[UDK] Alleyway Mini Scene

biofrost

I figured it would be fun to tackled something on a smaller scale and be able to focus on some of my weaker skills. So far I have mostly been doing sci- fi only things and I need to expand my skill set. So I figured a mini scene would be best to test that out.

My biggest issue that has been pointed out to me is that it seems a bit generic so far. I need to come up with some kind of story for this scene.

So any crits would be awesome, or ideas on how to liven this baby up.(ignore the brick textured trash bin haha)





and some Texture samples

Snader

Have one of the doors opened up to reveal:
-a drug scene
-someone tinkering on their bike
-a couple of secret agents monitoring a person of interest in their makeshift HQ
-some agents 'interrogating' a suspect
-a starting band playing for a small crowd
-an (illegal) snack bar
-someone having a garage sale
-¿¿??

Rurouni Strife

You planning to vert paint some grunge in there?

benj666

try adding some dirt and grime to the bricks make them feel used. Maybe add a graffiti decal on them or something ^_^ nice

RexM

The brick texture looks like cork board. The bricks seem too perfect as well.

biofrost

Some great crits guys! Snader that list is great. I think an illegal snack/ candy bar.

As for vert painting, of course! I have yet to do it my self so I have some tutorials to watch covering that subject..

Thanks RexM Ill go back and try and get a more brick look.

aajohnny

Adding on to what everyone else is saying. I think the graffiti is too perfect, it's like Leonardo Da Vinci Painted it on there all joking aside, it seems like your on the right track, keep it up and take the changes to heart (which it seems you are)

chrisradsby

Right now it's very simple dude, it's like something you could kick out in a day easy. I know it's a mini-scene but if you're making an alley way it shouldn't look like all the other alleyways out there and if it does make damn sure it looks better than the rest of them.

The brick-texture looks too clean I'd say. Depending on the feeling you want to convey you'd be better off making sure the brick-texture look good in all lighting conditions. IT's going to be the main thing people see, make sure it looks good.

You're going the right way with something not too damaged and grimey though, even though some damage and color variation could be good. You can always blend in another texture to make it look better and more varied but right now yours isn't that good. I feel like the whole thing needs more love and if you're going realistic Zbrush or proper photo-sourcing of textures would help Zbrush especially if you're going for something with tessellation in the end.

Have a looksie at the Crysis 2 Bricks




Now get to it! go on! get!

ivanzu

The lighting is pretty boring try adding a mix of yellow and orange on some sort of lamp .

biofrost

Thanks chris! Those DX11 bricks look awesome, when my new pc is built I'll have some tessellation on mine too. Sadly without access to Zbrush though I'll have to rely on photo sourcing for my bricks. This is what I have changed so far.




Once I get this base brick texture looking good enough ill move on to a variation for mesh painting.

Alberto Rdrgz

Your grout is the same color as your bricks, watch that, it looks like your bricks are getting lost.

biofrost

Good catch, I can't believe I missed that.

Alberto Rdrgz

yeah much better, now, your diffuse. It has too much information, try it only with basic colors instead of so much photo sourcing. it makes your texture look too blurry. leave that stuff for the spec, if any.

ivanzu

Looking good but your specular map is too strong.From what I can see in the latest image it looks like you have some UV problems or its just the render?

biofrost

Yeah there was some uv issues but there gone now. Toned down the photo overlays and leave the bumps all to the normal map.



I started a blockout out of the room behind one of the doors but then it dawned on me I have no idea what those rooms are called to look for reference. Would they just be a storage room?

biofrost

Minor update, got some texture work done on the air conditioner, still needs some sort of company logo. Any crits for it before I more onto another prop?

chrisradsby

Go from Big to Small, get yer composition right son! It's just a wall with a air-conditioner slapped on it. Figure out what to do with the rest of the scene, like I said before, if you're going to have an alleyway you need to make damn sure it's an awesome alleyway. Like you said in the first post, you need to have some kind of story here.

Bricks look better though and it's a quite nice air-conditioner as well

biofrost

Sir yes sir! Trust me I have a story ready and waiting, just not quite ready to show it yet.I just have a tendency to jump around a lot(bad habit I need to break)

biofrost

Well after building a new pc, graduating, attending a funeral and finally a huge storm that knocked out power for 2 days I have a update! The idea is to have a little hidden bar in the near future not unlike a lot of tiny bars in japan.

I want to have some nice blue light spilling into the street luring people to come and drink.

SirCalalot

Looking good so far

I think this scene would really benefit from being extended a bit further.
Not too much, mind, but enough so that you can't see the edges of the environment from the camera.

Just something to give the impression that this is a small part of a larger world really.

Keep up the good work!

Sharvo

Yeah totally agree, guess this is still fairly early in its stage. But yeah I would suggest that the outer are might be a carpark or something it doesnt strike me as an alley way ( whats the on the other side? But yeah maybe some steps on the left of the building which leads up an alleyway to the main road, which would have some neon signs, lamp posts, maybe some cameras, and in your lil bar have some screens with the camera views on, like they are watching out for something.


But yeah big improvement on the brick work, when it comes to it i would suggest pushing the spec a bit more

yodude87

my 2 cents is that your normals are way TOO noisy. get rid of some of that noisiness in the normal maps, and make your spec maps help selling the bricks as well.

points id take into consideration:

1) making the normal maps a bit less noisy

2) working the spec maps a bit more, defining materials

3) having the diffuse maps only with flat colors + a little grunge

4) vert painting.

these alone would make our scene look awesome ^^