Need help with modular environments!
polycounter lvl 8
So I've started a new environment and I got it all blocked out. However I want to make it modular and I'm at a pretty hard stand still with how to derive my modular panels and parts and just how to break it up in general. Could anyone give me a pretty detailed workflow of how they would tackle this concept? Thanks for anyone who takes their time to help with this.
Here's the concept:
and here's my blockout in ue4:
Here's the concept:
and here's my blockout in ue4:
Replies
There are a number of ways you can do this, there isn't right or wrong. Remember that you don't have to follow the concept one to one, so if you need to adjust some stuff to make them more modular friendly, definitely do it.
How I would do this:
- The center piece would be a unique piece made out of tiling textures. All those details can easily be made out of trims and floaters. Just add a nice AO bake on top on UV channel 2 (or 3 if 2 is lightmap) if you want to get a more "uniquely modeled" look
- The ground would also be unique but made out of tiling textures/modular pieces. This way you can have nice curves and details that match the environment. I would probably do this last, after the rest of the scene is laid out you can export it to your modeling program and model the ground around it.
- The trusses would be a modular kit
- The building on the left looks a bit weird in the concept so I'd change its design a little. That one can be made unique too if you are not going to reuse the modular pieces anywhere else. By unique I mean, one model, which doesn't necessarily mean you would model everything uniquely. You can still use modular parts in it but instead of exporting them separetly you have more freedom if you export as one piece.
- The props are all pretty straightforward
- I would have a modular wall kit for the boundary walls. These don't need to be as detailed as the buildings and can be kept pretty simple. (take a look a Philip Klevestav's modular tutorial for some ideas on this).
- The ceiling structure can be either modular or unique, depending on how much unique you want it to look.
Hope that helps!
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Modular_environments