What are Unreal Engine Blueprints and how are they used in architectural design workflows?

Unreal Engine Blueprints is a visual scripting system that allows designers to build logic, interactions, and data-driven behaviors without writing code in a traditional programming language. In architectural and parametric design workflows, Blueprints are used to create real-time interactive controls such as sliders, toggles, and UI panels that manipulate geometry, materials, and spatial configurations during runtime. This workshop uses Blueprints to link parameters transferred from Grasshopper into Unreal Engine, making the design system fully interactive and controllable in real time.

What does the Blueprints in Motion workshop at PAACADEMY cover?

The workshop follows a structured cross-platform workflow using a pavilion as the design case study. Session 1 covers form creation and precision modeling in Maya with a forward-thinking approach that anticipates the next stages, followed by geometry rationalization, panelization, and data preparation in Grasshopper using Weaverbird, LunchBox, and Pufferfish. Session 2 covers automated data transfer from Grasshopper into Unreal Engine, building interactive control systems using Blueprints, creating custom UI elements with real-time sliders and toggles, and producing a working interactive design tool.

What prior experience do I need for the Blueprints in Motion workshop?

Participants should have basic familiarity with the interfaces of Maya, Grasshopper, and Unreal Engine before the workshop begins, as the sessions do not cover software installation or introductory navigation. The workshop is not designed for complete beginners in these tools but focuses on connecting them into a coherent cross-platform workflow rather than teaching any single software from scratch. Prior experience in architectural modeling or parametric design will help participants engage with the computational logic emphasis throughout.

What will I have at the end of the Blueprints in Motion workshop?

Participants will leave with a working interactive design system built across Maya, Grasshopper, and Unreal Engine: a rationalized pavilion geometry developed in Maya, panelized and structured in Grasshopper with automated data export, and connected to a real-time Blueprint system in Unreal Engine with custom UI controls for live manipulation. The system is built to remain adaptable, so participants can switch geometry, adjust behavior, and extend the logic to future projects independently.

Jun 21-22, 202514 lessonsIntermediate

Architectural DesignFREE with Full AccessWorkshopJun 21-22, 2025Intermediate14 lessons10h 42m

Blueprints in Motion: From Maya to Unreal Engine

Name: Blueprints in Motion: From Maya to Unreal Engine
Price: 85.00 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.00 (5 reviews)

Blueprints in Motion: From Maya to Unreal Engine is a workshop on PAACADEMY that teaches a structured cross-platform computational design workflow connecting Maya, Grasshopper, and Unreal Engine. Led by a designer from Zaha Hadid Architects, participants model geometry in Maya, rationalize and panelize it in Grasshopper, automate data transfer into Unreal Engine, and build real-time interactive control systems using Blueprints and custom UI elements. The focus is computational thinking and design logic, not just visualization.

Learn from Guillermo Rage

Instructor

Guillermo Rage1 course

Parametric design has evolved. It’s no longer about dragging vertices in Maya and calling it fluid. Curves and forms are meaningless without a clear logic behind them. This workshop is about building that logic and developing the most important skill in this field: understanding how to think computationally to drive geometry with purpose.

Throughout the workshop, you'll explore how to connect Maya, Grasshopper, and Unreal Engine in a structured workflow. You'll model in Maya, rationalize and control geometry in Grasshopper, and use Unreal Engine's Blueprint system to create real-time, data-responsive interactions. From custom UI elements to live parametric controls, the focus is not just on visuals, but on interaction, behavior, and control.

This workshop will teach you how to build an automated workflow to transfer geometry and transformation data from Grasshopper into Unreal, making your design logic fully interactive.

This workshop is designed to shift the way you think and design. Whether you want to sharpen your technical skills or rethink your approach to geometry, you'll get the tools and mindset to move beyond aesthetics into real-time control. Learning how to use and control Unreal Engine as a design tool, not just a visualization platform, will give you a distinct advantage in a field that is rapidly evolving.

Model base geometry in Maya with a conscious and forward-thinking approach
Rationalize and panelize geometry using Grasshopper
Manage and use data across platforms, including automating its transfer from Grasshopper and reading it inside Unreal Engine
Build interactive control systems using Blueprints in Unreal Engine
Create UI elements to manipulate geometry during runtime
Build a custom tool to showcase your project in real time
Develop logic-based design systems that remain adaptable
How to think computationally across modeling, optimization, and interaction

This workshop uses a pavilion as a case study to explore how to transition from complex geometry toward a rational, controllable design system. The focus is not just on structure, but on developing a computational mindset that informs every stage of the design process, from modeling to logic and interaction across platforms.

In this workshop, students will work in Maya to develop the initial form, then use Grasshopper to rationalize and panelize the geometry. Unreal Engine will be used to build real-time interactive systems utilizing Blueprints and UI elements. As part of the process, students will learn how to create automated workflows that transfer geometry and transformation data from Grasshopper to Unreal Engine.

Due to this mindset and workflow, many elements of the system will remain open to future modifications. Whether it’s switching to a different geometry or adjusting behavior, students will learn how to set up designs that stay flexible and adaptable over time.

Rather than focusing on a fixed final product, the workshop prioritizes building and controlling systems. The aim is to help students think through design processes with clarity and intention, using tools that can adapt to different challenges.

This workshop follows a structured, cross-platform workflow using Maya, Grasshopper, and Unreal Engine. Participants will begin by creating the base geometry in Maya, with a focus on modeling smartly, understanding what will happen in the next steps, and how those decisions will affect panelization, transformation, and interaction later in the process.

This geometry is then brought into Grasshopper, where it will be rationalized, panelized, and prepared for real-time control. Students will learn how to structure data and parameters that can be transferred forward.

Once the design is structured in Grasshopper, students will learn how to automate the transfer of geometry and transformation data into Unreal Engine.

Within Unreal, the focus shifts toward building interactive control systems using Blueprints and custom user interface (UI) elements. Students will learn how to link parameters to geometry, build responsive sliders and toggles, and control various design elements in real-time.

Each student will work individually, developing their own interactive model. The workshop encourages testing and iteration, helping students understand how to design not just a form, but a working system that can evolve.

What you should already know or have ready before you start, experience, tools, and any baseline skills the instructors expect. Scan the list below so nothing catches you off guard.

Familiarity with the basic interfaces of Maya, Grasshopper, and Unreal Engine is recommended to facilitate smooth participation in the workshop.

14 Lessons10h 42m

01
- Please ensure you have all the software installed before the workshop starts. Software installation is NOT a part of the workshop.

Instructor

Guillermo Rage

View profile

5.0instructor rating1course

Computational designer and architect at Zaha Hadid Architects, with a strong focus on rationalization, computational design, and real time workflows. He previously worked at LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture) and studied under the mentorship of Patrik Schumacher at the Architectural Association’s Design Research Laboratory (DRL). His work bridges modeling, data structuring, and interaction, developing custom tools across Maya, Grasshopper, and Unreal Engine to bring logic-driven geometry into real-time environments. His approach emphasizes clarity, control, and flexibility—designing systems that are adaptable rather than fixed. Guillermo has also taught at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, where he shared his approach to cross-platform workflows and computational thinking.

5.055

5.0avg5 Reviews

5 Comments

Walter Patrick SmithNov 29, 20255.0

Outstanding logic transfer, Maya to Grasshopper to Unreal Engine, so many great opportunities.

Yuta KastarzJul 22, 20255.0

hi there I have enrolled this course and trying to watch the recordings. However, the recordings cannot seem to start palying, gratful if you can fix the problem thanks!

Hussein hamed ahmedMay 2, 20251.0

The course content is quite limited. I expected more advanced building designs with complex surface rationalization in Grasshopper. Unfortunately, it doesn't justify the cost.

Walter Patrick Smith

Nov 29, 2025

Outstanding logic transfer, Maya to Grasshopper to Unreal Engine, so many great opportunities.

Yuta Kastarz

Jul 22, 2025

hi there I have enrolled this course and trying to watch the recordings. However, the recordings cannot seem to start palying, gratful if you can fix the problem thanks!

Amer Faraon

Hey, thanks for your review! To watch the recordings, please log in to your PAACADEMY account, click the green "Watch Now" button on the right side of the workshop page, then use the Course Content tab on the right to navigate through the different sections. Let us know if you need any help!

Hussein hamed ahmed

May 2, 2025

The course content is quite limited. I expected more advanced building designs with complex surface rationalization in Grasshopper. Unfortunately, it doesn't justify the cost.

Amer Faraon

Thank you for your feedback. Please note that the workshop has not taken place yet. The course covers topics such as rationalization, cross-platform workflows, and real-time interaction. We encourage you to review the course description and experience the workshop firsthand before drawing conclusions. Please don't hesitate to reach out for workshop recommendations that align with your interests.