I had two main goals when approaching the creation of my major project. The first was to test my artistic ability and see if I could convey a story through an environment scene. The second was to prove that I had the skills necessary to create a game-ready environment and assets that were fit for purpose within Unreal Engine. Both of these goals required their own set of criteria that has informed my creative decision making throughout the duration of this project.
To evaluate whether the visual design of my game environment successfully communicated what I wanted to say to my audience, I developed a set of criteria based on a methodology for analysing mise-en-scene within films. Film, much like video games, employ a visual language to convey emotion, themes and story to players and audiences. I felt that it was important to understand how filmmakers and set designs approach mise-en-scene and apply a similar level of analysis to my own work.
I paid consideration to the space, light, colour, differences of exterior and interior design, and set decoration to create a thematically appropriate environment that would tell its own story without the use of any dialogue. I feel this approach has helped me to critically and objectively evaluate the successes and shortcomings of my skills as an environment artist. By organising my environment into these categories I have been able to tackle each element of my design individually and evaluate them on their own merits. For example I experimented with lighting in a separate scene first so that I wouldn’t be tempted to leave the scene with one setup if it was starting to look good. I wanted to experiment with different lighting scenarios and give myself an unbiased perspective without interference from the other elements at play.
In addition to my evaluative criteria, I was influenced by a variety of sources from the forefront of the industry. I would study the work of other artists and try to evaluate what I felt made their work in particular at the forefront. Often times these examples would inspire my own creative process and I would attempt to emulate them within my own environment. Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) for example features an environment that has run rampant with overgrowth and it was this that prompted me to greatly increase the level of foliage and vegetation within my scene. I was able to justify this as a story element because it indicates to the player how much time has passed since anyone has dwelt in the mansion.
Alongside my criteria and artistic influences, I was also mindful of the technical limitations of Unreal Engine. I had to ensure that my scene would run at a solid sixty frames per second for optimal visual performance. I took particular care in making all of my assets fit-for-purpose within the engine, being aware of the polygon count of each asset. As my target audience are gaming studios and other environment artists, it was important for me to prove that I was adhering to the industry standard on both an artistic and technical level.
During the development of the environment I have received critique and feedback by posting my work on forums such as Polycount. This has helped me to not view my work in total isolation and align my expectations with reality. It would have been easy for me to create something that I thought was visually appealing and be done with it, but I have had to take on board feedback, apply evaluative criteria and build the environment to meet the technical specification of the game engine. When taken together, these factors have been responsible for the final results I have achieved during Semester C.
Friday, 10 August 2018
Final Reflections on My Learning Over Semester C
Over the course of my final major project I have developed my skills further as a 3D artist. I feel that particularly during this final semester I have really improved my abilities with both Substance Painter and Unreal Engine, the latter of which I feel my lighting has greatly improved in.
I set myself the goal of creating a strong portfolio piece alongside several individual assets that I could use in my portfolio. As such I was expecting this final term to act as a culmination of my skills, and wasn’t expecting to learn much more than refining my existing abilities. However as learning is something that happens regardless of whether you are actively seeking it, I have acquired a range of new techniques and processes that I believe will help me flourish as a 3D artist in the years ahead.
I feel that I have established a good workflow for creating assets and textures, setting up materials efficiently within Unreal Engine. I have improved the implementation of my 3D elements from Max to Unreal, taking into consideration the limitations of real-time game engines. I have also taken on feedback I received from other projects last term that have helped me greatly improve my texturing in regards to realism. I now no longer create random scuffs and add dirt to surfaces without consideration, I have tried to apply them where they would appear logically in the real world. All of these skills have helped me to improve my craft and create a major project that is considerably stronger than my work from last term.
The area that I believe I have learnt the most however is in my time management and self-reflective writing. Thanks to the adoption of Gibbs Reflective cycle, I feel I am able to evaluate myself and organise my thoughts on different activities into a consistent method of analysis. This has helped me to manage myself over the duration of this project by breaking down each task into sizeable and approachable sub-assignments. It has been through developing this approach that I feel I have learnt perhaps the most crucial skill as an artist, knowing which areas of my work to spend the bulk of my time on.
I believe I used this to great effect on this project by forcing myself to stop working on any 3DS Max elements during the last few weeks of development, and instead focus entirely on getting the foliage that was in my environment to look more convincing. As this was an element that covered large parts of my scene, I think I correctly identified this as the area to improve on in time for my deadline. Of course I would have loved to create a larger scene but polishing what I had already was of the most importance to me.
Examining the forefront has helped to both inspire and focus me as I work. By exposing myself to the incredibly high standards of the industry I have been galvanised to push myself to achieve more with my project. As I am entering the industry my competition is no longer other students but professional practitioners within the field. This means that I have needed to adopt the mentality of “if they can do it, so can I!”
Finally I have learnt the value of a strong social media presence this term. I have moved beyond posting my work solely to Artstation and researched other vectors of dissemination to spread my name. So far I have hosted my work on Youtube, BitChute, Polycount, Instagram, Facebook, Blogger and Patreon. By creating a unified brand across all these social media outlets I am aiming to achieve the widest possible audience for my work. Whilst my target audience is largely to be found on professional sites like Artstation and Polycount, I feel that cultivating a strong following on casual platforms will ultimately ensure greater exposure amongst other creatives across a wide range of fields.
I will always continue to learn. Some areas that I may not even consider important, may end up becoming the most useful skills I can acquire. As I move out into the competitive world of game art, I hope to continue to adopt new methodologies and modes of thinking using what I have achieved over this semester as a stable base for further improvement.
I set myself the goal of creating a strong portfolio piece alongside several individual assets that I could use in my portfolio. As such I was expecting this final term to act as a culmination of my skills, and wasn’t expecting to learn much more than refining my existing abilities. However as learning is something that happens regardless of whether you are actively seeking it, I have acquired a range of new techniques and processes that I believe will help me flourish as a 3D artist in the years ahead.
I feel that I have established a good workflow for creating assets and textures, setting up materials efficiently within Unreal Engine. I have improved the implementation of my 3D elements from Max to Unreal, taking into consideration the limitations of real-time game engines. I have also taken on feedback I received from other projects last term that have helped me greatly improve my texturing in regards to realism. I now no longer create random scuffs and add dirt to surfaces without consideration, I have tried to apply them where they would appear logically in the real world. All of these skills have helped me to improve my craft and create a major project that is considerably stronger than my work from last term.
The area that I believe I have learnt the most however is in my time management and self-reflective writing. Thanks to the adoption of Gibbs Reflective cycle, I feel I am able to evaluate myself and organise my thoughts on different activities into a consistent method of analysis. This has helped me to manage myself over the duration of this project by breaking down each task into sizeable and approachable sub-assignments. It has been through developing this approach that I feel I have learnt perhaps the most crucial skill as an artist, knowing which areas of my work to spend the bulk of my time on.
I believe I used this to great effect on this project by forcing myself to stop working on any 3DS Max elements during the last few weeks of development, and instead focus entirely on getting the foliage that was in my environment to look more convincing. As this was an element that covered large parts of my scene, I think I correctly identified this as the area to improve on in time for my deadline. Of course I would have loved to create a larger scene but polishing what I had already was of the most importance to me.
Examining the forefront has helped to both inspire and focus me as I work. By exposing myself to the incredibly high standards of the industry I have been galvanised to push myself to achieve more with my project. As I am entering the industry my competition is no longer other students but professional practitioners within the field. This means that I have needed to adopt the mentality of “if they can do it, so can I!”
Finally I have learnt the value of a strong social media presence this term. I have moved beyond posting my work solely to Artstation and researched other vectors of dissemination to spread my name. So far I have hosted my work on Youtube, BitChute, Polycount, Instagram, Facebook, Blogger and Patreon. By creating a unified brand across all these social media outlets I am aiming to achieve the widest possible audience for my work. Whilst my target audience is largely to be found on professional sites like Artstation and Polycount, I feel that cultivating a strong following on casual platforms will ultimately ensure greater exposure amongst other creatives across a wide range of fields.
I will always continue to learn. Some areas that I may not even consider important, may end up becoming the most useful skills I can acquire. As I move out into the competitive world of game art, I hope to continue to adopt new methodologies and modes of thinking using what I have achieved over this semester as a stable base for further improvement.
Final Reflections on my Career Goals
I have used this project as an opportunity to completely retool my portfolio so that it adequately reflects my current abilities as a games artist. My major project will serve as the highlight of my portfolio and I believe it to be my strongest piece for a number of reasons.
Firstly the scope of the project is sufficiently big enough to show employers that I am capable of managing my time effectively to meet deadlines and maintain a high level of quality whilst working on large scale projects.
Secondly I believe this project to be my first real success into the realm of real time graphics. My lighting has improved a great deal from previous projects I created this year and this has had a knock-on effect on the overall quality of the final images and promotional video. I finally feel I have shown my skills in the best possible light (pun intended).
Thirdly I have used this project as a means to demonstrate that I am a competent prop artist. I have been able to create several new pieces for my portfolio within short time frames that show I have an understanding of how to create game-ready props. The quality and process I used to create the assets still needs to be refined, but the inclusion of individual assets within my portfolio was something that I felt was needed to show off all of my relevant skills.
Lastly this project has become the most viewed and liked piece on my Artstation page, gaining me almost a hundred new followers in just two days. I believe now is the time to ride on this success and use this project to help me network with other like-minded artists. I am hoping that by building a strong network of artists my work will leave a strong impression on them and they may think of me should a suitable position ever arise. I have already had some interviews with both independent and triple A gaming studios, but ideally my hope is that I can find a role that will allow me to develop my skillset further whilst being allowed to develop an entirely new range of skills.
Firstly the scope of the project is sufficiently big enough to show employers that I am capable of managing my time effectively to meet deadlines and maintain a high level of quality whilst working on large scale projects.
Secondly I believe this project to be my first real success into the realm of real time graphics. My lighting has improved a great deal from previous projects I created this year and this has had a knock-on effect on the overall quality of the final images and promotional video. I finally feel I have shown my skills in the best possible light (pun intended).
Thirdly I have used this project as a means to demonstrate that I am a competent prop artist. I have been able to create several new pieces for my portfolio within short time frames that show I have an understanding of how to create game-ready props. The quality and process I used to create the assets still needs to be refined, but the inclusion of individual assets within my portfolio was something that I felt was needed to show off all of my relevant skills.
Lastly this project has become the most viewed and liked piece on my Artstation page, gaining me almost a hundred new followers in just two days. I believe now is the time to ride on this success and use this project to help me network with other like-minded artists. I am hoping that by building a strong network of artists my work will leave a strong impression on them and they may think of me should a suitable position ever arise. I have already had some interviews with both independent and triple A gaming studios, but ideally my hope is that I can find a role that will allow me to develop my skillset further whilst being allowed to develop an entirely new range of skills.
Week 12: Forefront Friday: S.O.N
S.O.N is an independently financed horror game that began development in 2015 by a single developer. I find S.O.N very intriguing because the game seems to be played through the lens of a VHS camera, which I think is an interesting take on the “found footage” horror trope that I haven’t seen done anywhere else.
I place this game at the forefront of the industry because this is such a unique concept and challenges how I think I am perceiving what I am seeing. In a way we are not playing the game but watching old footage of someone exploring the house. It’s a very Meta concept and makes for a lot of interesting questions about how we are perceiving what we are playing.
In relation to my major project, I think this games aesthetics are reflective of what I have been aiming to achieve. It’s taking a relatively mundane setting and turning it into something foreboding and sinister. I especially enjoy the camera static as I feel this is another relatively harmless thing being turned into something menacing as the creatures approach the camera. As the game is being developed by a small team I will be watching this games performance with interest.
With the cancellation of Silent Hills by Hideo Kojima, I think people are still waiting for the next great horror title to fill the void. I would be very impressed if the small team at RedG studios are able to do so, as this shows you don't always need the biggest budget to be successful.
PLAYSTATION (2018) S.O.N – Official Gameplay Trailer #2 | PS4 [Online Video]. July 22nd. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPZElemPUmE [Accessed: 10/08/2018].
REDG STUDIOS (TBA) S.O.N. [DISC, DOWNLOAD] Playstation 4. San Mateo: Sony Interactive Entertainment.
I place this game at the forefront of the industry because this is such a unique concept and challenges how I think I am perceiving what I am seeing. In a way we are not playing the game but watching old footage of someone exploring the house. It’s a very Meta concept and makes for a lot of interesting questions about how we are perceiving what we are playing.
In relation to my major project, I think this games aesthetics are reflective of what I have been aiming to achieve. It’s taking a relatively mundane setting and turning it into something foreboding and sinister. I especially enjoy the camera static as I feel this is another relatively harmless thing being turned into something menacing as the creatures approach the camera. As the game is being developed by a small team I will be watching this games performance with interest.
Gameplay trailer for S.O.N.
With the cancellation of Silent Hills by Hideo Kojima, I think people are still waiting for the next great horror title to fill the void. I would be very impressed if the small team at RedG studios are able to do so, as this shows you don't always need the biggest budget to be successful.
PLAYSTATION (2018) S.O.N – Official Gameplay Trailer #2 | PS4 [Online Video]. July 22nd. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPZElemPUmE [Accessed: 10/08/2018].
REDG STUDIOS (TBA) S.O.N. [DISC, DOWNLOAD] Playstation 4. San Mateo: Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Thursday, 9 August 2018
Week 12 - Thursday: Promotional Video
Today I have finished editing my promotional video for my game environment. I did not want to explain the project verbally as I felt to do so would be antithetical to the aim of my project, which was to see if I could convey the story through the environment design. I believe I was successful in this regard and so I feel it is far more effectiveto let my environment to do the talking for me.
My finished promotional video.
To engage my audience I feel that leaving them asking questions will influence them to check out more of my work. If they are generally interested in what they have seen, they will take the next step and view my portfolio. I have tried to edit this video in such a way that it leaves the audience wanting to know more and thereby opening up my youtube channel for active engagement where they can ask me questions about the project. Interaction between myself and my audience could ultimately lead to my work receiving a dedicated following.
Edit (15/08/2018)
I was told to add more information to my video so I have re-edited a second version and also made this available on my youtube channel:
Edit (15/08/2018)
I was told to add more information to my video so I have re-edited a second version and also made this available on my youtube channel:
Updated promotional video.
Wednesday, 8 August 2018
Week 12 - Wednesday: Rookies Results
This year I entered the annual Autodesk competition The Rookies. I was eager to see how my work would stack up against the competition from other schools and disciplines from across the creative field. I was surprised to be announced as a finalist for an internship at Cambridge based game studio Ninja Theory. Unfortunately I didn't win the internship which is a shame because I feel that if I had been able to include work from my major project I would have had a much better chance. In either case being a finalist was a great confidence boost to me as an environment artist. My final rank for my competition entry was a B, which means I have a lot of areas I can improve in.
I entered into the competition with six pieces of work, four of which recieved an award for excellence much to my surprise.
Overall The Rookies has provided me with the perfect opportunity to compare myself with the talent now entering the industry. Some entrants had very impressive portfolios and I have identified areas where my work has fallen short. Right now my main concern is to create more pieces that demonstrate the skills I have acquired over the course of my Master’s degree. Because the competition ended before my course had finished, I wasn't able to include my most recent work which I feel is the strongest. Next year I would like to enter the competition again and see if I can hit that A rank!
This has been an excellent experience to take part in and I feel that I can use these accolades to bolster my CV as I continue to apply for work within the industry.
AUTODESK (2018) The Rookies - The highest honour for creative media & entertainment students. [Online] Available from: https://www.therookies.co/ [Accessed: 08/08/2018]
My final rank for the competition.
I entered into the competition with six pieces of work, four of which recieved an award for excellence much to my surprise.
My work recieved four excellence awards.
Overall The Rookies has provided me with the perfect opportunity to compare myself with the talent now entering the industry. Some entrants had very impressive portfolios and I have identified areas where my work has fallen short. Right now my main concern is to create more pieces that demonstrate the skills I have acquired over the course of my Master’s degree. Because the competition ended before my course had finished, I wasn't able to include my most recent work which I feel is the strongest. Next year I would like to enter the competition again and see if I can hit that A rank!
The certificate I recieved via email.
This has been an excellent experience to take part in and I feel that I can use these accolades to bolster my CV as I continue to apply for work within the industry.
AUTODESK (2018) The Rookies - The highest honour for creative media & entertainment students. [Online] Available from: https://www.therookies.co/ [Accessed: 08/08/2018]
Tuesday, 7 August 2018
Week 12 - Tuesday: Completed Environment
I have finally finished the environment. I will be spending the next few days preparing my presentation and editing my promotional video. You can view the full project on my artstation page or see the images below:
I feel that I have met my deadlines and made use of the resources that I have had available to me throughout the duration of this project. I was able to factor in the time I had access to the studio and build my project schedule around these timeframes. There are some areas I would have like to create like a larger garden and master bedroom, however I feel I have achieved what I set out to do, which was to create an environment that tells a story.
I feel that I have met my deadlines and made use of the resources that I have had available to me throughout the duration of this project. I was able to factor in the time I had access to the studio and build my project schedule around these timeframes. There are some areas I would have like to create like a larger garden and master bedroom, however I feel I have achieved what I set out to do, which was to create an environment that tells a story.
Monday, 6 August 2018
Week 12 - Monday: Creating Cameras and Practicing the Art of Cinematography
It is the beginning of the final week of my major project development. With my scene completed I will be spending today creating various camera angles that will best show off my environment. In preparation for this, I have been reading up on how cinematography is practiced within film and how certain shot types are used to affect an audience.
Cinematographer Blain Brown has compiled his experience into a book that serves as an introduction to cinematography as it is practiced on a professional level. It covers the essential concept of visual storytelling which is the facet of filmmaking that I find most intriguing and something I have been trying to emulate throughout my own work. I believe the language of Cinema is one that encompasses the art of the lens, composition, visual design and lighting. I feel that by learning these languages I can apply them to the field of game design and use them to help maximize every element within my game environment.
An important aspect of visual storytelling that I felt the author has highlighted is in setting the scene for the audience. Brown (2012:18) explains the importance of “establishing the geography,” whereby the cinematography gives the audience some idea of where they are, what kind of place it is and where objects and people are in relation to each other. Brown continues to explain the utility in letting the audience (or in my case the player) know the “lay of the land” within a scene. Stating that it helps them to orient themselves and prevents confusion that might divert their attention from the story. He highlights that one of the primary goals of the cinematography is to not confuse the audience, and this was a big reason why I was so eager to create an exterior alongside interior environments. I felt that it was important to establish the location and climate so that the player could project themselves seamlessly into the environment and believe it.
I am going to be paying close attention to the language of cinema as I choose my camera angles. This will be especially important as I create my promotional video for my environment. I am aiming to create a certain mood and this will require the camera movement and angles to reflect this.
BROWN, B. (2012) Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors., 2nd ed. New York: Focal Press.
Cinematographer Blain Brown has compiled his experience into a book that serves as an introduction to cinematography as it is practiced on a professional level. It covers the essential concept of visual storytelling which is the facet of filmmaking that I find most intriguing and something I have been trying to emulate throughout my own work. I believe the language of Cinema is one that encompasses the art of the lens, composition, visual design and lighting. I feel that by learning these languages I can apply them to the field of game design and use them to help maximize every element within my game environment.
An important aspect of visual storytelling that I felt the author has highlighted is in setting the scene for the audience. Brown (2012:18) explains the importance of “establishing the geography,” whereby the cinematography gives the audience some idea of where they are, what kind of place it is and where objects and people are in relation to each other. Brown continues to explain the utility in letting the audience (or in my case the player) know the “lay of the land” within a scene. Stating that it helps them to orient themselves and prevents confusion that might divert their attention from the story. He highlights that one of the primary goals of the cinematography is to not confuse the audience, and this was a big reason why I was so eager to create an exterior alongside interior environments. I felt that it was important to establish the location and climate so that the player could project themselves seamlessly into the environment and believe it.
I am going to be paying close attention to the language of cinema as I choose my camera angles. This will be especially important as I create my promotional video for my environment. I am aiming to create a certain mood and this will require the camera movement and angles to reflect this.
BROWN, B. (2012) Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors., 2nd ed. New York: Focal Press.
Friday, 3 August 2018
Week 11 - Forefront Friday: Promotional Video Research
In preparation for next week I have been looking at promotional videos of real time game environments created by other artists, so that I can examine them and make my video stand out. To clarify, I am not looking at game trailers but videos designed to showcase an environment within a game.
I have chosen these examples because they are all recent and were posted within a few months of each other, making them a good indicator of the competition I am facing as I publish my work onto the internet.
I would say that not all of these videos are at the forefront. I believe they are mainly adhering to an established standard for showing off game environments. I think that being aware of what is expected from the industry is a crucial skill and I want to make sure that my work is conforming to this standard.
Rob Linssen:
"Válenfall" - 7 days Ago
This is a stylised environment showing off the large scale of the location. Lots of sweeping shots give it a good sense of scale.
Joseph Armour:
"The Pale Elk" - 2 Months Ago
https://vimeo.com/274110496
This is a more kinetic video with some movement within the shots. My own video will most likely be much slower paced with less animation.
Emma Drew:
"Abandoned study" - 3 Months Ago
https://vimeo.com/269523304
This is an interesting project for me because it is similar in theme to what I am going for. I like to see how others have executed the same concept. She has shown off a lot of the foliage in this video which is something I want to do as well.
Vistorovschi Victor:
"Torrens Gallery" - 6 Months Ago
This video is really professionally made. The editing is very well paced and does an excellent job showing off the environments details.
My thoughts on these examples:
I have tried to select a range of artists across different skill levels. Whilst the quality of the videos may vary, all of these environments have let the visuals do the talking. I will be choosing to do this for my promotional video as well because I feel that if I try to explain my project it will come off as looking amateurish in comparison. Besides that, one of the primary objectives of my project was to tell a story through visual means. It would be antithetical to my goals to explain the plot and concept when I have intentional left those as a mystery for people to solve.
One thing I have noticed is that music they have chosen is very understated and in some cases is mostly ambient noise. I think this is a good idea because the visuals are the focus. I have a particular song in mind that should enchance the mood I am wanting to create and not compete with the environment itself.
Shot Inspiration:
I have also looked at this video of the Winchester mystery house because I feel it has some eerie shots that will lend themselves well to my environment:
ARMOUR, J. (2018) The Pale Elk. [Online Video]. June 8th. Available from: https://vimeo.com/274110496 [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
DREW, E. (2018) Abandoned Study. [Online Video]. May 13th. Available from: https://vimeo.com/269523304 [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
HKDEUS (2018) Torrens Galley. [Online Video]. January 27th. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIeohE6i0h0 [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
HOUZZ TV (2018) Winchester Mystery House POV Fly Through. [Online Video]. February 3rd. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S5505SeNLA [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
PROJECT R0LIN (2018)"Válenfall" - Stylized Environment Flythrough. [Online Video]. August 1st. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26jUcpYosBw [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
I would say that not all of these videos are at the forefront. I believe they are mainly adhering to an established standard for showing off game environments. I think that being aware of what is expected from the industry is a crucial skill and I want to make sure that my work is conforming to this standard.
Rob Linssen:
"Válenfall" - 7 days Ago
This is a stylised environment showing off the large scale of the location. Lots of sweeping shots give it a good sense of scale.
Joseph Armour:
"The Pale Elk" - 2 Months Ago
https://vimeo.com/274110496
This is a more kinetic video with some movement within the shots. My own video will most likely be much slower paced with less animation.
Emma Drew:
"Abandoned study" - 3 Months Ago
https://vimeo.com/269523304
This is an interesting project for me because it is similar in theme to what I am going for. I like to see how others have executed the same concept. She has shown off a lot of the foliage in this video which is something I want to do as well.
Vistorovschi Victor:
"Torrens Gallery" - 6 Months Ago
This video is really professionally made. The editing is very well paced and does an excellent job showing off the environments details.
My thoughts on these examples:
I have tried to select a range of artists across different skill levels. Whilst the quality of the videos may vary, all of these environments have let the visuals do the talking. I will be choosing to do this for my promotional video as well because I feel that if I try to explain my project it will come off as looking amateurish in comparison. Besides that, one of the primary objectives of my project was to tell a story through visual means. It would be antithetical to my goals to explain the plot and concept when I have intentional left those as a mystery for people to solve.
One thing I have noticed is that music they have chosen is very understated and in some cases is mostly ambient noise. I think this is a good idea because the visuals are the focus. I have a particular song in mind that should enchance the mood I am wanting to create and not compete with the environment itself.
Shot Inspiration:
I have also looked at this video of the Winchester mystery house because I feel it has some eerie shots that will lend themselves well to my environment:
A promotional video of the Winchester mystery house.
ARMOUR, J. (2018) The Pale Elk. [Online Video]. June 8th. Available from: https://vimeo.com/274110496 [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
DREW, E. (2018) Abandoned Study. [Online Video]. May 13th. Available from: https://vimeo.com/269523304 [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
HKDEUS (2018) Torrens Galley. [Online Video]. January 27th. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIeohE6i0h0 [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
HOUZZ TV (2018) Winchester Mystery House POV Fly Through. [Online Video]. February 3rd. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S5505SeNLA [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
PROJECT R0LIN (2018)"Válenfall" - Stylized Environment Flythrough. [Online Video]. August 1st. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26jUcpYosBw [Accessed: 03/08/2018].
Thursday, 2 August 2018
Week 11 - Thursday: Grand Piano
Scott Homer Destroyed Grand Piano (2017).
It was the beauty of the grand piano being completely destroyed that made me want to create one for myself. My Unreal Engine scene has been occuppied with calculating light bakes at the moment which has left me with not much else to do besides 3D modelling. I decided to spend this time creating another strong asset piece to include in my portfolio.
A grand piano I created in 3DS Max. The low poly model is in blue on the left.
It took me three days spread across doing lighting tests within Unreal Engine to finish the asset:
The finished portfolio piece.
I am going to be using this asset at the end of the hallway so that it gives the illusion there is much more to explore.
CHUPP'S PIANOS. (2018). 1926 Mason & Hamlin Model AA Grand Piano [Online Image]. Available at: https://www.chuppspianos.com/pianos/mason-hamlin/1926-mason-hamlin-model-aa-grand-piano-ebony-fully-restored/ [Accessed: 30/07/2018].
CHUPP'S PIANOS. (2018). Restored 1930 Steinway Model D Grand Piano [Online Image]. Available at: https://www.chuppspianos.com/pianos/steinway/steinway-model-d/1930-model-d-grand-piano-270927/ [Accessed: 30/07/2018].
HOMER, S. (2017). Destroyed Grand Piano Diorama [Online Image]. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/XXEdl [Accessed: 30/07/2018].
Wednesday, 1 August 2018
Week 11 - Wednesday: Tutorial and adding foliage to the interior
In todays tutorial, I received some feedback on my foliage decals. They were considered unrealistic and the details of on the surfaces projected by them were coming through underneath. Thankfully I was shown a much better way of creating realistic vines using planes to simulate leaves and parallax occlusion mapping to add a bit of depth.
I first went back to 3DS Max and created some planes that were mapped with a leaf texture. What you see in the images below are the leaf planes with their alpha masks displayed:
For my leaf planes I have added some edge loops so that I can animate the leaves slightly in Unreal Engine. This also gives the leaves some better definition as curving the planes makes it easy to see the leaves from multiple angles in the engine.
I used real geometry from the vine decal that I had created to help me align the leaves. Using the align spacing tool I was able to quickly create a spline path and then make my leaves follow it just as I had done with the pattern on my rug asset.
Below you can see the texture maps I created for the individual leaves:
When taken into Unreal Engine the vines look like this:
I have used my original alpha mask from the vine decal to cut out the plane. Using parallax occlusion mapping I was able to give some further depth to the cut out vine texture. The leaves are using their own material as you can see in the image above.
Below you can see the effect of all the vines clustered together in the scene:
I think these are looking much better than what I had before. Bringing some greenery into the interior is also going to help make the environment pop. In terms of my criteria for determining my colour palette, I think the inclusion of the colour green is going to emphasise that nature is slowly taking over the mansion.
I first went back to 3DS Max and created some planes that were mapped with a leaf texture. What you see in the images below are the leaf planes with their alpha masks displayed:
Two types of vines I created to put in my environment. One is a generic vine card that I can repeat throughout my scene and the other is a specific piece that I can use to hang over the balcony in the entrance hall.
For my leaf planes I have added some edge loops so that I can animate the leaves slightly in Unreal Engine. This also gives the leaves some better definition as curving the planes makes it easy to see the leaves from multiple angles in the engine.
A close up of my leaf planes with alpha masks displayed.
I used real geometry from the vine decal that I had created to help me align the leaves. Using the align spacing tool I was able to quickly create a spline path and then make my leaves follow it just as I had done with the pattern on my rug asset.
The leaves following the paths I created. The vine geometry will not be used in the engine only the leaves and the larger plane.
Below you can see the texture maps I created for the individual leaves:
The normal, albedo and alpha maps for the leaf.
When taken into Unreal Engine the vines look like this:
The vine model in Unreal Engine.
I have used my original alpha mask from the vine decal to cut out the plane. Using parallax occlusion mapping I was able to give some further depth to the cut out vine texture. The leaves are using their own material as you can see in the image above.
Below you can see the effect of all the vines clustered together in the scene:
Multiple vines placed together to create the ivy on the house.
I think these are looking much better than what I had before. Bringing some greenery into the interior is also going to help make the environment pop. In terms of my criteria for determining my colour palette, I think the inclusion of the colour green is going to emphasise that nature is slowly taking over the mansion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)