[CE3] Cliff modeling

jaaamesss

Hi artist.

I have a job to make a model of cliff. Please see attachment.
Right now i am planning how to do it. I was always afraid of modeling organic things. Now i decide to do it and learn it.

Description from my client:

• The Goal is to create an accurate representation of the cliff on the picture and its transition with the ground.
• Think about the asset as non-unique model for open world game with large exterior scene running on high end PCs.
• Polycount limit: 5000 triangles.
• Texture: at least Diffuse, Specular, Normal and 512px/1m
• It is for CryEngine. So use material settings as you want.

My workflow:

1. Low poly model with large and medium details
2. I was thinking about sculpting in Zbrush big and medium details, but it has to be non unique object, so i have to use tileable textures= no zbrush. So its not possible to make accurate model as on the picture.
3. I will create tileable Diffuse texture: grey stone with white spots, specular (i will put specular map in alpha) and normal map from diffuse.
4. For CryEngine material settings i will use detail map for smal details and blend map for moss growing on the cliff.

What do you say? Any other ideas how to make this model?
Feel free to post a comment.

Thanks.
Jakub Bareš

Higuy

Sounds like a good workflow to me - I'd just start with blocking it out to get the form and then start adding more detail. Even if you can't use Zbrush for the texture, couldn't you could always also consider it to help easily put in some detail in collaboration with decimation master?

jaaamesss

Hi,
first, thanks for you comment.
I didnt cosider that. If i use zbrush for putting details on low poly, i think i wont be tilebale texture. But i can make tileable texture in zbrush, bake it and put it on low poly object. It wont be exactly the same cliff as on the picture but i guess, client wants me to do non unique cliff, so he probably doesn't want exact copy.

Jakub

sltrOlsson

I would create two texture sets and blend between them. Identify what different kinds of information there is in your rock. Make use of vertex darkening to define the cavities. When you model, focus on your silhouette and try to kill all polygons on places where you can't see if from the side.

sargentcrunch

n/a

sltrOlsson

Is the client looking for a technique to do rocks or this one rock? If it's a technique, how you go about creating your lowpoly isn't as important as how you create your texture and how you blend them.

Since this is cryengine, look up how they did the moss in Ryse. There's a post here on polycount. If you decide to use that, it "leaves" you with both of your blending layers free. Cause if you want to make interesting, big and without unique normalmaps rocks you need more then one texture set. At least in my book.

MeshModeler

you really shouldn't lie, this is an art test.

BARDLER

MeshModeler wrote: »

you really shouldn't lie, this is an art test.

This does seem like an art test... also
"I was thinking about sculpting in Zbrush big and medium details, but it has to be non unique object, so i have to use tileable textures= no zbrush. So its not possible to make accurate model as on the picture."
That is not true. I use zbrush to make tileable textures all the time.

riklopes

what is this zbrush you keep talking?

silkroadgame

Looking a nice project.Textures are important for this work.

jaaamesss

Hi thank you for your comments.

1. Yes, this is an art test (Warhorse Studio - Junior 3D Artist www.warhorsestudio.cz). Sorry for misunderstanding, i didn't mean to lie anyone. For me, there is no difference between true job and art test. My approach is same for both. This is way i was talking about job.

2. I didnt consider that i can use Zbrush to make details on low poly and then use decimation master.

3. Right now i am working on low poly mesh. Today i probably will finish zbrush sculpting and then i will decided how to make textures.

What will i learn from this project:
-Sculpting in Zbrush
-Advance texture technique
-Modeling accurate model from concept

Thank you again, I appreciate your help.
In the evening or tommorow morning, i will post my progress.

Jakub

Sepp_Brannigan

I removed the picture for reason which zombie wells said.
Even it was not my work.

original:
"Hey jaaamesss

i do the same test at the moment and found this in XXX.

its from XXX. he also tries to get a position as XXX. Maybe it will help you.

good luck"

sltrOlsson

Going public with an art test is risky business. It shows that you couldn't figure out the test by your self. That isn't necessarily a bad thing since it's a junior position and you're supposed to ask and learn new things if you are hired. It seams odd to me that you would chose to write "client" instead of possible employer.

That being said, best of luck! Hope it goes well!

jaaamesss

Hi,

[sltrOlsson]: Thanks for comment. Good point. I am always learning from my mistakes.
Jakub

jaaamesss

Hi,

sorry for not posting my progess. I did a mistake. Yes, i forgot to save my zbrush file and yes it crashed. Ofcourse no backups. :-(, :-). Now i learnt something. SAVE THE FILE.
In the evening i will create it again.
Jakub

tarickTDS

gogogo! cant wait to see!

NegevPro

Damn, that is the best use of 2000 triangles I have ever seen haha. Good luck on your test, I can't wait to see some progress!

IchII3D

I would have recommended unwrapping your rock uniquely (do not include soil) then sculpt and bake. Instead of texturing the uniquely unwrapped rock apply your normals and AO as a unified detail map. Then use your blend layers to tile two diff, spec, norm textures across the surface. This will allow you to get high level details and AO, while also providing high texel density. All your blend layers can be reused from rock to rock and your unified detail map doesn't take long to sculpt and bake. So essentially you can pump out rocks quickly at a very high quality. Thats essentially what you would do in production, assuming that is your render engine can deal with rendering a blend layer and detail map without to much performance hit.

The same can be said for your soil, it should be using a tileable texture and blend. What you have now is probably using a 1024x1024 or 2048x2048 and it looks very low in texel density. It isn't really something you could stand next to in a game like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Crysis etc... as it wouldn't hold up.

I'm unsure about the requirements for the test but the work you have produced is very much something someone would do for there portfolio and not something you would really do in production (depending on project obviously). I'm not sure how good or bad that will look, its down to the expectations of the company. What it does show is that you know how to use Zbrush and you can texture, with more guidance on asset production you should be able to produce higher quality work.

That's just my opinion, again I don't know what sort of restrictions or guidance you was given.

_Michal_

thanks for sharing my work and also for the feedback, you are right and I will have a look on that

jaaamesss

Hi,

i was thinking to give up when i saw the cliff of Michal Hoz.
Right now i am getting familiar with Zbrush (started 2 ago) :-)
I know that i am now going to win, but anyway it is good practise.

Thanks for all comments. It becomes very interesting discussion.
Jakub

ZombieWells

Okay, so, you're never ever ever suppose to publicly post up your art test, (even if it's been completed) without permission from the studio... for a few reasons here.

One: It's a test to see how "YOU" handle building these assets, not everyone on the forums. They're not trying to hire polycount here.

Two: Now that everyone has seen this art test; they can start making it right now, take their time, finish it, make sure it's damn good, then apply for this junior position, and submit a completed art test, (you get two weeks typically to finish these tests) in what would appear to be half the time given... or less. In this case, not only have you screwed yourself, because your not going to beat out a candidate that has spent the last 4+ weeks to polish his/her test, you have let a guy/girl in the door of Warhorse, who shouldn't really have be there in the first place, screwing over the studio too.

Three: When the studio finds out that their art test has been leaked, they won't hire the candidate that leaked it. Studios have to trust all of their employees to handle sensitive information out of respect for the studio, and their co-workers... leaking information right off the bat is not a cool way to start out.

Four: Again, when the studio finds out the test has been leaked, they have to go back, find another suitable test, have meetings about it, wrangle up new concept, and generally waste everyone's time in doing it.

zwadar

Hi guys,
really interesting discussion. :-)

Roman Zawada
Art Lead
Warhorse Studios

sltrOlsson

Chase

Lol oh boy. Well this is a lesson for everyone to learn from

rogelio

Do not be too hard on him, He is just inexperienced this will just be a general lesson learned.

No reason to ban him from the face of the earth type thing. Good luck

MeshModeler

Mr Significant

+1

Brygelsmack

Oh wow.

jaaamesss

Hi everyone.

First things first. I would like to say sorry to Warhorse Studio becuase of posting their art test. I tried to do my best. I dindt mean to cause any problems to anybody.

Thanks all of you, who post a comment. Great critics and i will definitely learn from it.
I love 3D game art and i wanted to get new ideas about creating models.

After this all, i would like to finish the test to give me more confident for future.

Jakub