Arch Doorway Scene
polycounter lvl 18
Something I've been messing with the past week or two. I put together a quick concept using SKetchup and Photoshop, then decided I should make a real-time scene based on it. I'll show more details and wireframes after I add some fire, and grass for the terrain. Maybe add some proper lighting using Source. Six objects, not including the terrain and wall. I've had lots of trouble getting good looking vines (yes i read the thread). I'm thinking it looks better without.
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Door texture could have some more detail like small gaps where it touches the floor. Also some color variation form bottom to top (like dust)could help. Anyways, the wood would not have the same condition on the door surface cause bottom and middle areas are more exposed to sun and rain.
Also ivy needs more work. Now it looks like slime or something. It needs to have more detailed alpha edges as well as some holes inside the surface. Make it look more like it has leaves because now it looks like some procedural green noise.
Stones could benefit from some moss on the bottom.
All models, materials, particles, etc. in this image are my creation.
The above image is great, if you could work in dirt to the corners it would kick the hell out of your latest effort.
I know you mentioned lights but the steps aren't being illuminated by the flames and so they don't match. Some baked ambient occlusion between the steps and mini walls or just changing the mini walls to a whiter colour would help alot.
Hope to see more
http://flickr.com/photos/marta_gufstasson/2233318110/
http://flickr.com/photos/tengutech/1789519773/
http://flickr.com/photos/paulroddy/475390538/
You should take a look at the details that are present and how you can embellish your highpoly models more. Right now everything feels really soft especially in the final image (this could be attributed to the Source engine, IMO it doesn't light normals very well).
Everything just needs a little bit more structural detail and then it needs some weathering detail. There should be pits and chips in the stones normal maps, and subtly added to the diffuse to make it pop.
The stone needs a weathering pass, and not just like drips and stains in the cracks but like a subtle gradient going from the bottom of the door way to the top, something that just implies more dirt gathering there.
All of these detail suggestions go for the metal urn things at the bottom, they look very low poly even in the last pic. They're also lacking any material information, I'd expect to see some subtle reflection and a specular highlight on them.
As far as lighting goes, it looks like it's all just blending together. I'd expect the light from the fire to be more localized and the scene to have more contrast.
http://pcmedia.gamespy.com/pc/image/article/605/605135/unreal-engine-3-project-untitled-20050418001052671.jpg
also the stone bricks need to look weathered and have some history behind them the weather elements have chipped away at the surface. It's definitely a good start, but i know you can do a lot better
I did use photo reference. I didn't aim to add lots of details. Maybe when I can work a little faster. And there is a distinct lack of reference for braziers on the internet.
Are the normalmaps and specular actually turned on in that image? If so, it's near impossible to tell. If not, nevermind me.
Oops. Forgot to rebuild my cubemaps for HDR lighting. Thanks. Adjusted the lights again while I was at it.
I will add also that u need to make some dirt/drakening where your stairs meet stone wall (small one that has fire on it). Also mapping of horizontal wall pieces doesn't match with angled ones. The cut in stone texture is clearly visible.
Fuse gave me the idea of having huge flags hanging from the open walls on the sides. Perhaps I'll try that tomorrow.
Adding some contact dirt/mud on where the bricks and the ground meet would make it more believable, seeming that the ground looks like mud.
The flags would a good idea to add more story to the scene, and perhaps hide the repetition on the wall textures, though pretty seamless at this point.
The fire is a bit much. If anyone were to try and walk up or down those steps they'd curse the name of the owner of this place for burning their flesh and killing the hair on their entire body. The intensity of those flames is quite a lot.
I actually think a more muted approach to the fire would be pretty slick. Have you ever had any flambe desserts? Or seen oil on a plate lit on a fire? The entire spill goes blue with the flame meeting up in the middle and burning really low.. something like that may look pretty ambient. Right now they look... angry.
Ha! I just scrolled up to see your reference and the flames in the picture are sort of how I described them in my suggestion - I still say they're too strong, even in that, but its definitely the direction I think you should go.
Can I see your wires for the ivy? It looks really flat right now, especially on the wall where it creeps around the door frame, and I think getting some layers to the ivy will get you some great shadows and added depth.
I'd also get some proper sky lighting in there. You have no shadows and all of the depth that those doors have is lost when there aren't any shadows being drawn to show how inset they are to the wall.
Good stuff, keep going.
some one suggested moss,that wil be fine when u add some specular.
see the unreal environments for example,they carry nice specualr details and normal details on the stones,particularly the crevices are nice.
would also love to see some construction sheets of urs.
Vj
I'm going to stop adding to this scene for now to focus on the Time2Die challenge. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. This has turned out to be better than I had planned. I'll put what I've learned towards another scene.