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[CE3] Sci-fi residential map

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polycounter lvl 10
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EzMeow polycounter lvl 10
Long story short, I've decided to get a degree on top of my daily job. Luckily my experience in the industry made me skip all years of study and all I have to do is a map as student project (which would explain that I did put in hold all other project I had running).

Only constraint is that it has to be a playable map running at 60fps /1080p on a Xeon W3530 2.80GHz, 6gb RAM, and a GTX 465.

Anyway less text, moar images :

sci-fi_map_blocking11.jpg

sci-fi_map_blocking12.jpg

sci-fi_map_blocking13.jpg

Obviously everthing is still WIP, but crits are welcome~

Replies

  • Computron
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    Computron polycounter lvl 7
    Reminds me of a Brink concept. Clean!

    Now dirty it up, add some deeper AO using vertex colors and maybe increase the GI settings in the console?
  • Snader
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    Snader polycounter lvl 15
    I'm really not getting any sense of scale. How large is this thing? Throw some rudimentary people in there to see how your proportions work.
  • PhilipK
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    PhilipK polycounter lvl 10
    This is looking great! Very nice shapes and good amount of details IMO. I wouldn't dirty it up. If anything I'd try to add some vegetation here and there (if that'd fit the theme that is).
  • MartinH
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    MartinH polycounter lvl 8
    You have some really cool shapes going on with this building, i dig it alot man.

    What does the modular pieces that you made for this look like? I think the biggest challenge with a building like this is to make it out of a kit that can be reused to create alot of different variants.

    Some scale ref would be useful to have present to keep you from slipping up with the scale but looking at it i think you're doing pretty well, can't see any glaring problematic areas.

    Do you have some ref to go off of, or a rough sketch of what you envision this to look like in the end?

    Again, cool stuff, will keep an eye on this for sure.
  • Darkrusader
    Very nice! Love the clean sleek shapes. Im with Phil about keeping this thing clean and tossin in some greenery.
  • megalmn2000
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    megalmn2000 polycounter lvl 13
    The concept is really like. It reminds me of BRINK and some kind of graffiti shapes. Anyway, I would add more props like vegetations to give a sense of life into it. The water looks a bit fake, I think it's because of the specular/glossiness. Try to play around that. Can you show us more how you did the modularity? :)
  • Alberto Rdrgz
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    Alberto Rdrgz polycounter lvl 9
    looks pretty sweet
  • EzMeow
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    EzMeow polycounter lvl 10
    Thanks for the comments guys :).
    The original idea is to keep the whole environment clean. It should be a more detailed pass on the building itself but mostly some small props on top of it.
    A vegetation pass is on the list as well, but I'm trying to get the overall of the map done before starting another iteration.
    While I duplicated a lot of pieces to create the building in maya, the building isn't made from modular asset in the editor as I wanted something more unique and very line driven(and regroup all the drawcalls for performance reason).
    As for my references I went through Brink (as mentioned earlier) minus the dirt, a lot of modern architecture research (mostly Zaha Hadid),wipeOut, Tron, Mirror's Edge Etc...
  • JordanW
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    JordanW polycounter lvl 19
    badass shapes! needs a sense of place and scale but lookin great.
  • chrisradsby
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    chrisradsby polycounter lvl 14
    Really nice! Needs green bushes and benches STAT! :D
  • Donavonyoung
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    Donavonyoung polycounter lvl 6
    And possibly some of those neat news displays that are trasparent and emissive.
  • SHEPEIRO
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    SHEPEIRO polycounter lvl 17
    Really nice! Needs green bushes and benches STAT! :D

    +1

    id also like something "normal" to set it off like a bin or a dinosaur
  • Orb
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    Orb polycounter lvl 13
    Looks awesome...Hope you'll make a playable scene :)
  • EzMeow
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    EzMeow polycounter lvl 10
    Small update, no obvious change but it slowly taking shape.

    Trying to get the volumes of the lower floor :
    sci-fi_map_blocking14.jpg

    Defining some planter area to get ready for some vegetation and added some cover wall for "gameplay" purpose

    sci-fi_map_blocking15.jpg

    close up of the bench (1st pass) , trying to stay very simple and minimal in the shape but effective :

    sci-fi_map_blocking16.jpg

    The level have to be fully playable, that's the main reason it takes time to setup, it's a bit longer than a portfolio still shot :p
  • Computron
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    Computron polycounter lvl 7
    Interesting. nice unwraps, good minimal use of textures. Reminds me of Halo Reach cityscape environments.

    The underside looks really flat right now, get some GI in there, or manual point lights.
    There are very few medium frequency lighting details, and I think that will really help sell the minimalist look.

    Do you got any concepts or are you just pumping his out of your head?

    Take a look at this Mirrors Edge collection from Dead End Thrills, if you need some ref.
  • EzMeow
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    EzMeow polycounter lvl 10
    Thanks for the link, the lower floor is really just a blockout of the volume so I didn't bother with the lighting at the moment.
    I'm mostly working directly in 3D here, just doing some paintover to get some idea but not really what I would call a concept. Most of the planning is in my head~ :p
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    reminds me of some kind of super yacht!
    Superyacht%20St%20Ekaterina%20-%20formerly%20called%20XANADU.jpg
  • Holi
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    Holi polycounter lvl 12
    Me gusta!
    Good luck with your graduation :P
  • Callesw
    Haha +1 on the yacht thing! Also get that feeling.
    I really love the part under the bridge. (the first photo of your last update!)
    Looking really sweet! Give us moaaar!:)
  • fearian
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    fearian greentooth
    Love it! Great shapes and style. Very 'brink'.

    Subscribed!
  • ultramedia
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    ultramedia polycounter lvl 11
    awe. some. :)

    I find it so hard to come up with ideas for futuristic urban designs, so seeing people coming up with great designs like this is very inspiring - Keep up the good work!
  • PHaynes888
    So is the aim of this to produce a map that's playable and looks good? Or is it more of an art assignment? The reason I ask is because it does look cool (and Brink-y as mentioned), however it does look quite difficult to judge where the routes are for players, there's a lot of acrhitecture everywhere in some of those shots. Of course, it could just be the camera angles you've used, maybe it's easier to navigate when running around it. Something to bear in mind though.

    Maybe you need to split the colours up a bit? Lots of white going on so the higher areas that you can't access could be a darker colour to the ones that you can? Also Brink used a lot of planters and trees to break it all up:

    http://thecontrolleronline.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/brink-agents-of-change-featured.jpg
  • Orchidface
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    Orchidface polycounter lvl 7
    There are definitely some parts that are well executed, however its looking a little plain. The materials don't really look tangible. Looks a little CGish.
  • EzMeow
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    EzMeow polycounter lvl 10
    Thanks for the comment guys.
    The super yacht feeling is a good thing, it was part of my references and I wanted to inject the modern/clean/sunny mood from it.
    As for the playability, let say that the map has to be playable but that I'm not really judge on the balanced/fun factor from its level design. I think it would be a control point map (still have to figure out how to setup that in the editor~)
    I'm trying to get this aspect right anyway but I don't really have the time nor the possibility to play test it so it's kinda difficult. But as I said I'll be mostly judge on the art side of it.
    Anyway thanks again for the comments, any critics are welcome ~
  • stxtch
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    stxtch polycounter lvl 5
    Your shape language is really tight and the architecture is exciting- but because its such an unusual style it's hard to get a bearing on scale or context. Consider adding some more recognizable elements such as tree planters or bushes as PHaynes888's mentioned. Let the viewer know why this space exists. Is it a courtyard to a convention centre? If so, think about adding tables, umbrellas, fountains, banners, etc. If it's part of a cruise ship or resort maybe a pool and some deck chairs would help. Always look for opportunities to give add the human element.
  • David-J
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    David-J polycounter lvl 11
    Loving it. Like a lot of people have said it reminds me a lot of Brink, and I mean it in a very good way.

    what kind of props are you planning to add to populate your environment?
  • Darkleopard
    Its looking really great but i agree with phaynes. I think adding some plants or something like in that picture would really pull the whole thing together
  • Ace-Angel
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    Ace-Angel polycounter lvl 12
    Add fake plants ;P
  • Computron
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    Computron polycounter lvl 7
    Ace-Angel wrote: »
    Add fake plants ;P

    That's too hard, every time I try to make fake plants they turn out photoreal... :poly127:

    :-P
  • walklikethis
    would it be possible to see the UV layouts and wire of the plants. i really like how they have been done. if not, a brief explanation would also be fine. thanks
  • EzMeow
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    EzMeow polycounter lvl 10
    would it be possible to see the UV layouts and wire of the plants. i really like how they have been done. if not, a brief explanation would also be fine. thanks

    I guess you are talking about the screenshot that PHaynes888 posted, which is from Brink, because I haven't start on my plants yet :p
  • PHaynes888
    Edited my post to be a link to the image rather than the image itself, might help people distinguish the level screenshots from others :)
  • HandSandwich
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    HandSandwich polycounter lvl 18
    Very cool stuff. Love the shapes and colors.
  • walklikethis
    EzMeow wrote: »
    I guess you are talking about the screenshot that PHaynes888 posted, which is from Brink, because I haven't start on my plants yet :p

    well its a shame you can't tell me. but i guess it is a testament to your work that i get it confused with a AAA title.
  • EzMeow
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    EzMeow polycounter lvl 10
    Update, added some green ~ (some bush are just randomly placed to check the color composition)

    There's still a lot of props to do (trash bin,air con, lamppost, some grid etc~ ...)and some area to define.

    sci-fi_map_blocking20.jpg

    sci-fi_map_blocking21.jpg

    sci-fi_map_blocking22.jpg

    I'm trying to "inject" some more sci-fi feeling into the image without going the gribble orgy way.

    And according to those screen shot, it seems that I should calm down my HDR setting.
    Thanks for your time :D, C&C welcome~
  • Scifix
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    Scifix polycounter lvl 9
    One way to make it sci-fi is to maybe make some signs: LED, Scrolling, Neon, Stencils. Look for samples of Mass Effect Citadel, Portal, Dead Space. Although it looks pretty sci-fi already.
  • Darkleopard
    Looking way better with the plants. Cant wait to see all the little props. This will be amazing
  • leleuxart
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    leleuxart polycounter lvl 10
    This is looking awesome! I love the style. With the plants, or maybe it's the POV in the recent shots, I'm getting the yacht feeling even more. Which isn't a bad thing

    I also agree with the Halo: Reach city style. Maybe you can take a look there for some ideas on more sci-fi designs.

    Also, I'm not sure if the blue lines are emissive, but I think it'd be kind of cool if those provided the lighting. The green ones could even be somewhat of a glow-in-the-dark material for ambient lighting. That would cut down the need for another model(and you have lights in this). A night-time scene with the emissive lines would be pretty sci-fi, in my opinion. :)
  • Lennyagony
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    Lennyagony polycounter lvl 14
    This is looking incredible, love the direction and style.

    Additionally this is interesting "Long story short, I've decided to get a degree on top of my daily job. Luckily my experience in the industry made me skip all years of study and all I have to do is a map as student project."

    I hope this isn't too personal but was this hard to swing? and is it a game art related degree? im currently without a degree, with a bunch of industry experience and would find a degree helpful, especially if the time constraints on attaining one were reduced.
  • scotthomer
    Loving this dude, really awesome work. The added vegetation is really contrasting with the sci-fi architecture (which is cool as hell) I all works together really nicely!
  • snow
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    snow polycounter lvl 8
    fantastic job! subscribed!

    will you be posting flats? I'd love to know how you approached the trims and texture in general of this building, and the fact you didn't use modularity makes it even more interesting!
  • konstruct
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    konstruct polycounter lvl 18
    Damn- this is turning out so cool. I cant help but feel the underside of that bridge needs some sort of structural support. Maybe its just the screenshot where I cant see where it goes to, but it just feels a little unsubstantiated.
  • JamieRIOT
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    JamieRIOT polycounter lvl 6
    Really liking the progress on this so far; it was just two days ago that I decided to buy BRINK again and your piece (like many others have mentioned) oozes that art style.
    I think to know exactly what other props to place etc, you need to nail down what this environments purpose is. At the moment it looks like a futuristic holiday resort or company HQ.
    As for wanting to give it a more sci-fi feel, maybe adding some neons lights, little ATM-style machines (or something like that) or strips of metal and light running through the flooring?
    Looking forward to where this goes from here!
  • SHEPEIRO
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    SHEPEIRO polycounter lvl 17
    love it but i think your veg needs some work looks a bit unaturally clean both texture and model...needs messing up a touch... it could be an aesthetic decision but i think some contrast between the clean lines of the building and some nice natural foliage would be great
  • Somni
    Trees definitely help! At first it was difficult to see what was what in the first few images.

    I agree with others about the white walls-they feel a little too perfect.

    I know this might be too much, but I'm not so sure about the wooden floor texture. Personally, if I was an architect, I would not construct a building with so much wooden flooring, especially for the outdoors. I would probably use some sort of tile, or concrete. Perhaps this tile could be a different color or similar to the color of the wood. There's also wood flooring on what appears to be road; I don't think it makes sense to have wooden flooring with road.

    Since this is a residential area, perhaps you might want to add something more cultural; usually residential areas have something that mark some kind of culture since people live there. Right now it appears more like a corporate area than residential. Or it appears like some sort of hotel or public building where people do not necessarily live in. But maybe I'm being too picky :p

    Either way it looks nice. Awesome shapes, awesome map, awesome job bro!
  • Tidus
    Lovely architecture.. and it looks so clean. Awesome. I would push the contrast in the textures of the plants. The vegetation of Crysis looks pretty good, for example.

    I would also try to match the colour of the leaves with the green structure you have in the building.
  • GoSsS
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    GoSsS polycounter lvl 14
    That's sick dude !!
  • looprix
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    looprix polycounter lvl 8
    Finally a fresh sci-fi scene! The architecture is beautiful keep up the good work.
  • EzMeow
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    EzMeow polycounter lvl 10
    As requested some of the textures I used to build the building :

    sci-fi_map_textures.jpg

    Those are still WIP and I probably iterate a bit more later on.

    Here are some hi-poly that I used to get my normals :

    sci-fi_map_HP.jpg


    @ leleuxart : The feeling I wanted to get at first is a kind of sunny clear sky "perfect day" mood. But I though about the night shot and I'm thinking about an alternate version if I got the time.

    @Lennyagony :I'm not sure what do you mean by "swing". I'm still doing Env artist as day job, while working on this project only during my free time, which is somehow exhausting, doing a playable map is way more work than doing a still shot for a contest. As for your case, I don't know where you live but I'm a french guy living in the UK doing this procedure in a school in Belgium (I could do it in France but studies cost are really affordable there.) so maybe you could find a way out of that.

    @konstruct : The support is here ! but now you know why I didn't include it in the shot :p
    sci-fi_map_blocking23.jpg

    @JamieRIOT : Holiday resort was basically what I had in mind for the mood setting (I think that's the same words I used to describe it to a colleague)

    @SHEPEIRO : I did rework a bit on the tree according to some feedback, If I got the time I'm going to rework the bush a bit as well, but the primary intention was to have a clean slightly stylized vegetation.
    sci-fi_map_blocking24.jpg

    @Tidus : I tried at first to match the 2 green together, but it won't do here, otherwise as people noticed, the tree looked fake, and changing the green on the building to a less vibrant tone isn't really helping the mood.
  • snow
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    snow polycounter lvl 8
    thanks for the flats, will you be releasing this so we can play it? :)
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