Atlantica Galaxy Redesign
Today I published a new Atlantica Galaxy video that kicks off a focused redesign of the entire galaxy system. This is the start of a cleaner, faster foundation that I can drop into any Atlantica project without rebuilding the same tools over and over.
From constellations to coordinates, follow the journeys through the stars.
Why a redesign
I created the original galaxy as a collection of many different UE5 blueprints. It worked, but every improvement meant chasing edge cases across many connected systems. I want a self-contained, portable galaxy that I can tune in one place, reuse anywhere, and scale from tiny scenes to system-wide shots.
What changed
I’m rebuilding the galaxy as a single modular blueprint in Unreal Engine 5. It contains all of its data, spawns its structures, and manages its updates in real time.
- One Blueprint, for many uses, with no project-specific rewiring.
- Parameters for galactic arm count, spiral curvature, and star density, all live-tunable.
- Deterministic seeds for repeatable layouts, helpful for lore consistency.
Performance first
The new build prioritizes stability and headroom.
- Hierarchical Instanced Static Meshes (HISMs) for large counts with minimal draw calls.
- Event-based and batched updates instead updates on the Event Tick.
- Culling, distance rules, and level-of-detail (LODs) for optimizations.
Visual direction
The look aims for readable structure at a glance, with detail that holds up when closing in.
- Clear spiral logic with adjustable galactic arm noise and curvature.
- Interstellar distances with no overlapping star systems.
- Clearly visible galactic stars, even without the glow of the galactic cloud.
What you see in the video
- Zooming out from ground level to galactic level to view the original galaxy.
- Real-time parameter edits that reshape the prototype arms and star density.
Who this is for
- Fans following Atlantica’s worldbuilding and large-scale 3D systems.
- Developers and technical artists interested in reusable, data-driven tools.
- Anyone who enjoys watching a complex system become simpler and stronger.
Music credit
The episode features “Galactic Waves,” an original beat produced by Pharaoh Insight.
What’s next
- Add diverse HISM star types by color.
- Add parametric star spreads without star systems overlapping.
- Stress-test star counts and interstellar distances.
Thank you for watching and reading. If you have feedback or ideas you want to see tested in the next pass, leave a comment and let me know.