UE3 Environment WIP

buddikaman

Im sure you guys get alot of these, but wanted to showcase it anyways. This is actually for a MOD. Still has a long ways to go, if anyone is interested, I can update it as I progress. I've never done an environment so not sure if I am headed in the right direction. C&C welcome. Thanks!





Scott Petty
Environment Artist
www.Buddikaman.com

killingpeople

Something you know, and something I know, is that your efforts in creating assets for an environment, will be multiplied every time the asset or texture is instanced, or reused. Unless it's a feature piece... which tend to get more love but not as much stage time. Designers just LOVE unique assets...

Anyway, when I personally focus on this aspect, the value of my task becomes much clearer and the desire to execute it to the best of my ability becomes greater. I ask you to think about what you're creating and it's importance.

In a case like this, every Scott-hour you put in, is multiplied by each instance or even UVs that are doubled, time the asset is ran by, even times the game is played! Well, then, the quality you put in during that Scott-hour, using your skill, patience, and care, will be distributed by said instances... just that thought alone should make you want to push a little harder one you're grinding, be a little more meticulous that normal, be a little cleaner - because quality multiplies. It works for getting me motivated at any rate.

I'd advise to take better notice to the model itself during it's creation. This is should, in my opinion, be the origin of your detail choices. Note the material first of all, then the form it's in, finally it's neighboring elements and their effects on it.

Regarding, more directly, your castle hallway, I feel everything is looking good. My favorite is the brick texture on the walls between the pillars, although just the texture itself. I see there are horizontal lines in your texture, I'm guessing it's caused by shading at the base of the texture. If that wall is a BSP, I'd readjust the texture in a manner that would conceal the seam in the texture.

Baked lighting should help unite and distract from the theme here, still... I feel there is work you can do with your textures.

The tan colored floor looks better in the first image, I would lean in that hue with your cool grey stone floor.

I would not continue the pattern behind the individual vertical breaks on the column; the breaks separated by smaller stone beams. I would think a repeating pattern, confined within these breaks, which conformed and reacted to these spaces, would look more natural. I would hate to be the guy that had to, sculpt/mold, install, and paint each of those fuckers in sequence around a damn pillar... I better be getting paid mad gold duckets, not killed as a slave, or she better be work'n it! ... I think you should get the idea by now.

odium

The biggest problem I have here is the lighting, which looks awful for these shots. Much, much too bright.

Throw a few flame torchs on the walls with burn marks behind them and a nice soft fire light casting shadow, and then we can talk

buddikaman

Yeah i knew this is to soon of a WIP to show. I havent even touched lighting. Thanks killingpeople, appreciate the advice.

Scott Petty
Environment Artist
www.Buddikaman.com

Saidin311

I think it looks pretty good, I didn't notice the shading difference between the top bricks and the bottom ones at first. I did notice the repeated maroon pattern in between the column stones though. As tedious as it might be, some decorative element that's relevant for that section would probably look better.

As for posting too soon, I'm not sure how one could assume you've even touched lighting. It's obvious there is no lighting pass yet. I like looking at the development of pieces and not just posts with everything taken into account in some final image in the first post. So don't stop posting your WIPS please!