New Orleans street

Wesley

Hey! I decided to stop being lazy and start a new environment. I've been watching a bunch of Treme and really wanted to make a street scene in that style. Then I realised how lazy I am and found a nice street on Google street view. http://goo.gl/4Mtpa

So with this I'm not trying to create an exact 1:1 of the block, but something fairly close obviously. Actually my main aim for this environment is to create something that doesn't have every piece being a unique model with HP/unwrapped/textured etcetc. I've tried that before and would like to tackle something that relies on better use of shared textures, smart smarter modelling to fake details, etc. I think I'll still do high polies for texture baking textures (although I'm going to be using a lot of photostock imagery and Photoshopin'), but apart from props I kinda want everything to be low-poly modelled with good textures. But not feel super cheap either. Mainly because for larger scenes like this, I don't know how you'd ever do it unless you went that way.

Anyway I'm tired so I want to stop typing now. Here is a block-out.





I don't want to fill this post with block out pictures so:
http://wesleymackinder.com/publicImages/newOrleans/cry_scene_wip02.jpg
http://wesleymackinder.com/publicImages/newOrleans/cry_scene_wip03.jpg
http://wesleymackinder.com/publicImages/newOrleans/cry_scene_wip04.jpg

Oh, also, I want to try and get as much work as possible in-engine from the get go. I've made the mistake of leaving it until the end, and then losing interest when it comes to the comp/lighting etc, which is really bad because that's one of my weakest areas.

Also the plan for this right now it to take one building from A to Z, learn what I can, then do passes on the rest until completion.

ALSO ALSO I don't know how much time I'll get to spend on this because work so apologies in advance if this thread ends up stale and lumpy.

Wesley

Hey so this is already nearly a month old? Ouch. I only really have weekends to work on this and a few things have happened on weekends over this month that have knocked it back a bit. Today however I only procrastinated for like 5 hours and managed to do some work.

So it all looks a bit shit still, but I didn't want to just wait another month and then go "Here's the first thing finished" cause I hate threads like that. I wanna see some crappy wips.

I've finished the second modelling pass of the first building for my scene. I'm doing it in passes. First pass is detailing the block-out still using the temp textures, so just pushing in the detail for the windows, etc. Second pass is adding the extra detail on the building that's handled with geometry (pipes and stuff, but not wires which will be alphas), placing the larger props (pink) and chamfering any edges that need it.





Third pass'll be optimising all the messy geo and unwrapping. Then I'll put textures on it. Final will be all the alphas and just adding interest. So like I might have some busted up wood in places that'll be modelled in a little as well, etc.

I might also do these props that'll be in this bit just so I have one building that's nicely finished.

EDIT: A mate just pointed out that it's kinda hard to see anything with the trash textures. Here's a super quick alt to see it better.