What should I do to create my ideal workflow?

mechanicarts

Hello people. I've been trying to get deep into modelling for my thesis environment (1922 Smyrna/Izmir, Levantine/Continental architecture). I've restarted my process several times, resulting in both huge waste of time and loss of work. Let me walk you through my endeavors.

First I made my concept board. About 20 images with some highlighted elements I really want in my work. I still have some free floating images to use for specific parts.

I then tried the strictly modular approach. A collection of generic pieces that work together, except when I put them together, they looked too...stiff. Too repetitive. 


After seeing it doesn't work when I put them together in UE4, I tried a more...solid approach. Modular pieces still, but that they work together because I modelled them to work as such. It limits me as to the variation of the architecture, but I'm not against the idea of making 2-3 kits like that so that I can cover all my needs. However, I still can't fit them to work together. Texture problems, , objects seem out of place and similar stuff like that.


Final try. Model the whole thing. Then texture it in Painter. But then I found out (the hard way) that painter only uses one UV map for every material, meaning  my mesh looks like this right now (It shouldn't. I tried to map my walls to have separate UV's, but this causes me troubles with tiling textures, plus the amount of polys in the model (the whole thing) cripples my computer.


I then attempted to break down my model to parts, but gave up right there and then, because I just lost my steam.


Any advice from anyone? I have never attempted to make something so big and it's both intimidating and frustrating, because I just can't get it in my head how people like the ones I drew inspiration from (see links below) do what I want.

Thanks in advance!

Inspiration links:
1. https://polycount.com/discussion/144838/ue4-modular-building-set-breakdown/p1 (Edited to go to the first page)
2. https://www.artstation.com/artwork/1eREK

Brian "Panda" Choi

It's okay to make some unique pieces.

mechanicarts

Brian "Panda" Choi said:

It's okay to make some unique pieces.

Sure, but what about non-hero pieces? I've seen so many tutorials about everything from modelling a doorknob, to substance designer bricks but I just can't bring them together. I feel like I have a lot of knowledge that I just can't put into action. I have yet to see a modular workflow I can get behind, and the fact that most tutorials/courses I've seen are about modular scifi doesn't help (since a lot of elements in scifi are supposed to be repetitive)

Cibo

Maybe a more "realistic" approach is better. Look for a real house and cut it in pieces. Modelling the pieces and rebuild the house in the editor. Then expand the house with new pieces. Google Street View can help to find interesting buildings.

Very important is that you play with FoV inside Unreal4 because the standart FoV and Hitbox gives a weird feeling for dimensions and realistic proportions are nearly unplayable. In standart UE4 you need rooms with 1,5-2 times the size or they feel tiny. A another good way is to find a FoV inside Unreal and test Windows and doors fpor the right feeling and use this as standart and after that modelling you pieces.

Look inside Unreal for the Apartment Level to download. Its very realistic and have a nice feeling.

Alone from your images i have a weird feeling with the windows at ground level, they lok like 20cm over the floor.

mechanicarts

Cibo said:

Maybe a more "realistic" approach is better. Look for a real house and cut it in pieces. Modelling the pieces and rebuild the house in the editor. Then expand the house with new pieces. Google Street View can help to find interesting buildings.

Very important is that you play with FoV inside Unreal4 because the standart FoV and Hitbox gives a weird feeling for dimensions and realistic proportions are nearly unplayable. In standart UE4 you need rooms with 1,5-2 times the size or they feel tiny. A another good way is to find a FoV inside Unreal and test Windows and doors fpor the right feeling and use this as standart and after that modelling you pieces.

Look inside Unreal for the Apartment Level to download. Its very realistic and have a nice feeling.

Alone from your images i have a weird feeling with the windows at ground level, they lok like 20cm over the floor.

Thanks for the tips. It's not gonna be a game per se - more like a VR animation with a game-y feeling (think action cinematic). As for the windows: oddly enough, that's exactly how they are built in my references. I'm modelling a part of the old Smyrna Quay and most buildings had windows covering most of the height of each floor.

RS7

Hi!

Technically you are almost on the right track. Try to keep your wall tile pieces universal measurments. All and all, the biggest problem with your tiles is poor design choices. Look up some real life reference and architectureal desgin samples. You need to create something that is appealing to the eye not just "windows and doors and brick tiles" Be more creative. Realism and believability comes from little details placed in the right spot. Do not be afraid to take out your best modeling skills and put some extra effort into the models. Hold on with the texturing until you get your design shapes right. If your design starts to look too repetitive, for example the roof tile bricks, you need to brake it up with some accent that makes sense and maybe even move those brick blocks by hand. Lots of possibilities. Fun porject!

Here are a little images i made to clarify my point. 1. is the approach to the grid design. 2. using tiles to create something out from these 6 simple pieces. Hope that helps!

Breaking down Vytautas' grid-based widow design https://www.artstation.com/artwork/1eREK

mechanicarts

Thanks for those illustrations. It really helped me get what you mean. The grid image specifically gave me an idea (find elements I want and put them on grid so I can break them apart).

However Vytautas did something far more complex for his scene, which I'm not sure how to replicate without completely replicating his process (which I'd like to avoid since it's academic-related) :



As you see this is completely freeform, nothing grid-based. My biggest grievance with this is UV mapping and texturing at a later time. He made a lot of small parts, textured them and then started combining everything into actual architecture. Should I try to work like this?

RS7

Hi mechanicarts

I'm glad that it helped you forward a bit. As i illustrated on the last image, Vytautas made the very same thig as on my 2d Photoshop sample.

However, he made the window faitly complex and added lots of eye catchers to make the design realistic looking, in the nutshell it's still simple box modeling which has great design sense. But the main point is, that the window tile piece can be divided in universal grid measurments, it's not a freeform as you guessed. I divided this window piece to 2x3 grids, so it can be fitted with other tiles that follows the same measuring pattern. I'm almost certain Vytautas has used the same grid measurment pattern. Or similar. Definetley he has used some. And that's how yo do your modular tile pieces.

UV is dead simple on such model. Everything is basically either simple plane or a streched out cube. Flat surface. Could not be any more simpler than that. Plane projection mapping button would do 80% of the work, you have to clean up the UV layout and few make cuts here and there.

You just have to model nice tiles and fit them to the universal grid. That's all basically. You can replicate Vytautas model 1:1 as a learning exrecise, Then jump back to your own project.

Also i can recommend you to dig some Dishonored 2 enovironment art and models. Vytautas has clearly taken some influeence from there, and i don't blame him : ) Dishonored is fantastic.

-->It doesn't matter what's inside these boxes as long as they align and match to the tile next to it.

mechanicarts

I'll get to work then Thanks a lot, your advice has been invaluable!