[W.I.P][UE4] Cyberpunk Capsule Hotel (Critique wanted)

rexo12

Most recent images:

Heyo, I've been working on making an 'environment' (i use quotes because it's too small to move around in), in UE4, as a learning exercise in scratch building realtime environments and getting my head around the engine. 

This was inspired by William Gibson's Neuromancer and general cyber/cablepunk.

Some References:

(theme ref)

(geo ref)

(another layout ref)

So, here's what i've got right now:

Couple of discrepancies between the Blender Viewport and UE4 because I haven't finished off some of the models yet. 

Problems I can see: 

- Lighting is a bit flat
- Ignoring the placeholders (honestly that could be all of them), textures are boring and don't really reflect the "cyberpunk feel"
- distinct lack of cables for cablepunk
- I feel like the models are a bit underdetailed, most of them I haven't needed to bake down. e.g. Aircon, Table.
- In general there isn't enough detail.
- Doesn't really fit the colour theme - should put together a moodboard.
- might swap the pillow out for a beanbag.

But i'm kind of in a state of mental block so I'm looking for some outside input on what I should fix and/or do next.
Thanks in advance!

Martoon

You have an interesting idea among your references.

Lighting / Mood

• The bottom piece has the colors we associate with Scifi movies the greens and the oranges.

 If you are going for a mood similar to that I would push that in your scene with more lights look how many lights the reference has, and the colors they are.

•  The first reference has a window which would also drastically change the mood of your scene.

 I would choose which type of lighting scenario and mood you are trying to achieve and go in that direction. 

Regardless Getting more light bounces in your scene is essential because some of your assets are completely black.

Set Dressing

• One similarity both pieces share is clutter.

They both have a good breakup of Big forms, medium forms, and then small forms. 
I think adding some more of the type of circuits and electronics like in the reference would help better establish the scale of your scene,
and also present some more story into it as-well.

Materials

Another part that will really push your scene is playing around with your materials.

In the reference there is a lot of light breakup of the materials, and I see you have some of it already with a metal material. I think after you push your lighting , if you were to breakup the way the highlights react on your material surfaces not only will the lighting itself read as " less flat" as you put, but it will also increase our understanding of what material it is

Sorry for the length, best of luck

rexo12

@Martoon No worries about the length, that in-depth look is exactly what i wanted! You also took the time to break up my references which is great! 

I'm only just getting into the detail models now - You can't see them in the screenshot but i have modelled some floppies, I'm working on a cyberdeck and I intend to add misc. tapes and circuitry. 

Might also make a more advanced shader for the wall geometry, add in weight painting for wear and such. The tatami should probably go as well.

I'll fix up the lighting, make the main fluero's less bright and add in some more colours - turn the TV on and such. might make one of the closets a 'server cupboard' of sorts.

Thanks for your help, It's much appreciated!

Dood1

Maybe break up some of the bigger shapes?

rexo12

Quick update, haven't been able to work much due to school. Focusing on fixing the lighting up.


Looking better. There are some lights that are placeholders and don't correspond to proper sources, but i'm just trying to get the mood sorted.  There are still some contrast issues - See the boxes, and the takeout container by the TV (Although I think that's not receiving light due to some kind of bug). I mucked around with adding a window, but I didn't like how it looked so got rid of it. 


I 'stole' that lightbar idea from my reference, And it does work, but it feels like a bit of a copout. Thinking of replacing it with a lavalamp type thing.


My server cupboard seems to be leaking light through the top of the model though. It's strange because it's properly sealed with a modelled interior, so the light bounces are literally just ignoring the geometry. Does anyone know a fix for this?

A closeup look at the terminal I made. I don't like the control panel, so I'll have to remodel it (again).

All for today! 

rexo12

More progress shots:



As you can see, worked on more props, added a sort of "light cover" - that needs some work. Also added a VHS prop, Rubik's cube, Minidisc, some cables and pipes. Finished off the cyberdeck and added a placeholder laptop prop, that I want to fix up later. I'm not sure how I feel about the window light - on playing it moves past the window to simulate cars on a highway.


Cyberdeck closeup.
Another shot of the desk. As you can see, that laptop model is atrocious. I really just put it together to have a model to correspond with the blue light source seen earlier on, but setting the intensity of the emissive colour higher just turns it purple, which is not very helpful


A shot of the boxes I painted a few nights ago.

And a shot of the VHS. I don't really like the windows, as if you look at a real VHS they are transparent and you can see the tape reels inside. Would the best way to texture that be via baking, or just stamping on an image and setting the roughness up to simulate the window?

So that's all for this update, I plan to add more support struts to the walls, actually connect that light-cylinder to something, and add more detail props (circuitry, hanging plant, slippers, misc clothes lying around), and maybe change the wall material too.

EDIT: Should also mention that almost all the models have way too many polys, because I am absolutely terrible at baking stuff. So next project would be to focus on good retopo and making models that can be baked easily.