Treasure hunter's office [UDK] - getting back into modelling...

Dandi8

Hi!

I've sort of abandoned 3D modelling for the last year or so (time... where art thou...!?) and I really wanted to finally get back to it... So I decided to try and finish a project I started some time ago. I also figured that if I post about it online then maybe I can finally make myself finish it XD Hopefully this will get me back into doing it more often.

I'm hoping to:
a) Finally finish a piece for my portfolio
b) Actually learn some new stuff along the way

Here's what I have so far:




The idea is that the scene is a failing treasure hunter's office. Said treasure hunter, after spending half of the night searching for clues in old encyclopedias and on the internet, took off in a hurry leaving this mess behind.

I'm deliberately not making any textures yet - first I want to create all the models. Afterwards, I can focus on texturing everything.

Oh, and since this is not for a game, I've given myself some leeway in terms of tricount.

Critique and ideas how to make the scene cooler very much welcome!

DWalker

You need some light chairs for the table - at least 2, although 4 might be better. You'll also need bookshelves for the encyclopedias. A coffee pot & maker would make sense as well. I don't see any sources of light - lamps or ceiling lights.

The table top is too thick, and the filing cabinet is too wide.

At least some of the books should be open, while others should have various scraps of paper stuffed inside.

Dandi8

Hmmm... By light chairs do you mean just normal non-heavy-duty chairs?

Good call on the bookshelves (I actually forgot about them XD). Sources of light, like chairs, are coming but I'm still trying to wrap my head around what kinds to make and where to put them.

The table top is thick but I've modelled it after a reference - it's supposed to be this huge wooden slab on top

In the top left of the last image you can see an open book model. I'm not sure if the pages aren't too flat, though... What do you think? Should I go back and 'fluff them up' a bit?

I should probably also have mentioned that the furniture is going to be mostly wood XD
I've based the overall look on this image I found on Google.


Thanks for the feedback!

WhiskyDelta

The prop that stands out the most for me in the laptop, the keys are huge and all in a grid which looks unrealistic. Just google qwerty keyboard, choose an image and use that as a guide in your 3d modelling tool. Having just done a ruggedised laptop and tablet use images off the net as blueprints, they don't take long and things like keys pop really nice on normal maps.

Keep up the good work though

Whisky

Dandi8

Fair point. I chose to make the laptop this way to sort of pay homage to all the cartoons I watched (yay, X-men!) where futuristic keyboards were drawn in a grid and without actual button names and also because I'm lazy :P

Do you think it breaks immersion enough to warrant a redo of the model?

Dandi8

Started working on a chair. Made a simple blockout with splines to test the size and such before I go in and start optimizing the wires. I *think* I got the size right...

Dandi8

I decided to devote some time for blockouts so that I actually know what to work on. Besides the chair, I also made blockouts for a coat hanger, a trash can, a bookshelf, a door frame with a door, a table lamp and a floor lamp.



I also made this mayan-like statue to help establish the hypothetical protagonist's business.


As always, feedback greatly appreciated!

Whalebones

I'm doing a scene similar to you at the moment, how did you go about building the room? Are the walls all one mesh or did you make it modular? Could you show your method please? =]

Dandi8

I actually built the room out of UDK's brushes (4 walls and a floor) and gave each wall a material (one for walls, one for floor). The ceiling (which you can barely see in the first pic) is a modular piece, however (third from the top left on the third pic).

If I was doing it for an actual game, though, I would probably also create some modular props for the walls and the floor and try to avoid BSP brushes.

I really need to get back to finishing this piece ASAP...! Hopefully I'll make some new props over the weekend

EDIT:
One really cool thing about BSP brushes, though, is that I could just carve out a hole for my door frame prop in a few seconds.
It's nice when you're not yet sure where you're going with your scene :P

Whalebones

I've never heard of/played with BSP brushes, might have to look into it =]