UE4 Clock Tower Environment

Justin Wagner

Hello, I have been working on this clock tower environment for a week or so now and decided I'd post it. 
Let me know what you think!  

Justin Wagner

Increased the scale of the clocks and adjusted accordingly.

 Also, Trying out different lighting and FOV.

Justin Wagner

Here is the warm lighting and wider FOV.

Benvox2

Coming along nicely. Really cool idea too. Do you have a reference or mood board for your scene? It really reminds me of the clock tower in Thief.



Not sure if that is the direction that you want to take it, but it has a lot of great ideas.

Justin Wagner

This is actually my main reference that I am following. I am trying to go for a bit more confined room with a different story but the overall "old rickety clock tower" theme is what I am driving for. 

I am trying to make a smaller, less majestic clock tower, and the groundskeeper actually lives at the top platform on the left. There will be a lot of small props that will tell the story of his hardship and how he ended up living here. At least that's the plan so far.

Justin Wagner

Added The mechanics for the clock. Most meshes still need proper UV's. 

Nicorepe

So much coolncoolness I like the directions its taking.

Justin Wagner

Thanks! I really like the look so far. I have a lot more planned for this scene as well.

Justin Wagner

Just did another lighting pass with some UV fixes to the mechanics in the center.

Justin Wagner

macoll

Great idea for the scene ! I will follow you 

Justin Wagner

Thanks for the feedback HappyConscript. I am planning on pushing the clock shafts into the face so that it looks like it is driving the hands on the outside. I also am planning on having the clock arms and numbers built into the texture via a bump offset node to show more depth in the glass. Nice catch though!

Justin Wagner

I have been tweaking lighting a lot lately, but I think I have the right feel now. I also added some effects like dust, bugs around the lights, and spider webs.

Benvox2

Looking good man! So fast too. How did you go about the bugs around the lights?

Justin Wagner

Thanks for the feedback!

The bugs are fairly simple. The two nodes I mainly use are "color over life" (fading the bugs in and out so there's no sharp pop when it spawns a new particle) and "orbit" ( essentially a vertex offset that will rotate around a point. That being the light bulb in this case).

If you need a better explanation just let me know.

Stavaas

Looking good so far man! Will def follow this one.

Justin Wagner

Thanks Stavaas. I will try to keep you updated

19ulrich90

Liking where this is going . I love the environments od the new Thief, but the game didn't pull me in that much as Deadly Shadows.

Tetranome

Your lighting sets a really nice mood. Good work so far! Will be watching

Justin Wagner

I've added a few smaller props and cables, Post effect lens debris, and started texturing the platform on the left. 

Justin Wagner

I've got most of the wooden objects done and now on to the clocks themselves. Let me know what you think!

Justin Wagner

I've added quite a bit since my last post. Let me know what you think?

FemCharles

Just some quick thoughts:

In the reference image i really like the window, and the broken clock, gives you a glimpse of the outside world, something beyond this room. I think adding something like that would be a nice touch. Also the ladder to the left, i can't see where it goes? maybe some shaft of light to help guide your eye around the image.  Currently the center with the gears is my main focus which i don't know if that's particularly interesting. Think about adding interesting elements in other sections or pushing the main focus. Either way i think its really coming along!  

GaetanThibaut

making good progress! starting to look really awesome. 
But just as Fem Charles sed, add a few lights to hint at what is going on volume whise.
Space above and below your scene.
I can see that u added blue light but its mainly yellow light dominated.
this is the other way around in your concept art.
this changes the feeling that your scene radiates from creepy and cold to warm and cosy.
Is this the feeling that u want to portray in this scene?

anyway great job and keep at it.

Elod.H

Hey Justin! This really caught my attention. Going to head home from work and properly look at these pictures, they look awesome!

chrisevansart

This is looking very nice man! great work.

pixelpatron

I love where you've taken this, that last shot wooo!!! Couple things that will make this stronger. Vary the lighting, why do all four lights have to be on? Design 101, three is more interesting than four and you have a lot of that happening in this room. Maybe one of the clock faces is damaged, spare gears stacked up on one side and it's under repair? You've got a good foundation but you could be telling a story. I strongly suggest a secondary light source, and a complimentary one at that. I'd throw a light coming from the top of that ladder and having it be a contrasting/complimenting color to the room. It's a good time to ask yourself what elements could you add to this to hint at a visual story? Simply adding a toolchest and showing the gears being changed is a basis....you don't have to go that direction....maybe a hangmans noose and some whisky? I don't know....I just love environments that upon inspection I get a deeper level of understanding of the scene and its purpose if there are breadcrumbs of a larger story. Uncharted 4 did this beautifully in the house Nate and Ellana lived in, there was a post it note on the fridge in that environment reminding Nate to take the car in for repair, and another note below that said "stupid hybrid" - how expensive was that asset to create in terms of the level of impact it had? Use that level of creativity to turn this enverionment from good to great!  

Good luck

Justin Wagner

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone. I feel like I have gotten to a good point and now it's time to polish.
I am looking into exactly what story I want to tell and right now I have the grounds keeper as a depressed drunk who doesn't keep up on maintenance.  Nothing too deep yet.

Here is the next round of screenshots. Enjoy!

Stavaas

Coming along nicely man! I agree with the previous comments about getting some contrasting light in there, gonna make it a lot more interesting to look at I think.