Biplane CR.42 Falco for Games – Hard Surface WIP / Looking for workflow advice

Turria

Hi everyone,

I wanted to introduce myself and also share a project I’m currently working on.

I’m Dan , a self-taught hard surface 3D artist, and over time I’ve mainly focused on modeling props for games. Most of my experience comes from the more traditional low poly / high poly / bake workflow, especially for smaller assets.

Right now, though, I’m working on something much bigger and more complex: a Fiat CR.42 Falco made for videogame presentation / portfolio purposes.

At the moment I’ve finished the blockout, and the project already includes a lot of work on both the engine and the cockpit, which I’m trying to model as faithfully and thoroughly as possible, with a strong focus on mechanical and structural detail.

What I’d like to ask the community is mainly some advice about the best workflow to move forward from this stage, especially regarding:

• UV workflow
• possible baking strategy
• texturing approach
• and more generally, what would be the smartest way to treat an aircraft like this if the goal is a strong portfolio-quality result

The reason I’m a bit uncertain is that, unlike the props I usually make, this is an aircraft, so it’s a very different kind of asset. Some parts may be seen from relatively far away, while others — especially the cockpit and certain mechanical sections — can hold up to much closer shots.

Because of that, I’m not sure what the best balance is between efficiency and fidelity.

My current idea would be something like this:

• For the fuselage and main external body, I’m thinking of using strategic bevels directly on the geometry, aiming for a sort of mid-poly approach, possibly without baking
• For more detail-heavy areas like the cockpit, I’m considering a more traditional high poly to low poly bake workflow, in order to preserve all the smaller forms and surface information

So in short, I’m wondering if a hybrid workflow like this makes sense for an asset of this kind, especially for portfolio rendering and presentation.

I would also really appreciate advice on material and texture setup.

If I want this to feel like a proper hero asset in 4K, how would you approach the material split?
For example, how many material IDs / texture sets would you consider reasonable before it becomes excessive?

I’m currently trying to find the right balance between:

• strong close-up detail
• clean and manageable texture organization
• and keeping the asset believable as a game-oriented piece rather than only a cinematic model

Any feedback, suggestions, or examples of workflows used on similar vehicle / aircraft assets would be greatly appreciated.

I’ll share some WIP shots below. Thanks in advance.

sacboi

Plan is a good one and high resolution at 4k for a hero portfolio piece I'd want to squeeze in every pixel could possibly grab thereby hopefully capture the attention of eyeballs that actually matter which typically, at a glance what you've created is worth their time continuing too scroll through a detailed breakdown how it was put together. Personally, I always follow "less is best" philosophy in terms of optimisation, for example 2 maybe 3 texture sheets should suffice i.e. 

• external parts (class A surfaces)
• baked internal parts (class B surfaces) 
• opacity map or shader for transparent elements 

Plus yes UVW hybrid midpoly approach if this was my project, I would prefer particularly observable exteriors because efficiency drives one to extend their skillset beyond a perceived 'comfort zone' anyway the fuselage, wing and tail-plane topology edge flow shows me, shouldn't really have a problem implementing. Lastly trade offs will always be a factor to keep an eye on however the end goal benchmarks in most use cases decision making process what too cull / adjust or not.

Edit:

Assuming your pipeline is PBR orientated, couple of substance painter workflows that will prove useful detailing indepth material / texture walkthroughs essential from a 'story telling' point of view - https://80.lv/articles/creating-an-assault-rifle-in-sunstance-3d-painter-and-unreal-engine-5 - https://80.lv/articles/how-to-texture-worn-out-sniper-scope-in-substance-3d-painter

Witold Jaworski - Been following his wip for the last decade I've not seen anything rivaling his work on the interwebs, so recommend checking it out - https://blenderartists.org/t/sbd-dauntless-us-navy-dive-bomber/641592

EBook tutorials 4th Edition FOSS paradigm (Blender 3.6x) - https://airplanes3d.net/va4_e.xml

Turria

Hey, thanks a lot for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it.

Getting feedback like this actually means a lot to me, especially because I’m working on this project in the evenings after long workdays (I run my own business), so staying motivated can be tough sometimes. Even just one solid reply like yours really helps keep things going.

Also, the links you shared are honestly gold. I hadn’t really explored a mid-poly baking workflow before, and that 80 Level article you pointed me to is going to be super helpful, both technically and as motivation.

Really appreciate you taking the time to break things down and share your perspective.

Thanks again! I'll post some updates soon.