SCI-FI Stuff and Crates for an upcoming Indie Game

Gazu

Hey Guys!

Because i started my first professional work from May 16, i hadn´t the time to make some private stuff.
Until now, where i started in my freetime to work on a Indie Game in a small Team.

Well, its a Sci-Fi Game and im working on some Props for it.
Here is Sci-Fi Crate Number 1, still HP, but ready to make an LowPoly out of it and to bake it:


Not sure if i will continue to make some more HighPoly Crates or to finish one 100% and to start the next one then.
Will see!

Cheers!


Post Edit:
Crate Number 2


Post Edit:
Crate Number 3

Zack Maxwell

I have a couple critiques.
First, little about it seems to serve a practical purpose. It doesn't read well as a container; just a mass of greeble. It looks more like some sort of engine to me than a crate.
Second, I don't know what platform it's for, or how large it will be, but it looks like it'll be hell to create a lowpoly for it without a relatively large polycount. Many of those large details won't read well as just a normal map on a flat surface.
If it's a large centerpiece to a scene, and not for a mobile title, than I suppose it should be fine.
It looks like it's actually supposed to be relatively small though, which could be an issue.

Gazu

Hey Grimwolf,

Thanks for your Critique!
You are saying that it looks more like a engine, then a crate. Well thats pretty good that you are telling me this. Because it is actually some kind of "Ship Repair Tool" which replaces the old damaged with the new one and gives the Space Ship new Energy
But because im planing to add more works in this thread i just called the thread "Crates" I think this is the best name for all "Boxes" i will present here

For the second one:
Well i will make 2 LowPoly Versions out of it. A more detailed one, because the player is able to see it from near and a "almost all baked" version from far away with a smaller polycount. Plattform is PC.

Thank you!

Gazu

Bake Done, 6K Triangles.
Could be Smaller in Tris, but in this Case its for a small Sci-Fi Scene where things actually can have real Geo and can be a bit more rounded

NoRank

Looks pretty good. Overly detailed but pretty good.

Did you have any concept art?

Gazu

Hey NoRank,

Thanks for your comment.
I concepted while i modeled, because we have no concept artist in our team, and im not a 2d concepter.
But i used a ref. board with about 20 different crate pictures and i took the best out of them to create my own box in my own unique style.

Thanks!

LaurentiuN

It looks cool, but in my opinion there are to many details, no place to rest my eyes.

Gazu

Yeah i was scared that with less details, the look will be uninteresting, haha ^^
So i tried to fill up the Faces as much as possible

For the next Crate i try to find a similar look but with less details, but for now... the bake is done, lets texture that thing first

Dethling

Nice work and clean bake, but I have to agree to the others, it's far to detailed. 

For details I always try to think about "what are needed parts, who uses is and what for?" 
Details are always based on tech, use and ergonomic. 

Example: There are concept guns which are covered with details, small parts and extensions. But if you have a gun, you want it to be simple (so a possible repair is easy) and sleek (so it will not interfere with your other equipment or even worse, got stuck to something and it hinders your movement). 

Of course there is also the "rule of cool" but there is no reason to not keep an eye on both, and sometimes a more realistic/believable design is even cooler.

For your new crate I would think of the purpose (in the game universe & in the game mechanic). Then sketch a "in universe" version and check out if it already submit the game mechanic it's used for. If not, do some slight adjustments to push it. Colors (and texture) are a very good helper on this (everyone knows red barrels explode, red flasks give life, blue gives energy etc.), also simple silhouette views can help defining the readability of an object.  

Looking forward to the textured version and the next crate.

Zack Maxwell

A good rule I've heard before on sci-fi / hard-surface stuff is to keep the details at a 70/30 ratio. 70% relatively clean surfaces, and 30% greeble / heavy detail. That way your eyes have places to rest and it looks less chaotic. Tor Frick's work has some good examples.

Gazu

Thanks Guys, will take your words into the new Crate!

Gazu

First Pass on the Textures:

Gazu

Final Unreal Engine Render. People. what do you think.
To go a Step back and to keep the Crate more Clean like the "First Pass Textures" or to keep it this way, more Dirty?

Dethling

I think this really depends on the size of the object in the game. If it's a "power-up" item for a top down/iso game then it's a bit little to noisy, if it's for an ego-shooter it's fine.
Personally I would try to add some highligh colors (e.g. some green or blue parts). This would also make its function easier to read.
Also if it's for an ego-shooter view, add decals and text.

Shrike

This does not look like a crate, a machine or generator would be plausible, but the future has the same conceptions of space, as a crate the function is really not given if it exists to store goods

Most of the time, real life has enough sci-fi looking stuff already as far as most basic props go
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/6b/fa/de/6bfadeb1f35d5c3a9bbb71f5c0d7fcd0.jpg

Aside, the execution seems pretty good. Maybe the upper part could have a color layer instead of just metal ? Special gameplay elements should always be color coded. If its a repair tool, yellow or blue would be the adequate design colors. 

Gazu

Main Input, also from other People was that the Design is a bit off.
Well, im the only artist in the Team, so i must concept while modeling

But I think its ok for a "Ship Repair Unit", its not a crate. I named the Thread "Crates" because there will be soon, more Boxes in this thread. This Ship Repair Unit is a exception. Its a pickup for Ship Energy. Edit: I renamed the Thread now ^^
The Main Story behind this Box is that it is installed deeply inside the Ship, surrounded by dirty cables, oily spots and turbines.
Thats why i tought about to make it a bit more dirty
A Ryzin Team Member told me that every Asset needs a Story, so Texturing is more easy.
And i think it would be ok , to be more dirty and scratched because, like i said, the story behind this asset is, that its installed near the engine, where its dirty and oily. Maybe its wrong, because of this, to go a cleaner way. mhhh

Zack Maxwell

Gazu said:

Main Input, also from other People was that the Design is a bit off.
Well, im the only artist in the Team, so i must concept while modeling

But I think its ok for a "Ship Repair Unit", its not a crate. I named the Thread "Crates" because there will be soon, more Boxes in this thread. This Ship Repair Unit is a exception. Its a pickup for Ship Energy. Edit: I renamed the Thread now ^^
The Main Story behind this Box is that it is installed deeply inside the Ship, surrounded by dirty cables, oily spots and turbines.
Thats why i tought about to make it a bit more dirty
A Ryzin Team Member told me that every Asset needs a Story, so Texturing is more easy.
And i think it would be ok , to be more dirty and scratched because, like i said, the story behind this asset is, that its installed near the engine, where its dirty and oily. Maybe its wrong, because of this, to go a cleaner way. mhhh

But it's a new part getting installed, so in that case it probably should be clean.

Gazu

Allright Guys,
after all the Feedback, i decided to keep this Ship Repair Unit dirty because i think the Story with "Its intalled deep inside the engine, where its dirty and oily" sells best for this Asset. Im very thankful for your words and of course i will take your feedback to round 2, for the next Box/Crate/Sci-Fi Thingy ^^

Here Final Renders directly from UE4:

Hope you like it!

Cheers!

Deforges

If people can only critique design, that means you're doing great on execution. Very solid model in my opinion. do you have a scene setup already for these UE renders? or is there an asset store scene you are using?

Gazu

Hey Deforges, thanks for your words.

Create a new Unreal Engine Project with Starter Content. Inside the Project switch to the "Advanced Lightning" Map inside the "Maps" Folder of the Starter Content. There you have your HDR Sky for rendering Assets.
Im using the free HDRs from the sIBL Archive:
http://www.hdrlabs.com/sibl/archive.html

Download the Skyies you want  and import the HDR Files into the Project.
Then play around with the Post Process Volume, the HDR Brightness and so on....pretty simple

Gazu

I was not satisfied with my texture Work so i decided to tweak them. They look like they have only one Glossy Roughness Coat without any variation.
That was the main reason why i started almost from scratch. Textured 100% in Painter.

Gazu

Hey People,

so im back with Crate No2, still HP:

Gazu

Bake Done! 6K Tris. Next Texturing.

Gazu

Happy New Year All!
Almost Done!

Gazu

And Finished the RocketBox Crate, not sure about the Glass and the Emissive where the Bar is. Maybe i will delete them out.

fhurtubise

Looks good, I'm especially a fan of the layering on the materials. The several levels of dirt and edge wear contribute to creating a believable look to that last crate.

Gazu

Thx Buddy!

Gazu

Hi Guys!
Next thing is a Sci-Fi Barrel, HP WIP:

Gazu

Small Update on the HighPoly, i think i like it and its done.

Gazu

And Bake done, LP with Normals and AO:

Shrike

The edge definition on the red crate is way too even and looks very procedural/Fake as a cause. Its a great base tho, just erase randomly 30% of the edge wear with a grungy brush and you have near perfect edge wear. Models look good

Gazu

Yeah, i also thought about this.
Thanks for the Tip

Gazu

Hey Polycounters,
i finished the Sci-Fi Fuel Barrel, final renders in Unreal Engine 4 with different HDR Background Settings:

Hope you like it!

Cheers!

LaurentiuN

I like the barrel model but for me it looks more like a sci-fi grenade. Keep up the good work man.

Gazu

Haha, yeah, youre right and thank you.
While developing this Barrel, i also thought about that its very similar to a grenade shape.
I think its because of the FFD-Modifier i used started from the Middle point of the barrel.