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[CE3] Sci-fi Machine Room

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polycounter lvl 6
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AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
Hi guys,

So, I decided to start a new project. Since I tried to make a sci-fi environment for a really long time and failed everytime, I want to go slowly on this one and do the proper planning and also post it here!

After thinking about it for a while, I've decided to do a sci-fi machine room with big and futuristic engines, generators, tons of cables, control panels and stuff like that.

I have to say that I'am a really beginner to that whole game art and 3D thing so I don't know, how to start with environments/scenes like that properly!


Here's how I started:

First I gathered reference all over the internet to get a basic idea of what I want to create. Here's a little mood/referenceboard of the stuff which inspired me most.


Moodboard.jpg


After I've had a solid idea, I started blocking out the whole thing in max and brought the first stuff into the engine.

As for the engine, as you can see, I've choosen the CryEngine since I really love the capabilities of it and wanted to get some more familiar with it for a while now so I thought this is the chance!

Before that, I wanted to make the "centerpiece" of the entire scene. As I knew it would take a while (I'am really, really bad at designing sci-fi stuff^^) I started that thing after the first few pieces I brought into the Engine.

Here is what I came around with:

MAGPresent01Size.jpg


After that was done, I've went further with the blockout. And yeah, here I'am now. :P

And this is what I've got so far:


Editor2013030601213615.jpg

Editor2013030601214842.jpg

Editor2013030601212466.jpg

It's not much at the moment but C&C is really appreciated! Also I would like to know if I'am on the right track or better go and do something else. :P

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • PhoenixWolf
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    PhoenixWolf polycounter lvl 9
    lovely work im looking forward to this
  • Treboras
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    Treboras polycounter lvl 12
    Yeah you seem to be on the right track! The high polys are beautifully detailed! Keep them coming! :D
  • Talion93
    Looks awesome so far, can't wait to see some more on it!
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Thanks a lot for your replies! I'am really relieved to hear that I'am on the right way!

    I've started blocking out some kind of terminal thing. I don't wanted to go crazy about the design so I kept it very simple. I want to do the tricky design stuff first since -as I said- I'am not good at that.

    So, heres a quick viewport grab of the basic design/style I want to start off with for the terminals and control panels.
    Of course there will be added lots of wires later on. :D
    Keyboard will be holographic so these little things on top should be the emitters.

    term.jpg

    Thats all I got for the moment! Thanks again!
    C&C is really appreciated...as usual! :D
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Finished the high poly of the terminal. As you can see for the sake of time I kept it very simple.
    Next step is to take the blockout some further and begin to block in the "smaller" stuff.


    TermPresent.jpg


    C&C is always welcome! :) (Especially on the design stuff^^)
  • Target_Renegade
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    Target_Renegade polycounter lvl 11
    Great block out, hot/cold colours could do well in this environment. Would like to see something entertaining on the left hand side of the control room. Nice so far.
  • Brygelsmack
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    Brygelsmack polycounter lvl 11
    Well this thread is taking forever to load...
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    @Target_Renegade: Thank you! On the left side I'am going to add some kind of crane like machines and such stuff. I'll block out the lighting later on, thank you for the hint! :)

    @Brygelsmack: Thanks for mentioning this! I've changed the resolution of the pictures. Please let me now if its better now.
  • The_Blenderer
    really cool detailing

    Concept wise I wonder, if you can project a keyboard on nothing but air, why not project a screen?

    in case you are wondering current cutting edge technology of projected keyboard still requires a surface so that the light beam collide with something and the Z axis of where the user fingers tapped can be more easily mapped and recognized.So I assume this device belongs to an era when they already learned to create full interactive holo-projections
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Thank you!
    Concept wise I wonder, if you can project a keyboard on nothing but air, why not project a screen?
    The reason for that is, that I want to combine two different styles in this environment. On one hand, that clean, minimalistic, modern science fiction like you find it in games like Mass Effect and Deus Ex and on the other hand that "old" sci-fi style with big pipes and -sometimes blocky- overexeggerated shapes like you would find it in an old Alien movie. I know, logically it makes absolutley no sense but I see this as some kind of a self challenge in terms of design. Maybe should have mentioned that before...
    in case you are wondering current cutting edge technology of projected keyboard still requires a surface so that the light beam collide with something and the Z axis of where the user fingers tapped can be more easily mapped and recognized.So I assume this device belongs to an era when they already learned to create full interactive holo-projections
    Very interesting facts I didn't knew! Thanks!
    But for the time this environment is set in, I think it's about 2290. So very far away. I also didn't knew that technical accuracy is that important in an sci-fi environment. For the next assets I try to stay with the artstyle I'am going for but also take the technical aspect more into account.
  • Brygelsmack
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    Brygelsmack polycounter lvl 11
    Much better, thanks. This looks very cool man. :)
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Thank you, Brygelsmack!

    At the moment I'am working on the first design for a ground plate. I want to have 3 sorts of ground plates in the end:

    One with pipes (this one and one with a curved pipe), one with cables,
    and one with just some kind of metal casing on it.

    GroundPlate01.jpg

    I really would like to go further on the actual environment instead of spamming you with that high poly stuff but I would like to do the most difficult and most time consuming things first.
    Is that the right approach?
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    I did a quick test bake on the ground plate to see how it would look in the engine. Just normal and ao atm.

    Maybe I'am going to add some more modelled detail to it instead of tons of normal mapped detail. How many tris is okay for a ground plate like this?

    Editor2013030720194390.png
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    I rearranged the whole thing a bit by increasing the size of the pipe plates and added some smaller ones. Maybe the metal in the middle of the new plates is a bit noisy but as you may see, this is far away from final.


    Editor2013030723002696.png
  • Camrat
    I'm really liking where this is going so far, Your high poly work is great look forward to seeing more :)
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Thanks a lot, Camrat! :)

    I couldn't resist and did some texturing tests. Going to finally take the blockout further tomorrow.

    Editor2013030801101914.jpg


    Editor2013030801095047.jpg
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Playing a bit more with the textures and the material editor to achieve the right look of the metal. Also testing with different light colors.

    Editor2013030813212952.jpg
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Some progress. :)

    Editor2013030820185984.jpg

    Editor2013030820193636.jpg

    Editor2013030820191031.jpg

    C&C is really welcome! :)
  • Borgleader
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    Borgleader polycounter lvl 6
    I've been keeping an eye on this thread for a while now, really nice stuff, keep it up! :)
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Thank you, Borgleader!

    Just another small update. I've worked a bit on the barriers and stairs.

    Editor2013030901095833.jpg

    Editor2013030901103622.jpg
  • Wingednosering
    Loving this. Great hi-poly work and material definition in the textures.
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Thanks a lot, Wingednosering! I try my best! :)

    Aaaaand....

    Bit of an update.

    This is the scene as it states atm:

    Editor2013030918093448.jpg

    Today I've worked on the monitors on the wall:

    Editor2013030918094230.jpg

    And thats how they look from behind:

    Editor2013030918101150.jpg

    Editor2013030918102241.jpg

    I know the normals are far away from perfect now. I try to fix that immediately!


    And the highpoly:

    MonitorPresent.jpg

    Nothing special^^

    C&C is appreciated! :)
  • bnosam
    Wow, this is coming along amazingly. Can't wait to see the finished product.
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Thanks a lot, bnosam!

    Fixed all those ugly normal map/smoothing group artifacts.

    Editor2013030920032831.jpg

    Editor2013030920033356.jpg
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Went a bit further

    Editor2013031020522058.jpg

    Editor2013031020520747.jpg

    C&C is always appreciated! :)
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Hm....I noticed that I do not recieve any kind of critique. I wonder if there is a reason for this?
    Is there something I do/I've done wrong? If so, I would like to know what it is and how I can fix it.
    Is the work too bad?
    Is there just nothing to critique?

    In the last case, I were happy but I think there is lots of stuff I could improve if I'd recieve some crit.
    Just wanted to say that. Thanks in advance for any kind of critique! :)
  • Brygelsmack
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    Brygelsmack polycounter lvl 11
    AkiRa wrote: »
    Hm....I noticed that I do not recieve any kind of critique. I wonder if there is a reason for this?
    Is there something I do/I've done wrong? If so, I would like to know what it is and how I can fix it.
    Is the work too bad?
    Is there just nothing to critique?

    In the last case, I were happy but I think there is lots of stuff I could improve if I'd recieve some crit.
    Just wanted to say that. Thanks in advance for any kind of critique! :)
    Don't worry, it's just what Polycount is like. Their slogan should be:

    "Polycount - Where pros are praised."

    Everyone in between shitty and pro are just left to figure out what to do on their own... If you're awesome, you get tons of pages worth of praise, if you suck, you get tons of pages worth of crits. If you're good, you get nearly nothing. But hey, you got two pages already, it's more than what I've been able to scrape together.

    I think this looks nice man. Keep at it. :)
  • Kazperstan
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    Kazperstan greentooth
    Threads get buried quite quickly here, best bet is to post on WAYWO now and then as a X-post..
    But yes, I'm silently stalking this project :D looking forward to seeing more

    Think maybe the Bloom on the screens can be toned down a bit so we can see the stuff on the screens, maybe get some movement on them :D
  • Gary Matycich
    Subbing thread. cant wait to see more!
  • aaronmwolford
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    aaronmwolford polycounter lvl 8
    Sick hipoly work man! Keep it up this is seriously interesting. The turbine-ish models are a nice addition. I'm excited to see what you do with the main long cylindrical models on the floor.

    I'm also digging the extreme hot and cold color scheme. Sort of reminds be a bit of the bulletstorm color pallets.

    Sort of a preference crit, but it would be awesome to have one of the floor panels by the thick wires offset and pullet up so you can see the underworkings. Maybe some repairs are going on. This would help make the room feel larger and be a nice place to mimic the normal details such at the back of the monitors. (wires,pipes,etc.)

    Again just a thought. Keep it up!
  • e-freak
    quite like your approach on this. the whiteboxing is very good already and gives a great sense of scale and lighting. the highpoly work (and the first tests you already have in the engine) seem to be top notch too!

    just keep posting :)
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Woha, thanks a lot guys! Didn't expect so much replies!

    @Brygelsmack:
    Thank you.
    What you described is exactly what I've saw many times before on the polycount reply-o-meter if you know it. Sad but true.

    @Kazperstan:
    Thanks! Yes, I've posted in the WAYWO as an x-post but this thread goes that fast that your stuff is not really been seen.
    About the monitors I struggle with the sub-material for the screens itself to play videos on them. Will figure out how that works later on.

    @Gary Maticych:
    Thank you kindly! :)

    @aaronmwolford:
    Thank you!
    The big turbine model is long planned. Will write a bit more about that now.
    The color scheme is not really final yet, since I'am not sure about the overall colors itself. Also I'am not sure, if I should use subtle ambient light or illuminate the complete room with light entities.
    I've already had in mind that floorplate thingy you mentioned. I'am going to make a smaller opening on the right side of the plates where you can see the details which will be there in the future.

    @e-freak:
    Thanks a lot! I'am really glad you like it!

    _______________________________________________________________

    Okay, so for now I've started to gather reference for the big turbine in the middle of the room at the start of the project but I've mainly looked for modern steam turbines.
    I've stumbled upon some pictures of turbines called "gas turbines" and was overwhelmed by the awesome amount of sci-fi looking details on them. Here is a little referenceboard I've mocked up quickly to show you some of the pictures I use to get an idea for the main style and design of the center turbine.

    turbinemooboard.jpg

    All of those pictures show awesome details but this one is the one which style and colorscheme I like the most so its also the one I'll heavily base my turbine on.

    gasturbinesiemensIII.jpg


    I'll start with the high poly of the turbine right now. This could take some time since -how I realized now- this thing is the "hero-prop"^^

    Thanks again for all your replies and critique! :)
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    So, after a bit of working here's a little update on the main turbine

    Still very simple and WIP

    TurbineWIPLo.jpg

    Any C&C is welcome! :)
  • KartoonHead
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    KartoonHead polycounter lvl 4
    Your high-poly work is brilliant, and you're pushing them out at a fair clip! I feel like you could be pushing your low-polys a bit more, more geo, better bakes, and a bit more love and time could be spent on the textures, sell those materials.
  • RavenTheBird
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    RavenTheBird polycounter lvl 12
    I like your highpoly work, can't wait for the finish product.

    btw i think the colour matching for some props is too mix up between cool color and warm color, it make abit weird for me.

    a quick sample is the backside of the monitor, the red color is not matching with the blue wire.

    correct me if im wrong :D
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    @Kartoonhead: Thank you! You're right, I'am not really good with low polys, bakes, texturing and optimization. I really need to get better with that.

    @RavenTheBird:
    Thanks!
    No, you're right. But the blue and the red cable are the mass and the plus cable. Don't know if its technically correct but I've saw it in some reference pictures so I replicated it.
    The red color behind the lever is to make clear that this lever should only be used in case of emergency or malfuction.
  • mospheric
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    mospheric polycounter lvl 11
    I'm enjoying the progress on this thread. As people have mentioned, your high poly models are great. From what I can tell in the overall scene, your contrast seems a bit too harsh. The darks are too black in my opinion. I know you'll probably do a better lighting pass once textures start to fill it out.

    Can't wait to see more progress.
  • Clos323
  • AlexCatMasterSupreme
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    AlexCatMasterSupreme interpolator
    The idea behind it is cool, but the colors are not good, they don't work well at all and just make it look meh. The high polys are good but them colors man. Them colors. Also the amount of glow is a big over the top (and super saturated) on a lot of the props it seems. Find a good color scheme.

    Instead of bright as fuck and saturated as hell reds use a light orange or a desaturated red. But keep the red and grey/silver color scheme, don't introduce greens lights, blue lights, ect, try and either use well placed lights to add contrast or keep it mostly one color. It's hard to explain but it's all over the place and just not as cool as it could be.
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    @mospheric:
    Thank you!
    All the light, bloom, glow etc. I've got in the scene right now is just temporary. I'am going to finish all the stuff like high poly, low poly and baking first, then make out a good color scheme and texture my assets according to that.

    @Clos323:
    Thanks a lot! :)

    @AlexCatMasterSupreme:
    Thank you!
    Like I wrote above, lights and textures are all just some temporary playaround. I start with the real texturing and lighting process after all the high poly, low poly and baking is done properly. So finding a good color scheme is definatley part of the plan.
    I want to keep the basic idea of the hot and cold lighting as you said but there will be needed tons of tweaking in the future. Further I'am going to remove all the diffuse maps I've applied to the assets right now and replace it with just normal and AO until the final texture is done and the lighting is someting better.
    Thanks again for your critique! :)
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    Alright...for the sake of a better overview, I've reverted the whole thing back a bit and replaced the test-textures with just the normal and ao with a basic white ambient lighting.
    Now I'll finish the rest of the high poly, low poly and baking stuff and when thats done, I'll start with the textures and the lighting.

    The "hole" in the middle is supposed to be the base the main turbine will sit in.

    Here is how it looks atm:

    Editor2013031218072890.jpg

    Editor2013031218075294.jpg
  • Stormfreek
    Don't worry dude, take it as a sign that you are making good progress if there are no crits! We are all waiting to see how this turns out! Looks great so far! Why don't you post this on Crydev to try get more people interested?
  • Add3r
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    Add3r polycounter lvl 11
    Like others have said, dont take the fact that a lot will not give you praise as a bad thing. AS he said, Polycount, you dont get praise unless you need some serious work, or you are incredible at what you do (or put an incredible piece out).

    Either way, your HP work is quite fantastic :) As a lover of solid HP work, I enjoy looking at your current pieces for inspiration. I also enjoy your use of Kit bashing (From what it looks like). Like others said, the colors were just meh in the grand scheme of things, didnt do your HP work justice. I know you said that they were just stand ins, and completely understand, simply just chiming in!
  • AlexCatMasterSupreme
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    AlexCatMasterSupreme interpolator
    AkiRa wrote: »
    Alright...for the sake of a better overview, I've reverted the whole thing back a bit and replaced the test-textures with just the normal and ao with a basic white ambient lighting.
    Now I'll finish the rest of the high poly, low poly and baking stuff and when thats done, I'll start with the textures and the lighting.

    The "hole" in the middle is supposed to be the base the main turbine will sit in.

    Here is how it looks atm:

    Editor2013031218072890.jpg
    More opinions...
    I really like the open part of the scene, the "floor" doesnt't look like a floor to me. I would go with a straight purpose to that floor, the massive pipe in the middle is what makes it confusing too. It just reads like "dont walk here" to me.

    Also keep composition in mind. Where do you want to place the camera for the final shots? Do you want to do a flyrthough? Make paints of interest, make the details lead the eye to your masterpiece in the scene. Make it work from a few angles well. Keep in mind how tons of detail can distract the eye. Use far detail to guide the eye to your main peice and the peices along the way. Once the eye rests let it have some more details to look at a little closer. THEN when your just walking near it have that close up detail to really bring the player in. If you make things too detailed it won't read well and would just be interpreted as visual noise.

    Also put a massive dick in the scene. That would be really funny.
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    @Stormfreek:
    Thanks! Yeah, I planned to post it on CryDev as well but their site was down in the last days. Will try it again tomorrow.

    @Add3r:
    Thank you!
    I don't want to be praised. Actually I prefer a harsh but helpful critique. :)
    As I said, I'am going to completley revise the colors later on. Hopefully that will work better.

    @AlexCatMasterSupreme:
    Alright, giant dicks make things better. Message recieved! :P

    The pipe in the middle of the floor panel is something I saw when I recently played Halo 4 and -poorly- tried to kind of "replicate" it. Since I don't have many ideas for floor panels and flat walls, I take any inspiration I get and tried to make it a bit more interesting by adding something that stands out.

    I have planned some spots for the final shots and also a flytrough but I want don't want to "concentrate" the details in those spots.
    As for the hero prop, in my opinion it's the main turbine in the middle of the room I'am working on at the moment.
    The detail for the super close view you mentioned are usually texture details I assume?

    As for the noise I think you mean the metal on the floor. Atm I don't like the scale of it and will make it something bigger later on that its readable way better.

    Also I plan to add an open hatch on the side of the turbine with some cables hanging out and a some tools lying on the ground next to it like there are some repairs are going on.
    Is that what you mean when you say "points of interest"?
  • Zyloh
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    Zyloh polycounter lvl 8
    This is so awesome.
  • KennyTies
    Holy crap that turbine is awesome! Is that the high poly in the scene?
  • AkiRa
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    AkiRa polycounter lvl 6
    @Zyloh:
    Thank you! :)

    @KennyTies:
    Thanks! No, there are just some smaller turbines in the actual scene right now. Atm I'am working on the high poly of the center turbine.
  • AlexCatMasterSupreme
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    AlexCatMasterSupreme interpolator
    AkiRa wrote: »
    @Stormfreek:
    Thanks! Yeah, I planned to post it on CryDev as well but their site was down in the last days. Will try it again tomorrow.

    @Add3r:
    Thank you!
    I don't want to be praised. Actually I prefer a harsh but helpful critique. :)
    As I said, I'am going to completley revise the colors later on. Hopefully that will work better.

    @AlexCatMasterSupreme:
    Alright, giant dicks make things better. Message recieved! :P

    The pipe in the middle of the floor panel is something I saw when I recently played Halo 4 and -poorly- tried to kind of "replicate" it. Since I don't have many ideas for floor panels and flat walls, I take any inspiration I get and tried to make it a bit more interesting by adding something that stands out.

    I have planned some spots for the final shots and also a flytrough but I want don't want to "concentrate" the details in those spots.
    As for the hero prop, in my opinion it's the main turbine in the middle of the room I'am working on at the moment.
    The detail for the super close view you mentioned are usually texture details I assume?

    As for the noise I think you mean the metal on the floor. Atm I don't like the scale of it and will make it something bigger later on that its readable way better.

    Also I plan to add an open hatch on the side of the turbine with some cables hanging out and a some tools lying on the ground next to it like there are some repairs are going on.
    Is that what you mean when you say "points of interest"?

    Well with textures generally you'd want to have 3 types of detail that read at different ranges, so it looks good from any distance, same goes for mechanical details. The big shapes draw you to the smaller shapes to make it feel more detailed and realistic, then the texture detail and rivets/bolts up close. The first or second video can explain some texturing and fundamentals pretty well. https://www.3dmotive.com/v101201.
  • KennyTies
    Really nice bakes, thats crazy.
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