Using 3D modeler to make Game levels?
I have been looking everywhere, and even asked Justin Williams of Montage Studio (www.montagestudio.org) and he recommended this site for me to ask this question. As I don't know where to place it I put it in General that way I know I am not breaking any rules.
My question is that I was looking for tutorials or something that show how to make video game levels using Blender 3D or (if you are like me and pay for it) 3DS Max 9. I'm still making payments on 3DS Max 9 (the dealer was nice enough to set up payments that are automatically removed the 1st of every month). Anyways, are there any tutorials like this? I know that a friend of mine has the Game Art for Teens which shows how to use Maya 5 PLE to make in game objects, an ATV 4 wheeler, a human character, and a cylinder room, but I can't afford to get the book after bills, food, etc. and he won't loan it to me. He thinks that if he loans it to me that he will suddenly decide to use it, kind of like how you loan a movie to someone and then after they leave you suddenly get the impulse to watch that exact movie.
Any help would be greatly appreciated on this issue/topic.
My question is that I was looking for tutorials or something that show how to make video game levels using Blender 3D or (if you are like me and pay for it) 3DS Max 9. I'm still making payments on 3DS Max 9 (the dealer was nice enough to set up payments that are automatically removed the 1st of every month). Anyways, are there any tutorials like this? I know that a friend of mine has the Game Art for Teens which shows how to use Maya 5 PLE to make in game objects, an ATV 4 wheeler, a human character, and a cylinder room, but I can't afford to get the book after bills, food, etc. and he won't loan it to me. He thinks that if he loans it to me that he will suddenly decide to use it, kind of like how you loan a movie to someone and then after they leave you suddenly get the impulse to watch that exact movie.
Any help would be greatly appreciated on this issue/topic.
Replies
Game art for teens ??
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http://www.amazon.com/Game-Art-Teens-Development/dp/1592003079
here are blender tutorials... It is hard to answer your question as you do not post how much you already know
I dont think there are many tutorials for making a whole level, if you learn how to make simple props that should give you knowledge to start a level.
if you have 3ds max 9 you can easily find tutorials for 3ds max on sites like www.3dtotal.com and 3d forum sites in general. You might not find exactly a tutorial for what you are looking for but you should be able to find one that covers what you need to know, like if you want to do a truck but can only find car tutorials those should still help you make a truck if you get what I mean.
I think your friend is very childish btw.
can you post more specific information about what you dont know and want to learn, and do you want to do it in blender or max?
[grandpa voice]
Back in my day we didn't have this fancy schoolin' you youngins have. Shoot we didn't even have help files, if we wanted a tutorial we had to write one ourselves!
[/grandpa voice]
Getting back on track...
If you're thinking about gearing your training toward getting an entry level position I think you should start out by doing props and objects. It will get you familiar with the tools and give you a good foot hold to get into the industry.
I suggest skipping Blender and going right for Max, especially since you own it. Since your choices are between learning a program widely used in the industry (3dsMax) and one that is not (blender), I suggest going with Max. Max comes with a VERY compressive set of tutorials and I would start there with those, "Help > tutorials" & "Help > User Reference" will be your friends over the next few weeks. If you're new to max I would put level building on the back burner and just get used to using the app. Building an entire level is a daugnting task and could easily scare you off.
I use 3dsMax to make environments. The more you know about Max the easier it is to use and do things. At first it will feel like you've cut off all your fingers and you're trying to assemble a jig-saw puzzle. But you'll get your fingers back and even figure out how to use your toes =P
Suggestions for building levels in Max:
-walk-thru mode, it gives me VERY precise control over the view port camera since it works exactly like a FPS shooter camera does, minus gravity. It will help you navigate around your level like a player would. Which can be helpful when setting up pacing, or "walking thru" your level.
-Game Level Builder for 3dsMax. Its a plugin for max that makes it easier to work with. it also helps you export maps to several (older) games. I have fired it up and found it useful but at the end of the day I would only use it to export.
- Build on a grid, and build modular pieces when you can. think about recycling pieces, props and textures whenever possible.
Learning UnrealEd would be a good move since it is widely used and well documented. But I wouldn't apply for any job only knowing it. I would also add Maya, Max or XSI to your bag of tricks before getting serious. The studios you'll apply at might not be using it and that will narrow down the places you can apply.
At the end of the day level design is more about composition, pacing, story telling and scene history then it is about the mechanics about making a level. If you're serious about level design I would spend a good deal of time finding out what makes some levels really pop and other suck. You'll more than likely need to become an expert on lighting, composition, pacing, story telling and scene history. Without those all the technical knowledge in the world will only get you so far.
Good luck, remember its up to you to educate yourself, even if you take a course or pick up a book all the work still falls to you. have fun and don't pull your hair out the first day, save some for later =P
excerpt from "game art for teens":[ QUOTE ]
ok... like WTF ur click that buton and stuffz happon, than click tis buton and mawr stuffz happon and you all like woa oh mang thatz kewl, huh? and I'm all like yeah totally kewl
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There's actually some pretty solid content in it. A full, passable lowpoly character modeling tutorial, among other things. The enviornment stuff is pretty vague, though.
A good way to do caves and cliffs is to do a super boxy model and meshsmooth it, I'll try and write up a tutorial within a day or so.
If you want to model game worlds, pick a game thats moddable, and learn it. 75% of the techniques transfer over to other engines fairly well. You have tons to choose from, HL2, Q3, UT2K4, Oblivion, etc. All of them use different construction techniques.
I wouldn't recommend walk through mode in max unless you can set a FOV (Field of View) option that mimics the game engine you are working on. Other wise the viewable area you see will differ slightly from ingame. Messes with me a tad.
Check out the engines and open up a level in the editor, study it, its really a personal art form. There are so many ways to do things every engine or team is going to have different specs and techniques. Model your training after an existing engine.
Oh yeah fuck blender. That will only confuse you more. Its a very free but very badly made modeler/engine package. Personally oblivion is the easiest for me. You make a model, export it to nif file format, load it up and tweak some collision data and your done.