[UDK] Autumn scene
polycounter lvl 14
This is a school assignment and i have three weeks to work on this. How it looks right now i'm aiming for the whole scene in UDK. But then UDK is pretty new stuff for me, so i'll see how far i'll get in that time.
If i don't, i'll still finish it.
Concept done by Dvigatiel, found this over at conceptart.org
I've done the layout and modular planning for the house now. It's 20 different pieces, allot of them will use the same highpoly and texture. I'm thinking of starting with it before i go to deep into UDK.
So far I've a small list over stuff to research and read a bit more about in UDK. I know I've missed some points, so if you think about anything don't hesitate to say it (:
This is my first content list
If i don't, i'll still finish it.
Concept done by Dvigatiel, found this over at conceptart.org
I've done the layout and modular planning for the house now. It's 20 different pieces, allot of them will use the same highpoly and texture. I'm thinking of starting with it before i go to deep into UDK.
So far I've a small list over stuff to research and read a bit more about in UDK. I know I've missed some points, so if you think about anything don't hesitate to say it (:
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Look at what channel in the normal to flip, and then have a prepared network in UDK
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Volumetric fog
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Go deeper with lights and lightmass
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Not that important, but still. Semi translucent material for the pumpkins.
This is my first content list
- Fence
- Pile of leafs
- Grass two different sizes
- White flowers
- Pumpkin
- Two different trees
Textures - Leafs
- Dried grass
- Dark dirt
Blend all this with a material layer on a terrain object in UDK.
Replies
Good preparation though, curious to see how this will turn out!
The concept is really nice, cant wait to see more of this.
I'll be keeping my eye on this to see how it grows, good luck
modular works well to an extent, mostly on large buildings and bigger stuff, making EVERYTHING modular is a common misconception. its really time consuming and if its only going to be used once there is no point really. it becomes valuable when you are planning to make an entire level/city with like 20 pieces.
if you are set on making it modular, I would make a one big roof piece, a chimney and a building piece. keep in mind the time it takes to make the object, if going modular will save you time thats when you do it, wheras just modeling out that house itself and uving it would probably take less than an hour.
I'll start the HP work tomorrow (:
It will save me time. My extreme will for modularity will be put on hold.
Thx and good noight!
I agree with everyone on the modularity but no point to re-iterate.
It looks like your jumping into your high poly next and, take this as only a suggestion, but I would try blocking out the whole scene first and throwing it into UDK. The blockout can be simple shapes with no real definition but it will really give you a sense of what you will need to focus on, what assets you'll need in order to fill out the scene and how you'll go about doing that, a general light setup, scale, etc. I have found it that it really helps. Often times I stress over different details and a blockout really helps me see the bigger picture and lets you see how a lot of times, different things can be "cheated".
A great thread to read through would be TeaandCigarette's Medieval Cellar or Jason's DemonThrone and notice how, before anything else, they work out a strong lighting setup and composition which then dictates everything later on. And, as always, Adam's Forest Scene is great to look through as well.
Blocking out can also help you with the decision on how modular you want to be. For instance, the fence can be just one section which is then instanced to eternity in UDK and could then fill things out. I see that there are more houses behind, perhaps simplify the modularity on the house - maybe the whole chimney is one piece, you have one wall piece extruding out from the house with a window and then the rest of the house is one piece and by simply moving these three pieces around you are able to create different houses.
Looking at the concept, one thing that I find particularly nice is how loose it is and how much freedom that gives you. However, this looseness can also give you some trouble with things like...well, I know what I will put on the left side by the house but what do I do with the right side beyond the house? The concept has a lot of depth which is created by the barely visible mountains, the receding town. What is going on behind what is shown in the concept?
Anyways, enough out of me. Sorry if I've ranted a bit. I just love this concept and it has me very excited to see what you come up with.
My first thought on how to start this scene was just that, light and mood. Using just some speed trees and built in foliage.
But then, i felt if i get stuck with UDK, which is a part of the progress, i would throw away important working days. (I only got like 4 weeks before our internship start, so i'm already pretty much behind) But if the house was done, i could put it as an portfolio piece and then get down to lightning.
It feels like the house can be reused at least one time. But as far as the little village goes i don't know what to do really. Then their is the mountains. Could i maybe use big alpha plans for that?
Thx for the feedback (:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75196
Are u guys going to compete each other? Or it just happened.
You have 4 weeks before your internship starts, I would skip UDK and download the latest Marmoset and start to doodle stuff into your scene of the house you are working on. It would spice up a bit and get some nice lighting. I dont think you have time to add so much stuff like mountains,props and stuff to your scene if you are not willing to work at least 12h per day include weekends.
I don't have 4 weeks until internship ~7 weeks, and the only thing i do atm is working with my portofilo, eat and sleep so you tell me..
How it looks now, if i run out of time, i'll put the house with some ground and the trees into marmoset and do what ever. But marmoset isn't that good in making big scenes, or well you don't have the same control anyway. And i also want to learn udk.
The big difference will be the light in UDK. When i'm done with that it's the same process as it would be in marmoset, more or less..
Anyhow, I've been trying to get the scale and distance right, plus one crash. I'll try to work on the light and fog some now, and post a pic when it's something to look at (:
I built the whole scene with terrain first. Works really nice with all the materials and foliages and what not. What doesn't work that well is lighting!(!!!!!!!!!!!!) Or didn't i see the magic button?
I did this base mesh in maya instead and it works like a sharm. Now i need to do a shader so that i can blend the materials. I'm thinking of the shader using advanced vertex blending something something. Could be cool to have anyhow..
One question that remains, simplest way of placing foliage now?
So, i have a stuff to add to the content list/to do list.
Any suggestions you have, any at all (except me not doing this at all thank you) PLEASE tell me! It feels like i need textures and foliage to get the basic fell to this. Or do i?
If you're using a staticmesh actor, you have two solutions I consider best:
- Foliage factory volumes (but BPS placement is a hassle)
- Static mesh mode (that's what I used to place all the grass in my latest scene).
If you decide to go static mesh mode, model more than one grass clump, like 256*256 units of grass meshes scattered, and it'll be filled in no time in the editor.
@ ParoXum Thank you so so much! That's exactly what i'm looking for, one less problem to solve! I'm gonna go with static mesh mode, seems easy enuf!
THX for the feedback
I'm still fiddling with Lightmass myself but I believe you can colour and brighten shadows in Lightmass.
Although I have never had to do this really because my spherefog / heightfog, whatever (In UDK they got more fog options) always coloured and brightenend my shadows in the final product.
As for the scene it's looking good, check out the moated grange thread or whatever it's called as it's virtually the same lighting and presentation, should be good inspiration and reference.
P:S: I love the UT character standing there, keep it in the final product! Somehow, if you want, I dunno, just looks epic, like there's a story behind his pose! >_>;
I was actually referring to how you cut off a few bits off the top of your screenshot. Also use light mass to change the shadow settings, as well as the in the lights themselves.
If so, a real smooth skylight will help.
For this particular scene I wouldnt go too strong with the fog since you have to display very far mountains (if we take that you'll place them that far and don't use billboards).
You can solve things with fog but it tends to wash out your image.
That's only my opinion of course.
Keep it up
Okey, i'll poke around with the lightmass options tomorrow. Thx
Haha, yeah sorry, don't know what i read
OFC he stays!!!
I am going to change the ground a bit and make it longer to.
I've started on the house roof tiles.
Please tell me what you think!
HighPoly
Lighter shadows and diffrent perspective
Here's my updated for today.
PrtScn from marmoset with Diffuse, normal and parallax. Diffuse is W . I . P ! ! !
The highpoly from Mudbox before three stones and some tile correction
I dont know something to think about, The brick im curious to see how they would look with a parallax map
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75196
Also, one thing I'd definitely recommend is trying to work out the overall environment before getting into the details of the houses/pumpkins/etc. With UDK's lightmass system colours are largely effected by what your diffuse looks like and trees and foliage will begin to have an effect on it.
Good work so far. Look forward to seeing more.
I was thinking of doing a darker moss version of the stones to have at the bottom, then just blending it with vertex colors in UDK.. I have no other idea how to break it up actually. Suggestions is warmly welcome!
I created the house before finishing up the lights and what not as a safety net. So if i'm running out of time, i can still use it as an single portfolio piece. Time pressure is a fact.
So i'll finish the house and then do one or two ground textures. After that i'll tweak in the lights and change what needs to be changed on the terrain. THEN i'm jumping on foliage and what not!
Notice how the texture on the right looks better tiled. It's harder to see its seams:
Great technique Minotaur0.
You'r right, thx for the feedback! That's whats really making the texture repetitive. This is my first tiling texture done this way. Ofc i have experience doing usual tiling textures, but i guess my common sens in that workflow didn't follow me to this one.
I put some smaller extra stones in the gap ( i know it's not a real solution. but it's better then nothing). I did the tiles with geometry on top of the roof to cover the seam.
Sculpted and (test)-baked the door. I'm pretty happy with the style it got.
Then their's the widows to sculpt. I'm also thinking about doing one more stone sculpt/texture for the chimney. Needed?
Sorry for some weird wording.. It's freaking 5:19 in the AM over here! :poly127:
Thx. I decided not to have any modular piece at all on the house. To fit in an other texture is to much of a hustle, got some nasty seams trying to do it last time. I guess you right, would be a good thing to see how much you see, then this should also work as a portfolio piece all by it self.
Yeah, i have thought about that before, don't know why i haven't used it on this, i'll remember doing it in the future (:
Keep it up!
Then it's the roof wind plank that is left to do. Then it's texturing baby!
[IMAGE] Something happened to this tinypic URL :S Don't know what.. It's nt ma textures anyways :P
Textures and the chimney to do. Then it's of to UDK again, and some foliage (: