Subway (UDK WIP)

Sythen

Hey guys,

So I started working on a level design of a subway platform. The concept initially began when I had modeled a Subway Pillar and basically just went from there. I've been working on it just short of 4 days now.

Subway Pillar:


Subway Map Screenshots:




Walls etc are Modular. So I can extend the platform if need be.

This is currently heavily a work in progress, and I know I've a lot more detail to add (doors, stairs, more adverts, decals and some bins) But if you guys could let me know what you think of the current work in progress screenshots that'd be great!

- Scott.

deadsource

I think you could sharpen the texture more. The walls could be dirtier too like in this picture:

SaferDan

The chairs looka bit big to me? but it might just be because you dont have much else in the scene? Who knows!

Its a great start though

Sythen

Yeah, I actually agree. The chairs do look a little bit large; Scaled them to 0.80.

Sythen

@deadsource I'm going to work on three variations of textures going from clean to dirty. The level design is modular so it wouldn't be too hard. Thanks for the tip

Rico

Seen your stuff on DA, cool to see you here dude!

Only crit is to maybe add some grout to the tiles on the ground. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

duxun

ATm you need more color variance !!! its all gray!! unless these are placeholder textures nvm !!

Sythen

Hey Rico! I seen your work too - it's awesome! =D gout seems like a good idea.

@duxun I've always been afraid to add color to textures. I'm half color blind and even still without using that as an excuse I really don't have any idea behind the techniques of color composition. Any tips would be great.

Sythen

Hey guys,

So I spent the last two days and a bit working on more detail objects. I have completely revamped the texture on the chairs, and fixed some of the advertisement board materials. Pipes have been added, a stairs, and corridors to another platform. I've also added patterns to the walls by creating a seperate but tile-able material so they can be interchanged wherever. I've also added bins, and started working on some decals like news papers and the like.

I know from these screenshots that there are areas that have less detail than others. That's simply however because I've only just started working on the corridor that joins the two platforms and the staircase area.

As always critique if you can!

Note: I've not forgotten about adding grime and the like, those will be extra detail that I'll add later I just want to get the overall composition of the level design down for now.

Screenshots:







Thanks guys for your help so far, I'm loving how this is turning out and your advice and critique is quite literally priceless info =D

- Sythen.

Rick_D

reaklly weird blend betyween very worn and brand new.. would suggest picking a level of destruction/entropy and make it consistent.

the clean look is better, in my opinion, doesn't mean you can't have dirt, just not paint flaking everywhere and pipes so rusted they look like they belong on a BP oil rig.

Sythen

Yeah that does make sense, I personally do think the clean looks better too.. Might pull back on the rust a bit. Chairs look fine though - I'll just add a bit of paint again.

chinups

Hey sythen , I wouldnt worry about the details yet, you need to make this place feel real, go for the overall feel before detailing props and repeating rextures. Block in some larger shapes, make it feel populated, play with your color, you need more than 3 or 4. What are you using for reference?

Sythen

I'm not really working on basing thing specifically on pictures but I do have a moodboard. =]

Oniram

its hard to tell what sort of floor you are going for, but based off the mood board, id suggest making your specularity of the floor tiles a bit less tight. in some areas its looking a bit wet (under the facebook thing). play around with the specular power to see if u cant change that.

also id suggest varying up the spec a bit if its going to be 1 texture tiling a bunch. check this out to see how.

http://www.chrisalbeluhn.com/UT3_Add_variation_to_repeating_textures_Tutorial.html

Sythen

Just a quick update, I've started working on some variant floor materials with different speculars as suggested by Oniram. Thank you for that.

I've also been messing around with Detail maps and might have come up with a solid final material for now.




Also in the second screenshot I've made some curved walls just to add variation and depth to the original walls. The room front is also a heavily work in progress. Right now it's just a basic model and basic diffuse.

- Sythen.

Sythen

I've taken a lot of things into account with this next update, I've re-done some surfaces. Added more detail to a few textures and completely re-worked my materials.
Lighting has also been re-done and some post-processing too. The level really seems to be coming together since my first post of WIP earlier a week ago.

The third screenshot is just to show off the floor tiles and the lighting from the ceiling lights and advertisement boards. I know I've a lot more detail to add to that hallway.

Let me know what you think!
- Sythen.

roosterMAP

floor too clean. There should be cigarette buttsm newspaper, train tickets, empty cups, foot prints, dirt, overflowing trash cans...

Sythen

Thanks! Yeah I really should start working on a list of random little debris props for the floor. I just want to make sure I have everything else done before I start working on the smaller fine details.

Sythen

So it's been a while and I've been working pretty extensively on the Subway's environment. I've done some post processing, and have re-worked some of the materials to have a detailed map, the floor looks much better and doesn't look wet anymore. I've also began construction of the Tunnel, it's in a very basic condition right now but it's there and fills up the void on the opposing side of the subway platform.

Here's a video I've made of it's current progress:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RweRwEs8XZs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RweRwEs8XZs[/ame]

Screenshots:






I know the floor does look fairly blank in area's. My current focus is the Tunnel however (I also know there's seams in the texture).

Let me know what you think!

- Sythen.

glottis8

I think if you were to construct this in real life your whole subway would've caved in by now. You have to notice in reference pictures the amount of support beams that run all along the cealing to make it support. Plus, those details make your scene more interesting.

Sythen

I've never actually thought about it that way. I was aiming purely at aesthetics but never realized that the actual support structures could be beneficial to the aesthetics themselves.

Thanks for the advice, I'll be working on that

Ark

Don't use white lights, there pretty unnatural and boring. If your referencing fluorescent lighting, then these normally have a green tint to them. You've also some some sourcy lighting going on, tone down the key lights and add more fills to get rid of this.

glottis8

I think your cealing could be ok if it was not brick.. and make it like there are rock sheets around, and some are missing. indicating that it's covered to have that flat cealing look. But brick as it is would not be able to support it. Some ref pics of lighting and elements that you could benefit from.

nick2730

Definitely need some color in the lighting, also the wall is too clean as well. Your pillar is exactly the same, and angled exactly the same so you can see the tiling in the pillar. Rotate every couple to make them look more unique or just do a base pillar and do a grunge decal to separate them

looking good tho keep it up

Sythen

@Ark: Not sure what you mean by 'Sourcy' Are you refering to Source Engine or specific points of light?

Not sure what you mean by key lights either. Do you mean just tone down the brightness and increase falloff?

As for the white color. Yeah I usually never do use white lights, so these are technically still work-related.

@Glottis8
Thank you for the screens, definitely a few things I could benefit from.

@Nick2730 hmm.. So decals and different rotations to break up the level a bit. Got it.

Ark

Sourcy refers to the spots/pools of light that you have. Either soften the penumbra or add some fill lights to blend them better into the scene.

Key light refers to you main directional lights, these are the strongest in your scene.

Sythen

Ah I see, Also I thought that Florescent lighting had a blue tint not a green.



- Sythen.

scotthomer

I love this, very inspiring.
I took sourcy to mean, looks like its from the source engine, it does have the "valve" look to it, which is a good thing, very "portal".

Ark

I'm not saying you have to use green, use what you like, just something apart from white.

Sythen

lol sorry I was just curious to which is 'politically correct' in terms of lighting color.

Thanks for the comment #scotthomer good to see you found it inspiring. =]

Ark

Well the kelvin chart you posted there is quite modest about fluorescent lights, they range from anywhere from 3200k -7500k. Depending on the bulb used, i believe the green tint comes from the gases in the tube.

Sythen

So I've spent all of today modeling structural meshes, learning how to make Decals. changing the lighting and adding new light sources with different colors to change the tone of the picture. I've also created advertisement boards and pipes. So a lot of work today! My favorite work today has to be the scrolling advertisement board, (can be seen midway between the UDK logo and my name in the second screenshot).

As always, comment and critique:






Thanks!
- Sythen.

RustySpannerz

That's starting to look really fantastic!