Environment Challenge - Modular Exterior Facades
polycounter lvl 19
Exterior Building Facade Challenge June 28th to July 26th 2008!
by Jesse Moody & Earthquake
With the Unearthly Challenge coming up later this summer now is the perfect time for everyone to get out and hone those
environment skills. Nearly everything we do these days environment wise revolves around modular building pieces, so the skills
required to model efficient pieces that work well with each other will be key.
Often times all we really need to model is a small section of a building to add into a scene to make it really come alive. So, for this challenge,
we'll be focusing on building facades. Or, a "Hollywood" type set.
What you'll need to do:
by Jesse Moody & Earthquake
With the Unearthly Challenge coming up later this summer now is the perfect time for everyone to get out and hone those
environment skills. Nearly everything we do these days environment wise revolves around modular building pieces, so the skills
required to model efficient pieces that work well with each other will be key.
Often times all we really need to model is a small section of a building to add into a scene to make it really come alive. So, for this challenge,
we'll be focusing on building facades. Or, a "Hollywood" type set.
What you'll need to do:
Design/Plan out how you want your overall scene to be shot, this will give you a good idea of exactly what you need to create.
The goal here is just a simple facade, so you want to focus on creating only what will be seen in your final renders.
Model and texture all of the pieces you make to build your building facade. Weather that means windows, doors, roofs, streets, or a base thats completely up to you.
We're doing a focus on modularity here, so while someone could easily just create one large 2048 texture that has everything uniquely mapped out, thats really not what we're trying to accomplish with this.
This challenge is not a team-based challenge, you can only enter alone. However, you may team up with a concept artist who's sole roll is to help direct the scene you are creating. They cannot help beyond supplying concepts for your scene and/or props.
Challenge Specifications & Notes:
The goal here is just a simple facade, so you want to focus on creating only what will be seen in your final renders.
Model and texture all of the pieces you make to build your building facade. Weather that means windows, doors, roofs, streets, or a base thats completely up to you.
We're doing a focus on modularity here, so while someone could easily just create one large 2048 texture that has everything uniquely mapped out, thats really not what we're trying to accomplish with this.
This challenge is not a team-based challenge, you can only enter alone. However, you may team up with a concept artist who's sole roll is to help direct the scene you are creating. They cannot help beyond supplying concepts for your scene and/or props.
:icon_arrow: 20,000 triangles maximum. Static meshes only. No BSP
:icon_arrow: 2048x2048 Diffuse/Normals/Spec/Emissive/Parrallax You can cut these textures up any way you like, as long as they do not exceed 2048x2048 of overall texture space.
:icon_arrow: 512xm512 Texture for lightmap
Note: Most engines these days use some form of lightmapping. Generally what that means is you create a 2nd uv set for your mesh that has every piece unwrapped uniquely(you actually can do some mirroring/tiling here if you know the objects will receive the same shadows). Then you bake out an ambient occlusion/radiosity map and multiply that onto your materials.
:icon_arrow: 2048x2048 Diffuse/Normals/Spec/Emissive/Parrallax You can cut these textures up any way you like, as long as they do not exceed 2048x2048 of overall texture space.
:icon_arrow: 512xm512 Texture for lightmap
Note: Most engines these days use some form of lightmapping. Generally what that means is you create a 2nd uv set for your mesh that has every piece unwrapped uniquely(you actually can do some mirroring/tiling here if you know the objects will receive the same shadows). Then you bake out an ambient occlusion/radiosity map and multiply that onto your materials.
:icon_arrow: Starts on June 28th 2008
:icon_arrow: Finishes August 2nd 2008 (Extended 1 week!!!)
:icon_arrow: Render it in whatever application or engine you're comfortable with.
:icon_arrow: YOU MUST SHOW YOUR PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FROM BEGINNING TO END. Lots of thought goes in to modular design and we're here to help you guys along with this. If you do not show your development process your entry will not be considered.
:icon_arrow: A simple post processing pass is allowed on your beauty render, but isn't a requirement.
I'm new to this modular design malarkey, will you help me?
:icon_arrow: Finishes August 2nd 2008 (Extended 1 week!!!)
:icon_arrow: Render it in whatever application or engine you're comfortable with.
:icon_arrow: YOU MUST SHOW YOUR PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FROM BEGINNING TO END. Lots of thought goes in to modular design and we're here to help you guys along with this. If you do not show your development process your entry will not be considered.
- References and/or concepts
- thought process
- WIP shots
- wireframe/mesh shots
- textures
- final renders
:icon_arrow: A simple post processing pass is allowed on your beauty render, but isn't a requirement.
- This is limited, however, to simple effects:
- contrast/hue/saturation
- bloom/sharpen
- Ambient occlusion must be baked to your lightmap if you choose to use it.
- You may include a sky as well. This will not count as part of your tri count and will not be included into the final texture sheet.
This challenge has two purposes - to see some kick ass environment design AND to learn about modular design in the process of being a participant. This challenge is a warm-up for the Unearthly Challenge, don't forget! We're hoping veterans and "newbies" a like will come out for this 4 week challenge so that it can be a learning or educating experience for all.
So will we help you? Damn right we'll help.
Where might I find some references for this challenge?
So will we help you? Damn right we'll help.
The internet is your friend! Google Images, Flickr, cgtextures.com, etc. are all insanely useful resources for this sort of thing.
While you're out looking, here's a few references for you guys look over and get an idea as to what we're tackling.
Modular Exterior Facade example references!
This challenge doesn't start until June 28th 2008 so start asking your questions now!While you're out looking, here's a few references for you guys look over and get an idea as to what we're tackling.
Modular Exterior Facade example references!
Replies
This sounds great though Adam, should be fun.
2. If we have everything right now why does it start in 3 days(I have no plans of starting right now, but just wondering whats with the wait)
I just noticed it says June to July at the very top, but because I'm blind I missed that *whistles*
1. You'll bake your ambient occlusion/radiosity into a 2nd uv set layout out all unique, this is optional of course, you don't need to have this one. You know for large scale ambient occlusion. This is usefull when you're using tiling textures and you can't bake certain things into them, you use a 2nd uv set with a multiply texture over the entire mesh.
If you're doing multiple materials(say splitting your textures into 4 1024s) You have two options basically, you can unwrap everything onto 1 512 and apply that same LM to all peices, or you could unwrap each of those parts into 4 256x256 maps, or whatever size you think appropriate, as long as in total it doesn't exceed 512x512.
2. We just want to give everyone a little time to realize that we're running another contest. Everyone is welcome to start threads and start planing etc. Just no actual modeling until saturday!!
Are you basically baking out an AO? or is there actually an option to bake out a light map?
Again, sorry for the dumb question
Thanks EQ
Was just wondering what we could use it for in the comp, so looks like anything relating to lighting for a light map goes.
Really you can do whatever you like with this texture, generate it however you want with whatever you want, bake simple ao, bake complicated directional lighting. Its all fine, as long as in the end its 512x512 or smaller, and multiplied onto your model
Murdoc: Yeah you could even simply do your second uv channel, and then import it into UE3 to generate the lm/lighting. Thats well within the rules.
Lightmap does NOT = AO.
It's true that games today are doing AO as a fullscreen 'post process' effect. However, because this is an exercise in environment creation your AO, if you choose to use it, must be baked to your lightmap.
Any post processing you do must be by way of simple contrast/saturation/hue adjustments.
I will update the specs.
In every terms possible. The learning will be great.
And you can all thank me for inspiring EQ for this comp! ZING
Also, do all the parts need to be static meshes, or is it cool to use brushes for some of the walls/ground/etc? And if so, do the brushes count towards the 20,000?
You should include everything you plan on showing in the set, it all counts toward the budget. As far as skys etc, i think you can use a sky in your final shot only, i would say that wouldn't count against your budget. Should also be ok for someone to add a sky in post as well. Everyone has any reason to disagree with that let me know.
I would say everything should be a mesh and not bsp. Just for simplicity sake and to keep everyone on level ground here. Besides, isnt that sort of counter-productive to creating modular meshes? I really dont know i guess, i dont deal with bsp so if anyone has an opinion on that as well post too please.
ehh its little to no additional effort compared to creating a hipoly/sculp, lowpoly mesh, baking texturing etc... and it will look much nice with it anyways
that's just some blockout for airborn, but you can see, that the fg and ao of the lightmap, plugged into the ambient channel helps a little bit
left: 1 directional and one ambient light
right:1 directional and one lightmap
[img]http://nonpublic.airbørn.de/wip/katzeimsack/env/fg_ao.jpg[/img]
yeah i know, but i just don't want to bother with rendering anything, and since you can these days get pretty great similar lighting as your right pic with only real time lighting using real time ambient occlusion and a bunch of good omni light placement, it feels like a wasted effort to make a light map
But anyways, I'll probaby go with unreal3 and have it generate my light map automatically if i think its necessary anyways
A sky doesn't have to be included in your final shot but you should do it. It does not count as part of the 2048 or as part of the tri counts so it will only help make your scene feel more real.
As for light maps. That is totally up to you what you guys want to do. I say they really benefit the scenes but if you don't want to do a light map pass thats ok.
Can we use bsp?
Sorry but for this challenge it will be statics only. No bsp.
Keep asking those questions. This challenge will begin shortly.
Dynamic lighting tends to look pretty bad without any sort of AO/LM. So i would say you'll definitely want to do this, but its not required. Also i think using any sort of GI solution in max such as mental ray etc shouldn't be allowed, since we're giving texture space specifically for this(just for the sake of sticking with actual game practices here). But of course using UE3 etc, really any game engine that calculates a LM for you is fine, just as long as its less than 512.
2. create second uv set
3. uv everything without any overplapping on the 2nd uv set
4. bake AO on 2nd uv set
5. multiply baked map over the colormap
for fg maps or gi maps you need to set lights and a skycube first and then just bake the gi without the directional light (in maya batchbake, option: gi only)
Ahh no.
We are hoping this will catch a lot of peoples eyes and help everyone get ready for the big challenge at the end of summer. This will be an amazing learning experience for everyone and I think a lot of people could really benefit from these types of challenges and projects. So start thinking up some ideas.
Adam has already begun his little plan thread. He has a story and idea going. I hope to see more popping up soon.
Yeah CB to generate normals/height map for parrallax.
One quick thing, I understand how lightmaps work and stuff in UE3. But where in the max material area do I set a lightmap (second set of uvs) to multiply it over top of my original textures/materials. Bit of a noob question I guess, but I've never used lightmaps outside of ue3.
Ahh good point bitmap. Yes there are a few dx materials in max that allow you to apply materials to different uv sets.
Essentially this may be the easiest way to do this in max.
Thanks for bringing that up.