G again to return to the normal editor view with all icons visible.

Why use orthographic views?

In Perspective view, objects farther away appear smaller. This makes it hard to judge exact alignment. Orthographic views remove that distortion, showing objects at their true relative sizes.

Top view is especially useful when you're building a level layout. You can see the exact spacing between platforms and walls without perspective distortion getting in the way.

Keyboard shortcuts for view switching

You can also switch views without the dropdown. Press Alt+G for Perspective, Alt+H for Front, and Alt+J for Top. These are faster once you build the muscle memory.

You can now move through 3D space like a pro. Next up, you'll use these navigation skills to place objects and transform them into an obstacle course.

Place and Transform Actors

You can navigate the viewport fluidly. Now it is time to populate your scene with objects.

In Unreal Engine, every object you place in a level is called an actor. Platforms, ramps, walls, lights, cameras. They are all actors. In this step, you will place basic shape actors and learn the three transform tools that let you position, rotate, and resize them.

In this step, get ready to:

Place shape actors into your level from the Place Actors panel.
Move, rotate, and scale actors using the gizmo tools.
Enable grid snapping for precise, aligned placement.

Place actors into your scene

The Place Actors panel gives you access to basic shapes, lights, and other common actors you can drag directly into your level.

Open the Place Actors panel by clicking Window in the menu bar at the top of the editor.
Click Place Actors. The panel opens on the left side of the editor window.
In the Place Actors panel, click the Shapes category.
Left-click and drag a Cube into the Level Viewport. This is your first platform.
Drag in a second Cube from the Shapes category.
Drag in a Cylinder from the Shapes category.
Drag in a Cone from the Shapes category.

You should now see four shapes in both the Level Viewport and the Outliner panel on the right.

What is an actor?

An actor is any object that can be placed in a level. It could be a shape, a light, a camera, or a trigger volume. Every actor has a Transform (location, rotation, and scale) that defines where it sits and how big it is.

The Outliner shows a hierarchical list of every actor currently in your level. Selecting an actor in the Outliner also selects it in the viewport, and vice versa.

Don't see the Place Actors panel?

If the panel did not appear after clicking Window > Place Actors, it may have docked behind another panel. Look for a Place Actors tab along the left edge of the editor. Click the tab to bring it to the front.

Help me find the Place Actors panel in the Unreal Editor

Transform actors using the gizmo tools

The gizmo is the colored arrow, arc, or box widget that appears on a selected actor. It changes shape depending on which transform tool is active: Move, Rotate, or Scale.

Click the first Cube in the viewport to select it. A colored gizmo appears on the actor.
Press W to activate the Move tool.
Drag the red arrow to move along the X axis, green for Y, and blue for Z.
Move this Cube upward by dragging the blue Z arrow to create an elevated platform.

Now try the Rotate tool.

Click the Cylinder in the viewport to select it.
Press E to activate the Rotate tool. Colored arcs appear around the actor.
Drag one of the colored arcs to rotate the Cylinder at an angle so it looks like a ramp.

Finally, try the Scale tool.

Click the second Cube in the viewport to select it.
Press R to activate the Scale tool. Colored lines with small cubes at the ends appear.
Drag the red axis handle outward to stretch the Cube along X, making it long.
Drag the blue axis handle inward to flatten the Cube along Z, making it thin like a wall.
To scale uniformly (all axes at once), drag the white cube at the center of the gizmo.

What do W, E, and R do?

These three keys switch between the transform tools. W activates Move (translation), E activates Rotate, and R activates Scale.

You can also press the Spacebar to cycle through them in order. Each gizmo axis is color-coded: red is X, green is Y, blue is Z. Dragging a specific axis constrains the transformation to that direction only.

Gizmo not appearing on your actor?

Make sure the actor is actually selected. Click directly on the shape mesh in the viewport. If you click empty space, the selection is cleared.

If the actor is selected (highlighted in the Outliner) but you still do not see a gizmo, the transform widget may be hidden. Check the viewport toolbar for a crosshair-like widget icon and ensure it is enabled.

Help me get my transform gizmo to show up

Use grid snapping for precise placement

Grid snapping forces actors to move in consistent increments instead of floating freely. This makes it much easier to align platforms at the same height or space walls evenly.

Look at the top toolbar for the grid snapping icons. There are separate icons for position grid, rotation grid, and scale grid.
Confirm the position grid snap is enabled. The grid icon should be highlighted (active). If it is not highlighted, click it to enable snapping.
Press ] to increase the grid snap size.
Press [ to decrease the grid snap size.
Select one of your Cubes and press W for the Move tool.
Drag it along an axis. Notice how the actor jumps in consistent increments instead of sliding smoothly.
Press Shift+] to increase the rotation snap size, or Shift+[ to decrease it.
Select your elevated Cube and a ground-level Cube. Compare their Z values in the Details panel under the Transform section to verify they are at different heights.

Why use grid snapping?

Snapping guarantees that actors line up exactly. Without it, two platforms that look aligned might actually be off by a fraction of a unit. The player would feel an invisible bump or gap at runtime.

You can adjust the snap size any time. Use a larger grid for rough blocking, then decrease it for fine adjustments.

Actor not snapping when you move it?

Double-check that the grid icon in the top toolbar is highlighted (enabled). If it appears dimmed, click it once to toggle snapping on.

Also confirm you are dragging a gizmo axis arrow, not the actor body itself. Dragging the mesh directly sometimes bypasses snap settings.

Help me fix my grid snapping settings

You have actors in your scene and you know how to position them precisely. Next up, you will arrange these shapes into a full obstacle course and preview it in Mobile rendering mode.

Build an Obstacle Course and Preview on Mobile

You can now place and transform actors with confidence. It's time to put those skills to work building a real scene.

In this step, you'll arrange your existing actors into a playable obstacle course and then preview the scene through the mobile rendering pipeline. This shows you exactly how your game would look running on an iPhone.

In this step, get ready to:

Arrange actors into an obstacle course layout with platforms, ramps, and walls.
Enable Mobile Preview to see accurate iOS rendering in the viewport.
Test your scene with Play-In-Editor mode.

Arrange actors into an obstacle course layout

An obstacle course needs a clear path from start to finish. You'll build a wide starting platform, elevated platforms to jump between, a ramp connecting two heights, and some walls to dodge around.

Select one of the Cubes already in your scene by clicking it in the Level Viewport.
Press R to activate the Scale tool.
In the Details panel on the right, find the Transform section.
Set the Scale values to 2.0 on X, 2.0 on Y, and 0.2 on Z.
Press W to switch to the Move tool and position this platform where you want your course to begin.

What does scaling on each axis do?

X and Y control the width and depth of the platform. Z controls its height. A low Z value like 0.2 makes the cube thin and flat, creating a perfect surface to stand on.

This wide, flat Cube is your starting platform. Now you'll build the rest of the course around it.

Select your starting platform in the viewport.
Hold Alt and drag with the Move tool (W) to duplicate the platform and move the copy simultaneously.
Drag the Z axis arrow (blue) upward to place the duplicated platform at a higher elevation.
Repeat the Alt+drag technique 2-3 more times to create a total of 3-4 elevated platforms at varying heights.
Press F after selecting each platform to focus the camera on it.
Hold Alt + Left Mouse Button and drag to orbit around each platform and check alignment from multiple angles.

Alt+drag is your best friend

Holding Alt while dragging with the Move tool duplicates the selected actor and moves the copy in one motion. This is much faster than copy-pasting and repositioning separately.

Select one of your platforms or duplicate a new Cube.
Press R to scale it into a long, thin shape (stretch one axis, shrink the others).
Press E to activate the Rotate tool.
Rotate the Cube at an angle so it connects two platforms at different heights, forming a ramp.

Add vertical obstacles by dragging in more Cylinders from the Place Actors panel, or scale Cubes tall and narrow to create walls.
Position these walls and cylinders along the path so the player must navigate around them.
Aim for 10-15 total actors forming a clear path from your starting platform to a finishing area.

Click the Perspective dropdown in the top-left of the viewport.
Select Top to see your scene from directly above.
Verify your platforms form a logical path from start to finish when viewed from this top-down perspective.
Switch back to Perspective view when you're done checking the layout.

What should my course look like?

Think of it as a simple platformer level. A flat starting area leads to a series of elevated platforms at different heights, connected by at least one ramp. Walls and cylinders placed along the path force the player to weave between obstacles.

Check the Outliner panel on the right side of the editor. You should see 10-15 actors listed there. Each actor you placed appears in this hierarchical list.

Platforms not lining up?

Make sure grid snapping is still enabled. The grid icon in the top toolbar should be highlighted. Watch the Z value in the Details panel Transform section to align platforms at consistent heights.

If an actor jumped to an unexpected position, press Cmd+Z (macOS) to undo and try again.

Help me align my obstacle course platforms in UE5.

Enable Mobile Preview to see accurate iOS rendering

Your project targets mobile, but the viewport currently renders using the full desktop pipeline. Enabling Mobile Preview shows you how materials and lighting will actually appear on an iPhone.

In the Main Toolbar at the top of the editor, click the Settings dropdown button.
Navigate to Preview Rendering Level in the menu that appears.
Select Mobile (or a specific mobile rendering level such as iOS Metal if listed).
Wait for the shader recompilation to finish. The editor needs a moment to switch rendering pipelines.

Your viewport now renders using the mobile pipeline. Notice the visual difference: lighting is simpler, materials appear lighter, and some desktop-only effects are gone.

Why does mobile rendering look different?

Mobile devices have less GPU power than a desktop. The mobile renderer uses simplified lighting, fewer post-processing effects, and lower-resolution shadows. This is exactly what your players will see on their phones.

You can toggle back to the desktop rendering level from the same Settings dropdown to compare both at any time.

Toggle between Desktop and Mobile preview a few times to observe the differences in your scene.
Leave Mobile Preview enabled when you're satisfied with the comparison.

Viewport looks washed out after switching?

The mobile pipeline intentionally strips desktop-only effects. If everything looks flat or too bright, that's normal for mobile rendering. Your materials and lighting are still correct.

If the viewport went black or shows errors, the shader recompilation may still be in progress. Wait for the progress bar in the bottom-right to complete.

Help me troubleshoot Mobile Preview rendering in UE5.

Test your scene with Play-In-Editor

Play-In-Editor lets you walk through your scene in first person, exactly as a player would experience it. This is the fastest way to check whether your obstacle course feels right.

Click the green Play button in the Main Toolbar (or press Alt+P).
Click inside the viewport to give it input focus.
Use WASD and the mouse to walk and fly through your obstacle course.
Check that platforms are reachable, ramps are at reasonable angles, and obstacles create interesting navigation choices.
Press Escape to exit Play mode and return to the editor.

What should I look for during play testing?

Walk the full path from your starting platform to the end. If a jump feels too far or a ramp is too steep, exit Play mode and adjust the actors. This iterative process of play, observe, and adjust is how professional level designers work.

Back in the editor viewport, press G to toggle Game View. This hides all editor icons and widgets, giving you a clean preview of what the player sees.
Press G again to return to the normal editor view with all widgets visible.

Game View for quick visual checks

Game View (G) is faster than entering full Play mode when you just want to see your scene without editor clutter. Use it often while building to check visual composition.

Can't move during Play mode?

Make sure you clicked inside the viewport after pressing Play. Your mouse and keyboard inputs only register when the play viewport has focus.

If you spawn in the air or underground, your Player Start actor might be in an odd position. Exit Play mode, find Player Start in the Outliner, and move it onto your starting platform.

Help me fix Play-In-Editor movement issues in UE5.

Your obstacle course is complete and you've seen it through the mobile rendering pipeline. Next up, you'll take your scene to the next level with dramatic lighting and pro-level camera bookmarks in the Secret Mission.

Secret mission

Add Dramatic Lighting and Camera Bookmarks

You've built the scene. Now make it look cinematic and learn two pro navigation tricks that will save you hours in future projects. You'll adjust the sun for golden-hour lighting, add a localized light source for dramatic shadows, and set up camera bookmarks to teleport between viewpoints instantly.

Clean Up Your Resources

No paid resources were created in this project. Unreal Engine 5.8 is free to use, so there are no ongoing costs.

Decide whether to keep your resources as-is, free up disk space by removing the engine, or delete everything entirely.

Resources you used:

Unreal Engine 5.8 installation (approximately 50-100GB on disk).
ObstacleCourse project files (stored locally on your Mac).
Epic Games Launcher application.
Epic Games account.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you plan to keep building in Unreal Engine or want to revisit your obstacle course later.

Your ObstacleCourse project is saved locally. Reopen it anytime from the Epic Games Launcher or the Unreal Project Browser.
The Epic Games Launcher and UE 5.8 remain installed and ready for your next project.
Your Epic Games account stays active for future use.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Close the Unreal Editor to free up memory, but keep everything installed so you can pick up where you left off.

Quit Unreal Engine by closing the editor window.
Your project auto-saves, so all your actors, lighting, and camera bookmarks are preserved.
To resume later, open the Epic Games Launcher, click Launch on the UE 5.8 tile, and select your ObstacleCourse project from the Unreal Project Browser.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources and reclaim disk space. Follow each step below.

Uninstall Unreal Engine 5.8: Open the Epic Games Launcher. Click the Unreal Engine tab in the left navigation panel. Click the Library tab at the top. On the UE 5.8 engine tile, open the dropdown menu and select Remove. In the Uninstall dialog, click Uninstall.
Delete your ObstacleCourse project files: Open Finder and navigate to the folder where you saved your project (the default location is inside your Documents or the location you chose during project creation). Drag the ObstacleCourse folder to the Trash, then empty the Trash.
Remove the Epic Games Launcher: Open Finder and go to your Applications folder. Drag the Epic Games Launcher application to the Trash, then empty the Trash.
Delete your Epic Games account (optional): Only do this if you are certain you will never use Epic Games services again. Sign in at epicgames.com/account. Scroll to the Delete account section and click Delete account. Follow the confirmation prompts. Your account will be permanently deleted after 14 days.

That's a Wrap!

Nice work! You just built a 3D obstacle course scene from scratch in Unreal Engine 5.8 and developed real fluency with the editor's viewport navigation.

You've learned how to:

Navigate the UE5 viewport fluently using WASD fly controls, orbit/dolly/track, focus (F), and orthographic view switching.
Place and transform actors using the Move (W), Rotate (E), and Scale (R) tools with grid snapping for precision.
Build a complete obstacle course scene with 10-15 actors and preview it using Mobile Preview rendering to see accurate iOS output.
Secret Mission: Added dramatic lighting with a rotated Directional Light and a Point Light, then set up camera bookmarks for instant viewport teleportation.

Ready to quiz yourself?