Dwarven Architectural Set (Image heavy)
vertex
EDIT 06/24/16:
After two weeks, it became increasingly clear to me that moving toward a rich district was not the right thing to do. So I've scrapped the idea of an Indian/Scandinavian style - not to say it will never get done, but it definitely won't be part of this pack.
However, I've been hard at work polishing everything I could on the project and I am so happy with the results! Because of this, I will be able to submit to the Marketplace next week.
Some stats for those interested: In the previous beautyshots, there were no dynamic shadows or GI because of FPS issues. Now, there is. The game run always at over 30 FPS in 1080p, never dipping below even in the most demanding moments and averaging 50 FPS. Removing the dynamic shadows moves the FPS roughly 15 FPS higher, with the lowest drop at about 38~39 FPS and with normal FPS averaging 60~70. Now these stats are taken in-engine, so the FPS would actually be higher in runtime. In term of GPU memory, I still have to do some test if I can pull it lower, but the whole level can actually run with 1500mb. For comparison, AAA games run usually well over 2k on PC (Crysis 3 is at roughly 2500, while games like Dying Light are at 3.9k) - on ultra, that is.
Some things to take in consideration is that I have huge open areas in the presentation level. Someone who has more knowledge than I with the engine could easily pick lights to deactivate them after some distance - or with smaller areas, the Cull volume works wonder to boost the FPS. I'll still work a bit on optimizing the level, but in term of props everything is done (big architecture has several LODs and medium/big props too).
As soon as monday, I will start working toward closing the pack. However, I am still open to feedback. I've received plenty through Twitter/Facebook and the official unreal forums, but obviously Polycount is the place to go for visual feedback. To this end, if you have anything to say - observations, criticism or really anything to add, please feel free to do so.
In any case, I am so thrilled to present this in its final form. What an strange trip its been, but it's one I do not regret the slightest. Here are the beauty shots:
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EDIT 06/17/16:
So I took last week off to refresh my mind a bit and come back this week with a clearer mind and perspective on how I wanted to start the rich area. I'm satisfied with how it looks as a general direction, but there are a lot - and I mean a lot - of tweaks to do. Many things doesn't work visually and some colors feel out of place (mainly the dark blue right now). In any case, here are this week's WIP:
I am, as usual, open to any critics/comments/tips each and everyone of you might have and already thank you for the feedback!
Wolf1
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EDIT 06/03/16:
I'm genuinely glad of this week's progression. I've spent a lot of time giving life to the market area and I think I was able to succeed at that. I think in this case a picture is worth a thousand words, so here comes the beauty shot:
One of the thing I'd really like to do is to add cloth simulation to the flags, but because APEX isn't compatible with MAX 2017 I'd have to swap to Blender, which I've never really used in the past. Not saying I won't do it though, but it's lower in the list of priorities.
I also had to switch from baked lighting to dynamic, because there was just too many assets at this point. I also spent a good amount of time optimizing the textures, which now weight roughly 800mb altogether. In 4k, I get a steady 30 FPS which jump to 50 in 1080p.
What's your thoughts about this area?
-------
EDIT 05/27/16:
This week has been filled with puzzles and iterations. I've started working on a new area - the market area - and I've spent most of my week trying to coin the style and architecture that I wanted. By Wednesday I knew what I wanted, so I officially started production. Keep in mind that everything that I'll post here is very WIP and prone to changes!
Ground texture:
Wood texture (Trims - modelling is low-res, will be reworked in the next week):
Buildings (There are currently three buildings, but they will have customization through a variety of props, like this awning structure - which is still missing the awning):
Gate toward the market area:
Walls and pillars:
So there's quite a bit of work remaining. I aim to have gutter and sewer plates (not actual sewers though). I also plan to have flags with a custom Dwarf logo, along with several market wooden-carved plates. There's going to have quite a few props to accompany everything (anvils, carriage, furniture) and probably paint-ready ground textures to break the repetition (mainly thinking about dirt+water). I'll also work toward having a few interior modules for the markets, although right now they have very small interiors, so TBD. The good thing about this is that the Slum area, which is the next one I'll be working once I'm done with the market, will be reusing a lot of assets from the market.
I've also optimized my textures - a very big majority went from 4k to 2k without any visual impact whatsoever.
In any case, a lot of work ahead, but I aim to post at least one weekly update. So there we go!
--------
EDIT 05/20/16:
I don't usually post updates every two days, but I believe that the map literally exploded in this small amount of time. Here are some new WIP:
Now of course, as usual, a lot of work remains. I plan to add three different districts (from which the bridge will connect instead of leading... well, nowhere), along with a huge gate which will connect the main bridge to the exterior. There won't be any exterior architecture in this pack - I believe that it would require another pack and weeks of dedicated work and I believe that this pack itself will be more than enough for most devs.
There's also quite a bit of tweaking to do, both in term of placement and materials, but ultimately I'm really happy with the shapes/ambiance/overall look. Currently, in 1080p, with everything activated in term of lighting and post-process, I'm at a steady 75+ FPS and never dip below that. Average is 100 FPS and top is 120. I have a 980.
Constructive feedback is welcome!
----
EDIT 05/18/16:
Lots of work this week! I've basically spent the whole weekend on this along with the first half of the week. Things are going a lot faster than I expected, so I have a new screenshot ready as a WIP:
4k screenshot here: http://i.imgur.com/HErxuSo.jpg
There's still a lot to do, a lot of unfinished things and of course a lot of tweaking. I feel like the basalt cliffs looks too low-poly right now and the base of the support poles at the level of the bridge looks weird. I might rework it entirely, I'll see.
----
Original post:
Hey guys,
I've started working this week on an architectural set for a Dwarven environment. The goal is to be ready to publish the set on the Unreal Marketplace by mid-june. From an optimistic point of view, it would be absolutely great to have various interior environment and exterior architecture by then, but I'll see if this is something realistic to do.
So this week has been mainly focused on coining the general style and palette for the set - basically making a benchmark. I've had quite a bit of fun with Substance Designer/Painter & Zbrush, but I think ultimately that these three software blend well together.
Here are some WIP pictures:
The lighting has been baked, but the results could probably be better with real time lighting (and faster!). The whole thing use 4k textures and developed with 3rd person in mind, so while the textures are high-res they might not be fit for a 1st person games. It is possible to play around, but also on top of the pillars, which are roughly 3x3m. It should be more than enough for any kind of gameplay, hopefully!
Please, do let me know what you think! I will update the thread weekly/bi-weekly as things progress. For now, I'm incredibly happy to work on this project and I can't wait to hear your feedback/opinions, which will be fundamental for the progression of the pack!
Wolf1
After two weeks, it became increasingly clear to me that moving toward a rich district was not the right thing to do. So I've scrapped the idea of an Indian/Scandinavian style - not to say it will never get done, but it definitely won't be part of this pack.
However, I've been hard at work polishing everything I could on the project and I am so happy with the results! Because of this, I will be able to submit to the Marketplace next week.
Some stats for those interested: In the previous beautyshots, there were no dynamic shadows or GI because of FPS issues. Now, there is. The game run always at over 30 FPS in 1080p, never dipping below even in the most demanding moments and averaging 50 FPS. Removing the dynamic shadows moves the FPS roughly 15 FPS higher, with the lowest drop at about 38~39 FPS and with normal FPS averaging 60~70. Now these stats are taken in-engine, so the FPS would actually be higher in runtime. In term of GPU memory, I still have to do some test if I can pull it lower, but the whole level can actually run with 1500mb. For comparison, AAA games run usually well over 2k on PC (Crysis 3 is at roughly 2500, while games like Dying Light are at 3.9k) - on ultra, that is.
Some things to take in consideration is that I have huge open areas in the presentation level. Someone who has more knowledge than I with the engine could easily pick lights to deactivate them after some distance - or with smaller areas, the Cull volume works wonder to boost the FPS. I'll still work a bit on optimizing the level, but in term of props everything is done (big architecture has several LODs and medium/big props too).
As soon as monday, I will start working toward closing the pack. However, I am still open to feedback. I've received plenty through Twitter/Facebook and the official unreal forums, but obviously Polycount is the place to go for visual feedback. To this end, if you have anything to say - observations, criticism or really anything to add, please feel free to do so.
In any case, I am so thrilled to present this in its final form. What an strange trip its been, but it's one I do not regret the slightest. Here are the beauty shots:
--------
EDIT 06/17/16:
So I took last week off to refresh my mind a bit and come back this week with a clearer mind and perspective on how I wanted to start the rich area. I'm satisfied with how it looks as a general direction, but there are a lot - and I mean a lot - of tweaks to do. Many things doesn't work visually and some colors feel out of place (mainly the dark blue right now). In any case, here are this week's WIP:
I am, as usual, open to any critics/comments/tips each and everyone of you might have and already thank you for the feedback!
Wolf1
----------
EDIT 06/03/16:
I'm genuinely glad of this week's progression. I've spent a lot of time giving life to the market area and I think I was able to succeed at that. I think in this case a picture is worth a thousand words, so here comes the beauty shot:
One of the thing I'd really like to do is to add cloth simulation to the flags, but because APEX isn't compatible with MAX 2017 I'd have to swap to Blender, which I've never really used in the past. Not saying I won't do it though, but it's lower in the list of priorities.
I also had to switch from baked lighting to dynamic, because there was just too many assets at this point. I also spent a good amount of time optimizing the textures, which now weight roughly 800mb altogether. In 4k, I get a steady 30 FPS which jump to 50 in 1080p.
What's your thoughts about this area?
-------
EDIT 05/27/16:
This week has been filled with puzzles and iterations. I've started working on a new area - the market area - and I've spent most of my week trying to coin the style and architecture that I wanted. By Wednesday I knew what I wanted, so I officially started production. Keep in mind that everything that I'll post here is very WIP and prone to changes!
Ground texture:
Wood texture (Trims - modelling is low-res, will be reworked in the next week):
Buildings (There are currently three buildings, but they will have customization through a variety of props, like this awning structure - which is still missing the awning):
Gate toward the market area:
Walls and pillars:
So there's quite a bit of work remaining. I aim to have gutter and sewer plates (not actual sewers though). I also plan to have flags with a custom Dwarf logo, along with several market wooden-carved plates. There's going to have quite a few props to accompany everything (anvils, carriage, furniture) and probably paint-ready ground textures to break the repetition (mainly thinking about dirt+water). I'll also work toward having a few interior modules for the markets, although right now they have very small interiors, so TBD. The good thing about this is that the Slum area, which is the next one I'll be working once I'm done with the market, will be reusing a lot of assets from the market.
I've also optimized my textures - a very big majority went from 4k to 2k without any visual impact whatsoever.
In any case, a lot of work ahead, but I aim to post at least one weekly update. So there we go!
--------
EDIT 05/20/16:
I don't usually post updates every two days, but I believe that the map literally exploded in this small amount of time. Here are some new WIP:
Now of course, as usual, a lot of work remains. I plan to add three different districts (from which the bridge will connect instead of leading... well, nowhere), along with a huge gate which will connect the main bridge to the exterior. There won't be any exterior architecture in this pack - I believe that it would require another pack and weeks of dedicated work and I believe that this pack itself will be more than enough for most devs.
There's also quite a bit of tweaking to do, both in term of placement and materials, but ultimately I'm really happy with the shapes/ambiance/overall look. Currently, in 1080p, with everything activated in term of lighting and post-process, I'm at a steady 75+ FPS and never dip below that. Average is 100 FPS and top is 120. I have a 980.
Constructive feedback is welcome!
----
EDIT 05/18/16:
Lots of work this week! I've basically spent the whole weekend on this along with the first half of the week. Things are going a lot faster than I expected, so I have a new screenshot ready as a WIP:
4k screenshot here: http://i.imgur.com/HErxuSo.jpg
There's still a lot to do, a lot of unfinished things and of course a lot of tweaking. I feel like the basalt cliffs looks too low-poly right now and the base of the support poles at the level of the bridge looks weird. I might rework it entirely, I'll see.
----
Original post:
Hey guys,
I've started working this week on an architectural set for a Dwarven environment. The goal is to be ready to publish the set on the Unreal Marketplace by mid-june. From an optimistic point of view, it would be absolutely great to have various interior environment and exterior architecture by then, but I'll see if this is something realistic to do.
So this week has been mainly focused on coining the general style and palette for the set - basically making a benchmark. I've had quite a bit of fun with Substance Designer/Painter & Zbrush, but I think ultimately that these three software blend well together.
Here are some WIP pictures:
The lighting has been baked, but the results could probably be better with real time lighting (and faster!). The whole thing use 4k textures and developed with 3rd person in mind, so while the textures are high-res they might not be fit for a 1st person games. It is possible to play around, but also on top of the pillars, which are roughly 3x3m. It should be more than enough for any kind of gameplay, hopefully!
Please, do let me know what you think! I will update the thread weekly/bi-weekly as things progress. For now, I'm incredibly happy to work on this project and I can't wait to hear your feedback/opinions, which will be fundamental for the progression of the pack!
Wolf1
Replies
Glad you like the colors! It's probably the part where I've banged my head on the wall the longest. I'm quite happy with how they work together - now the dilemma is how I'll do the floor texture on top of the pillars & on the ground. But I'll manage, I have so many ideas and refs about just that!
About the texture size, yes, 4k is definitely overkill. I've seen some complaints on the Unreal forum about users who'd like to have 4k textures for their games, so I thought this could be tweaked on a need basis from the devs themselves. I'll see what I'll do; considering I used Substance, it's very easy to change format
For the pillars, you're speaking of these blocs or further down?
If so, I could probably use a mix of gold/marble between the modular pieces. Maybe I could make them manual, or directly inside the mesh, so users can tweak for their individual needs.
Looking pretty nice so far!
Do you have any idea how much pieces this pack is going to consist of?
Would be nice to have an initial look at all the pieces, you can much get more modular with this set, like you could split up the sections of the support so people could make there own support beams or things like that.
I don't know how you want to approach this pack.
And about the substance materials you could maybe look into exposing parameters and stuff like that to change the size of the textures in engine, if that is a good way to approach that at all because I haven't tried that in a game setting yet.
Also the detail on the pillar may be a little bit to small to be readable from anywhere but up close, maybe you could look into upscaling the details so it becomes more readable overall.
Loving the hex shaped stones in the cave itself, play around with the scale on these and add some variety in them to give the scene some real scale to it.
I really love this so far though, I want to know if something is hard to get through the process of putting it up on the marketplace.
Because I have been wondering if I should make a pack myself.
Keep it up man!
I've just realized I didn't post any pictures of the modularity. The goal is to allow buyers to have as much freedom as possible - both in term of ambiance and shapes. Here's an example of the modular pieces available:
http://i.imgur.com/FFgqAuo.png
The same goes for the background. The basalt cliffs has been make to be repeatable from all sides and they can even stack together without overlapping, so you can have the freedom you need on that side too.
I didn't think of varying the size of the cliffs, but it's actually a very good idea!
As for substance, I initially wanted to use the plugin because it's just so much faster and efficient, but I thought this would put an additional barrier between customers and the understanding of how the pack works. So I'm actually using png output for the materials. I can definitely try to upscale the details, as I did them initially thinking we would see those up-close (but it's not the case anymore).
For the overall scope, I'm not sure yet. I think that I will go way bigger than what is in this picture - I'd like to add "buildings" and regions (Slums/Rich/Market), but we'll see if that's actually possible or just wishful thinking. For now, my velocity is great, so I'd like to at least do the Slum/Marketplace area.
I probably won't update for a few days/next week while I develop the next district. I'll see how things goes and update accordingly!
What kind of texture rez are you aiming for? Is it a single atlas or every piece has it's own unwrapped texture?
First of, thank you for the comment! In term of texture resolution, right now I'm at 4k, although the farther I am in development the more I realize that it's a waste of resources (I could easily go to 2048 without any noticeable drop in quality). As to how I deal with textures, it's a little bit of both, actually.
I have textures that I call "generic", which are made of tillable materials that can include trims, grounds, walls. They usually have a theme so it's easy to recognize them when you apply them to an object. These objects have more than creative UVs to say the least, but they don't have any issues with lights even when baking when you take the time to work in another UV map dedicated to lighting. Then I have unique materials, that I apply to some architectural/props objects. These have unique UVs/high-res/material. They're usually objects that are closer to the characters, although it's not a rule itself. Sometime I will have close tillable materials and vice-versa - It's mostly situational, but in the end I believe it's the most effective way to make the project.