Best Of

May the 4th be with you 2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg4BFEE-2MM

sacboi

4 ·

Re: How The F*#% Do I Model This? - Reply for help with specific shapes - (Post attempt before asking)

christrom said:

Thanks for the input Eric, I'll have a good read of those threads, although I do prefer modelling for offline rendering.

Well, for offline then nitpicking on amount of edge loops really doesn't matter, it's all about the end render(s). You will be rendering the same thing multiple times, daily after daily, client after client, etc. So some level of optimization helps a bit. But if it pushes you over budget, it's a waste of effort.

So really, what does this asset look like with materials, lighting, rendering, moblur, and compositing? I'd say judge your modeling in that light, not in some isolated shaded-wireframe way. My 2 cents.

Eric Chadwick

3 ·

Re: The Bi-Monthly Environment Art Challenge | January - February (100)

Well, I wasn't sure about posting a late Art Challenge post (or where to post it if it was late), but since @LeonDreiling is doing it, I guess I will too.

I started on this with only three or four days left of the 100th Art Challenge, and thought I'd just churn out a quick low or mid-poly prop. Some better planning at the start, reworking the model less, and giving more time to texturing would have saved me a bunch of time. This has been finished since like mid-March. I did learn a lot about modeling wires and working with an asset that's pretty much entirely transparent - and I think it turned out alright.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/6b/vjveokm3u13j.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/sc/denctjpyrmb4.png

Since I'm here: @LeonDreiling - that Vase Prop is amazing. I think your choice to make the foxes/dragons metallic, as well as make the vase a darker marbled blue let them complement each other really well. Also, it's always cool to see that much progress with someone's project.

@Celosia your project breakdowns were really helpful for trying to parse what was going on with the wires in the Goop Jar's concept art. Also it's bonkers to me that you put up a fully-textured first pass in just like two days!

Also anyone who tries to tackle any of the environments for these Art Challenges has my utmost respect - for what it's worth.

Tom_Axler

3 ·

Re: How The F*#% Do I Model This? - Reply for help with specific shapes - (Post attempt before asking)

@praba_art Welcome to Polycount. Consider checking out the forum information and introduction thread.

Try blocking out both shapes before connecting them and use the existing geometry in the curve as part of the support loops around the base of the intersecting cube. That way the support loops on the intersecting shape can flow directly into the edges of the underlying curve without disrupting the segment spacing.

Here's a quick overview of what that could look like.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ni/qvdmb55umly1.jpg

Below are a couple of links to other write-ups that cover relevant topology routing examples in greater detail:

https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2803911/#Comment_2803911
https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2769713/#Comment_2769713

FrankPolygon

3 ·

Re: How The F*#% Do I Model This? - Reply for help with specific shapes - (Post attempt before asking)

@WarriorOfOld There's a few different ways to approach modeling this shape but, whether using non-destructive modifier based booleans or basic poly modeling operations, it probably makes the most sense to start by defining the basic shape of the well and ramp then line all of that up with the other internal parts and key surface features before rounding off the face of the ramp and connecting it to the breach.

Below is an example of what that process could look like. Using basic destructive poly modeling tools: block out the simplified primary and secondary forms first then round off the face of the ramp and corners of the well with a series of bevel / chamfer operations. From there it's a relatively straightforward process to connect the top of the ramp with the cylinder segments on the adjoining chamber.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/za/goen6opjkalu.jpg

When working with complex forms it's sometimes helpful to break down the shapes in the references by drawing over individual features to get a sense of whether they're curved or flat and how they interact with adjacent surfaces.

Here's a link to another write-up that covers how to break down the shapes in references to identify key features and plan topology routing before starting the block out: https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2776197/#Comment_2776197

FrankPolygon

3 ·

Re: What Are You Working On? (3D) 2026

been

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/j3/zehu4whbsifx.png

working on this vehicle (Mobile Exploration Complex) for the past few months. Finishing up detailing stage, going to move on to textures and then rigging soon. Inspired by Soviet tech, Cyberpunk and Star Citizen. Really enjoying the process and learning that comes with it.

detech

4 ·

Re: Abandoned Dacha Environment - Modular Kit with interiors

Thanks everyone for the kind words and the great questions! Let’s dive in.

Working in VR is truly like walking on a razor's edge. It’s a technical hell where every decision must be calculated ten steps ahead. Performance requirements (high resolution across two displays + high frame rates) leave no room for error, and you have to layer all of that on top of specific gameplay constraints. For me, this was a serious but fascinating challenge.

Metrics and Scaling

The first major task was fine-tuning all the scales to match the VR character metrics. In a headset, volumes feel completely different, and standard "flat" game metrics often fail. I had to ensure rooms didn't feel cramped, doorways were wide enough to navigate with a weapon drawn, and ceilings didn't feel oppressive while avoiding that "medieval castle" look.

At that stage, the player dimensions were still being tweaked. We actually had a situation where the game designers decided to increase the standard character height, and suddenly, the player couldn't fit into the attic anymore. The capsule hit the sloped roof. You had to crouch just to move forward. Luckily, we caught this during the blockout stage and fixed it quickly. The main lesson here: test everything in the headset constantly. The demand for "environmental truth" is far more critical in VR than in traditional games.

Hybrid Mid-Poly Pipeline
I implemented a flexible process by blending the mid-poly approach I used back at Call of Duty with the harsh realities of VR. In virtual reality, players can lean in and inspect every corner, so the priority was a polished silhouette.

We completely ditched "heavy" features like Parallax Occlusion Mapping (POM), displacement, or complex shaders. I had to find that sweet spot where the geometry was dense enough to look smooth, but the overall polycount remained as lean as possible. You can't rely solely on LODs in VR either. The headset is extremely sensitive to LOD popping which is a total immersion killer.

Exterior Walls (Shells) and Interiors
In the final version, once the building layouts were approved and finalized, individual modular wall pieces were merged into solid meshes (Shells). This drastically reduced the actor count in the scene (essential for our high-density maps) and eliminated lightmap seam issues. I ended up with 7 main shell configurations for all building types.

Each house required a different number of interiors with varying layouts (you can see how they swap inside the same shell in my ArtStation video https://www.artstation.com/artwork/8BAOPE ). The interiors were made as separate "Boxes" single-sided geometry with inverted normals. These interior walls have a minimal offset from the shell walls to prevent z-fighting and ensure bullet decals project correctly.

Visualizing the 'Shell & Box' approach. On the left: the merged exterior shell. On the right: the single-sided interior room box

Lightmaps
The separation between shells and interior boxes was primarily driven by lightmaps. Using a single mesh for both would require massive atlases to get the necessary density. After the split, we pack the exterior shell faces into the available space, while the interior faces of that same shell are treated with minimal resolution (acting only as plugs to prevent light leaks). The interior boxes get their own high-density lightmaps because they contain more props and local light sources.

Lightmap density optimization. Blue indicates lower resolution for the exterior shell, while green shows higher density for the interior surfaces where players spend most of their time

Material Layering
You’re absolutely right about Layered Materials. They are both a blessing and a curse. From a workflow perspective, they’re great for creating rapid variations. You can stack layers, swap blend modes, and get results quickly. But under the hood, there are plenty of pitfalls, and our team definitely ran into them.

It’s crucial not to use layered materials where they aren't needed. If a building is "clean" gameplay-wise, don't use a 3-layer material. Even if those layers aren't painted in, the shader cost is still calculated in full. It’s much more efficient to swap the instance for a basic master material. The same rule applies to props.

In VR, we encountered bugs where layered materials would cause certain meshes to turn completely white. A quick "band-aid" fix was to override texture maps inside the material instance (checking all the boxes for every map). It was strange, but it worked. Eventually, we brought in the programming team to resolve the underlying technical issues, while we also transitioned the assets the assets back to standard material instances wherever layered materials weren't strictly necessary.

For comparison: a simple master material might have 247 base pass instructions, while a layered material (even with just a background layer) jumps to 273. It might seem like a small difference, but on a massive VR map, every single instruction saved helps the budget.

Environment art in VR is less about painting and more about engineering. You have to find that balance where the visuals look like a modern PC title but consistently stay within a tight 11ms frame budget

Frozishe

3 ·

Re: [WIP] Mavica FD71 - Floppy Disk camera

Great progress! You need a reflective environment to properly fine-tune the specularity of the plastics and the glass. Roughness separation will go a long way in making this feel juicy!